Official 2010 Atlanta Braves thread

[vthokies4life 10]

anyone else remember when errors were not so common?

Anyone else remember when griping about it made the errors go away?

 

We lost. It was a good run. We shouldn't have been there in the first place. Now we have to try to move on from one of the greatest managers in the game. That's going to be a harder task than I think we realize.

[Canes00 434]

I would love to see the braves go after Carl Crawford in the offseason

[Lance 228]

Anyone else remember when griping about it made the errors go away?

 

We lost. It was a good run. We shouldn't have been there in the first place. Now we have to try to move on from one of the greatest managers in the game. That's going to be a harder task than I think we realize.

 

 

Shouldn't have been there in the first place? We led the division for most of the year? We should have been able to win it straight out from the Phils in the first place....the ONLY reason we didn't is that we LED THE LEAGUE in ERRORS after the break. If by that you mean we shouldn't be there because we cant field a ball most of the time, then I might agree with you somewhat on that. Fact is we gave it away, we should have beaten the Giants and then if we could have played error-free ball against the Phils and not had a strike zone that was "anywhere near the plate" then I think we could have given them a good series as well...would have been interesting.

 

oh no they dont go away, we can sit home now and think about them until next spring...lol.

 

Conrad should never take the field as a Brave again...period. Do you want this guy back out there as a Braves fan? I don't.

 

Glaus needs to go - as stated when the season started he just can't stay healthy for the money he gets, Conrad needs to go - human error machine, Lee can hit the road also....Braves need to do a mini house cleaning and bring in some bats that can put up some runs. Hopefully Heyward and Freeman will continue to evolve in to what we all think they will be and Venters can shore up the bullpen and fill Wags shoes somewhat....i think he has good potential.

[Gym 10]

Hate to see Bobby Cox hang it up I grew up watching the Braves

[Guest StoneyCalhoun]

Thanks for posting that. I have been trying hard to not be bitter towards Brooks Conrad, because I know he was just a victim of circumstance. Sure, he should have made those plays, and anyone that has ever played baseball could have probably made those routine plays (minus the tough pop-up, that he should have never attempted to catch). But crap happens, and life goes on.

 

Just think if he wouldn't have hit that walk-off grand slam, or that squeeze bunt, or any of the other big hits that he had through-out the season...we would be sitting at home. Remember, 1 or 2 more loses and we wouldn't have won the wildcard out right.

 

I think if anyone here is being a drama queen it is the people calling for Brooks Conrads head.

 

On a side note: I heard Brooks Conrad tried to kill himself after his 3 error performance by jumping in front of a train...but it went through his legs. :D

 

+1.

[vthokies4life 10]

Shouldn't have been there in the first place? We led the division for most of the year? We should have been able to win it straight out from the Phils in the first place....the ONLY reason we didn't is that we LED THE LEAGUE in ERRORS after the break. If by that you mean we shouldn't be there because we cant field a ball most of the time, then I might agree with you somewhat on that. Fact is we gave it away, we should have beaten the Giants and then if we could have played error-free ball against the Phils and not had a strike zone that was "anywhere near the plate" then I think we could have given them a good series as well...would have been interesting.

 

oh no they dont go away, we can sit home now and think about them until next spring...lol.

 

Conrad should never take the field as a Brave again...period. Do you want this guy back out there as a Braves fan? I don't.

 

Glaus needs to go - as stated when the season started he just can't stay healthy for the money he gets, Conrad needs to go - human error machine, Lee can hit the road also....Braves need to do a mini house cleaning and bring in some bats that can put up some runs. Hopefully Heyward and Freeman will continue to evolve in to what we all think they will be and Venters can shore up the bullpen and fill Wags shoes somewhat....i think he has good potential.

So we errored the series away? How about the fact that we collectively hit .175? Does that not play into the final just a little bit?

 

And I hope you have a more exciting winter than that... lol.

 

You sound more like a Yankees fan than you do a Braves fan. Get rid of everyone! Buy new people! Especially if they made a mistake!!

 

And yes, I do want Brooks Conrad back. He's a great clubhouse guy (from what I read) and an asset coming off the bench. You've seen what he is capable of in that role. Should he be an every day starter? No. But he's done enough for this organization, and they should realize his talent and utilize his talents where they think will benefit the club the most.

 

We do agree about Heyward, Freeman, and Venters. Don't forget about Kimbrel, either. He's another solid set up man/possible closer. As with these guys, there is also still talent in the farm systems that will continue to develop. We definitely shouldn't rely on that, but it's always still an option.

[Lance 228]

Kimbrel looks good at times, and scares me at others...i think he still has some work to do...he floats one right down the pipe more often than I'd like to see from a closer. Might be a good set up guy while he learns though...middle relief if you have a couple of runs would be perfect for him...keep the starters pitch count low...let Venters come in and close it. I think that sort of combo could score some wins.

 

as for the .175...we were in position to win and didn't because of errors...doesn't matter what you hit as long as you score enough to win...we did that and blew it...were down to 1 strike from going up 2-1 and in a 5 game series that's huge.

 

Conrad can go DH for the Mariners or where ever.

 

as for sounding like a Yankee's fan....how many World Series have they won? ...and ...Who's still in the playoffs? Maybe sounding like a Yankee fan is not such a bad thing.

[Canes00 434]

yankees = evil empire I cant stand the yankees

[BigBlueAlum 12]

as for sounding like a Yankee's fan....how many World Series have they won? ...and ...Who's still in the playoffs? Maybe sounding like a Yankee fan is not such a bad thing.

 

Yeah, but the Atlanta Braves are not the New York Yankees, and never will be. And to be quite honest I'm glad they aren't. If I wanted to be like a Yankee fan...I would just be one.

 

 

On another side note: Here is a hilarious take on the Yankees after they won the Series last year...WARNING: This is from a uncensored XM radio show, so the language is a little harsh.

 

[vthokies4life 10]

The Atlanta Braves have named a successor to Bobby Cox. It's going to be Fredi Gonzalez.

 

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-braves/fredi-gonzalez-will-be-679397.html

 

Fredi Gonzalez has been hired as the Braves' new manager and will be introduced at a news conference Thursday, two people familiar with the situation confirmed.

Gonzalez, 46, will succeed his former boss and mentor Bobby Cox, who retired after 29 seasons as a major league manager, including 25 with the Braves.

 

A day after the Braves were eliminated from the postseason, Cox was referred to as "former Braves manager" in a team news release. It was officially the end of an era, and Braves announced that Cox would have a farewell news conference at Turner Field on Wednesday.

 

A day later, the team plans to introduce Cox's friend, Gonzalez, as his successor. Team officials would not comment.

 

Gonzalez became the primary candidate to replace Cox immediately after being fired as Florida Marlins manager in June. He had a 276-279 record in 3-1/2 seasons with the Marlins, who were 35-36 when Gonzalez was dismissed.

 

He was the Sporting News Manager of the Year in 2008, when the Marlins finished 84-77 despite having the lowest payroll in the major leagues.

 

A native of Havana, Cuba, Gonzalez was the Braves' third-base coach from 2003-2006, after coming to the Braves organization as Triple-A Richmond manager in 2002.

 

He has long ties to Braves general manager Frank Wren, Florida's assistant GM back when Gonzalez was hired as a Marlins Class A manager in 1992 -- a year before the major league team's inaugural season.

 

Gonzalez and his wife, Pamela, live in Marietta and have two teen-aged children. The family moved to suburban Atlanta while he was on Cox's staff, and, the Gonzalezes liked the area so much, they kept it as their permanent home even after Gonzalez landed the Florida managing job.

 

His hiring as Atlanta's next manager will probably not come as a surprise to anyone connected to the Braves, since Gonzalez had been regarded since summer as the most likely successor to Cox.

 

Depending on whom you talked to Tuesday morning at Turner Field, a day after the Braves were eliminated from the postseason, the big question was a.) When will the next manager be hired?, or b.) When is Fredi's news conference?

 

No other names ever surfaced as serious candidates for the job. As of Monday, the Braves had not discussed the managerial job with hitting coach Terry Pendleton, once considered a strong candidate to replace Cox.

 

Players had heard the Gonzalez speculation for months.

 

"Fredi Gonzalez is always first in my mind that pops up, just because this organization has been run the same for so long," pitcher Derek Lowe said. "I can't imagine, especially since [braves president John] Schuerholz is still here and Bobby's going to go upstairs, so you're going to have that same group of guys that have been running this organization successfully for so long, I can't see them all of a sudden saying, ‘Hey, let's go in a completely different direction than we've ever been in.'

 

"I'd imagine I'm not the only one that's speculated that."

 

Gonzalez speculation had been rampant since June 23, when he was fired as Marlins manager. He had a 276-279 record in three-plus seasons managing a Florida team with one of baseball's smallest payrolls.

 

The Braves have their annual organizational meetings beginning next week in Orlando, and the Braves wanted to have their new manager in place for the meetings.

 

Major League Baseball prefers that big announcements such as this not be made during a playoff series or the World Series, but they can be made between postseason rounds. The American League Championship Series doesn't start until Friday, and the National League Chamionship Series starts Saturday.

 

Braves general manager Frank Wren has kept a tight lid on information regarding the managerial search, refusing for 12 months to discuss candidates or the hiring process until after Cox managed his final game for the Braves.

 

That game was Monday, a 3-2 loss to San Francisco in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. On Tuesday, Wren still wasn't ready to provide details about possible candidates or say when an announcement might be made.

 

That only fueled speculation that Gonzalez was the man, and that it was only a matter of time.

 

"I think Fredi would be a great choice," outfielder Matt Diaz said. "I was only here one year with him, but watching him in Florida and the way his players responded to him in Florida ... No offense to Hanley [Ramirez], but with the way Hanley handled that ball and the way Fredi handled that situation, Fredi earned a lot of respect from me, too."

 

Gonzalez pulled Marlins star Ramirez from a game after the shortstop failed to hustle after a ball he booted into the outfield. The incident reminded some of the time Cox pulled Andruw Jones from a game early in the center fielder's career.

 

Ramirez is a favorite of Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, and some reports said the incident might have contributed to Gonzalez's dismissal.

 

At the time, Cox said Gonzalez handled the Ramirez incident perfectly. After Gonzalez was fired, Cox blasted Loria in the media, saying the owner wasn't appreciative and "lost a good one" in Gonzalez.

 

"Some of his most trying times down there earned him a lot of respect around the league," Diaz said. "He obviously would be a great choice. There's other great choices that have been in this locker room all year, too."

 

Braves coaches Terry Pendleton and Eddie Perez have been mentioned in the past as potential managerial candidates, but Gonzalez became an overwhelming favorite to land the job after being fired by the Marlins with 1 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

 

Gonzalez recently turned down an interview for the Chicago Cubs' manager job. To some, that was another strong indication that Gonzalez already had an agreement in place with the Braves.

 

"I hope that whoever the new manager is going to be, that they do it earlier than later," Lowe said Tuesday morning, before word spread that Gonzalez had the job. "That's going to be kind of the cloud that hangs over our team right now, as far as get your manager in, let him decide what this team does and doesn't need."

 

Wren said team chemistry was a big part of the Braves' success this season, and talked about Cox's part in that. Wren spoke of what made the manager so special in that regard.

 

"I think there has to be respect," Wren said. "It's a two-way street -- the players realize and understand that the manager respects them for their talents. They're the guys that make it happen; the players make it happen. And having somebody that can show that respect and confidence -- there's nobody that's ever shown more confidence in players than Bobby Cox, and that's a great strength of his.

 

"Those are qualities we're looking for in the next manager."

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I thought Fredi would be it. I think he could succeed if the atmosphere stays positive.

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

No surprise there. Gonzalez was widely thought to be the man since Cox announced he was retiring.

[Lance 228]

well...time to let the old Braves thread for 2010 fall off the top....after a long cold winter, we'll make another one next Spring.

 

Thanks to all you guys for the good conversation over the season...see ya next year.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

I was just thinking last night how much I hated to see this season end. It was a fun one to watch, they kept it interesting to the very end.

 

Plus, it really makes me sick to cheer for the Giants.

[1inStripes 932]

I just wish Fredi would have kept Glen Hubbard as 1B coach and let Pendleton go instead.

[BigD4VT 11]

I just wish Fredi would have kept Glen Hubbard as 1B coach and let Pendleton go instead.

That's what I thought too, but apparently Fredi and Pendleton are close friends. I am happy they will be getting a new hitting coach though.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

That's what I thought too, but apparently Fredi and Pendleton are close friends. I am happy they will be getting a new hitting coach though.

 

Yep, we have had a funk at the plate for several years now. I dont know the stats, but I would bet we are near the top of the league in strikeouts over the past 5 years.

 

Edit: I looked up the stats, and we actually are in the top half of the NL in strikeouts since 2004. I figured it would be worse...still seems like there has been something off the past few years.

Edited October 21, 2010 by BigBlueAlum