Braves

[shoeless joe]

Atlanta BravesVerified account
‏@Braves
#Braves announced today that they have extended the contract of manager Fredi Gonzalez through the 2016 season, with a club option for 2017
...
Wow. I hate this

Indifferent.

Change for the sake of change never ends well. If management felt they had a better option then that would've made sense...obviously they didn't.

[msstate7]

Indifferent.

Change for the sake of change never ends well. If management felt they had a better option then that would've made sense...obviously they didn't.

Should've at least waited till after the season.

[War Machine Dawg]

I'm pretty pissed off about it. I'm fine with extending TP and Seitzer. They're damn good coaches, imo.

I'm on the fence with McDowell. He's gotten great results, but a whole lot of young, promising pitchers have flamed out on his watch, too. What I've been reading is that he's great at scouting, identifying hitters' weaknesses, and game planning, but not very good with being able to fine tune mechanics. And as we all know, mechanics are a major factor with injuries and longevity. I'd be fine going a different direction with someone who is more mechanics based in their approach.

Fredi needs to go yesterday. He's clueless. The way he "manages" a bullpen is absurd. And how our September '11 collapse seems to be forgotten mystifies me.

Frankly, I don't think the Braves management has any real vision, from the front office all the way to ownership. We're nothing more than a tax shelter for Liberty Media. I wish like hell Arthur Blank could've bought the club. This Back to the Future shit with all our front office reshuffling is completely ridiculous. I like John Hart, but Coppy was ready for the job. There is no reason he needed to be trained by someone 150 years old. All the top GMs in baseball right now are in their 30s and 40s. The Braves desperately need an infusion of new blood, both in the front office and in the dugout. Fredi is the antithesis of fresh blood, being Cox's right hand for so long. The whole rebuild pisses me off. If we're going to blow it up, then blow it the hell up instead of bringing back all these guys from the glory days who could never win the Big One.

[MetEdDawg]

Here's what I'll say. I actually think the Braves are 1-2 position players away from being contenders and I maintain that if Freeman hadn't gotten hurt we would be in the division race. The starting rotation is good enough to get to the playoffs and Teheran, Wood, and Miller are all signed for 3-4 more years and we've already seen what Wisler, Perez, and Banuelos can do. I like Freeman, Peterson, and Simmons. I like Markakis and I like Maybin. But we DESPERATELY need a RH power bat. Whether that person plays LF or 3B, we need to get someone who can bring power from the right side. Bullpen needs fixing and we've been making moves to try and do that.

If I'm the Braves, I hold pat at the deadline and look to make some moves in the offseason because I believe the Braves can compete next year. Have to keep Maybin, and I think he will stay because he's close to home and is gelling with Seitzer. But we've got to get a power RH bat and we've got the pitching prospects to do it. Package a couple pitchers together and see who bites. We will also have to address catcher because I'm not sure Bethancourt can hit at a high enough level to be effective. He's got to hit and so far he hasn't been able to do that. I think we can piece together 3B with Chris Johnson and Uribe for next year. But if we can get a legit LF, address catcher, and get a lefty in the pen not named Avilan, I think we've got a chance next year.

[KB21]

Here's what I'll say. I actually think the Braves are 1-2 position players away from being contenders and I maintain that if Freeman hadn't gotten hurt we would be in the division race. The starting rotation is good enough to get to the playoffs and Teheran, Wood, and Miller are all signed for 3-4 more years and we've already seen what Wisler, Perez, and Banuelos can do. I like Freeman, Peterson, and Simmons. I like Markakis and I like Maybin. But we DESPERATELY need a RH power bat. Whether that person plays LF or 3B, we need to get someone who can bring power from the right side. Bullpen needs fixing and we've been making moves to try and do that.

If I'm the Braves, I hold pat at the deadline and look to make some moves in the offseason because I believe the Braves can compete next year. Have to keep Maybin, and I think he will stay because he's close to home and is gelling with Seitzer. But we've got to get a power RH bat and we've got the pitching prospects to do it. Package a couple pitchers together and see who bites. We will also have to address catcher because I'm not sure Bethancourt can hit at a high enough level to be effective. He's got to hit and so far he hasn't been able to do that. I think we can piece together 3B with Chris Johnson and Uribe for next year. But if we can get a legit LF, address catcher, and get a lefty in the pen not named Avilan, I think we've got a chance next year.

The issue with Bethancourt is not his bat, IMO. The potential to not only hit but hit for power is there. He's got a loose, athletic swing and can really drive the ball when he is in the right mindset. His issue is intangibles. While he has great defensive potential, he's the kind of guy that would rather show off his strong arm than master the art of pitch framing. He also hasn't shown the ability to work the pitching staff like he should. John Hart specifically mentioned that he told Brian Snitker to work on specific things with Bethancourt: shows up early, prepares for game, goes over scouting report, works the pitcher.

This article is also out there: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/new...-track-with-g/

Bethancourt hit just a .208 in 29 games before being sent down, but it was passed balls that had become the main concern. He had four in his last five games and had also committed three errors this season.

#That wasn’t what you expect from somewhat who built his prospect status mainly on defense.

#“It’s best for the kid to go down there and get some playing time,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who turned to A.J. Pierzynski as his regular catcher after the veteran had a hot start.

#“I think he just needs to work on catching,” Gonzalez said. “But it’s hard to work those things out at the big league level and try to produce.”

#Bethancourt’s time back with Gwinnett could be short. The Braves, though, are watching closely how he responds.

#“It’s going to be good for him, as long as he has his head right and wants to do it,” Gonzalez said. “I think he’ll come back sooner than later.”

There seems to be a lot of signs pointing to the idea that Bethancourt simply doesn't have the right mindset right now. Even last night, he made a careless throw trying to throw out a runner that was going to be very difficult. Instead of being smart and sitting on the ball, he tried to show off his arm. The ball sailed into center field. That guy scored later, and that run was the difference in the game.

I really like what John Hart and the scouting staff have done, especially with building back up a farm system that had deteriorated drastically under Frank Wren's watch. I'm indifferent on the Fredi Gonzalez move. I would have liked to have seen Terry Pendelton, Eddie Perez, or Brian Snitker get a shot, but Fredi gets far more criticism than he deserves. He gets criticized for doing things every manager in baseball does.

[MetEdDawg]

The issue with Bethancourt is not his bat, IMO. The potential to not only hit but hit for power is there. He's got a loose, athletic swing and can really drive the ball when he is in the right mindset. His issue is intangibles. While he has great defensive potential, he's the kind of guy that would rather show off his strong arm than master the art of pitch framing. He also hasn't shown the ability to work the pitching staff like he should. John Hart specifically mentioned that he told Brian Snitker to work on specific things with Bethancourt: shows up early, prepares for game, goes over scouting report, works the pitcher.

This article is also out there: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/new...-track-with-g/



There seems to be a lot of signs pointing to the idea that Bethancourt simply doesn't have the right mindset right now. Even last night, he made a careless throw trying to throw out a runner that was going to be very difficult. Instead of being smart and sitting on the ball, he tried to show off his arm. The ball sailed into center field. That guy scored later, and that run was the difference in the game.

I really like what John Hart and the scouting staff have done, especially with building back up a farm system that had deteriorated drastically under Frank Wren's watch. I'm indifferent on the Fredi Gonzalez move. I would have liked to have seen Terry Pendelton, Eddie Perez, or Brian Snitker get a shot, but Fredi gets far more criticism than he deserves. He gets criticized for doing things every manager in baseball does.

I'm hoping it's just head stuff for Bethancourt. Wonder if he got a little complacent having been called up so early. He's supposed to be the long term guy and if he's going to do that, he has to play good defense and hit the baseball consistently.

Totally agree on Fredi taking too much heat. Wren was the one that deserved it and he got canned for it, rightly so. We depleted out farm system terribly and I feel made some awful moves. Liked Justin Upton alright, but BJ was an awful move and I think most of us said that from day 1. But we needed a competent hitting coach badly and we've finally got one and you can see the difference. We are great with RISP, we are good with 2 outs, and we are much more disciplined at the plate. We need another bat because we don't have a ton of firepower and finally have the farm system to get one long term.

I still maintain with Freeman healthy this team would be at or above .500 and still competing for the East, even with one of the worst bullpens in baseball, so I think the pieces are in place to make a run at it next year. But I think most thought we would be one of the worst teams in baseball and at the moment, we are actually 16th in baseball in win percentage, so right in the middle of the pack. I think we can build off of that and make a few moves to position ourselves for a good shot next year. Get a few arms in the bullpen, get a RH power guy, and that to me would be enough to make the playoffs if we can keep what we've got.

[msstate7]

I'm hoping it's just head stuff for Bethancourt. Wonder if he got a little complacent having been called up so early. He's supposed to be the long term guy and if he's going to do that, he has to play good defense and hit the baseball consistently.

Totally agree on Fredi taking too much heat. Wren was the one that deserved it and he got canned for it, rightly so. We depleted out farm system terribly and I feel made some awful moves. Liked Justin Upton alright, but BJ was an awful move and I think most of us said that from day 1. But we needed a competent hitting coach badly and we've finally got one and you can see the difference. We are great with RISP, we are good with 2 outs, and we are much more disciplined at the plate. We need another bat because we don't have a ton of firepower and finally have the farm system to get one long term.

I still maintain with Freeman healthy this team would be at or above .500 and still competing for the East, even with one of the worst bullpens in baseball, so I think the pieces are in place to make a run at it next year. But I think most thought we would be one of the worst teams in baseball and at the moment, we are actually 16th in baseball in win percentage, so right in the middle of the pack. I think we can build off of that and make a few moves to position ourselves for a good shot next year. Get a few arms in the bullpen, get a RH power guy, and that to me would be enough to make the playoffs if we can keep what we've got.

We have to upgrade to win the east next year IMO. The Mets' pitching staff is gonna be straight up sick assuming wheeler comes back strong.

I think we should re-sign uribe. I don't have a problem with trading high on Maybin. My dream is getting span for a couple years till Mallex is ready. Need some power on at least one corner of OF

[MetEdDawg]

We have to upgrade to win the east next year IMO. The Mets' pitching staff is gonna be straight up sick assuming wheeler comes back strong.

I think we should re-sign uribe. I don't have a problem with trading high on Maybin. My dream is getting span for a couple years till Mallex is ready. Need some power on at least one corner of OF

I actually love Maybin and really want to keep him. Think he's the kind of guy that could make this team special because he wants to be in Atlanta and he's exploding under Seitzer. Always talking about how much he loves it and I think we could get him for 3 years around 8 or 9 million a year.

We've got the money to make a good move. Maybe get Cespedes for 3-5 years. I would love an OF of Cespedes, Maybin, and Markakis. I'm with you that we can keep Uribe for another year and platoon him with someone. Then Simmons, Peterson, Freeman. AJ is supposed to retire but I wonder if he wants another year after what he's been able to do this year. If so I say try and keep him to help Bethancourt for another year.

I think our rotation is solid enough to compete. Miller, Teheran, Wood, Wisler, Banuelos to me is a pretty good starting 5 with Williams Perez spot starting some.

[shoeless joe]

I'm pretty pissed off about it. I'm fine with extending TP and Seitzer. They're damn good coaches, imo.

I'm on the fence with McDowell. He's gotten great results, but a whole lot of young, promising pitchers have flamed out on his watch, too. What I've been reading is that he's great at scouting, identifying hitters' weaknesses, and game planning, but not very good with being able to fine tune mechanics. And as we all know, mechanics are a major factor with injuries and longevity. I'd be fine going a different direction with someone who is more mechanics based in their approach.

Fredi needs to go yesterday. He's clueless. The way he "manages" a bullpen is absurd. And how our September '11 collapse seems to be forgotten mystifies me.

Frankly, I don't think the Braves management has any real vision, from the front office all the way to ownership. We're nothing more than a tax shelter for Liberty Media. I wish like hell Arthur Blank could've bought the club. This Back to the Future shit with all our front office reshuffling is completely ridiculous. I like John Hart, but Coppy was ready for the job. There is no reason he needed to be trained by someone 150 years old. All the top GMs in baseball right now are in their 30s and 40s. The Braves desperately need an infusion of new blood, both in the front office and in the dugout. Fredi is the antithesis of fresh blood, being Cox's right hand for so long. The whole rebuild pisses me off. If we're going to blow it up, then blow it the hell up instead of bringing back all these guys from the glory days who could never win the Big One.

So much wrong in this post I don't know where to start...

I do agree that fredi misuses the pen regularly.

[msstate7]

I do agree that fredi misuses the pen regularly.

Fredi's #1 fan questioning him? haha

[KB21]

I'm hoping it's just head stuff for Bethancourt. Wonder if he got a little complacent having been called up so early. He's supposed to be the long term guy and if he's going to do that, he has to play good defense and hit the baseball consistently.

Totally agree on Fredi taking too much heat. Wren was the one that deserved it and he got canned for it, rightly so. We depleted out farm system terribly and I feel made some awful moves. Liked Justin Upton alright, but BJ was an awful move and I think most of us said that from day 1. But we needed a competent hitting coach badly and we've finally got one and you can see the difference. We are great with RISP, we are good with 2 outs, and we are much more disciplined at the plate. We need another bat because we don't have a ton of firepower and finally have the farm system to get one long term.

I still maintain with Freeman healthy this team would be at or above .500 and still competing for the East, even with one of the worst bullpens in baseball, so I think the pieces are in place to make a run at it next year. But I think most thought we would be one of the worst teams in baseball and at the moment, we are actually 16th in baseball in win percentage, so right in the middle of the pack. I think we can build off of that and make a few moves to position ourselves for a good shot next year. Get a few arms in the bullpen, get a RH power guy, and that to me would be enough to make the playoffs if we can keep what we've got.

I agree with this. The majority of people felt the Braves would be one of the worst teams in baseball, and they have far exceeded expectations. I would disagree with anyone that believe another manager would have done better with this team.

[KB21]

I actually love Maybin and really want to keep him. Think he's the kind of guy that could make this team special because he wants to be in Atlanta and he's exploding under Seitzer. Always talking about how much he loves it and I think we could get him for 3 years around 8 or 9 million a year.

We've got the money to make a good move. Maybe get Cespedes for 3-5 years. I would love an OF of Cespedes, Maybin, and Markakis. I'm with you that we can keep Uribe for another year and platoon him with someone. Then Simmons, Peterson, Freeman. AJ is supposed to retire but I wonder if he wants another year after what he's been able to do this year. If so I say try and keep him to help Bethancourt for another year.

I think our rotation is solid enough to compete. Miller, Teheran, Wood, Wisler, Banuelos to me is a pretty good starting 5 with Williams Perez spot starting some.

Cespedes is reportedly not a good locker room guy. I'd pass on giving him big bucks.

[MetEdDawg]

Cespedes is reportedly not a good locker room guy. I'd pass on giving him big bucks.

I wonder with a Hispanic manager and a lot of Hispanic influence on the team if that would be something that might help that. Fredi is from Cuba and so is Cespedes. Wonder if that is something we feel could provide him an environment to thrive in.

[KB21]

Article by Mark Bradley: http://twib.in/l/kGe4XAMoy8a

I agree with him. If you are looking for a difference making manager, there aren't many. I think Buck Showalter is clearly the one guy who can come into a losing situation and make it a winning situation. What he has done with the Orioles is remarkable.

[KB21]

I wonder with a Hispanic manager and a lot of Hispanic influence on the team if that would be something that might help that. Fredi is from Cuba and so is Cespedes. Wonder if that is something we feel could provide him an environment to thrive in.

I don't know. Remember the blow up in Miami when Fredi took Hanley Ramirez out of the game for loafing after a ball? The biggest thing Fredi asks his players to do is give great effort and respect the game. The article I mentioned talked about Chris Johnson not running hard on what should have been a double in Colorado. He didn't play the next day.

[War Machine Dawg]

So much wrong in this post I don't know where to start...

I do agree that fredi misuses the pen regularly.

Such as? The info on McDowell is straight from the AJC. And no reasonable person can tell me we haven't gone Back to the Future with our front office. Schuerholz, Cox, and Hart are the Good Ol' Boys Club from back in the day. Once again, straight from the AJC. I'm not knocking Hart. He's a hell of a GM and I love most of the moves he's made so far. But the top 3-5 GMs in baseball are young guys - Mozeliak, Epstein, and the Houston GM all immediately spring to mind. There just wasn't a good reason to not hand the reigns to Coppy. And we've inbred our coaching system for long, it's become comical. We need someone from the outside to bring in some fresh perspective.

[War Machine Dawg]

I actually love Maybin and really want to keep him. Think he's the kind of guy that could make this team special because he wants to be in Atlanta and he's exploding under Seitzer. Always talking about how much he loves it and I think we could get him for 3 years around 8 or 9 million a year.

We've got the money to make a good move. Maybe get Cespedes for 3-5 years. I would love an OF of Cespedes, Maybin, and Markakis. I'm with you that we can keep Uribe for another year and platoon him with someone. Then Simmons, Peterson, Freeman. AJ is supposed to retire but I wonder if he wants another year after what he's been able to do this year. If so I say try and keep him to help Bethancourt for another year.

I think our rotation is solid enough to compete. Miller, Teheran, Wood, Wisler, Banuelos to me is a pretty good starting 5 with Williams Perez spot starting some.

I don't think Perez's stuff translates to the pen very well. And we can't rule out Folty in the rotation competition, either. He's probably got the best pure stuff of any starter in the system. Bottom line, we've got a glut of pitchers. No reason not to package a couple for a legit, big time bat.

[BoomBoom]

I agree with this. The majority of people felt the Braves would be one of the worst teams in baseball, and they have far exceeded expectations. I would disagree with anyone that believe another manager would have done better with this team.

Thats because Fredi's skillset is geared more towards making a mediocre team into an average team, and not
towards making a good team into a championship team.

A manager that cant manage a bullpen but is great at the rest is about as useful as an elite talent RB that can't hold onto the ball.

[shoeless joe]

Slightly off topic... But was a tuff loss tonite...did anyone else catch the blatant "F" bomb on the MLB network rite after smoltz finished up an interview and before a commercial? Was either dan odowd or that Joel Sherman but I found it somewhat hilarious and somewhat odd that they never acknowledged it afterward. It was clear and obvious...occurred about 530 this afternoon.

[msstate7]

Slightly off topic... But was a tuff loss tonite...did anyone else catch the blatant "F" bomb on the MLB network rite after smoltz finished up an interview and before a commercial? Was either dan odowd or that Joel Sherman but I found it somewhat hilarious and somewhat odd that they never acknowledged it afterward. It was clear and obvious...occurred about 530 this afternoon.

It was a tough loss. I've given up though, so I'm not upset. In fact, I'm thrilled with wood, vizcaino, and Jenkins (gwinnett) pitching so well tonight