Home > Mark Bradley > Archives > 2008 > July > 01 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USJuly 1 could be turning point for Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
About those 14 division titles: Didn’t at least four come when the Braves weren’t the most talented team?
“Yes,” Chipper Jones said.
And if the Braves could somehow finish first this time, wouldn’t 2008 trump all the others — 1999 when Andres Galarraga and Javy Lopez were lost; 2001 when both the Mets and Phillies seemed more robust; 2004 when the Braves were under .500 on the Fourth of July; 2005 with all the rookies — for improbability?
“Yes,” Jones said. “Having the injuries we’ve had, yes. I said before the season the one guy we couldn’t lose was [John Smoltz], and we had him for what, one month? [Mike] Hampton hasn’t pitched, and [Tom] Glavine’s been gimpy, and now I’ve been out.”
The coming of July found the Braves three games under .500 and four games behind Philadelphia, which arrived at Turner Field on Tuesday. This isn’t where the Braves thought they’d be when they broke camp, but it beats the heck out of where they ought to be, which is in the vicinity of the Washington Nationals.
Jones again: “Back in February, if you’d projected all the things that were going to happen to us, you’d have said, ‘If that team doesn’t lose 100 games, it’ll be a decent year.’ To hold it together this long is a tribute to Bobby, to Roger McDowell and to some young pitchers.”
In a season where so much has gone wrong, something big went unexpectedly right Tuesday. On a day when it was believed Jones would land on an overstuffed disabled list, he arrived for work and, wonder of wonders, pronounced himself fit to play.
“I woke up yesterday and did the quad stretches that had been hurting,” he said, speaking before the game, “and they didn’t hurt anymore. I’m about 85 percent now, so there’s no sense going on the DL. In fact, I’m lobbying to get in there right now.”
Maybe we’ll remember July 1 as the day an unfortunate season began to turn. Mark Kotsay exited the DL, and Jones dodged the dreaded list and talked his way into the starting lineup. The game itself wasn’t half as cheery — the Phillies chased Charlie Morton in the third and Blaine Boyer in the ninth and won 8-3 — but these past five weeks have been so bleak that any glimmer of light seems a new dawn.
Said Jones: “I don’t know how everybody else feels about it [his return], but I’m pretty excited.”
And if you’re the three NL East teams ahead of the Braves, maybe you’ll look back in September and curse what might have been. You let an opponent of such pedigree linger at your peril, and pedigree is about all that has kept the Braves this close.
“No other team that has gone through what we’ve gone through health-wise would be in the same position,” Jones said. “I know people say the NL East isn’t a good division, but it’s not that bad. It’s really even … We’ve got parity. And I’m glad we do. Otherwise we’d have gotten our doors blown off.”
It’s July. Doors have been buffeted but remain intact. The Braves should be 10 games out but are half that. If guys follow Jones’ lead and get healthy, who knows what this team could do?
Here’s one thing the Braves do know: Better health must be followed by improved performance. “We’ve got a shot, absolutely,” Bobby Cox said. And then this: “But we’ve got to win some of these types of games.”
Seventy-eight games remain. That doesn’t sound like very many, but it might just be enough.
Permalink | Comments (111) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves/MLB
Comments
By Robert S
July 2, 2008 12:12 AM | Link to this
Only Mark Bradley can see a shiny quarter in a pile of dog poop. Gotta give him credit for that. Better to be optimistic, I guess…….
By Lou Vales
July 2, 2008 12:12 AM | Link to this
Dearest Mark, Since 1958(that’s 50 years) the Atlanta/Milwaukee or Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves have won ONE LESS World Series than the Florida Marlins. They currently trail this same franchise. A franchise that gets its primary notoriety from having NO fans, No stadium, No lucrative TV deal, and an owner that derives more satisfaction from siphoning off the luxury tax than being impacted by it. The ONLY TWO times in its 16 year history that they spent money, they won WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS—aren’t you glad they don’t spend money??
In fact I just realized that the Florida Marlins by THEMSELVES have won more World Championships than the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Flames/Thrashers have won COMBINED since 1966, AND it only took the woebegone Florida Marlins the last 11 years to do it.
So Mark, I guess what I’m saying is that anyone with an iota of feeling for the inevitability of certain results SHOULD NOT take July 1, July2 or basically January 1 thru December 31 as a turning point for ANY Atlanta franchise.
It’s become an almost hackneyed statement, but we all know what Einstein said about those doing the same thing————————and I guess the wise old men would have extended the doing to also thinking the same thing.
I proffered a wager to your esteemed blogger, David O’Brien, I bet him a steak dinner at the restaurant of his choice in Atlanta—I’ll make the trek—that the PITIFUL, POVERTY STRICKEN Florida Marlins win a 3rd World Series before the Atlanta Braves win a second. Doesn’t matter the year. I have the time. David has the time. I sadly doubt if Robert Cox has the time or the inclination to add on to a record of squandered opportunities that will be looked back upon in 100 years with something bordering on incredulity.
By A-ville Ranger
July 2, 2008 12:21 AM | Link to this
The timing of this article seems odd.Did Bradley notice the team went 1 for 15 with runners on and got their narcoleptic butts handed to them ?
By Herschel Talker
July 2, 2008 12:31 AM | Link to this
Mark - what the heck are you talking about? What about this team makes you think there is a turning point? They can’t hit (except for a few), the bullpen is mediocre, they can’t win a close game, they have a ton of injuries, and their “ace” is completely inconsistent.
How come no one talks about the fact that night in and night out they field a minor league lineup. Lillibridge, Brandon Jones, Gregor Blanco. They just aren’t that talented.
By Reid
July 2, 2008 12:35 AM | Link to this
The Braves suck and are now 5 back! Oh yeah and they don’t know how to win the big games this year with or without their key players…
By pj
July 2, 2008 12:35 AM | Link to this
Wow Lou Vales, while I don’t agree on every point, THAT was a good blog.
I’m a Georgia Bulldog fan first and a Braves fan second, so I can always give up a little earlier than a Tech fan who essentially has nothing to look forward to in the fall.
I don’t ever like to give up on my teams - in this case - the Bravos, and tell my pessimistic buddies to hold out hope, and use incredibly bad rationale to illustrate my hopeful scenarios. Mark… you just gave me some wonderful irrational arguments for at least the next 3 weeks, so thank you.
I’m hopeful that Glavine will come back and win 12 to 15 games (no way it happens). I’m excited that Mark Kotsay makes a noticable difference in the lineup (he doesn’t at all).
Soriano will get back in the mix and dominate again! (he never did, and he never will).
Look, we may as well trade the farm for Greg Maddux and call it “Braves 14 years of winning divisions retirement tour”.
We won’t win the World Series. We won’t win the Pennant. We won’t win the Division. We probably won’t win the wild card. We are a .500 team with some potential in 2 years once we dump the salaries of Hudson/Hampton
I know it’s been since 1990, but yeah - this is what most fans deal with every year. Atlanta Braves fans simply forgot on an epic and historic level.
By Lou Vales
July 2, 2008 12:37 AM | Link to this
In 100 years do you think Hampton will still be re-habbing that pec muscle. I know Tommy will be organizing union activities back in Billerica, Massachusetts, Smoltzie will still be working on arm angles for that under handed, side armed, knuckle curve, Soriano will be getting another opinion from Dr Andrews IV, and Chipper will have finally decided to lose the ‘Chipper” at 136 and go by Larry.
Maybe by then another Atlanta franchise would have won a Championship—-and NO!!!!!!! Division Banners spread across the facade(great word)do not constitute Championships.
By fieldofdreams
July 2, 2008 12:47 AM | Link to this
Mark Bradley is in denial, and needs help from a Higher Power to embrace an obvious but gut-wreching revelation: This years team simply isn’t very good. Don’t feel bad, Mark, the “Fab 14” seduced all of us into Braves addiction, and like junkies we relished the mountain top highs. But the 2008 Braves are pure buzz kill, and recovery demands that we suffer the consequence of our risky behavior. As the first of our 12-steps to freedom, let me suggest unloading expensive rent-a-Braves like Texeira, and building on a foundation of great young pitching. Bradley, repeat after me: “Hi, I’m Mark, and I can’t believe my team is so ordinary.”
By desertdawg
July 2, 2008 12:56 AM | Link to this
Lou, F-OFF!! go get a hug from whatever useless piece of crap you room with and get off this blog. have some hope and belief—hell we were 11 games out at the break a few years back and won. Yeah, the Marlins have won ONE more but who gives a crap??— who can name their manager?? why—- NOBODY CARES LOU—about you or the Marlins—-and YES DIVISION BANNERS ARE CHAMPIONSHIP—thats why they are called division CHAMPIONS — lou (ser)
By Coach (Lets Go Braves In 2009)
July 2, 2008 1:16 AM | Link to this
Bradley, you are one very sick individual.
By Larry Storch
July 2, 2008 1:25 AM | Link to this
The Braves favorite male cheerleader is at it again. Can anyone recall the last time one of his predictions came true?
By Coach (Lets Go Braves In 2009)
July 2, 2008 1:31 AM | Link to this
Concerning this 2008 team:
They are 12-29 on the road.
4 and 21 in one run games.
They just set a major league record with 23 one run road losses in a row.
40 quality starts, 40 wins. read between the lines.
Atlanta has draw 324 walks versus 523 strike outs with 29 stolen bases (ranked 13th of 16 teams), they have hit into 78 double plays, the Nationals are the only other N.L team with more (85).
The Braves have hit 80 HR’s, which is ranked tenth out of 16 N.L.teams while scoring 4.5 runs per game.
They are 12-17 against left handed starting pitching.
37 of the remaining 78 games are against teams with winning records. Leaving the Braves on pace to finish 77-85 .475
None of the above is my personal opinion. It is stark, naked, brutal fact.
By Raleigh Dog
July 2, 2008 2:36 AM | Link to this
The Braves stink. They won’t win a game this home stand. They’ll be buried by the All Star break. They are a joke and the talk about playoffs is absurd. Bradley’s ideas are pure folly. It’s like he hasn’t been watching the debacle that is the Braves. They are awful.
By Charles
July 2, 2008 3:59 AM | Link to this
This is the same MB who said the Braves would be in first place July 1st. Enough said.
By George
July 2, 2008 5:55 AM | Link to this
Let’s move on to more important issues, like what tie will CMR choose to wear at the presentation of the national championship in January, ‘09? And, will he find an answer to his continuing hair loss problem? These are the issues on which your readership needs commentary. Let the football season begin!
By The Grinch
July 2, 2008 7:15 AM | Link to this
Y’all, Bradley hasn’t lost his mind, and neither has David O’Brien. This is what’s known as a PR job. The AJC is to the Braves as Fox news is to the Bush administration. It’s just simply thier job, like last week when Bobby’s embarrassingly bad decision-making had cost us about three eminently winnable games of the previous four and one of these columnists wrote “Cox won’t let this team lose.” Ummm, ok. You see, the Braves are run as a business, and as long as we show up to the stadium and buy $7 beers and $150 jerseys from the Clubhouse shop then they make money. And if they make money, they don’t give a flying ^%$# what trots out onto the field or the sits in the dugout. And since the only newspaper in town capable of turning public opinion with doing just a touch of basic journalism is straight in their pocket, only those of us with common sense will see through the BS and be angry at what’s happening to our beloved team. If the ASG wasn’t too cheap to buy favor with the AJC, we’d see fluff pieces about how great Billy Knight and Don Waddell were/are as well. Welcome to Atlanta, the home of eternally optimistic fans; this %^$& wouldn’t fly in almost any other city I guarantee.
By Peter
July 2, 2008 7:15 AM | Link to this
Last night reveals so mauch about the Braves in that they are only a middle-of-the-pack team. Here you have the Phillies —four games ahead of you in the standings— coming in at the end of a road trip. A sweep puts you right back near the top of the NL East, two out of three leaves you pretty much where you are, lose two or get swept and it’s all over.
After what I saw last night —it’s all over. The bottom of the eighth epitomizes the Braves this year —too many blown opportunities.
By Charlie
July 2, 2008 7:17 AM | Link to this
Mark, you are correct. July 1 is the turning point for the Braves. It marks their final falling out of the 2008 post season. This team is so full of chokers, up and down the lineup. Big game, at home against a cold (but first place) team. The minor league caliber 2008 Braves, step up with another laughable performance. This Braves bunch can fill any opponent with confidence. The Phillies have to be lovin’ it. This Braves team is a parade of failures. Clutch hitting, non-existent. And the joke that is Blaine Boyer…it’s simply amazing how, game after game, he comes in to spit out some late inning runs, just to make sure that the Braves don’t (accidentially) come back to win a game. This team get harder and harder to watch. They have the mental makeup of classic choke artists, that will often find a way to lose.
By AJC Writers Blow
July 2, 2008 7:39 AM | Link to this
What Braves team have the AJC sports writers been watching??? I’ve read 2 articles in the past several weeks that Francouer is going to be just fine and now this one…please, its just a matter of time before number 7 hits the mendoza line and this team is too old and fragile to stay on the field and be competitive….send number 7 to the minors, bring up the young guys, trade Tex for some value and gear up for next year. And do not trade young talent for players rebounding from back surgery (see Joey Devine/Mark Kotsay deal for reference)….that said, we should be able to free up about 40-50 million next season to sign free agents…Tex contract, Hampton, Glavine, Kotsay, etc….all gone after this year
By southbeachdietfreak
July 2, 2008 7:44 AM | Link to this
Love the Braves, but not gonna happent this year.
By TNJeff
July 2, 2008 7:46 AM | Link to this
Bradley - you are an idiot, nuff said
By gary
July 2, 2008 7:57 AM | Link to this
Braves fans, just keep reminding yourselves how wonderful it is to win a division championship and that silly World Series thing is way overraterd.
By D.Ellis
July 2, 2008 7:59 AM | Link to this
Been saying this was a .500 ball club since spring training. Trade Tex to a team making a run for the Series and get a proven started along with a top 1 or 2 pitching porspect in their organization.
Please for the love of the game just waive Mike Hampton. What good does it or has it done to the Braves to have Mike Hampton on this team? Even the normal every day fan as my self…who is no where near a Major League GM can see that his salary has been a total waste to the payroll and the Braves were better off spending that money else where. Why Hampton is still around is probably the biggest mystery of them all with this team. Escobar is not a lead off hitter. Again even the average fan can see that. Why is Matt Diaz on this roster? He stinks. I don’t even think we should trade him. You couldn’t get anything anyway for the number wise worse RF in the game. Hopefully he’ll turn it around next year. However this year he has sucked and that is being nice.
The Braves just need to strip down and start all over again.
By D.Ellis
July 2, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
I was referring to Franceour above. Not Diaz. At least you could trade Franceour. If it wasn’t for the Braves Diaz wouldn’t have a job.
By TBraveFan
July 2, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
Thank you for an upbeat article FINALLY from the AJC. Specifically for those of us who don’t want to fire this guy, send down that one, etc. and just love the team win or lose! To see that there is an optimist person among AJC writers is a very pleasant surprise. Most articles and blogs are negative, or in the case of DOB just nasty scarastic comments. btw, anyone ever notice his articles are almost word for word the same as Mark Bowman at MLB.com? If DOB wasn’t such a little bitty dweeb of a man I’d say separated at birth…guess only one shows up for interviews and the other copies….
By Phil
July 2, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
Bradley, for the love of God, give up on trying to make your moronic predictions somehow come true. You told us the Braves would be in first place by July 1st.
Then on June 16 you revised that to say if the Braves could stay within 4 1/2 games by the All Star Break, they could still win the division. And on that very same day I said the Braves would be closer to 10 1/2 games back at the Break. Only 12 more days to see who had the better prediction. I’m fairly confident it won’t be you!
Have you been watching this team play? Just like DOB pointed out in his last blog, this team cannot win close games because they don’t know how to bunt, how to advance runners, etc, small ball as many people refer to.
And who is to blame for that? Your hero, Bobby “Moron” Cox.
Keep on playing with your dates and trying to twist things around to cover up your idiotic statements. Don’t forget you also said this team “would be pulling away in September”. You have almost 2 months to try and twist out of that statement so be working on it.
Moron…….
By BRAVES WARHORSE
July 2, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this
BRAVES WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE ONE RUN GAMES AND FALL MORE UNTIL THE BENCH PLAYERS ARE UPDATED. NOTE LAST NITE AVAILBLE BATTING AVERAGE .239, .209, .100 JUST DOES NOT COMPLETE
By Tomahawkin' Again (Like it's 1990)
July 2, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this
Mark, are you paid by the Braves? Jeez, even the most loyal of us Braves fans have long come to the reality that this team is not of championship caliber and will be lucky to finish above .500. They’re not good. It’s okay, deal with it. The sun still rises in the east, Cox still makes lousy game-day decisions and student athletes at those fine Georgia centers of higher learning are still thugs. You are the biggest pollyanna at the AJC. (And just to let you in on a secret, the Braves have sucked for the last 3 seasons. It’s not just a 84 game snapshot…)
By Will
July 2, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this
Another just laughable insanely/blindly optimistic column about a .500 baseball team. What is the deal with all this lately. I am a die hard Braves fan and always will be, but i am also a realist sports fan and what i say right now is a team that just flat out stinks. Blame the injuries all you want, but the 1 run loss and road game crap has been going on since last summer. Thats what people forget is this team has been playing like this for almost a solid calendar year straight.
By jerry
July 2, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
For all the AJC sportswriters who keep telling us how great Bobby is, would it be too much to ask for you to tell us just exactly what he does when they win to be the deciding factor that not many others could do. I am personally comfortable with Bobby as the manager but I feel that there are thousands who could do just as well. A manager’s greatest value is as a scapegoat/savior for greedy owners who don’t want to pay for the real reason for a team’s success or failure-the players.
By jason
July 2, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this
simplily put, the braves can not beat the phillies. They have not been able to since the phillies new park. I also look at how young players around mlb that have developed. The braves have one ( McCan ), maybe one more in Escobar. They give up on their young pitching to soon. Reyes will be gone soon winning for the Cardnals or someone else. I like bobby; I used to get upset because I didn’t think he got the respect of a La russa. If we had LaRussa we would probably have more than one championship.Everyone likes to point to game stratgey why we are a .500 team. I think its the lack of developement of our young players. For example: Francouer, Ramirez, Davies and such.
By Proud dawg
July 2, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this
I definitely admire your optimism, Mark! But the sad truth is that since Leo left the pitching has gone south and, as much as I admire Terry Pendleton, he really is not doing a whole heck of a lot with the hitting. We all keep referring to the 14 year run but with each passing season that is becoming more and more in the past!
By SRF
July 2, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this
I am not so sure that this bunch could be better than .500 in a AAA league. The starting pitching has been acceptable, all things considered - but that is it. The bullpen is a joke, the bench is a joke, the defense has been marginal and the hitting with runners on base has been ghastly. I am not sure why they have so many injuries, but other teams seem to find a way to keep major league caliber players on the field. On the bright side there are a few NL teams that are actually worse than the braves - but not many.
By TBraveFan
July 2, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this
Proud Dawg How in the world do you see the pitching going south? And it was WAY past time for Leo to leave since he could never relate to any young pitchers and drove them away!
JJ, Jo-Jo, Jorge, Huddy - south??
The bats now — that is definitely an issue…the ony issue besides injuries!!!!
By Joey
July 2, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this
Hey Grinch,
You aren’t very happy about life in general, are you. Wish we could send you to another planet to live out your (few, we hope) remaining miserable years.
From a Fox News and Braves fan.
By Bojack
July 2, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
Mark you and Bobby must be eating out of the same soup bowl. You can’t really believe what you preach, Holy Cow!
Good job Lou Vales.
By Raymond
July 2, 2008 9:28 AM | Link to this
Braves are not good right now. Let’s be realistic. No power in the OF; Johnson is by far the worst 2B in either league defensively. Let’s unload Tex by July 31 and if anyone will take them, Johnson, Huddy, and Kotsay for good prospects.
They unloaded too many good good prospects over the years and it has come back to bite. Time to rebuild with young guys like Shaffer in CF.
By STRETCH
July 2, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this
Management needed to make the right moves this past off-season, but, THEY DID NOT!
If you are standing in a car lot and you see a nice car and knows what it can do, cause you have seen what it could do and and you say…”i like this one” and the guy tells you…”damaged goods my man”….would you buy it??? NO of course not!
But what did management do…they went with Glavine and and Smoltz while already knowing about Chipper’s, Kotsay’s, Hampton’s, and Gonzales’ issues. Yet they drove that car off the lot with that thumpity-thump coming from under the hood! Then Soriano, Moylan, Diaz, Chipper(like WE all didnt know that was coming) and several others went down and add this to a underacheiving lineup of batters and here they sit, would be in last place if it were not for the Nationals!
Granted, injuries are going to happen and thats the nature of sports. But since they are going to take as many chances as this organization did, they might as well have signed a D. Wells or a B. Bonds. Trot Nixon and Luis Gonzales and lots more guys were out there looking for work, but NO…the Liberty Media BIG spenders and management took the cheap route, something they have been doing for some time now.
In a way, its justifiable, losin a TV contract was right on time cause this team is NOT worth watching.
By KyleH
July 2, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
Theres still 2 games left in the series. I think Mark Bradley is conveying how unpredictable baseball is and that with 72 games left the braves have a chance. Its good to see some optimism. Nice job MB
By Proud dawg
July 2, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
TBraveFan I was more referring to the bullpen which over the past 3 seasons has been very unsettling…thanks for agreeing with me on the hitting fiasco… as for the injuries, when a team suffers so many during the course of a season you have to consider conditioning and the age of those you sign. Yes, injuries will happen, but if they happened this often at YOUR job would somebody not look into it?
By Reid in EAV
July 2, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
Reading the commentary on the non-DOB-moderated blogs (heck, are they moderated at all?) makes me even more appreciative of the job DOB does, day in and day out.
By SoWeGa Fanatic
July 2, 2008 10:11 AM | Link to this
Flashback to 1993. The Braves trailed the Giants by 9.5 games on July 15 and still won 104 games and the division by 1 game. I will never give up.
By JCSmalls
July 2, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this
This team makes me sick!!! 1 for 15 with RISP? It is hard to watch these guys sometimes. Let’s just trade Tex and get some young talented pitchers.
By Beet Writer
July 2, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this
What’s wrong with beet writers? Nothing is wrong with us and nothing is wrong with Bobby Cox and the Braves. What’s wrong with you?
By Kelley
July 2, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this
I don’t see how things could get any worse for the Braves this season, and yet somehow, they are still in it. Most teams would have folded like a lawn chair by now, but with the rest of the NL East also struggling, the Braves really do have a shot. Hopefully now karma will turn in their favor and they will finally get some good breaks and start winning some of those close games.
BUT they have got to start getting the big hit with RISP. Also, Tim Hudson has GOT to start pitching like he is paid to pitch. He has yet to claim the “ace” role on this team since coming to Atlanta. I can’t say enough about Campillo, J. J. and Reyes and the job they have been doing keeping them in it. More importantly, as much as so many of you don’t like to admit it, never count out a Bobby Cox team. It’s just the truth.
I keep waiting for the Braves fortune to turn, hopefully now it will.
I know Chipper’s excited about being named to the All Star Team again, but I will be real disappointed if he plays in the game and gets injuried.
Who is this Mike Hampton you all speak of?
By Carroll
July 2, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this
Alls I can say is thank Gawd I am in Tampa now and have a real, legit, exciting team to watch…one that WANTS to win and plays with heart and fire. It’s like 1991 all over again.
By Gman
July 2, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this
SoWeGa Fanatic - 1993 was arguably the best pennant race of all time (the Giants didn’t choke, the Braves hauled them down from behind with an incredible 2nd half winning %). The ‘93 Braves had a TON more talent than this group. I really wouldn’t look for a historic run from the ‘08 Braves.
By Braves never win on the road
July 2, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this
I’m counting down to football ,the braves are a joke this summer
By S. Mauney
July 2, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
Plain and simple the Braves are not hitting and Terry Pendleton needs to be fired and get someone in there that help this team. Pitching is ok but I would like for Leo to be back in the dugout.
Jeff needs to be sent down to the minors and get his head and his bat to working.
Bobby Cox needs to have a closed meeting and chew these guys out and light a fire under their butts like most coaches due when their players under perform.
By S. Mauney
July 2, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this
Plain and simple the Braves are not hitting and Terry Pendleton needs to be fired and get someone in there that help this team. Pitching is ok but I would like for Leo to be back in the dugout.
Jeff needs to be sent down to the minors and get his head and his bat to working.
Bobby Cox needs to have a closed meeting and chew these guys out and light a fire under their butts like most coaches due when their players under perform.
By JCSmalls
July 2, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
There still $hitty!!!!!
By Ron
July 2, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this
Blaine Boyer is an absolutely pathetic pitcher. How many times have we pulled close late in a game, only to have him squander our chances by coming in in the 8th and promptly giving up a walk and a couple of hits? And Francoeur - oh man, this is painful to watch. He’ll turn it around eventually, though. But Boyer - PLEASE Bobby, stop letting him kill rallies! Use him in LOOONG relief only - like when we’re down 7 or 8 runs, when it won’t matter. Not when the game is still close! He’s terrible.
By Kelley
July 2, 2008 11:44 AM | Link to this
To Carroll:
Congratulations on your team in Tampa. Exactly how many years did you have to wait for them to have a winning season???
By wde
July 2, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
SoWeGa, you’ll never give up? That’s too bad because your team pretty much has.
Think, when was the last time you saw a Braves player just crazy pumped up about anything? They all just go up and swing, and our 3 are retired in about 4 minutes every inning, mostly protracted by Teixeira adjusting himself. Remove that, and it’s 2 1/2.
By Bob Horner
July 2, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this
The only reason we’re still technically “in it” is because the whole division sucks. The team hasn’t battled to be where they are, they’ve just had help from the rest of the East. We have no shot at the wild card, so all optimism must revolve around winning the division. Do you really think we’ll do that? I don’t.
Bradley, we’re not ‘in it’ right now despite the standings. We can’t hit. Your optimism isn’t a shiny object, it’s merely a corn kernel in a big steamy turd. WE SUCK
By Matthew At The SLC
July 2, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this
Teh Braves need to trade for or somehow aquire a speedy center fielder who can hit for average, like they had with Otis Nixon and Deion Sanders, so they can manufacture some runs. They are a slow plodding team and if th ehomers don’t come they can’t score. They need that guy who can turn a walk or single into a double or a triple and a run. I think a speedy lead off guy would be the catalyst to break open the scorring.
By braves70
July 2, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
As the Titanic went under for the last time, Mark Bradley was heard to say “Isn’t this exciting? We now get to be a part of the ocean and not just on the ocean. We can commune with all the fish. Thank you Captain Cox for wrecking this ship so that we could enjoy this unique experience!”
I have noticed the Yankees have called up 4-5 minor leaguers in the past few days, play a few games, and rotate out. Looks like they are showcasing these guys. I sense a trade of Tex to the Yankees in the near future.
By jijj
July 2, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this
get rid of francoeur and than we’ll talk
By Porter Waggoner
July 2, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this
Mark
Judging from these blogger comments, I guess your latest wimpified column didn’t go over too well.
By Lou Vales
July 2, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this
Dear Desertdawg, You still don’t get it. I understand NOBODY cares about the Marlins, Nobody goes to their games, they don’t have a stadium, barely have an owner—AND the beauty is this Pitiful, Putrid Franchise has won more World Championships since 1997 than ALL the pro sports teams in Atlanta have won COMBINED in their CUMULATIVE history. You don’t see the beauty in that??? And when you stop to realize that even little Butte, Montana has won only ONE less Championship————and please understand that the World recognizes a Championship as being attained by winning the LAST GAME of a pro sports post season. Division titles are not championships. Rather they are division titles —————-than all the pro sports teams in Atlanta history that really puts it in perspective.
Flash forward to 2088 and ESPN 56 is looking back at baseball history. They take the period from early 1990’s to 2006 and they see a manager that has 3 Hall of Fame pitchers mostly in their prime, one of the greatest switch hitters that ever lived, and talent that was by every measure better than the 4 Division teams they competed against. All that basically insured a ride into the post season and with ALL those advantages the tactician who guided this team was able to win ONE fewer World Series than a team that drew maybe, 7,000 a game in REAL people. How do you think baseball revisionists will react to those FACTS??? Do you think they will see Robert Cox as a brilliant field general??? Somehow I bet he will not be lauded the way he is now by Atlanta journalists.
By Lou Vales
July 2, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
Dear Desertdawg, You still don’t get it. I understand NOBODY cares about the Marlins, Nobody goes to their games, they don’t have a stadium, barely have an owner—AND the beauty is this Pitiful, Putrid Franchise has won more World Championships since 1997 than ALL the pro sports teams in Atlanta have won COMBINED in their CUMULATIVE history. You don’t see the beauty in that??? And when you stop to realize that even little Butte, Montana has won only ONE less Championship————and please understand that the World recognizes a Championship as being attained by winning the LAST GAME of a pro sports post season. Division titles are not championships. Rather they are division titles —————-than all the pro sports teams in Atlanta history that really puts it in perspective.
Flash forward to 2088 and ESPN 56 is looking back at baseball history. They take the period from early 1990’s to 2006 and they see a manager that has 3 Hall of Fame pitchers mostly in their prime, one of the greatest switch hitters that ever lived, and talent that was by every measure better than the 4 Division teams they competed against. All that basically insured a ride into the post season and with ALL those advantages the tactician who guided this team was able to win ONE fewer World Series than a team that drew maybe, 7,000 a game in REAL people. How do you think baseball revisionists will react to those FACTS??? Do you think they will see Robert Cox as a brilliant field general??? Somehow I bet he will not be lauded the way he is now by Atlanta journalists.
By SR
July 2, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this
On good teams, a different player steps up on any given night to contribute to a successful outcome, e.g., a win. On bad teams, a different player fails on any given night leading to an unsuccessful outcome, e.g., a loss.
Guess which category this bunch of losers falls into?
Right.
By Tomy Fournier
July 2, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this
My comments…Braves going not where…next year…maybe if “MORON COX” AND HIS COAH STAFF INCLUDING “MORON MCDOWELL” are not there and they trash (not body going to make trade for them)Mr. Glavine,Mr. Diaz,Mr. Hampton,Mr. Kotsays,Mr. Smolts,Mr.Corky….(are old guys)and later make trade for Franky,Boyer,Blanco,Ring,Hudson,Tex(before end of July),Soriano…and others….and MAYBE…MAYBE….ALTANTAS BRAVES COULD BE A COMPETITOR…MAYBE AND I HOPE SO….OR MAYBE COULBE MY DREAM…AND DREAMS ARE DREAMS…I KNOW THAT….PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME…I NEEDED WITH THIS POOR TEAM!!!!!!
By ITS-OVER
July 2, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this
NEWS FLASH- This Braves team with or without Chipper in the lineup is dead. They have no fire, Cox sits and lets relievers such as Acosta and Boyer load the bases and walk in hitters, We have nobody available to pinch hit worth a darn. Give me a break. If you want to win you have to spend money. Thats what they will have next year with Hampton, Glavine, Tex gone. I have never seen a group of major leaguers play like these braves. Error after error, a bench consisting of a sub-zero catcher. Miller is not a major leaguer but Cox loves him. Oh I can go on and on. I think we need Salty back, we got robbed and its not even funny there. Talk of the town Tex is nothing but a Boras want to be. Trade him for some minor league players and bring our rookies up for experience. Heck they could do better then the vets we are paying millions for. Stranger things have happen.
Oh and would someone bring up the AAA hitting coach too. Pendleton is over and done with. Hes killing all our players, not just Francoeur.
By Tomahawk Matt
July 2, 2008 12:56 PM | Link to this
Cry Babies! Geez! Go follow some other team PLEASE!
Ever heard the expression “any given sunday”???? No one knows what’s going ot happen. You can’t mathematically eliminate a team that’s only 5 games out with 79 to play. SO YES THERE IS REASON FOR OPTIMISM!
And What? You say the Braves stink… well so do the Mets, the Marlin, and the Phillies. THERE IS NO POWERHOUSE EAST DIVISION TEAM!!!!! IT IS UP FOR THE TAKING AND WON’T BE DECIDED UNTIL THE LAST FEW GAMES.
GO BRAVES!!!
By Lou Vales
July 2, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this
Tommy Fournier, The Braves couldn’t win more than 1 World Series when they had Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux in their prime, and when the starting line-up, bench and bullpen they possessed basically guaranteed a Division title based on competing against two teams with NO money(Florida and Montreal) and one team that by its own estimation was run like a joke(mets) so Bobby in reality owned the Phillies for years and parlayed that into all these silly Division titles. Well, those advantages are now pretty well neutralized—you think he now gets smarter and more resourceful??
By ITS-OVER
July 2, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this
Not even close. The whole lineup is going 0 for 4 and its not just the subs. Chipper lays out against good pitchers and Francoeur needs AAA. Our young pitchers are not going to do it all. Glaine and Hampton will find their way back into this lineup because of their salaries and then the braves will blow in hitting and pitching. Gota love relievers like Acosta and Boyer. What rock did they find these cheepos under.
You get what you pay for and the braves dont pay anyone but Smoltz, Hampton and Chipper. I dont see where the braves will improve, however I do see where the Marlins, Mets and Phillies will when their lineup is back from DL’s. Our lineup however has hit this way all year, subs or not.
By mace224
July 2, 2008 1:23 PM | Link to this
If I want to watch all the young guys play, I’ll go watch Richmond. Get rid of Kotsay? Blanco has NO power and can’t replace A.Jones in CF. Kotsay, Chipper and Escobar are just getting back. They’ll get back in the swing of things. I cringe with Gotay at Third. I think Corky Miller has a lower average than the starting pitchers.
By The Grinch
July 2, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this
I knew there’d be at least one of you out there!
Hey, Joey: I’ve actually been a lot happier since I moved out of your mom’s house this morning. She told me to tell you she taped the $20 I left on her dresser on your basement door and to use it to pick up some milk on the way home from band practice. Do your homework tonight instead of watching Hannity; you can help her get a better job in her old age that way.
Go Braves!
By Coach Smith
July 2, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this
The funny thing is that IF the Braves win the next 2 games against the Phillies and and are only 3 games out with 75 to play….many of you naysayers will be jumping back on board
Baseball is not like football you can’t get too high or low based on a few games..
What if Cole Hamels injures himself on Thursday and the Phillies who haven’t had one pitcher get injured lose him or another to the DL?
You just never know how things can change over the course of 75-80 games
the Braves also get the advantage of playing the Astros, Dodgers, and Padres going into the break….reel off a 6-3 or 7-2 mark against them and everyone is singing a differnt tune
By The Grinch
July 2, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this
Matthew at the SLC: We had Josh Anderson up for a couple of weeks; he hit .318 and stole two bases, plus played great defense. Bobby immediately sent him down in favor of Brandon Jones. I guess he just didn’t want Frenchy getting showed up even worse than he is. Seriously, I like Francouer but he really needs some physical and mental rest. All things considered, if the best players on the 40 man roster were used at the same time this isn’t a bad team. It just needs some leadership in several areas.
By Lou Vales
July 2, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this
Dear Grinch, Stale!! Really Stale!!! Now if you want to insult someone why not show some audaciousness and creativity and not rely on the “taping 20 bucks on the mom’s door” crap. I know you got in you to not do an impersonation of the guy telling Burt Reynolds that he “Done took the wrong road to Aintry” so let’s bring it. That “mom” garbage only gets to psychotics and you don’t want to be messing with them anyway.
By SR
July 2, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this
More unlikely July 1 turning points
1) Oil falls to under $100 a barrel
2) Gas falls to under $3.00 a gallon
3) Falcons win the Super Bowl
4) Jeff Francouer goes 4 for 4
5) Braves win more than 1 game in a row
By Milton Jeff
July 2, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
The Braves do have their battles ahead of them. While I try to remain optimistic..its very hard. Our young pitchers are the only hope we have right now. Its time to tap the farm system again for young talent. Look at the “baby-backs” last year..even the cubbies have a fairly young team. Frenchy? Not sure about him. Tex needs to go..no sense keeping him, even if he turns it on, because satan (scott boras) is gonna demand $20 million a year. NOT WORTH IT!!
By don
July 2, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
Guess what? there isn’t a lot left in the farm system since most of the talent was shipped off to Texas.
Of course, many of you blew smoke about all the euphoria that would result from getting “Big Tex”. Obviously, you were wrong.
DEumb trade then. Dumber trade now. Only the Hampton fiasco looks as bad.
By coach k
July 2, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this
LOT OF TALENT NO HEART, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHIPPER. GET RID OF PENDLETON AND SHIP FRANCOUER DOWN TO THE THE MINORS BRING BACK BRANDON JONES AND GET ME A COACH THAT CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PLAY SMALL BALL AND GET THESE GUYS SOME PASSION. OTHERWISE SAME RESULT AS EVERY YR GOOD TEAM CAN’T GET IT DONE. NICE TO SEE STEINBRENNER CALLING OUT HILS TEAM IN THE MEDIA, WE JUST EXPECT AVERAGE HERE, TIME FOR A CHANGE
By A Fan
July 2, 2008 4:06 PM | Link to this
I am a Braves Fan - not a fair weather fan … not a transplant who thinks they belong on a sports talk radio show (like Lou) and not a sad corporate Braves ticket holder who cares nothing for the game.
I also am a HUGE fan of the greatest Manager the Braves have had or ever will have, Bobby Cox.
I am a fan and so I am always looking for the optimistic view. 1) Injuries seem to be ending - good news 2) Francour and Tex could have great second halves 3) Pitching is getting better - the return of Gonzales is a plus 4) McCann and Chipper will have a great years this year.
No one is running away as Mark very FACTUALLY has pointed out.
I think the second half will be a real joy to watch. Then again - I enjoy watching the Braves play all the time. See I remember watching them in the 1970s and the 80s - this is a team …not a joke. People like Lou can go find some folks who care about their lame opinion - this real FAN does not.
Go BRAVES!!
By Tim
July 2, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
Mark, Are you aware that Frenchy STILL doesn’t have an RBI since your “What’s with the venom against Frenchy?” column? That’s now two full weeks ago?
Your credibility = nonexistent.
By beekay
July 2, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
Hey Grinch, easy on the political stuff. Kind of like MSNBC, CNN, NY Times, Wash Post and the AJC are way way up Obama’s arse!!!
By Tim
July 2, 2008 4:35 PM | Link to this
I’m gonna post it again for emphasis:
For the record, Francoeur’s last RBI was on June 19th, the day Bradley wrote his “What’s with the venom against Frenchy” column. In the two weeks since that column, Frenchy hasn’t picked up a single f’ing RBI. If he hadn’t sucked his entire career, I would be compelled to wonder if he was doing it just to spite Bradley personally. But alas, 4 seasons into his career, these are the numbers that we’ve come to expect from the worst everyday outfielder in baseball.
By Tim
July 2, 2008 4:37 PM | Link to this
I’m gonna post it again for emphasis:
For the record, Francoeur’s last RBI was on June 19th, the day Bradley wrote his “What’s with the venom against Frenchy” column. In the two weeks since that column, Frenchy hasn’t picked up a single f’ing RBI. If he hadn’t sucked his entire career, I would be compelled to wonder if he was doing it just to spite Bradley personally. But alas, 4 seasons into his career, these are the numbers that we’ve come to expect from the worst everyday outfielder in baseball.
By Tim
July 2, 2008 4:38 PM | Link to this
Mark, what’s that smell?
Oh that’s right it’s the little credibility you had left going up in flames:
Francoeur DEAD LAST in OPS among all qualifying Right Fielders in MLB: http://tinyurl.com/5pbejo
By SCBravesFan
July 2, 2008 4:41 PM | Link to this
First, this is the time that you see who is a true Braves’ fan and who just jumps on the bandwagon. Lou, the Marlins can have you. Enjoy the second half of their season when their bulpen starts losing arms to injury (they can’t keep putting up that many innings). Carroll, the Rays are exciting to watch right now, but are you going to continue being a fan when they hit a rough stretch?
Second, I will certainly admit that this has been a frustrating first half to the season. Watching a team that is 3rd in batting average, 3rd in on-base percentage, 1st in ERA, 1st in opponents batting average, etc. continue to be a sub-.500 team is tough. However, Bobby Cox is a fantastic coach who has made worse teams into playoff contenders and he will make sure that we don’t continue to leave 14 runners in scoring position each game. What is my proof that he has the ability to do so? Bobby Cox led the Braves to 14 straight division titles. So what he only won one World Series. How many have the Mets won in the past 20 years? The Phillies? The Cubs? In fact, in the past 20 years only 4 teams have won more World Series titles than the Braves and I know that none of them were in the mix as often as the Braves.
With so many one run loses, even a slight improvement in situational hitting could mean this very young team could be a real contender in the NL and for the World Series. Do I think that they will win it all? Maybe not, but I do think that they could make a run at it. Perhaps it will be enough that Carroll and Lou will become Braves’ fans again.
By Tim
July 2, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
More stats for Mark: http://tinyurl.com/3cmfdy
By Jon
July 2, 2008 4:54 PM | Link to this
Mark, I was going to leave a comment questioning your sanity. But since everyone else has already done that, I’ll just say Have a nice day!!!
By Jon
July 2, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this
Mark, I was going to leave a comment questioning your sanity. But since everyone else has already done that, I’ll just say Have a nice day!!!
By Bad news Braves
July 2, 2008 5:18 PM | Link to this
The Braves need to admit they made a mistake by bringing Francour up when they did. He’s so screwed up even his fielding is suffering. He fumbled the ball last night but lucky for him the runner did not advance. The Braves need to trade the players they can get something for and bring up the youngsters in Richmond and Mississippi. They are managing to lose with the veterans so why not lose with the young guys and gt them some experience.
By Can't stand Georgia
July 2, 2008 5:29 PM | Link to this
I reading the comments on this blog, I noticed one guy had to bring Ga. Bulldogs into the discussion. Fella, I have two favorite football teams, whoever is playing Georgia and whoever is playing Notre Dame.
By The Grinch
July 2, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this
Lou Vales, he struck me as the type who still thinks “professional” wrestling is real; had to keep it something hackneyed and simple. People who read that you get news from a different source than they do and get so enraged they call you a bitter someone who has no love for life and should fly out into space and die ARE psychopaths, don’t you think? Or at least under/over medicated.
Bee-kay, I really think all the major news channels are biased; I just used that example because it’s been going on the longest. My post was really much more intended to be about baseball than politics. I’m neither Democrat nor Republican; they’re all full of it IMO.
Enough! My point was the AJC’s bought and paid for regarding the Braves and the general good will amongst the people of the city keeps us from demanding accountability. If this were NY or LA or even a mid-size city like Phoenix or Jacksonville there’d be several competing newspapers calling for the same things we are in these responses, and ownership would be forced to abandon the good ol’ boy network and produce some results or go back to the days of 5,000 people in the seats.
By coach k
July 2, 2008 6:04 PM | Link to this
I still tell everyone if I could pick one team in the National League to manage it would be the Braves. When healthy this is a potent lineup, defense should be above average and starting pitching is the lowest in the NL. Now someone on this team get fired up and lets get rolling for another division, hell we are better than the Mets and Marlins and the Phils are just hanging there, time to take this division, play small ball and get me a real hitting coach
By kirknga
July 2, 2008 6:36 PM | Link to this
I think it is entirely possible to hold two opposing thoughts.
First, that it is g