What do the Braves do with Minor? There aren’t many options
Mike Minor in a start at Colorado earlier this month. It wasn't good, either. (AP photo)
Fredi Gonzalez said Wednesday night that he thought Mike Minor threw very well — for three innings. Which he did. Minor carried a no-hitter into the fourth. He was gone five outs later, having yielded seven base runners in the span of 10 Miami batters. For the fourth consecutive start, Minor was charged with at least six earned runs. His ERA rose to 7.09.
It’s clear that Minor is becoming a bit of a mess. After Wednesday’s game he said he let down his teammates, the organization and the fans. He said he didn’t want the other Braves looking at him wondering if this start was going to be as bad as last week’s, didn’t want them thinking they’d have to score a lot of runs to win — which had happened both at Colorado and St. Louis — just because Minor is pitching.
Minor is hard on himself, and you can see why. Last month he worked 7 1/3 one-hit innings against Milwaukee, which can hit, and followed that with eight strong innings in Arizona. After three starts, his ERA was 3.10. The past four starts have been awful — 20 2/3 innings, 32 hits (plus 10 walks), 27 earned runs. He’s still striking out people (23 K’s in those 20 2/3 innings), which suggests his stuff isn’t the issue. “I’m just making too many non-competitive pitches,” Minor said Wednesday.
Clearly the Braves want Minor to succeed. You’ll recall that Jair Jurrjens was shipped to Gwinnett after four similarly bad starts. The difference: Jurrjens was bad in spring training, too; Minor was actually quite good in Florida. Minor has at least given the Braves a reason to think he can get people out.
That said, this can’t go on forever. When Minor falls apart, he falls apart completely. Omar Infante led off the fourth with a line single to left, the Marlins’ first hit. Minor then hit Hanley Ramirez in the back and yielded a two-run double to Austin Kearns, whom he would strike out twice. Miami scored three runs in the fourth. The fifth began with singles by Jose Reyes and Infante and would produce three more runs. One bad inning begat another, and soon Minor was gone and his team was facing a five-run deficit.
The Braves’ hitting has been such that they’ve managed to win a few such games, but you’re not going to outslug everybody all the time. The Braves’ starting rotation has the second-worst ERA among National League teams, leading only Colorado. The reasons for that alarming number are Jurrjens, who’s no longer on the 25-man roster, and Minor, who’s still in the rotation.
It’s weird. All spring everyone was worried that the Braves wouldn’t hit, but they have. At issue now is the commodity that seemed to be a given — starting pitching. But what to do about Minor?
“Keep running him out there,” said Gonzalez, the manager, and there really aren’t many other options. Jurrjens just yielded 12 hits and 10 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Class AAA Buffalo Bisons. Moving Kris Medlen from relief wouldn’t do anything to sort out Minor and would mess up the bullpen to boot. Promoting Julio Teheran from Gwinnett would leave the big-league club without a left-handed starter, which isn’t what anybody has in mind.
The good thing is that the Braves aren’t in free-fall. They’ve lost one game in a row to fall a half-game out of first place. For all Minor’s struggles, they’ve worked around most of them, winning five of his eight starts. Over the long haul though, they need him to be a lot better. They need a lefty, and he’s the only one of those on the horizon.
There’s also this: The Braves didn’t draft this Vanderbilt lefty No. 7 overall in 2009 because they thought he’d look spiffy in middle relief. They did it because they thought he would be a big-league starting pitcher very soon. Sure enough, he’s one now. Just not a very good one.
By Mark Bradley
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211 comments Add your comment
JipWiz
May 17th, 2012
7:43 am
yep
don
May 17th, 2012
7:46 am
The offense can’t be expected to erase 6 run deficits every time Minor pitches, that’s for sure! Interesting situation.
Bravissimo
May 17th, 2012
7:49 am
I didnt get to watch the game last night. Were most of the hits he gave up bloops or bonafide dingers? Whats the status of Moylan?..that could free up Medlen to start a few games and see if Minor can get it together
Frank Linzy
May 17th, 2012
7:50 am
Seems like a confidence issue to me…I believe that they will work it out.
59bulldawg
May 17th, 2012
7:50 am
It’s getting to be more than a little irksome!
crose714
May 17th, 2012
7:50 am
“It’s weird” is really the only way to describe it. It has to be mental. No need to panic yet. I think Fredi is right, keep running him out there. One stellar perfomance may dictate the rest of his year.
SimpleDawg
May 17th, 2012
7:53 am
Minor talked all that rubish about his being a ML pitcher, and that if the Braves didn’t put him in the starting rotation, he would be happy to go somewhere else to perform his trade.
Yikes, now he is faced with having talked the talk, but can’t walk the walk.
#battleshipmouthhassunktherowboatass.
Savvy
May 17th, 2012
7:53 am
They don’t ‘need’ a lefty. They simply need a starting pitcher, lefty or righty, to be competitive and give the team a chance to win. If Teheran does that better than Minor, then these two players exchange jersyes and Minor goes to Gwinnett to sort out his command( expecially his curveball).
SimpleDawg
May 17th, 2012
7:53 am
OOPS, *rubbish*
SimpleDawg
May 17th, 2012
7:56 am
I just hope that 3/5 of the Braves rotation doesn’t turn out to be AAA pitchers……
birddawgbill
May 17th, 2012
7:57 am
Could they get Glavine to maybe work with Minor? And he seems to also be pitching to some bad luck. Perhaps making sure every time he pitches they put the best defense possible on the field. That would be.
C. Ross
1b. Freeman
2b. Uggla
3b. Chipper
SS. Wilson
LF. Prado
CF. Bourne
RF. Heyward.
tp
May 17th, 2012
8:01 am
In a perfect world, the Braves would have two or three lefty starting pitchers. Since this world is far from perfect, who cares if their pitchers are lefty or righty? In this ultra-competitive division, you just need arms that can help you win games. Yes, it’s a long season, but there’s less room for error than many want to imagine when your neck-and-neck with three other teams.
We can’t afford to be non-competitive every fifth game with Minor. If Teheran or Medlen can at least keep us in a game, then so be it.
bravesfan
May 17th, 2012
8:06 am
Medlin is more proven as a starter than Minor. I think they may be concerned about Medlin’s arm, though, so soon after surgery.
Game Changer
May 17th, 2012
8:06 am
These Braves pitchers are very good. The lack of a pitching coach at Gwinnett and Atlanta is what kills these guys. Technique is 90% of pitching once one gets to this level, No pitcher should ever reach triple a ball without three pitches he can throw for stikes and MLB level. The only pitcher going into this season that should be worrisome in Tommy Hanson, his delivery is still very unorthodox and damaging to the shoulder, so far so good but if/when trouble hits again he will be done for the year. Not sure why Frank Wren is still running the braves.
dean
May 17th, 2012
8:08 am
Minor: “DON’T J.J. ME BRO!”
It’s the bigs. Either perform or get sent down. These Braves are contenders and don’t have the luxury of babying players like they would on a sub-500 team.
rich
May 17th, 2012
8:08 am
I agree with birddawgbill…let Ross catch Minor. At least there is a chance he can throw out someone trying to steal…with McCann, every walk and single turns into a runner at second
Jesse
May 17th, 2012
8:08 am
It’s called hitting the corners of the plate. Talk to Glavine. Have him watch how Glavine just worked the outside of the plate for years.
myside
May 17th, 2012
8:08 am
A two or three inning pitcher is not a starting pitcher.
Put him in the pen as a two or three inning reliever. There are others in the pen who could do at least as well as he is doing.
Maybe if he knew he would not be expected to go more than three it would help him regain some confidence.
Flying Lowly
May 17th, 2012
8:14 am
Simple. Send Minor to AAA,bring up Gilmartin,let Medlen replace Minor as starter.
DevilInLaw
May 17th, 2012
8:15 am
Regarding Mark’s hopes that Minor turns into a legitimate MLB pitcher, I’m reminded of the apt phrase, “You can hope in one hand and poop in the other and see which one fills up first.”
Time to just admit that Minor is a major bust for a no. 7 overall pick.
dean
May 17th, 2012
8:21 am
He is not a bust. He just needs to work some more down yonder. Compared to when Glavine and Smoltz were coming up he is definitely not a bust.
tp
May 17th, 2012
8:23 am
Thanks, DevillnLaw. I’ve been trying to lose weight and, now that you mentioned that Minor was that high of a pick, I threw up my breakfast. He was picked THAT high in the draft? When did Ken Herock start drafting players for the Braves?
Aundray Bruce
May 17th, 2012
8:24 am
Hey, lay off Kenny. He’s my man! War Eagle!
FANtastic
May 17th, 2012
8:24 am
Seems like if his next start goes as poorly, bring Teheran up to start for a couple of games. Minor really needs to work on control and his confidence.
Atticus
May 17th, 2012
8:28 am
Oh and Jurjjens got rocked last night. Nice.
Put Medlen in the rotation!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
May 17th, 2012
8:28 am
Well it simply could be he is not as good as his first three starts, but not as bad as his last four either. Baseball is a marathon not a sprint. Give the kid time with McDowell to make the adjustments and it will be corrected. This is the first season where we are expecting 30 starts from the young man and we should expect a few bad starts strung out in a row from him. This should not come as a surprise really.
observer
May 17th, 2012
8:29 am
The real question is what to do with Fredi Gonzalez. Given Minor’s performance in recent games why do you leave Minor in until the game is out of reach? Fredi appears to be clueless in terms of handling a pitching staff; this will become more and more evident as the year goes on.
D man
May 17th, 2012
8:34 am
Send Minor to the bullpen and let Medlin start in his place.
Looking Down From Above
May 17th, 2012
8:38 am
Maybe the issue is not a pitcher issue but a pitching coach issue. Lowe is 6-1 somewhere else, Jurgens got bad and now Minor. I think it’s time to take a hard look at McDowell.
SimpleDawg
May 17th, 2012
8:41 am
Insert Medlen in Minor’s spot. Send Minor to Gwinnett.
Leave the developing young starters in Gwinnett to pitch in a regular routine. Bring up _________ as a mid-inning reliever.
Rickster
May 17th, 2012
8:41 am
If he’s only good for 2-3 innings… make him a middle reliever.
Can We Talk?
May 17th, 2012
8:46 am
Joe Simpson made a comment last night during the broadcast, that it seemed to him that Minor’s troubles have begun when has to pitch out of the stretch.
Glavine responded to say that it should be something they should look at closely.
Could be his mechanics are slightly messed up, release point, push off, something. Or, as Glavine also said, it’s mental and he needs to get away from the mindset of “here we go again.”
I have always agreed with the premise that athletes at this level with such fine talent, barring injury, can have their mindset play a big part in their troubles.
He needs to watch Bull Durham and get his mind right. …Breathe through your eyelids…
arrowhead1959
May 17th, 2012
8:53 am
Minor can be really good for 2-3 innings, which is all Medlen ever pitches, so why not just swap Medlin for Minor for awhile?
Hugo
May 17th, 2012
8:57 am
There is always the minor leagues. Like it was said, you don’t need a lefty in the starting lineup. Rmemeber Jurrgens? What’s the latest on him or someone else. Minor is a liability now.
Derek
May 17th, 2012
8:58 am
Minor said, “I’m just making too many non-competitive pitchers”. Is that a misquote, did he mean to say “pitches”? That’d make a lot more sense.
Minor has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher, he just needs consistency and confidence, which is what Medlen has gained in dominating middle relief. I’m not suggesting inserting Medlen into the rotation spot if Minor does go to the bullpen, but I’d be more reserved in seeing Minor stay up with the Braves, getting rid of Durbin, and let Medlen/Teheran go for the spot. I’d rather see Teheran, though I love Medlen.
Jo Nicca
May 17th, 2012
9:01 am
Kris Medlen will not and cannot be a starter. I wish people would stop saying that. For one his arm wont be able to allow him the throw 6 innings. And two he is more valuable in the pen as a bridge to kimbrel.
Yes the Braves do need a lefty starter. They only have 2 lefties in the pen both of whom get used up more than anybody. It balances the team having atleast 3 but rather 4 lefties and causes disadvantages to others teams. Hopefully, Minor can get it together and come back to form otherwise this may be a bad situation atlanta doesnt want to go in to july looking for a lefty starter.
Double Zero Eight
May 17th, 2012
9:02 am
I don’t care what the Braves ERA has been under McDowell,
he is not as good as Leo Mazzone was. Mazzone was an expert
in working with the mechanics.
Give Minor another start and if he gets “rocked” again, send him
to Gwinnett.
Gene
May 17th, 2012
9:04 am
Fredi does tend to leave a pitcher in until the game is out of hand. It is pretty obvious when a pitcher doesn’t have it. Minor has some talent and will probably improve. I don’t care how many games Lowe wins for the Indians. I never want to see him in a Braves’ uniform.
Derek
May 17th, 2012
9:04 am
Braves have worked effectively without a lefty for the last couple of years. Why all of a sudden do we need one now, at least enough to run the risk of playing a struggling pitcher just to have a southpaw in the rotation? There’s not a whole lot of great lefty hitters in the NL East right now with Howard/Utley out and Ike Davis struggling (Laroche is hot right now), so I don’t see the need.
Joel
May 17th, 2012
9:04 am
What do the ajc do with Bradley? Give him a copy of grammar textbook and require him to learn tenses.
Ralph
May 17th, 2012
9:12 am
Keep running him out there, hum, Isn’t that what they did with Lowe last season????? Minor has never been more th, an a 5 inning pitcher, I think he would be a perfect middle relief pitcher, switch him and Medlen is the best option, Teheran is almost ready, getting better with every start. The Marlins and Mets are crawling up our butts and the Phillies will be soon, very soon.
Ralph
May 17th, 2012
9:16 am
Medlen pitched great as a starter before he got hurt and he could and would do it again if given a chance.
Bill
May 17th, 2012
9:19 am
Not to worry.The great ownership Liberty Media provides will come up with a great way to solve this.
Nativebird
May 17th, 2012
9:22 am
ah, and suddenly it’s the pitching…last fall it was the hitting. Starting this season, error after error. You seeing a pattern? So how many blogs do we have to wait until we get to the real problem?
Coop
May 17th, 2012
9:24 am
I think MInor just has to get it in his head that he is a legitimate major league pitcher. He’s seems very thoughtful and introspective and I just don’t think he quite believes he can really do this. Reminds me a little of Smoltz early in his career and Smoltz had to get head help. No shame in that.
shlomo
May 17th, 2012
9:24 am
why do you bother talking to Fredi? Has he ever said anything intelligent yet?
Jack Dennis TN
May 17th, 2012
9:25 am
Way, way, way too early to give up on him.
AlexH
May 17th, 2012
9:25 am
I cannot believe his performance after his spring training “entitlement” quote in spring training. Proves you get what you earn, and the front office and coaching staff will tell you when you are ready. Not the other way around. He said this on 2/23:
“But after a month or two, somebody’s got to go [when Hudson returns],” Minor said. “Overall, it’s not really – it’s about making the team, but if … I can control my third pitch and have a decent fourth pitch, then there’s no reason I shouldn’t pitch in the big leagues somewhere. If they don’t have room for me here, then there’s no reason they shouldn’t trade me or just do something with me.”
Trojan
May 17th, 2012
9:28 am
Minor will be ok in the long run. If he can’t get things worked out, the Braves should try Tehran and let Minor work in the minors.
Herschel Talker
May 17th, 2012
9:29 am
MB:
Is it too late to trade him for Carlos Beltran?
HT
ATL Fan
May 17th, 2012
9:33 am
So, if Minor is good for three innings, then in the 4th bring in Christhian Martinez or Kris Medlen (based on who is rested). Just know going into it that you’re not getting a 5 inning starter. I doubt Minor would be happy about that but if he doesn’t want to be in the bullpen that’s the other option.
Reality
May 17th, 2012
9:42 am
Our best pitcher pitches for the Indians! Only costs us 11% of the payroll too!
The Braves great pitching depth has disappeared. JJ got annihilated at AAA last night and Minor is a head case-need to score 8-12 runs to win when he starts. Might need to trade for a starter before it’s all over.
Sonny Clusters
May 17th, 2012
9:46 am
We would merely pull Minor aside and tell him he needs another pitch that doesn’t travel over the middle of the plate. A good pitching coach might help there. We was remembering that Roger McDowell made a living with a sinker and we was thinking what a mess Derek Lowe was last year with McDowell and how well he and his sinker are doing now in Cleveland. Whatever the pitch, it needs to have some movement and all the pitches don’t need to look alike coming to the plate. As to Fredi, “keep running him out there” is yet another indictment of his lack of response. Ozzie stole a run last night being sharper than Fredi and the announcers just let it slide right by.
Sonny Clusters
May 17th, 2012
9:47 am
We was filtered!
JAC
May 17th, 2012
9:48 am
Mark, they don’t “need a lefty” in the rotation. They need a pitcher that can get outs. Who cares which arm he pitches with!!!
Sea Trout
May 17th, 2012
9:56 am
The inning before Minor started throwing batting practice to the Marlins, as the first batter of the inning, he hit a ground ball to the infield. His effort to trot down to first base was embarrassing to the Braves uniform. I accept pitchers not giving 100 per cent running to first base on routine ground balls for fear of pulling something. Minor’s trot was only slightly faster than a walk and he turned to the dugout before he got to the bag. I guess Gonzalez was only blowing smoke last year when he said his players will play the game right and hustle.
This to me brings up two points about Minor’s pitching:
1) If he is the lead off batter of an inning and refuses to expend energy, then he may not be in condition to pitch much pass the third or fourth inning
2) If he is willing to disconnect himself while he is the focal point of the game running a ground ball out, then he may be having a concentration problem during games that may be taken place while he is pitching.
Minor has the ability. If Wren, Gonzalez and McDowell can not correct the problem, then they are the problem.
Billy
May 17th, 2012
10:06 am
Get Leo back…don’t give me the BS about Leo after he left the Braves because thats is just BS.
Joel, Mark is very good at what he does.
space monkey
May 17th, 2012
10:06 am
Maybe we should call that sport psychologist that worked with Smoltz. I think this thing with Minor is all mental.
Bulldawg
May 17th, 2012
10:06 am
I’m no major league pitching coach, but I think pitch selection and mental focus are getting Minor in trouble. The first time through the order last night he was dominant by establishing his fastball and challenging hitters. As soon as Infante led off with a single in the fourth, Minor started trying to make “perfect” pitches. He hit Ramirez with an inside fastball, fell behind Kearns 2-0, and then had to throw a “heart of the plate” fastball that unraveled the inning.
As soon as the other team gets a runner on base, he abandons what has made him successful. He needs to trust his stuff and continue to pound the strike zone with fastballs and work the off-speed pitches ahead in the count.
ClemsonBrad
May 17th, 2012
10:14 am
I think they need to give Minor another start or two. If he bombs again, I think you have to give Julio T. a chance.
Hoosier Aaron
May 17th, 2012
10:21 am
If Mickey Hatcher can get axed because Pujols can’t hit….anybody is fair game.
bvillebaron
May 17th, 2012
10:24 am
I agree with many of the other posters, this stuff about not having a lefty in the rotation is over-rated. The team needs the 5 best starters regardless of whether they are left-handed or right-handed. This team has enough left-handers in the bullpen to negate left-handers in the late innings.
As I see it, to say that Minor deserves a few more starts despite the way he has pitched because (1) he looked good in spring training (unimportant in my view) and (2) because he is left-handed, but Jurrjens, who has pitched very well for SEVERAL YEARS in the big leagues before injuring his knee, should be shipped out to AAA and is not deemed to be on a rehab assignment but is now considered a “minor league pitcher” as Gonzalez stated the other day is a classic double standard.
Don’t get me wrong; I haven’t seen JJ pitch @ Gwinnett and am not advocating that he be called up, but merely pointing out that if you are going to do that with him, then the same standard should apply to Minor who has had nowhere near the success JJ has had in the majors. Frankly, I think that it should be almost a no brainer to recall Teheran right now.
Delbert D.
May 17th, 2012
10:24 am
Call John Smoltz for a referral.
Heisenberg
May 17th, 2012
10:28 am
JAC
May 17th, 2012
9:48 am
Mark, they don’t “need a lefty” in the rotation. They need a pitcher that can get outs. Who cares which arm he pitches with!!!
******************************
Amen to that!
This is the same problem that JoJo Reyes had. Look unhittable for a few innings, then fold at the first sign of adversity. I would give him 1 more start on a short leash then put someone else in. Plenty to choose from: Medlen, Livan, Teheran, Martinez.
Jo Nicca
May 17th, 2012
10:35 am
Derek
May 17th, 2012
9:04 am
Braves have worked effectively without a lefty for the last couple of years. Why all of a sudden do we need one now, at least enough to run the risk of playing a struggling pitcher just to have a southpaw in the rotation? There’s not a whole lot of great lefty hitters in the NL East right now with Howard/Utley out and Ike Davis struggling (Laroche is hot right now), so I don’t see the need.
Oh really?
Lets see in 2006 atlanta went 79-83 and finished 3rd, 2007 went 84-78, 2008 went 72-90 and 2009 went 86-76 all finishing 3rd or worse in division. Can you name our LHP starters? Chuch James, JoJo Reyes, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton. Didnt have hardly any starts from these people and it did affect the team
Heisenberg
May 17th, 2012
10:45 am
Jo, those 06-09 Braves teams had more deficiencies than just lack of quality left handed pitching.
bvillebaron
May 17th, 2012
10:46 am
Jo Nicca:
Who was the left-handed starter in 2010 and how did the team do that year. Did it ever occur to you that there were other reasons for the records in 2006-2009 other than whether the starters were left handed or righthanded?
Beck
May 17th, 2012
10:46 am
Keep sending him out there until the All-Star break. Let him work through it. Like Mark said, he started the year off pretty decently, it hasn’t been until his few starts that he has really struggled. We are still winning in spite of it. The guy is too young and has too much promise to sit here and say he is a bust.
Plus, I think Minor is the best option at this point in time. I like him better than Livan, Teheran, or Martinez. Its not like Teheran has been tearing it up in the minors this year. He has been too inconsistent this year, and hasn’t shown that he can even have a quality start in the Majors (I don’t think he has made it out of the 5th yet).
With Livan or Martinez, I think they are better served in their roles as they are. Medlen makes a good case, but I like him being the next best guy out of the pen before O’Ventebrel. Lets give minor a little more time, and if that doesn’t work out, consider Medlen or Teheran, if he starts tearing it up in Gwinnett.
The rut
May 17th, 2012
10:46 am
Went down to spring training. Watched Minor pitch, told my buddy Scott, that no way was Minor a major league pitcher.
Fats
May 17th, 2012
10:47 am
Sometimes running a guy out there like FG suggests is not the wise choice……Put him in the bullpen or send him to the minor leagues for a while. How long do you put an individual above the team?
buster brave
May 17th, 2012
10:48 am
KEEP RUNNIN’ HIM OUT THERE, PERIOD…………
Franklin
May 17th, 2012
10:49 am
FIRST!!!!
Heisenberg
May 17th, 2012
10:51 am
They can keep running him out there so long as the leash is shorter than a Chinamans ….. well you know. Have the long relief guy start getting loose in the 3rd and bring him in as soon as a run is allowed.
gregpatrick
May 17th, 2012
10:53 am
Minor needs to pitch more aggressively. More first pitch strikes. He needs to focus on moving the ball from the outside corner to the inside corner and change speeds more often. I think McCann can help him more than anyone. It’s definitely a confidence issue and that needs to be resolved before it becomes a major issue. Maybe a sports psychologist is in order.
Ron Roberts
May 17th, 2012
10:54 am
Anybody considered bringing John Smoltz (or his srhink from the ’90s) to talk to the kid? Smoltzie went through a similar issue, and wound up rebounding in remarkable fashion.
Dan Schlossberg
May 17th, 2012
10:54 am
Though not ideal, both the Braves and Dodgers succeeded with all-righthanded rotations in recent memory. Minor did pitch well this spring but the Braves cannot afford to keep running him out there — as they did with Derek Lowe, who went 0-5 in September and personally cost Atlanta a playoff berth. If the team prefers Medlen in the pen, why not switch Minor with Livan Hernandez? The latter may be old but he’s an innings-eater with reasonably good control and a logical fifth starter. The other alternative is to switch Minor with Julio Teheran, who deserves another crack at the majors, or even Sean Gilmartin, whose ability trumps his inexperience. Signing Roy Oswalt wouldn’t hurt either.
Dawgdad (The Original)
May 17th, 2012
10:58 am
Someone in the booth said last night that Minor had said that his changeup was his best pitch, however, it was his third pitch, so he didn’t get to use it as much as he liked. He said he was having trouble with his curveball, pitch 2. Glavine immediately spoke up and said if it is his best pitch why doesn’t he move it up in his selection process, go figure.
Have him work with Glavine through about 2 more starts, maybe get some shrink help from Smoltz’s head doctor working on visualizing success. If that doesn’t help, try him as a reliever. Ron Reed was always great through the first three innings, but never a successful starter, but he was a great reliever.
Game Changer
May 17th, 2012
10:59 am
I saw this in two players the past two years and not sure if an issue or not. Seems to be a real disconnect with several players and our mgr. gonzales or maybe Wren, not sure but looks to me like some players want out of ATL. It is very hard for me to believe my own thoughts on this but I think Jurrjeans is begging to be traded along with some other players. I could be totally wrong but seems to me that several are very happy to be gone from 2011 and some of the 2012 are seeking to be traded.
Dawgdad (The Original)
May 17th, 2012
11:02 am
Where did my comment go?
Put him in the bullpen, he stuff is too good to give up on. If a session or two with Glavine doesn’t help him solve this riddle, try him as a reliever. Worked for Ron Reed and others.
Ron Roberts
May 17th, 2012
11:03 am
Lemme re-post since the site’s eating comments, apparently ….
Anybody considered calling John Smoltz (or his shrink, Dr. Llewellyn)? If anybody can relate to having great stuff and a psychological block ..
AlanFalcon
May 17th, 2012
11:04 am
Bring in Wags as a special consultant, it might save his career, for sure Roger isn’t getting the job done. Last year Roger could not get Lowe out of his funk but look at him now, maybe Roger just doesn’t have the desire to help some people or maybe he doesn’t have the ability, anyway Minor has a future and we need to find it before he finds it with another team.
LakeDawg
May 17th, 2012
11:05 am
Being a lefty can keep one in MLB a long time.
Mike
May 17th, 2012
11:08 am
Bring up Todd Redmond. I think he’s shown consistency in Triple A over the last 2 years and should be given a shot. It could also increase his trade value and help us come June/July if Wren wants to make any moves.
Marvin Mangrum
May 17th, 2012
11:19 am
Leave the ball club without a left handed starter! You dont have one now! If Fredi pulls the Lowe crap like he did last year, just fire him now! His era is soaring, it dont a freaking rocket scientist to figure this out! Send him down, bring up a pitcher who can pitch. You know having a guy who loses every game, what does that do? What are the positives to that? You know, having a keyboard with letters on it that leads to spelling words and the like, dont make you a writer. I can see it now, yep, we needed a lefty, yep, he only lost 23 games but you know having a lefty is what matters! Must be old age, I thought quality mattered! Imagine not having Lowe last year, could we have won one more game? I understand it would not mattered, but what if? You start rolling down a mountain, it kinda gets difficult to stop! And if you writers, is that the word, if you folks cant figure that out then that gives credence to Fredi not figuring it out!
Taxi Smith
May 17th, 2012
11:32 am
Make a short reliever out of him.
jobro
May 17th, 2012
11:35 am
give todd redmond a chance hes dominating at gwinnett he deserves a shot look up his numbers they are sick
Ed
May 17th, 2012
11:40 am
Minor reminds me so much of Kyle Davies. Great expectations but no fulfillment. Both of them think/thought that they were the greatest and should never be questioned. Both of them thought they were the only important players on the field. Both of them never gave any aknowledgement to other players for making a great play. Just watch Hudson. Beachy, or Medlen after a teammate makes a good play saving them. And management continues to say they have all the tools and will get it worked out. But what can I say. I never even played for the Roosevelt Crimson Tide.
iTiSi
May 17th, 2012
11:41 am
FG compounded the problem last night by sitting down two of the main offensive cogs in the lineup. That was nothing more than a “giveaway” game which FG is good about doing at least 3-4 times per year. Each game has to be looked at as the last game of the season. At the end of last year I recalled several similar games and the Braves came up one game short. I’ve already made a note on my schedule about last night and will do the same for the rest of the “giveaway” games just to see how many there are when the Braves come up short once again. Also, Bourn was hot so who gets the blame if he goes into a tailspin now? The bad pitching now makes it imperative that the Braves score runs and lots of them as they were doing. Amazing that they are where they are now with the bad ERAs. It won’t be that way for long with FG at the helm.
Mark (another one)
May 17th, 2012
11:53 am
Some here believe Minor doesn’t know how to pitch, but I think it’s more of an execution issue. He has experienced catchers helping with pitch selection and he has shown he can win games. With young pitchers, a frequent issue is consistency. That comes from maturity. The way to develop maturity is to keep working at the craft.
Watching him struggle is no fun. Reality is that if it continues, it will be in AAA and not the majors. He knows this and is probably doing all he can between starts to prepare to win. It doesn’t matter who’s available to replace him, someone will.
My bet is that Minor will have a long major league career and we are just seeing the begining. He’ll get over this challenge and get on track. I just want it to start with his next start.
The battle cry of the Braves faithful. Give me patience and give it to me now! Baseball is all about patience. It is the biggest difference I can see between last year’s hitters and this year’s. Fredi has it with his players and coaches. It’s also what most fans don’t have.
Mitchell
May 17th, 2012
12:02 pm
The Braves weren’t going to win that game anyway.
I get made fun of for suggesting the Braves could actually do better than 5-2 and 7-2 on their most recent road trips.
Well, guess what? The Marlins just went 8-1 in nine road games.
Given their performance at home this season, they, the Braves, might have to.
The Nationals are in first again as they have been much of the first month and a half and the Marlins are right back in it. And anytime the Phillies want to come back into town and push us around we know they probably will.
As long as they have the Braves, they’re only a last place team on paper.
Blame Mike Minor all you want but he’s not the primary reason for our uninspired home performances in 2012
No Flag Since Lemke
May 17th, 2012
12:05 pm
Should we be surpised by Minor’s performance? He came into the season with an ERA of just under five. The hell of it is we probably could gotten Pence for him and a couple lesser prospects last year.
nashvillewill
May 17th, 2012
12:06 pm
It lost my patience with the Braves during the Cox era when 1 World Series was all you got from all those division winners.
I think the Braves need a left-handed starter and Minor is it for the foreseeable future. Playing the best defense behind him would help–i.e., Ross, Chipper, Bourn. Minor pitching + Franciso 3B + no Bourn +McCann = probable loss. Next start give him the best lineup behind him and tell him he’s pitching 6 innings.
DawgDad
May 17th, 2012
12:06 pm
I was surprised (shocked) when Minor made the roster out of Spring Training, then HE shocked me with that nice 3-game run. He is what he is, a talented young pitcher who hasn’t mastered either his command or knowledge of pitching the third and fourth times through an order (or both). Lots of guys fit this category. When the Braves run out of patience they have a decision to make; if they envision Minor as a starter later this year they need to send him down. As to who they put in the rotation, well, JJ isn’t making this an easy decision. They still have Teheran, Hernandez, Medlen, so there are options. They could trade Minor; I’m sure the Royals would tolerate his development timeline, or they could set up a Minor-Hernandez game day combination. To be a starter, though, Minor needs to pitch through his problems – somewhere.
Two things bother me: (1) The Braves don’t stretch out their starters at the end of Spring Training, and (2) with all this talented young pitching the Braves go and put a sub-par infield (except for Freeman) behind them.
Thank our lucky stars for Tim Hudson and Brandon Beachy, and to a somewhat lesser extent Tommy Hanson and Randall Delgado.
59bulldawg
May 17th, 2012
12:13 pm
For Pete sake do not just “Keep running him out there,” Fredi! If he can’t get it together by his next start, he needs to go join JJ at Gwinnett. Geesh!
Dawg Haus
May 17th, 2012
12:18 pm
I’m hoping it’s just growing pains for Minor. He clearly has big-league stuff.
rosecoloredglasses
May 17th, 2012
12:23 pm
All you are worried about is Minor. Open your eyes. The main reason they are winning games is by scoring lots of runs, not quality starting pitching. When the offense struggles, the Braves cannot win, and they will finish probably 3rd in the East, and the chants of wait till next year, and fire Fredi will fill these posts. The Braves ARE NOT a quality playoff team, so take off those rose colored glasses, remove the blinders and look at the real Atlanta Braves.They were lucky to sweep St. Louis this past weekend, and luck runs its course, then runs out. If they lose today, they could have at least a 5 game losing streak, because I am not sure they can match up with the Rays. Very few teams can.
Ted Turner
May 17th, 2012
12:34 pm
Medlin needs to be put into the starting rotation again.
Really?
May 17th, 2012
12:35 pm
Here’s an idea.. put Minor in to pitch even though he is struggling and then start three non-starter position players and see what happens?? Oh, that was last night. Really… give three off the same night with a struggling pitcher.. brilliant
Stuart
May 17th, 2012
12:36 pm
Until last night I was willing to go with the theory of taking the Colorado and St. Louis starts out of his equation. Now I am not so sure. He just got beat by a Marlins team that isn’t a very good hitting team. I think you go with him one or two more times and then a decision has to be made.
DetroitBraves
May 17th, 2012
12:47 pm
While Minor was considered by most across the industry as a reach at #7, he’s not this bad. And by not being this bad I mean he’s not this bad right now. I know few people out here care much for the more advanced metrics but his xFIP is 3.81 while his ERA is 7.09, plus his 8.4 K/9 indicates he is still missing bats. There is good reason to think he will get better results going forward even if he doesn’t change a thing. That said, the people on here asking for better defense behind him (and I really don’t know who generally has been in the games when he has pitched) may have a point. And I also like the idea of Medlen in the rotation, though to be honest I thought he would eventually take the place of Delgado.
BUBBA BEANS
May 17th, 2012
12:51 pm
MEDLEN WILL MORE THAN LIKELY BE IN THE ROTATION NEXT YEAR (SMART THING TO DO CURRENTLY)
I STILL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MINOR (VERY GOOD FASTBALL) GIVE IT TIME
bvillebaron
May 17th, 2012
12:52 pm
rosecoloredglasses:
Far better to wear rosecolored glasses than be blind. Funny how when the Braves kick the Cardinals 3 games in their park, they were lucky, but the Cardinals had no luck at all the last 6 weeks of the season. Give me a break!
DetroitBraves
May 17th, 2012
12:58 pm
I guess if you’re trying to make a point out here it has to be in all caps so trying again….
MINOR HAS BEEN RATHER UNLUCKY RECENTLY. GOING FORWARD I WOULD EXPECT THE RESULTS TO BE BETTER WITHOUT MAKING ANY DRASTIC CHANGES.
Whew, this internet thing is hard.
K.K.
May 17th, 2012
12:59 pm
K.K. ready to come assist Braves. Have lots Mississippi experience.
Bob the Blogger
May 17th, 2012
1:01 pm
The Braves made the correct decision in sending JJ down; now make the correct decision and send Minor down. There are several options: 1) Medlen 2) Teheran or 3) Todd Redman. Redman has a 2.84 ERA with 48 SO and 12 BB in 44.1 innings. Personally, I’d put Medlen in the rotation and call up Gearrin. He as an ERA of 1.31 with 21 SOs and 5 BBs in 20.2 innings.
Bob the Blogger
May 17th, 2012
1:02 pm
Redmond, not Redman. That’s chewing tobacco.
rosecoloredglasses
May 17th, 2012
1:10 pm
As I said, last season the Braves had alot of luck going for them, but the luck ran out and when they had to win, they could not get the job done. Luck gets you so far, then it runs out. It did last season, and it will again this season. They just do not have a quality playoff caliber team. 3rd place is about right, maybe 2nd, if their luck holds. Beachy is this year’s JJ. He is all world right now, but will come crashing back to earth, because quite simply, he is not that good. He is a good young pitcher, but not 1.60 ERA good. All in all, their rotation is not fooling alot of teams. They have been lucky, and luck runs out.
coach13
May 17th, 2012
1:13 pm
Better to have 5 adequate righties in the rotation than a lefty with a 7.0 ERA. Pull Teheran up and let Minor work on some stuff. It’s not rocket science.
DetroitBraves
May 17th, 2012
1:14 pm
I half agree with you Bob. I do think Minor can be afforded some more time. There are reasons to think he will pitch better. But with Jurrjens, while it’s true his ERA was a bit inflated at 9.37, his xFIP was 6.16. That ain’t exactly getting it done either. And unlike Minor, I still wonder if Jurrjens isn’t hurt. Pulling for him to get it together though. I don’t know much about Redmond other than I’m generally leery of 27-year-old pitchers repeating a level for the 4th time.
Pat
May 17th, 2012
1:15 pm
I wish we’d make Medlin a starter and move someone else to middle relief…
urban redneck
May 17th, 2012
1:25 pm
i thought he said earlier this season that he didn’t have anything else to learn in the minors. looks like he might have been mistaken.
Skeezix
May 17th, 2012
1:26 pm
Who will step up in the starting rotation? Someone needs to. Right now we only have two top quality/reliable starters–Beachy and Hudson. You need three.
What is going on with Venters?
DetroitBraves
May 17th, 2012
1:26 pm
Maybe he said he didn’t have anything else to learn about being Mike Minor. Of course, if he said that he’s probably even more mistaken.
juice sourcer
May 17th, 2012
1:27 pm
Have you’ll noticed that Derrick Lowe is 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 8 starts with Cleveland
mark's for the braves
May 17th, 2012
1:28 pm
I think it is ironic that for all the talk of the starting pitching the Braves were loaded with that we can’t find a decent 5-man rotation now. Should we trade some of our offence to get a decent starter?
PreyDawg
May 17th, 2012
1:30 pm
@Mark- I agree that we cannot wait forever but you almost seem to contradict yourself. The conclusion of the article kinda sounds like, “We can’t wait forever but we need to wait as long as it takes.”
Or maybe you mean, “We need to wait until Jurjens gets back on track…however long that takes.”
PreyDawg
May 17th, 2012
1:31 pm
@marks for the Braves- HECK no!!! I don’t ever want to suffer through another season like September of last year. It is more fun to loose this way if we have to.
DetroitBraves
May 17th, 2012
1:33 pm
Have you noticed that Derek Lowe has a 1.44 WHIP and has struckout 13 batters in 52.2 innings? If anyone is suffering from some kind of extreme short-term memory loss and thinks that this is a) sustainable or b) the Braves would be better off with Lowe back……Oh. Dear. God. No.
Rogie
May 17th, 2012
1:34 pm
Young pitcher. Hasn’t mentally figured it out yet. He’s showed he can pitch well into the seventh inning in several games a month ago, no he has lost it once he gets base runners. Is he having a problem pitching out the stretch when he has base runners? Is he giving a “tell” to the hitters from the stretch? Maybe part of this is mechanical.
Jim
May 17th, 2012
1:38 pm
Make Medlen a starter—he was great starting b4 he got hurt and is pitchimg good now. I believe it is a lot easier to find a set up guy than a dependable starter.
DetroitBraves
May 17th, 2012
1:41 pm
“I believe it is a lot easier to find a set up guy than a dependable starter.” – jim at 1:38.
I think you’re dead-on the money with that assessment Jim.
slydog
May 17th, 2012
1:50 pm
Here is a little bit of common sense: Minor to the bullpen or Triple A. Move Tehran to the bullpen if Minor goes to Gwinnett. Start Medlan; If not for Tommy John surgery, he would have been in the starting rotation anyway. Or, you could try to use Jurrjens out of the bullpen. His psyche should be ok because he just blew it for free agency.
REAGAN2012
May 17th, 2012
1:50 pm
MINOR LIVING UP TWO HIS NAME NEED TO WORK THOSEM PITCHES TIL HE CAN MAKE HIS BALLS DROP WHERE HE WANTS AND NOT OVER THE FENCE IN OUTFIELD HE MADE ME MAD SAYIN HE WANT TO BE TRADED BU T SEEMS LIKE HE IS HARD ON HISSELF MAYBE FREDI CAN CONVINCE HIS TO GO WORK THE BALLS OUT IN THE MINOR SO WE CAN HAVE A VERIABLE LEFTY FOR ALL THE BIG LEFTY TEAMS THEY ALL HAVE LEFTYS AGAINST OUR BIG LEFTY HITTERS
meh
May 17th, 2012
1:53 pm
I f he’d just relax and pitch I think he’d be fine. he gets all freaked at the first sign of trouble and starts trying too hard. McCann needs to go to the mound and slap him upside the back of the head when gets like that.
JeanE
May 17th, 2012
2:15 pm
Definitely a confidence issue, paging Dr. Jack Llewelyn, Smoltz needs to give Minor his phone # pronto.
NickGranite
May 17th, 2012
2:29 pm
All I know is we better straighten up a couple of pitchers quick because June beckons and we have the mother of all schedules in terms of competition that month.
John Galt
May 17th, 2012
2:30 pm
Minor should join JJ, or, if JJ is throwing well, change places with him.
“Saving” Medlen for the bullpen is beginning to look ridiculous-
?
May 17th, 2012
2:32 pm
Did anyone else hear the new playoff format? The wildcard winner gets to play the first two games at home against division winner. Am I the only one who doesn’t get this? I mean should the division winner open up at home LOL
james
May 17th, 2012
2:40 pm
Gonzalez needs to pull him quicker from a game. Anyone can see when he has lost it. Go to our long relief Medlin and leave him in. He will work through this.
keeping it real
May 17th, 2012
2:42 pm
J.J. has pitched 3 straight really good games in the minors. His ERA is right at 2.00. I don’t understand why he is not getting any love. Bring him back!
G
May 17th, 2012
2:49 pm
My question is, what evidence did we have that the pitching staff would be good? Jurrjens was bad at the back half, Hanson can’t pitch more than 5 – 6 innings, Hudson coming back from surgery and Minor wasn’t that good last year. This staff has a lot of holes. Same holes they had going into the season.
fredi knows bobby
May 17th, 2012
2:49 pm
Well, for one thing you dont leave pitchers in no more that 4 runs given up unless your are Fredi Gonzalez or Bobbay Cox. How many successful teams use the Chipper oh well mentality strategy.
loulo
May 17th, 2012
3:02 pm
look what a new pitching coach has done for Derek Lowe, maybe time for Braves to look in another direction for a new pitching coach.
rpidge
May 17th, 2012
3:07 pm
There best option is past. They had a chance to trade Minor for Pence and blew it. You now have what you have. The Braves need better talent evaluators.
blue
May 17th, 2012
3:09 pm
Bravissimo; they were all legit hits. He was not locating his pitches consistently. A couple of the balls hit really hard were center of the plate fast balls with no movement.
DawgDad
May 17th, 2012
3:11 pm
“look what a new pitching coach has done for Derek Lowe” Designated driver? Spokesman for fan relations? What?
I really get a chuckle out of all the batting/pitching coach posts.
Lady Luck
May 17th, 2012
3:13 pm
Maybe have Ross catch him every time. A vet presence can help at times. He starts getting out of line, send up Ross to talk to him, calm him down. The kid has the pitches, just lets his nerves overcome him at times.
FrankensteinSolaris
May 17th, 2012
3:15 pm
We should have traded for and gotten either Carlos Beltran or Josh Hamilton to help us out. I think the Braves need one more POWER BAT in the lineup for them to win the world series this year. I wish we still had Omar Infante in our lineup because he was always a great hitter too. When Omar was with the Braves, I think he hit .350 every year he was here.
Bobbys' Booger
May 17th, 2012
3:20 pm
Minor living up to his last name as always.
Bobbys' Booger
May 17th, 2012
3:22 pm
REally dude is a head-case…similar to Smoltz early on. Though stuff nowhere near as good. Medlin is the answer, but we do not know the true status of his arm as far as 5-7 innings. Livian H could be better than Minor…I mean dude is crafty…he’s gonna give up 2-4 but you can win with that as a 5 starter
Braves Fan
May 17th, 2012
3:39 pm
I give Minor 1 or 2 more starts. If he does poorly, you have to send him down and bring up Tehran. He’s 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA at Gwinnett. Hopefully, he’s worked out the spring training kinks.
D-Man
May 17th, 2012
3:48 pm
Never thought the day would come where I would worry about the Braves’ starting pitching more than their hitting…NEVER.
JoeFan
May 17th, 2012
3:49 pm
Read that Oswalt is waiting for an offer from a contending club. Wonder if the Braves are willing to invest in a proven starter for the remainder of 2012 and let Minor sort things out in AAA. This club has a chance to be a strong contender but after 2011 no games need to be thrown away.
fsubrave
May 17th, 2012
3:53 pm
lets see what gilmartin can do
Jo Nicca
May 17th, 2012
3:57 pm
Jo Nicca:
Who was the left-handed starter in 2010
Mike Minor
Jo Nicca
May 17th, 2012
3:58 pm
JoeFan
May 17th, 2012
3:49 pm
Read that Oswalt is waiting for an offer from a contending club. Wonder if the Braves are willing to invest in a proven starter for the remainder of 2012 and let Minor sort things out in AAA. This club has a chance to be a strong contender but after 2011 no games need to be thrown away.
Just had a huge discussion about this on DOB’s blog. Id agree to Oswalt but atlanta could only afford about 3M unless Jurrjens is gone
Jo Nicca
May 17th, 2012
4:02 pm
Bobbys’ Booger
May 17th, 2012
3:22 pm
REally dude is a head-case…similar to Smoltz early on. Though stuff nowhere near as good. Medlin is the answer, but we do not know the true status of his arm as far as 5-7 innings. Livian H could be better than Minor…I mean dude is crafty…he’s gonna give up 2-4 but you can win with that as a 5 starter
Agree. Medlen cant/shouldnt be stretched. Hes needed for 7th & 8th as O’flaherty has been questionable. And instead of having too rookie starters that will only go 5-6 innings at best using a flip flop with Hernandez & Minor seems ideal if Minor doesnt turn it around. or we could just ask Glavine to come back mayb he’ll pitch like Moyer
Jo Nicca
May 17th, 2012
4:05 pm
keeping it real
May 17th, 2012
2:42 pm
J.J. has pitched 3 straight really good games in the minors. His ERA is right at 2.00. I don’t understand why he is not getting any love. Bring him back!
cause he just gave up 11 runs last night in 4 2/3 innings
Kelly
May 17th, 2012
4:10 pm
Bizarre turn when Braves hit better than they pitch.
COOPER
May 17th, 2012
4:24 pm
Move Minor to the bullpen to try and work out his control and mental weakness. Move Medlin into the rotation. He was very effective before he got hurt and has been one of the more successful pitchers in the bullpen. He deserves to given another shot in the starting rotation.
As much as I hate it to happen if Minor can not get it together by all star you send him to the minors or trade him or release him.
jerry
May 17th, 2012
4:27 pm
As soon as the pitching comes around, they will stop hitting. Bank it.
West GA Braves Fan
May 17th, 2012
4:52 pm
It’s time to move Minor to long relief and try Medlen as a starter.
Hopefully, Wren is still trying to trade Jurjens.
Did anyone ever sign Roy Oswalt? He might help stabilize this young group of starters.
BavadoFever
May 17th, 2012
4:58 pm
If I’m Fredi, I just tip my cap to Minor
GAKnight
May 17th, 2012
5:03 pm
Can you spell :Kris Medlen”?
137 Years of Inepitude for A City With 3 Pro Teams
May 17th, 2012
5:08 pm
Dear Mark, I’ll ask your opinion. The Braves moved here in 66, The Falcons started in 66 and the Hawks moved in 67. That’s 3 teams who have played a combined 137 years(not counting 2012) and combined have won 1 World Championship. I’m not even factoring in the 2 hockey teams that never won a Stanley Cup. Why do you think ineptitude of this magnitude has not been discussed on the national level. There is only 1 “big league” city???, Cleveland, that has 3 or more teams that has not won at least 2 World Championships in that time frame. Remember, Buffalo only has one pro sports team. We are right in this with Cleveland and yet nobody mentions us. Why is that? And I really don’t want to hear about the “pennants” draping the facade–good word–at Turner Field. I’m talking CHAMPIONSHIPS
Necromancer
May 17th, 2012
5:44 pm
Tip your cap to Minor. He pitched some good ball….for about 3 to 4 innings! lol
danny
May 17th, 2012
5:46 pm
Clearly something has to be done with the guy. I mean, he is not expected to be the second coming of Glavine, but he is not even giving the team a reasonable chance to win.
Braves old fan
May 17th, 2012
5:50 pm
It is obvious what is wrong with Minor and I am shocked the Braves brass do not realize it.Take a look at the last several years of all of the left handed pitchers who gave the Braves trouble including Santana,Hamel,Lee,Maholm,last nights pitcher,and a bunch of no name guys,they all have one thing in common a slow curve ball in the 70’s mph range including last night who threw 60% of his pitches that way.Minor’s fastball is right at 90.91 and his change up around 85 not a big enough difference .Hopefully,there is someone in the organization who can teach him a 70’s mph slow curve and that would cure the problem even if you don’t throw it for strikes all of the time.Delgado has a good one and Hanson used one against the Cardinals and Livan has used one his whole career.This is all Minor needs and should have been worked on in spring training.As a starter you have to have at least 3 or 4 quality pitches to show as the game goes on or they will figure you out.My favorite pitch is the backup fastball that Maddox would use to both sides of the plate to both L and R handed hitters.Medan has a pretty good one.So Braves coaches please get working on Minors slow curve.
A-Ville Ranger
May 17th, 2012
5:50 pm
Minor has completely lost his footing because he doesn’t have the makeup to be successful. You don’t throw good money after bad just because you had ideas of what he could be. So we keep throwing him out there till he’s cost 10 games in the standing and cost everybody the season ? I’d start Hernandez before I’d let Minor spit the bit again.
eric
May 17th, 2012
5:58 pm
i can’t stand the resident closer kimbrel… ican’t stand how he bends down and looks and he got chunky legs to go along with resident “fatty” lol
Norris
May 17th, 2012
6:21 pm
If we continue to run him out there every 5 days then we are going to owe Lowe an apology!! lol
Jay Dubu
May 17th, 2012
6:43 pm
The Braves pitched two seasons back to back without a lefty starter, and now they’re going to leave an ineffective lefty in the rotation just to say they have a lefty starter?
Stop it!!!! What’s the true reason?
Put the best 5 starters in the rotation, and find bullpen guys whereever they keep getting the likes of Durbin, Sherrill, Linebrink, etc.
You mean to tell me they can’t find one of those guys available to move Medlen to the rotation?
Why do they want so very ad not to have Medlen in the rotation? What gives?
Jay Dubu
May 17th, 2012
6:48 pm
Move Medlen to the rotation, and Minor to the pen. Fredi said he pitched good for 3+ innings….that will get the job done every 3 days!!!
Problem solved!
Stinger 2
May 17th, 2012
7:24 pm
Several post have mentioned that Minor said he wanted to be traded. I missed what that is all about but, based on his latest performances, I suggest the Braves accommodate him.
ab initio
May 17th, 2012
7:31 pm
Send McDowell packing. Send the coach in AAA packing. Bring in either Mazzone, or someone who can effectively fix this mess once and for all.
MattInAtl
May 17th, 2012
7:36 pm
Last sentence change: Just a very bad one.
Delbert D.
May 17th, 2012
8:22 pm
Left-handed knuckleballer would be something to see. Heck, Smoltz experimented with it. Minor could.
Ralph
May 17th, 2012
9:14 pm
Another pitching option would be to bring up Buddy Carlyle for long relief in place of Mellen and move Meds into the 5th starter spot. Buddy has been pitching lights out and has his diabetes under control now.
Karma
May 17th, 2012
9:15 pm
Minor is still young. Strikes guys out so he has the talent. Just needs to learn strategy and not lose it mentally when guys start to get on. Way too early to give up on him. That being said if he needs to spend time in Gwinnett so be it. If he is unraveling fredi needs to keep him on short leash and not allow the huge inning.
Bobby Bragan
May 17th, 2012
9:18 pm
Another question, what to do with Venters?
Not the same guy as last year, that’s for sure.
For now Hanson, Hudson, Delgado and Beachy for sure, are doing good enough thus far in starting.
Kimbrel is getting it done closing so far.
Dow
May 17th, 2012
9:18 pm
disappointing, but mixed results to-date. As Fredi sez, in the absence of other alternatives, you keep ruunin’ him out there. Big upside potential.
Stumpknocker
May 17th, 2012
9:56 pm
Not knocking on McCann, but let Ross catch him next start. If that doesn’t work, see if they can get Glavine or Smoltz or maybe both to get in this kids’ head.
Tom
May 17th, 2012
10:12 pm
move minor to the pen, first time through line up minor is good, can be the long man stick medlen in the rotation.
Tom
May 17th, 2012
10:14 pm
minor has me having Chuck James flashbacks
Quack Quack
May 17th, 2012
10:22 pm
Great complete shut-out game for Beechy!!
FW…Sign Bourn….Give Prado a raise!!!
GO BRAVES!! This is just too much fun…..
noseknows
May 17th, 2012
11:05 pm
Saw him pitch at Vandy and change was his best pitch (Glavine). Fastball has very little movement so he better be able to spot it. Needs to work hard with the slider or curve and then throw all 3 pitches in game and NOT rely on fastball as much as he does now.
Steve
May 18th, 2012
1:29 am
This year’s Derek Lowe?
BravesFAN
May 18th, 2012
1:29 am
If Vizciano was healthy I have a feeling Fredi and Frank Wren would have already sent Minor down and moved Medlen into the starting rotation. The lack of a righty outside of our closer in the pen is what’s keeping Medlen in the bullpen. Let’s be honest Fredi doesn’t trust C-Mart and Livan as the only righties in the Pen that he can use before the 9th.
Really hope the fat Aussie (Moylan) rehabs like a mad man and gets up to the majors asap. We could use a little more depth in the pen to allow us to free up Medlen’s arm.
For everybody saying Medlen can’t be a starting pitcher the Braves went into this season knowing they would likely use Medlen for a few spot starts or more possibly. They’d probably send him to Gwinnett let him go through the rotation twice throwing no more than 5 innings and then give him a few spot starts in Atlanta until Minor, JJ, or Teheran proved they were ready for the majors or deserved a shot.
Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Medlen in the starting rotation this year for the Braves and based on what he’s done in the majors so far as a SP and out of the pen I’d be shocked if Medlen didn’t perform well as a starter. Medlen will most definitely post a sub 4.00 ERA probably something in the 3.50 range which would be great for a 5th starter.
BravesFAN
May 18th, 2012
1:34 am
By the way, anybody saying we need to send Roger Mcdowell packing knows absolutely nothing about the game of baseball. Roger Mcdowell is one of the best and most respected pitching coaches in all of the major leagues. When you see guys like Hanson, Hudson, and Beachy go on a string of runs you almost always hear yea me and Roger worked on a few things and he told me to do this instead of this. The entire pitching staff and bullpen would be ****** if the Braves fired Mcdowell. Since he has been here the Braves have had one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. Any idiot that says we should fire him literally knows NOTHING about baseball…
Medlen....why not?
May 18th, 2012
2:06 am
Okay, Medlen to the rotation would change the bullpen’s dynamics. Let’s not forget that Medlen was
a better pitcher, in almost all statistical measurements, than Hanson in minor league ball. He’s never had a real chance to start. Isn’t a solid, dependable starter more important to a team, and harder to find, than any reliever not called ‘closer’.?
Easy Breezey
May 18th, 2012
6:55 am
Three strong innings….hmmmm let’s see. Does the term set-up man give ya any ideas? …..Shoot, thats what we are lacking outside of Livan atm.
Ralph
May 18th, 2012
7:30 am
Medlen’s career is wasting away in the pen, there are other pitchers that can do what he is doing in the pen, Minor. Gearrin, Caarlyle to mention a few. And I want to remind Fruti that we missed the playoff’s by 1 game last year so just keep “sending Minor out there” dumm ass and let history repeat it’s self’
Columbus
May 18th, 2012
7:57 am
Growing pains. Most rookies have them. The question is how many starts to give him? We need a lefty for sure. Glavine didnt win the Cy Young his first year either. He gets through the order great the first time but the second and 3rd time around suck BUT if he doesnt pitch, he doesnt figure out how to get them out the second time. It is a process and it looks like he needs another pitch and/or game plan the 2nd time through the order. His era is high but he can bring it down. The game in Colorado hurt that era and hes not the first for that to happen BUT….
its the 2nd time through the batting order he has to figure out. But will he? I think so. But dont know if it will be sooner or later….
hildred shumake
May 18th, 2012
8:18 am
It is all emotional!!! Where is Smoltz’s sports psychologist??? Try hypnosis!! he obviously has the ability;he can be good three innings if he is isn’t “good”….
LoyalDawg
May 18th, 2012
8:38 am
I know it is against “the book”, but I think you may have to go with a right for a while. This is obviously mental, so they need to get him with some that help in that area. He’s got the stuff, but he has to develop a tougher mind set. Either that or they only let him go 3 or 4 innings and then pull him which will not help his confidence at all.
BravesHawk44
May 18th, 2012
8:48 am
Glavine said it the best, Minor stated he could not get confortable with his second pitch to use his best pitch so Glavine said he needs to move his best pitch up or start with his best pitch. Its about location and timing. If he pitches 92 MPH, an offspeed pitch of 90 MPH will give him another pitch to work with, so I believe Minor’s problem is mental and coaching, or just being stubborn.
Eric
May 18th, 2012
9:22 am
Roy Oswalt is still out there!!!!!!!
The Braves’ Week in Review: May 11-17 | BreslinSports.com
May 18th, 2012
10:18 am
[...] getting it done this month, but as Mark Bradley from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains, we can’t really demote Minor. In both of his two starts this week, Minor didn’t make it out of the fifth inning, allowing [...]
MCollins
May 18th, 2012
10:40 am
To: bvillebaron – Enough left-handed arms in the bullpen? We only have O’Flaherty and Venters as our LH bullpen arms, which makes having at least one LH starter pretty important. The issue is coaching. How many prospects are we going to watch McDowell ruin? They come up, and pitch very well at first…and then the more they are coached by him, the worse they get. Case in point – Davies, Boyer, Reyes, Jurrjens, James.
TDub
May 18th, 2012
12:35 pm
Is Smoltz’s old psychiatrist who set him straight years ago still in business? Seems like we might have another patient for him…
don
May 18th, 2012
12:37 pm
Matt Harrison would have looked good in the rotation.
Joshua
May 18th, 2012
3:52 pm
Guys – it’s not a psychological thing or a confidence thing. The dude only throws 2 plus pitches – and MLB hitters know how to attack that. That’s why he’s good the first time or 2 through the order then he falls to pieces. He will likely never be an adequate starter. We need to drop him to the pen – to heck with where he was drafted.
Disgusted
May 18th, 2012
7:59 pm
Two more starts for Minor. If he does not put up, then fire the BUMB!!!!
He deserves to be Booed. What an overrated prospect that turned into fools gold. Another high first round pick that is on the verge of the ATL legends of Audray Bruce, Patrik Stefan, Shelden Williams, Bruce Pickens, and so many others that do not do the job.
How many more busts can we take.
Biff Pocorobot
May 18th, 2012
10:49 pm
The answer is always to fire Fredi, of course, but the twist this time would be to make it retroactive to the beginning of Minor’s collapse!
Michael Dean
May 19th, 2012
9:00 am
I would start Medlin and let him go 5 innings, if he can. After that, Minor for 3.They could share the start. Whoever has the lowest ERA goes first.
Where are the vaunted pitchers
May 19th, 2012
8:59 pm
Where all these great talent pitchers the Braves are supposed to have? Minor Sucks! Delgado Sucks! Roger McDowell Sucks!!!!! What a bunch of LOSERS!
And most of All:
May 19th, 2012
9:02 pm
And most of all Fredi Gonzales SUCKS BIG TIME as a major league manager – Fire the Bum!
TarHeelBraves
May 19th, 2012
9:47 pm
Sign Bourn to a long term deal. How much money will be available with Chipper retiring? Minor is still young and shouldn’t be given up on.
squat
May 20th, 2012
11:47 am
Braves never spend the $ to get good player’s….We need a change at the top..
Mark
May 20th, 2012
8:31 pm
Minors control has to improve greatly or he’ll never stay in the bigs. 89 to 91 mph fastballs placed poorly and pitching behind in the count with an average change is JoJo Reyes revisited. Hope he gets it straightened out.
fordcobra
May 20th, 2012
8:43 pm
While near the top we need to press the GAS pedal to the floor don’t sit around and experiment with rookie pitchers. Go get a vet or 2 maybe Oswalt? Time to decide is the going to be the year or not! Tough Interleague schedule coming with 6 games with Yankees etc. Right the ship and kick butt.
Kathy
May 21st, 2012
1:53 pm
Trade Minor to the Pirates for Charlie Morton!
BravesFanForever
May 21st, 2012
5:58 pm
Why does everyone act like there are no options with the pitching staff? It’s simple: (and I hope you are listening management) put Minor in the bullpen and put Medlen in as a starter. Duh.
Putting Minor in the bullpen makes a lot of sense in a couple of ways: 1) He seems to do okay starting out and then gets hit and falls apart. So being in middle relief pitching a few innings may avoid those hang ups and he may gain more confidence. 2) Middle relievers tend to get pulled out of games sooner than starters do when things don’t go so well. So maybe he would gain more confidence if he gets pulled sooner before all heck breaks loose.
We all know that Medlen can be a starter. Besides, WHY ISN’T HE A STARTER ANYWAY??? Don’t most teams want their best pitchers starting? Clearly there is a big difference between a pitcher who has a 7+ ERA and one who has a 2+ ERA. Come on: It’s simple. Put Minor in the bullpen and put Medlen in as a starter.
And you know what, an interesting thing may come out of this. Maybe Minor will blossom in his roll and Medlen will turn out to be a very capable starter (which he has been before) and one of these guys can get traded once Teheran and/or Jurrjens is ready.
Yeah, I know Medlen may not be ready to start yet because of his recovery. Doesn’t mean he can’t go 5 innings and we all know that Minor is having trouble even doing that lately.
BravesFanForever
May 21st, 2012
6:02 pm
Mark my words about Lowe… If you look at his stats you can tell that his ERA is going to climb soon. It’s not like he has been overwhelming the hitters. He’s not THAT good. He just switched leagues and it’s going to take some time for the league to catch up. He’ll still end up with a 4.50+ ERA and a ton more hits than innings pitched.
vicmarie
May 21st, 2012
9:58 pm
The Braves, if they stay healthy, have a good shot at staying on top this year. Not fair to the rest of the team, not to mention the fans to let Minor spoil the pot. They have better starters in the works, Kris Medlen should be ready by now…..dump Minor. We have suffered through watching prospects….hint…heywhere’d ya go?……drag the team down with wasted space. Pay the performers and stop allowing the players who are not ready for prime time to take away from the season. Thanks for letting me vent.
BuzzingThalami
May 22nd, 2012
12:41 am
If this were happening 10 years from now, when the average fan, management and all the players fully understand the enormous amount of LUCK that enters into pitching outcomes (and thus ERA), everyone would shrug and congratulate Minor for pitching league-average ball. And they would simply wait for his luck to become average, instead of the HORRENDOUS it has been to date.
Yes fans, Mike Minor has been a league average pitcher so far. His xFIP is about 3.80. That’s what his ERA would be if he had not bad, not good, but typical luck. Check it out. And help educate the fan next to you. And if you’re really adventurous, try explaining it to the front offices who blindly throw around millions without a clue. Minor will be fine, if they just relax and let him be.
Stinger
May 22nd, 2012
5:41 am
Send him down and give someone else a chance.
N'Qan
May 22nd, 2012
9:11 am
His homer pitches on Monday looked like batting practice pitches.
CredSup
May 22nd, 2012
9:32 am
There is no doubt as to Mike Minor’s physical ability and talent. I believe I can speak for many Brave’s fans to let Mike know he has a lot of credibility left and we have a lot of patience left. We know he will overcome the mental and emotional wall he is slamming into and that it won’t be very far away.
J D
May 22nd, 2012
11:23 am
They don’t call him Mikie Minor Leagues for nothing.
J D
May 22nd, 2012
11:56 am
That’s why they call him Mikee Minor Leagues