Chop Chick

By will

June 11, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this

I totally agree, but I’m not sure if we’ll ever get any better as long as Bobby is managing. It was clear last night that Pinella was in the game (steals, hit and runs) while Bobby pretty much sat there and cherred. (Why wasn’t Glavine bunting in the second? Why is Yunel still leading off? Francoeur, doing his best Andruw imitation is moved up in the order instead of being dropped?) I’m afraid Bobby is losing this team…

By geekboy

June 11, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this

I would not call Yunel and KJ unproven youngsters. Yunel has better numbers than Renteria! And KJ is a solid bat for a 2B.

The problems for this team are many, but not unfixable in the short-term.

1) The outfield has the worst production in all of baseball. Bench Frenchie and go with an all-base stealing outfield.

2) Bobby has to start forcing the team to play small ball. Steal bases for god’s sake. Learn to bunt.

If things still look dismal at the trade deadline then you MUST unload Tex and Frenchie for young pitching talent. Tex is not as good as advertised (he can’t hit lefties) and Frenchie is a clown of Andruw Jones like proportions. Find some INTELLIGENT bats and make opposing pitchers WORK for their outs. Tired pitchers make mistakes.

This team has made several blunders … whoever thought Corky was better to keep than Pena? Pena would have had decent trade value … he is a young switchhitting catcher. Who thought Norman, a career .250 bat, was any sort of solution? Who thought an ancient Glavine could help much? Who signed the injury-plagued Kotsay to a $7 million contract? FIRE THAT PERSON.

By Savy Steve

June 11, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this

Stick a fork in ‘em

By KenBaseball

June 11, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this

It’s obvious, BC is being outmanaged. Kelly J can’t field, Frenchie still hasn’t learned the strike zone. We are a team without a LF,CF,2B and 1B. TEX is sooo overrated. Chopchick, I agree it is time to let go of past and get some new blood in here, starting with Bobby.

By KenBaseball

June 11, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this

It’s obvious, BC is being outmanaged. Kelly J can’t field, Frenchie still hasn’t learned the strike zone. We are a team without a LF,CF,2B and 1B. TEX is sooo overrated. Chopchick, I agree it is time to let go of past and get some new blood in here, starting with Bobby.

By 3rd base

June 11, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this

I agree with you completely, Geekboy. We need to trade Tex and Frenchy for younger pitchers.

By KenBaseball

June 11, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this

It’s obvious, BC is being outmanaged. Kelly J can’t field, Frenchie still hasn’t learned the strike zone. We are a team without a LF,CF,2B and 1B. TEX is sooo overrated. Chopchick, I agree it is time to let go of past and get some new blood in here, starting with Bobby.

By C from Marietta

June 11, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this

Geekboy,

1) If Pena is so good and has good trade value. Why did the Royals just designate him for Assignment? No one was biting, so he was outrighted to the minors.

2) The Braves are not paying Kotsay’s salary this year. Oakland is paying for his salary.

By BS3

June 11, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this

Bobby is too loyal to ‘his guys’. Hitters like Francoeur and Andruw Jones have only gotten worse since Pendleton came to town. The pitching staff has had no clue since Leo left, and has deteriorated into a bunch of sore armed, inconsistent, average throwers that you could find on most college teams. It won’t do any good to replace the guys we have until we first replace the pitching and hitting coaches.

By ronald

June 11, 2008 11:20 AM | Link to this

Why in the world would anyone have considered us one of the favorites to win the division? Consider: 1. We left spring training with a starting rotation of five pitchers, two were over forty. One had not thrown a pitch in a game in ove two years. Well guess what, the two who are over forty are on the DL (I hope you enjoyed Smoltz’s career as much as I did but he’s done) and Hampton still hasn’t thrown a pitch in over two years.

1. We needed a center fielde so we traded for a guy who couldn’t perform last year because he had back trouble. Guess what, he’s on the DL with back problems.

2. We needed a closer. What did we do? We pencilled in a guy who has never been a cloder. Guess what, he’s no closer and he can’t be counted on now because of injuries.

I agree with everyone about Frenchy. Don’t give me the excuse “he’s still young.” Andruw Jones was “still young” for about ten years. If by the end of this season Frenchy is still no more discipined then he is now get rid of him. He has enough “potential” to be good trade bait for something.

Don’t waste any money trying to sign Tex to a long-term contract. Let Borras hose someone else (can you say Dodgers).

Let Bobby retire (aka, encourage him to retire). Send Roger McDowell so far away he couldn’t find his way back to Atlanta with a GPS. Can anyone say “Leo?” Leo was let go after last season. It is unthinkable that McDowell is in the braves dugout and Mazone is doing color commentary on TV. Let Pendleton manage one of the farm teams.

Ownership needs to get serious about putting a bonafide big league team on the field. When the braves left spring training the roster was way overloaded with too many cases of “hope this works out.” It isn’t working out. For the sake of the future gut this team. Keep Yunel and Kelly Johnson. Yes, keep Kelly. He is an outstanding offensive player. Keep McCann. I would consider no other player on this roster so important to the future of this team that they must be kept at all cost. Gut the team and start over.

By Nick24

June 11, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

I hardly ever post anything in these blogs but I’m getting very frustrated with the way this team is being managed. Bobby Cox needs to make better decisions with this team or come the All-Star break we will be looking at a big hill to climb. I don’t understand why he keeps putting Acosta and Boyer in time after time to let them blow the game. Last night was awful managing. After Acosta made it through the 7th inning there should have been no reason to leave him out for the 8th. Acosta has proven time and time again that he does not have it right now to go out and hold a lead or even keep the other team from scoring. I never understood why they would keep Corky Miller on the team, who in my mind can’t hit the broad side of a barn, rather that holding on the Bryan Pena. I do understand that injuries have been the main concern for the Braves this year, but the fans have to see how poorly Bobby is managing this team. Until he is gone and you can mark my word on this “The Braves will never win another Championship” I’ve never seen a team that is unable to manufature runs in a ball game. Francouer is awful right now. He swings at everything. I saw a stat last night that said he has left 20+ runners on base his last 5 at bats. That’s pathetic. All in all I’m frustrated with how this season is unfolding. I continue to watch almost every game on TV, but it’s tough watching everything go the way it is. I hope for the best the rest of the season, but I am not expecting much the rest of the season. What are everyone elses thoughts?

By Nick24

June 11, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

I hardly ever post anything in these blogs but I’m getting very frustrated with the way this team is being managed. Bobby Cox needs to make better decisions with this team or come the All-Star break we will be looking at a big hill to climb. I don’t understand why he keeps putting Acosta and Boyer in time after time to let them blow the game. Last night was awful managing. After Acosta made it through the 7th inning there should have been no reason to leave him out for the 8th. Acosta has proven time and time again that he does not have it right now to go out and hold a lead or even keep the other team from scoring. I never understood why they would keep Corky Miller on the team, who in my mind can’t hit the broad side of a barn, rather that holding on the Bryan Pena. I do understand that injuries have been the main concern for the Braves this year, but the fans have to see how poorly Bobby is managing this team. Until he is gone and you can mark my word on this “The Braves will never win another Championship” I’ve never seen a team that is unable to manufature runs in a ball game. Francouer is awful right now. He swings at everything. I saw a stat last night that said he has left 20+ runners on base his last 5 at bats. That’s pathetic. All in all I’m frustrated with how this season is unfolding. I continue to watch almost every game on TV, but it’s tough watching everything go the way it is. I hope for the best the rest of the season, but I am not expecting much the rest of the season. What are everyone elses thoughts?

By Jeff

June 11, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this

As I posted yesterday…Braves will go 0-10 on this trip. Last night was horrible to watch. There is no fire or charisma in this team. I know everyone wants to cross their fingers and hope for the best but the fact of the matter is that we need to do what the Falcons did. Start from scratch..out with the old, in with the new.

By fieldofdreams

June 11, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this

Perhaps you should clarify in what profession Frenchy is “proven”? He may have a gun for an arm but his once bat has turned into a broken water pistol. The Braves have given him right-field but he certainly hasn’t earned it. Blind trust works in marriages, I guess, but not in baseball. I don’t care if he was born in Turner Field and sold concessions to help his sick mother, this Gwinnett hometown crap only buys so much time. Trade him now, while he still has value, and before he develops Mark Wohlers disease. A proven closer will create more Braves victories that Frenchy can imagine.

By oldmike

June 11, 2008 11:57 AM | Link to this

They need to turn the rotation over to the young arms we have in the minors and on the roster. Get rid of Texeira ASAP. He is not a difference maker. At least not now. By the way, is there just too much pressure on these guys in a contract year to put up big numbers to get the max contract? Maybe the whole darned game needs to implode and kill the exhorbitant salary structure that leads us to Andruw and Tex in their walk years. These guys are simply way too overpaid for anyone’s good!!!!

By coach k

June 11, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this

Well for 14yrs I have never been a cox fan. I always felt that mgmt gave him the best team in baseball, 3 hall of famers on the staff at the same time, and made them underachievers. 1 championship in that run was nice but unacceptable, should have had no less than 3 and probably 5. Now is the time to rid this team of him , TP and get someone in here with some passion, this team has no heart, passion or fire, and this is part of mgmt, if no shakeup happens now, this season is again, above avg team playing below avg baseball, bobby has lost all controlhis batting lineup is ludicrous and team has no idea how to manufacture runs, runner at 3rd last night no outs and can’t get him home, i”m done til bobby is out , hell I’ll take the job

By TPM

June 11, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this

John Smoltz perpetuated a fraud by signing a 14 million dollar deal with a bum shoulder. He hurt it in May of 2007 - we know learn..

He needs to stop stealing money and go away. It would be nice if he takes hometown discount Glavine and his can’t get 15 outs a start act with him.

I said it in March and I will say it again. You can not win with a jurassic park pitching rotation.

By RichmondBrave

June 11, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this

I have your exact feeling CC. I have been a fan since the 70’s, my dad made me watch every out of every game that was on TV in hopes that they would come back. They harrdly ever did. Without Sport South here in Richmond, I don’t get to (have to) watch many games except on the computer, so it’s not THAT painful. Everyone is pretty much saying what I have been since the beginning of the season about Tex. Trade him now while he still has some value. Frenchie is lost up there. He should be hitting 8th. Trade for pitching and for gods sake teach these guys to bunt and let the fast guys run. Gotta watch tonight on WGN.

By beau vighn

June 11, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this

Guys..and Gals. Lets not give up the ship so soon. I agree with everything especially about Bobby Cox not being able to manage a load of pigs to the slop trough. Francouer can’t keep his head out of the third base dugout. Kelly is all hit with no glove. Tex is experiencing the Boras/Andrew curse(last year of contract choke job). Our relief corp is overworked because we don’t have a starter outside of Hudson than can pitch 6 innings.

Well, maybe you all are right. We are freakin’ toast.

By oldmike

June 11, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this

I know the live gate is in effect meaningless in the grand scheme of things, BUT, maybe a stretch of attendance figures mirroring the Marlins would push management into making changes. Bobby is a great manager if you want to win divisions and have a stable non combative team, and, if you have the horses. He’s not going to turn swine into pearls anytime soon.

By raul

June 11, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this

Hello..haven’t you noticed that we are leading or close and then Acosta comes in and soon we are watching him wipe sweat in the dugout after giving up four or five runs…we have been Acosted once too often

By SLM

June 11, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this

Not to defend Francouer, but Nick24’s stats can’t be right: Even if the bases were loaded for each of 5 at bats, that’s only 15 stranded runners, not 20+. Sadly, it does feel like the wheels are starting to come off…Let’s hope Chipper can get enough at bats to win the batting title.

By KyleH

June 11, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this

I know this isnt what everyone wants to hear, but maybe it just isnt the braves year.

I’m gonna relate this to football. As I live in Maryand, I am a Ravens fan. As you all know the ravens were 5-12 last year following a 13-3 season the year before. The Ravens suffered overwhelming injuries just as the braves are now. (honestly i dont think i can name all of them, im just trying to forget last year.)

Just because its not going well doesnt mean you cant get anything out of the year. I watch braves games and watch the young pitchers work. Looks to me like the braves could have some quality starters in Jair Jurrjens, Jojo Reyes, and Charlie Morton. o and hudson should be around for a good few more years.

And finally, ive got something else noone here will agree with. As bad as things are going and as bad as its going to get, the braves may not bve out of it yet. i know im crazy. I think this is one of the weakest divisions in all of baseball. I think we can all agree the phillies are a bit average, the mets are really plumeting, and the marlins are also struggling now. I dont see a winner in this division so whoever does win it may be surprising. The truth is that the healthiest team is winning. but they are not neccessarily the best team. The braves will get some players back and boost moral a bit and if they can just get this whole psychotic road thing out of their heads theyll still have a chance. Of course that may be a longshot.

By Geezer

June 11, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this

I got a good idea…why don’t we replace the whole damn team and coaches? And change the name of Atlanta Braves to “Atlanta Squaws”..

By Tyler Durdin

June 11, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this

It’s a real shame that the Braves marketing department has already turned Franceour into the face of the organization. This guy is rapidly moving into Andruw-like territory with his awesome God-given abilities and pathetic on-field performances. The moment Kelly Johnson dropped that pop-up last Friday, it essentially signaled the long march toward mediocrity. This team and this organization has lost its heart, fire, enthusiasm, and excitement. Trade Tex before it’s too late. Convince Smoltz to retire. Take Kelly Johnson out back the beat the tar out of him. I’m going to check back in 2011 to see how things are going.

By David

June 11, 2008 3:02 PM | Link to this

You’re right, but we could have used this speech 3 years ago. When Ted Turner sold the Braves, he screwed the fans. Corportations just want profits, not necassariy a winning team. They are not going to spend the money if they can still make a profit. Bobby is the same guy that got us 14 division champs but he can’t do it with rag arms.

By DD

June 11, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this

You can blame Smoltz and Cox for the way Acosta is pitching now. Acosta had the look of a very good closer until Cox and Smoltz decided to take his job.

By Jonny

June 11, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this

Two Rules: There’s no crying in baseball and chicks don’t get to comment on baseball and be taken seriously.

It’s adorable that a girl is following, but please, keep it at that.

By BlackberryCobbler

June 11, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this

The only youngsters on thsi team I like are Escobar and McCann.

Francoeur appears to be just an average talent. Tex is overrated especially for the salary he will command. Kelly Johnson is a project at 2B that hasn’t worked. Find another spot for him or get rid of him.

The young pitchers, I like.

The only veterans I would keep are Chipper and Kotsay. Keep Kelly, McCann, Escobar, Infante, and the young pitchers. Trash everybody else and take Booby Cox with ‘em.

By Michael

June 11, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this

Bobby Cox sucked in the 1970’s. The Blue Jays let him go in the 1980’s. He has been a weight around this team for 20 years and now there is not enough talent to hide it. This is a talented team, but not enough to hide Bobby Cox’s constant mental errors anymore.

By Tim S.

June 11, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this

Actually, Infante could be a starter (or at least a platoon player) if given the chance. It is forgotten he is still only 26. He is showing he can hit and play in the field, unlike what Jim Leyland thought here in Detroit. BTW, I live in Detroit and enjoyed watching Infante in 2004 when at age 22 took over at second base for Fernando Vina. He wound up with 16 dingers, nine triples and 28 doubles in 500 at bats. He also looked solid at second. I didn’t like making him a utility player so early in his career in Detroit and I hope the Braves are more open-minded about him. He certainly wouldn’t drop a ninth-inning pop-up like Johnson the other night.

By henry

June 11, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this

I agree Francour , Texiera are terrible and need to go . It isn’t an accident this team has lost all the one run games . They can’t , bunt , move runners up or hit sacrifice flies . Francour even swings at ball four with the bases loaded . He also is given the green light on 3-i counts often hitting into double plays and the picher is wild . I feel sorry for Chipper and Hudson .

By lilman

June 11, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this

As many of you have stated, Cox has done a sub par managing job for a long time. You do have to consider that he spends time with the players and knows them and their abilities first hand, while we fans can only gauge their ability by their stats, and how they look from afar. A lot of these guys have nagging little injuries that they try and play through, unknown to the fans.
I agree that the team plays without passion or heart, but that’s not by accident. The Braves have consciously built this team with players of that ilk, and by default they don’t perform in the clutch because of the pressure. Whenever a player disagrees with the way things are, they’re traded or released. Maybe Wickman wasn’t wrong to complain about his use.
The Braves are referred to as “Professional”. That’s good for the business part of sports, but when you step out on the playing field, you want passion and heart. Cox sits in the dugout and chirps the entire game, encouraging the players as though they’re little leaguers. These are grown men, at work and being paid accordingly…there should be expectations for a certain level of performance.

By tj

June 11, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this

To:KyleH

Let me be the first to tell you, I don’t think you are crazy. In fact, if you are a Braves fan and a baseball fan you have the perfect attitude. I think most of the people on here came on board since the winning started. They don’t know what losing is. They have the ESPN (which I stopped watching long ago) mentality. You know, if you don’t win the World Series or Super Bowl you had a bad year. Even in team sports they tell you Joe Blow didn’t have a good career because he didn’t win it all. Dan Marino was not a great Quarterback because he didn’t win a Super Bowl. I guess that makes Trent Dilfer better than Marino. Back to baseball, sometimes I think some forget MLB is different from little league and high school, where you have to get it done quick. After every loss or error or at bat they want to turn over the whole 25 man roster. It’s not like there are zillions of players out there just waiting to play. I think Adam Laroche said it best, ” if you don’t like me when I’m going bad, I don’t want you to like me when I’m going good.” It’s funny, the Cubs haven’t won a WS in 100 years and their fans love them. That’s real fans.

By JD

June 11, 2008 5:40 PM | Link to this

hey henry Your the one i feel sorry for. If you feel sorry for Chipper and hudson and all that money they make your an idiot.I said back in march that the braves pitching would not hold up.This team needs some leadership and with Smoltc gone they don’t have it.I would not give up on francour to soon he has a world of talent.The braves just need to give him a long term contract and mabe he will start hiting.This team is loaded with talent but the pitching is not there.Third Place finish.

By JD

June 11, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this

hey henry Your the one i feel sorry for. If you feel sorry for Chipper and hudson and all that money they make your an idiot.I said back in march that the braves pitching would not hold up.This team needs some leadership and with Smoltc gone they don’t have it.I would not give up on francour to soon he has a world of talent.The braves just need to give him a long term contract and mabe he will start hiting.This team is loaded with talent but the pitching is not there.Third Place finish.

By NO MORE BOBBY

June 11, 2008 11:49 PM | Link to this

Can we let go of some of these flake Braves fans also? Listen to the excitement on TV at Wrigley. Ive never heard a buzz like that at Turner Field since well…NEVER!!!! Fulton used to be like that in the early 90s but fans at games now care more about if they get on the jumbo screen or who will win the race between hammer, saw or drill (I always root for hammer).

We ask so much of these current players but maybe if the fans came to life at Turner Field it would bring some more energy to this years club. Not saying its going to make us win because I do think its our year to suck. But, thats whats needed to end this “holding on to the past crap” that the Braves are doing.

Throw in some new faces and young talent with a new manager in 2010 and I think we will be starting a new chapter of winning in Atlanta. For the record I am rooting for the Cubs to win it all this year as they have been my second favorite team since I was kid and discovered more teams were on cable than just the Braves. It’s their time.

GO CUBS!! GO BOBBY COX (OUT OF ATLANTA) AND GO BRAVES FANS - WAKE UP AND BRING SOME ENERGY BACK TO THE HOME GAMES!!!

SMOLTZ FOR MANAGER 2010!!!