After a wasted homestand, the Atlanta Braves are in trouble
This man isn't a bad manager, but his team is in a bad patch. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
If you check the standings, the Braves are still OK — four games behind Washington in the National League East, nicely positioned in the wild-card chase. That’s the good news. Here’s the bad:
If you watch them play, you see a team in trouble.
A homestand that began 2-0 wound up 3-6, with a week on the road — first the Bronx, then Boston — coming. “There are a lot of guys in here frustrated right now,” Chipper Jones said Sunday.
June began with the Braves wondering about their starting pitchers. The rotation has stabilized — although a rotation awaiting an MRI on its best arm can’t quite be described as stable — but now the losses are coming hand over fist. Randall Delgado yielded two runs over eight innings Sunday, and it mattered not.
This wasn’t one of those games where the Braves left a zillion runners at second and third. They pushed only two runners into scoring position, both of those in a third inning that came undone when Delgado bunted into a 1-6-4 double play. Contrast this with the Baltimore sixth, when pitcher Wei-Yin Chen sacrificed Steve Pearce to third. Delgado began to pitch from the windup, whereupon manager Fredi Gonzalez whistled to warm Delgado to work from the stretch, whereupon the addled rookie halted his delivery and balked Pearce home.
If a guy pitches a one-hitter against you, you take your loss and tip your hat. (Jason Hammel had done just that Saturday night. Sure enough, Gonzalez said: “You’ve got to tip your hat to him.”) To lose another winnable game in a week that saw three winnable games lost gives greater pause. Are the Braves turning into one of those clubs that does just enough to lose?
Said Jones: “There’s a lot of pride in here. We’re going to go up there [to Yankee Stadium] looking to win a baseball game.”
Then this: “The only thing we need to do is to avoid pressing.”
Which is hard to do when you’re losing. The Braves hit into double plays in innings 1, 2 and 3. (First Jones, then Jason Heyward, then Delgado’s failed sacrifice.) That did suggest a batting order that was getting antsy. But then they came to the game’s final out, when Gonzalez thought too far ahead.
The right-handed Matt Diaz, who was hitting .120 against righties, was allowed to bat against Orioles closer Jim Johnson. With left-handed hitters Brian McCann and Eric Hinske available, why not deploy one? Gonzalez’s reasoning: He planned to pinch-hit McCann for David Ross if both Diaz and Heyward reached, and if Hinske had been used in Diaz’s slot there was a chance the pitcher’s spot could roll around with the tying run at third and nobody to hit except Tim Hudson, who’s a pitcher.
The counterpoint: If Diaz makes an out, all points are moot. And it should be noted that Gonzalez had sacrificed the left-handed Juan Francisco in the eighth not because Jack Wilson is a better hitter — Wilson isn’t a better hitter than many people in the big leagues — but because he hits right-handed and the O’s had just summoned lefty Troy Patton. (Wilson popped to first.)
The impression — heck, the reality — was that the manager of a team that had lost five of six suffered a sixth loss in seven games without using either of the two left-handed hitters on his bench against a righty closer. Had Diaz ripped a single (or drawn a walk), we would applaud Gonzalez’s patience. Instead Diaz whiffed, and his final swing was as meek as the rationale that put him in that spot.
This isn’t to suggest that Gonzalez is overmatched or that his team has stopped playing for him. He’s a solid baseball man, and there has been little to suggest his men aren’t trying. But these past four weeks — the Braves have lost 15 of 24, and that’s with a six-game winning streak mixed in — have put a hitch in this team’s swagger. First the Braves weren’t pitching well enough, and now they’ve stopped hitting.
“We blew a couple of four-run leads [on the homestand],” Jones said, “and those would have gone a long way toward having people not take a loss like today’s so hard.”
Add two wasted leads to the losses-for-no-reason that closed the sets against the Yankees and the Orioles, and you have a well-pitched-but-wasted homestand. (And with Brandon Beachy out, there’s no guarantee the starting pitching will be this good again anytime soon.) It’s still too early to say the Braves’ season teeters on the brink, but it’s not too early to suggest they need to stop losing winnable games.
By Mark Bradley
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363 comments Add your comment
Joe Tess Fish House
June 18th, 2012
10:22 am
Remeber who told U all that hiring a managar with a loosing record was a misteak.
Columbus_dawg
June 18th, 2012
10:22 am
Probably as long as your non spelling butt keeps changing names and making comments………
Joe Tess Fish House
June 18th, 2012
10:26 am
Having Chiper as managar is just plane dum. What has he did 2 prove he can be a managar? The guy is a shelfish looser and will not be N E help 2 the team.
BTR
June 18th, 2012
10:27 am
I’m NOT returning ever to the ballpark until this freddi guy is gone for good !
46 years and ONE Championship, ONE !
I believe it is time for John S. to step down, he seems to be out of touch with the game now.
The GM is a complete JOKE, as others in this town and until the “corporate owner” sells to a real
person this team will stink !
hayward BUST and then some, he stinks !!!
uggla, Way overpaid and simply cannot get it done anymore.
Chipper, Good Bye NOW !
Just removing those three and freddi and wren, will make up 10 games FAST !!!!!
But I’m staying away until winning is put first over being loyal to players & management !!!!!!!!!!!
French Fries from KFC
June 18th, 2012
10:31 am
Chipper as manager? Not smart.
B-Fan
June 18th, 2012
10:32 am
Chipper is a future Hall of Famer, but he’s not much of a leader – if he was, he would have been made team captain long ago. Chipper might make a good hitting coach (I say might because he knows a bunch about hitting, but being a great hitter does not mean he could be a great coach). No way is Chipper manager material.
Shelfish Chipper need 2 retrie now!
June 18th, 2012
10:34 am
How do U figrue Chiper being in the hall of fame?
LOL at the Braves
June 18th, 2012
10:38 am
LOL!!
B-Fan
June 18th, 2012
10:40 am
This season still has a long way to go, and there is talent on the Braves. Here are the important “ifs”: 1) We need Hudson, Hanson, Beachy, Delgado, and Minor healthy (Jurrens is a big question mark); 2) We need Medlen, Venters, and O’Flarety(sp) as strong support for Kimbrel; 3) Freeman and McCann must stay healthy (Chipper at 40 is what he is); 4)We need Heyward, Bourn, Uggla, Simmons, and Prado to just have “normal” years; and 5)We need Diaz and Hinske to produce as role players. If all of the aforementioned happens we will win 90 or so games and make the playoffs.
LostCause
June 18th, 2012
10:44 am
You people are absolutely nuts.
Dawg'88
June 18th, 2012
10:47 am
“Tip Your Cap” again?!
When you get shutout for the 3rd time in 6 games, its not the DAMN pitcher!
Its the hitters failing!
Get a Clue!
Poppy
June 18th, 2012
10:49 am
“He would manufacture runs, you know, like Sparky Anderson, and Earl Weaver……..”
You can’t mention the masters at manufacturing runs without including Whitey Herzog. I think he invented it.
TaylorVol
June 18th, 2012
10:51 am
On the bright side: 1) Simmons is a future all-star defensive SS, 2) Prado is an all-star, 3) Uggla is a pro and hustles like a champ, 4) Bourn will hopefully be signed, 5) Heyward and Freeman are future all-stars.
Poppy
June 18th, 2012
10:55 am
Great to have Glavin in the TV booth yesterday. He helped keep the pitching/umpire performance from getting out of hand like the other 2 nitwits do when left unchecked.
Late in the game Uggla took the called third strike and before the nitwit [not Carey] could begin to complain about the call, Glavine refered to the pitch as ‘there’s nothing you can do with that’. How refreshing to have an expert and fair-minded analysis of what is really happening. You could tell from the nitwit’s response that he had planned to say something else but smartly deferred to Glavine.
Poppy
June 18th, 2012
10:59 am
TaylorVol…….I agree that things seem to bode well as regards Simmons. Hayward and Freeman have to prove that consistancy is there at a high level prior to annointing either with star status. But Simmons has shown that he just might be a very good SS for many years.
Rick
June 18th, 2012
11:00 am
You all know me. I am the BIGGEST Atlanta Team Homer there is. From the Braves, Falcons to the Hawks. All this year I have preached patience, telling you all that we will be ok. I still believe that because you see I am a fan. It pains me to have this leave my lips…………it might be time to see if Tito is really interested in staying at ESPN. Fredi, I have done all I can to protect you, fight for you, but this team does not react to your leadership for some reason. I just dont get it. Check into Leo as well. I never remember our pitchers having so many injuries when Leo had them on a throwing program…………cant be coincidence……..can it? I still believe, but Fredi if it is going to happen you have to LIGHT A FIRE UNDER SOMEONE’s AZZ! You cant be Bobby! Find your way to lead and do it man. This team has never had a fire that burns from game to game! I remember when Uggla played for Florida he played with an ATTITUDE! He comes here and adopts the Braves “business approach”. We need a leader in the clubhouse and for someone to step up and push and stop following. Come on guys I believe but we go to do it now before it is to late! Go Braves!
SM
June 18th, 2012
11:05 am
When does football start again?
Cecil34
June 18th, 2012
11:07 am
This team is sinking to the .500 level which is about right for this penny-pinching operation.
Anything on the north side of .500 would be considered a plus.
Schuerholtz must have gone into a vegetative state since hiring Wren.
The decision-maiking in the last several years has been sub-par.
One other thing – the AJC should just save salary and send an intern to gather quotes every night after the games, for all that DOB brings to the plate, which is nada.
Oh, he does put out some entertaining info (or used to) on eating joints and music. The AJC should just move him on over with Rodney Ho, since they are equivalent.
Brave Hokie
June 18th, 2012
11:09 am
Just what I expected. Idiot fat face manager who cannot get out of his team’s way and heartless / weak souled players who could care less about winning.
Have the skankees and Sox rip them “new ones” and count this season OVER.
Y’all useless bunch of impotent losers; thanks for nothing.
Welcome to LOSERVILLE…
B-Fan
June 18th, 2012
11:19 am
Shelfish Chipper need 2 retrie now! June 18th, 2012 10:34 am
How do U figrue Chiper being in the hall of fame?
Me figrue Chiper cos he verry good hiter!
Disaffected
June 18th, 2012
11:27 am
Sports fans have a need to identify a scapegoat when things are going bad. The truth is, it’s almost never just one guy’s fault. Last year Larry Parrish was made the scapegoat for the offensive struggles, and Derek Lowe was the fall guy for the pitching staff. Now, I’m not defending either one of them – they both performed poorly and needed to be axed. But even with Parrish gone, the offense is still lousy. Without Lowe, the starting pitching has actually gotten worse.
The point is, getting rid of Fredi is not going to magically solve this team’s problems. The Braves made choking in the clutch their trademark long before he got here. I don’t even need you to remind you of the six straight postseason losses or that ridiculous streak of 30 consecutive one-run losses on the road. Those things happened under the great Bobby Cox.
Getting rid of Fredi would be just the first of many moves that needs to take place. We need an organizational enema. This team, by hiring Cox and Schuerholz proteges to the manager and GM positions, has tried to impotently cling to the ’90s for far too long. It’s time to move on with a new philosophy across the board.
Tumbledown
June 18th, 2012
11:33 am
Rick, I agree 100%. We need to lose the Bobby Cox management style, which works really great if your pitching staff includes three future hall of famers. Chipper Jones, while a fantastic player and future hall of famer himself, also is not the fiery leader we need on the players’ side. I fear the worst in the coming weeks.
Tumbledown
June 18th, 2012
11:34 am
Go Braves!
Tumbledown
June 18th, 2012
11:35 am
It figures my two-word homer message would get immediately posted while my more critical posting would undergo additional scrutiny. Basically, I agree with Rick.
jacket3
June 18th, 2012
11:51 am
Long season…boys. 4 games out not bad with literally no changes in off season personnel. To me we are sorta like the Nats over the last 3 years. Flailing. A former Brave is managing them and is doing pretty good. If you ever met the Chipper I’d think you’d have a different opinion with his skills. The same said for Freddi. Maybe Freddi can’t manage with the budget constraints. Cox could not over come the issue either. We should know by the All Star break whether to cheer or cry.
DawgDad
June 18th, 2012
11:53 am
“On the bright side: 1) Simmons is a future all-star defensive SS”
Simmons is the best player on the team right now, offensively and defensively. Small sample size, yes, but at this point who’s doing more? Also, keep in mind Heyward is just one month older than Simmons.
Despite their recent woes I still think the Braves have enough pitching. They need one big consistent bat in the middle of the order, which they could have and likely won’t have for the money they are spending on Chipper.
Von Trapp
June 18th, 2012
12:08 pm
Hope Mark follows up and determines what ,if any motivational techniques are being used in the Braves duggout. I SEE NOTHING in that regards NOTHING………….:(
Tdawg
June 18th, 2012
12:16 pm
Whats that, 6 or is it 7 shut outs so far this season? I may at this point, want to revise my prediction of 15 shut outs to 20 shutouts. He!! If they are this beat up in the first half of the season, what are they going to look like in the second half of the season?
Stop beating around the bush Bradley. Come on. Have the guts to say what you really mean and what 99% of us fans would write if we had your job. Freddie Gonzales is a joke of a manager and is way, way over his head when it comes to strategizing against other coaches. You can say it. I mean it’s not like anyone would disagree with you.
LaRon
June 18th, 2012
12:18 pm
Fredi Gonzalez will never lead the Braves to the playoffs. He is not the right man for the job. Its time for a change. Last September we saw the real Braves team. Management should have fired him then. If any Braves fan calls last year a good year under a first year manager, then you should go get a CAT scan because something is wrong with your head.
FIRE FREDI
June 18th, 2012
12:23 pm
This team, is NO fun at all, to watch live or on TV. They have NO, FIGHT OR FIRE,within them. TOO many CRY BABIES. They are truely PATHETIC and PITFUL. BORING TO WATCH. Michael Bourn, just can’t wait, until he can get away, from this SOO CALLED, baseball team, we have. THEY SUCK.
Pete
June 18th, 2012
12:40 pm
Two things that bring you wins in MLB, clutch hitting and consistant pitching are the two things the Braves lack…………………………..in Spades.
This season, this franchise is……………………………over.
cdog
June 18th, 2012
12:58 pm
yep, they are definitely in trouble as long as martin prado, eric henski, jack wilson, martinez, johnny venters and manager freddie gonzalez are part of the organization.
BaseballBuff
June 18th, 2012
1:00 pm
We’ve got to play better or we’ll be buried by the time this road trip is over.
cdog
June 18th, 2012
1:03 pm
ever since they sent jose constanza out, they started to lose.maybe need to bring him back and send henski, prado,venters,martinez,and jack wilson out. but first, we need a nanager. freddie will never win for the braves. he lost a 10 game lead with 10 games to go and you bring him back this season? it won’t get no better with him
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
1:20 pm
gunter
June 17th, 2012
9:54 pm
Typical uninformed Atlanta fans, no time to panic folks. Managers don’t hit and throw. We’ve got a solid ball club and will be fine over the long 162 game season.
_________________________
The club “will be fine”? You mean “fine” like last year, the year before that, and the year before that–and like EVERY year (except ‘95) since the team moved to ATL nearly 50 years ago? That kind of “fine”?
No thanks, loser.
SSIgator
June 18th, 2012
1:21 pm
Just thought I would stop in and see how the Gimper Jones Farewell Tour is coming along . . .
Oh, not too well I see.
loser is spelled with one "O"
June 18th, 2012
1:22 pm
Just so everyone is on the same page…
Hillbilly D
June 18th, 2012
1:30 pm
As soon as they win 3 or 4 games in a row, they’ll be the greatest thing since sliced bread again.
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
1:42 pm
Spencerforhire
June 18th, 2012
12:50 am
It’s not just the Braves that stink, it’s Atlanta sports in general. New York, Boston, Chicago, LA among others have all won multiple world championships in multiple sports. In case you haven’t figured it out, they’re not satisfied with division championships. Snap out of it and get a clue.
_______________________
That’s the cold, hard truth. ONE title in 155 seasons of competition covering nearly half a century. Thus the well-earned monikor of “Losersville.”
Doofus(Goober and Gomer's Smart Brother)
June 18th, 2012
1:43 pm
“LakeDawg” don’t know if you will see this or not, but will try to remember to post it again later on the game blog. I told you yesterday I would let you know if FG yelled at Delgado after he started his windup and caused the balk. I watched it again today(6th inning) and could not hear anything for sure, but something sure got his attention just as he started to go into his full windup. CR said in her article today that FG said he whistled at him to go to it, but it was bad timing by “the robot” Fredi. Of course FG then blamed it on Delgado saying “it was a mistake by a young pitcher”. Thataboy, you “poor excuse for a manager” shifts the responsibility to someone else after you screwed it up. That’s what a rookie manager would do. Would have been better to let him go ahead with that pitch and then tell him. Honestly I do believe a brain scan would show just an empty space in that head of his!
Blaster
June 18th, 2012
1:53 pm
FG is hard to understand. He has been termed a “statistician” by those in the game, meaning he plays the statistical odds more than the hot hand or his gut. Because of this, he does not manage the moment, but instead plays the numbers. This method can work well or fail miserably. Lately, with the team scuffling, his style is hurting the team more, as he isn’t doing anything to jump start our offense. We FINALLY have speed to burn and hitters capable of situational hitting, but FG seems to think we’ll “hit our way out of it.” This is foolish when we have the players capable of playing small ball and a solid bullpen. He also fails to use the bullpen to WIN, most likely due to last year’s overuse of the 7/8/9th guys. Also, relying on Venters in the 8th for as long as he has was painful to watch. If you can’t throw strikes, you shouldn’t come into the game with lead. Why he’s not more aggressive I don’t know. His demeanor of nonchalance resembles his managerial style perfectly. When the idiots on this blog stated managers don’t matter, players do, I urge you to watch Joe Maddon manage the Rays. It will shut you up and make you realize how valuable, or harmful, a manager can be.
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
1:54 pm
Longtimefan
June 18th, 2012
6:45 am
The “fans” that frequent this blog(generally only during losing streaks) are truly amazing . . . . I believe part of it is a mob mentality- fans are angry because the team as lost several series in bad fashion and the knee jerk reaction is to clean house-fire everybody! I wonder how you guys would react to a real losing team.
________________________
“. . . a real losing team”??
Uh, I have news for you: ONE championship since 1966–none during the past 16 years–is about as close as you can get to a “real” losing team.
And the fans aren’t angry simply because the team “as (sic) lost several series in bad fashion.” They’re angry because the team has FAILED to win a championship in all but one of their 46 years in ATL.
How hard is that to figure out?
Doofus(Goober and Gomer's Smart Brother)
June 18th, 2012
1:55 pm
“Poppy@10:49AM”…………….You are absolutely right, don’t know how I could have forgot about Whitey Herzog. He was probably the master at it. He could almost pull runs right out of the air. If one of his Cardinals team got into a “self-imposed funk” like the Braves are now, he would do anything in the book to scratch out one of two runs until he got it going again. I still think he’s the one Tony Larussa learned so much from and continued the Cards successful ways.
D.A. Nuggla
June 18th, 2012
2:01 pm
Those of you on here who are bashing the AJC sportswriters should exclude Jeff Schultz. He is the only one who has been on their case(before vacation) big time. Go to his column today and on the righthand side click on the two articles from May 26 and 29 and read them again. One is titled “Braves Crumble at First Sign of Adversity, Just Like 2011″ and the other is “Braves Suddenly Lack Pitching, Defense, and a Clue”. He “nailed them to the wall” then and it still applies today. So just be sure to direct your anger to the right area.
tweet
June 18th, 2012
2:11 pm
To all the Gonzalez backers on this site:
Tell me…WHAT exactly did Fredi G do while managing Florida to earn him the right to manage the Braves?? What credentials did he have? Did he win a division? NO! Did he get to the playoffs? world series? NO, NO and NO!
What he DID do was over use his bullpen alot and his teams all faded by August into oblivion.
Hes come to Atlanta and although Wren was GAGA over this signing, and so excited he needed to empty his dribble cup, he ,too, has too realize that he has made yet another BAD signing..be it player or manager both Wren and Frediot dont know what the heck they are doing
This once proud franchise has been ruined.
Why not bring back Russ Nixon while your at it?
Appalachia Brave
June 18th, 2012
2:18 pm
DUH….ya think there in trouble?….Just now figuring this out??? Where ya been? We had this figured out coming out of spring training…Will never win anything with the current front office. Build a team on the cheap is what they do…Just keep buying tickets, beer and hotdogs and it’ll all be ok….Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain…hahaha…what a joke! Been this way for years…with no end in sight!
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
2:19 pm
clint
June 18th, 2012
6:26 am
While other division teams improved over the winter, the Braves did not.
_____________________
It’s all part of the unfortunate but accurate “Losersville” reputation.
The Mask
June 18th, 2012
2:27 pm
cdog
June 18th, 2012
1:03 pm
ever since they sent jose constanza out, they started to lose.
———————————————————————
You are truly beyond delusional if you think not having him around is the reason they are losing and it is utterly sad that there are more people out there like you who think and believe the same thing. If you really think that this team lost “its way” because a AAAA/4th OF was sent down, then you are far dumber than you sound.
bquinn10
June 18th, 2012
2:34 pm
The Braves biggest mistake was worrying so much about hiring from within that they forgot to hire the best manager. Fredi Gonzalez is an absolute waste, the team does not play for him. I think some outside influence would be just what this team needs. Also I see a real lack of toughness with this team. Please bring Francona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
2:35 pm
B-Fan
June 18th, 2012
10:40 am
This season still has a long way to go, and there is talent on the Braves. Here are the important “ifs”: 1) We need Hudson, Hanson, Beachy, Delgado, and Minor healthy (Jurrens is a big question mark); 2) We need Medlen, Venters, and O’Flarety(sp) as strong support for Kimbrel; 3) Freeman and McCann must stay healthy (Chipper at 40 is what he is); 4)We need Heyward, Bourn, Uggla, Simmons, and Prado to just have “normal” years; and 5)We need Diaz and Hinske to produce as role players. If all of the aforementioned happens we will win 90 or so games and make the playoffs.
____________________
“Ifs” are for losers.