Recently, on April 20th 2009 an article was written by Jamin Leger of the Middlesboro Daily news, entitled Fixing the Braves. Truth be told, with respect to the author, I strongly disagree with some of the points written on within the article.
First off, the author states that bringing in Roeger McDowell was a huge mistake. They should not have let former pitching coach Leo Mazzone leave Atlanta, but the Braves pitching problems cannot be fully attributed to Roger McDowell. Atlanta’s pitchers have been injured and many of the youngsters haven’t proved themselves as many thought they would. Injuries happen, the finger can’t be pointed at McDowell. McDowell plays a role in the development of the Braves pitchers but many of them, such as Jo-Jo Reyes, haven’t caught a break.
The next point the author makes is one that I actually agree with. The author says “…I am afraid that things in Atlanta are not going to be any better this year. The bullpen stinks! As I stated above, the starting pitching has been great. It’s the 7th and 8th inning bullpen pitchers that have been the cause of the meltdown. Make your starters go 8 and hand it over to the closer? Not going to happen. First of all, that’s not Bobby Cox’s style. Second, your starter’s arms would be worn down by the All-Star break in July.”
Atlanta’s bullpen is the sole weak point of the team. The Braves bullpen will steadily improve as the season goes on. Give them time, expect a trade or two so that they aquire a good arm for the ‘pen, and you can expect them in top shape in about a month.
The author also says to expect Chipper Jones to be injured for a large part of the season. He already has missed a few games this season. I would say that Chipper will miss 12 games this season. He is a natural leader and even playing hurt he will inspire the team.
I disagree the strongest with the author’s next point: Bobby Cox is passed his time. This is false. He is an excellent manager and can teach and inspire like no other.
I agree with the idea to bring up pitching sensation Tommy Hanson, just not yet. Later in the season, if a pitcher gets injured, call up Tommy.
Lastly, the author says to bring in Greg Maddux as the pitching coach, Tony Gwynn as hitting coach, and to make Terry Pendelton the manager. Bringing in Maddux might not be a bad idea but not all of the Braves pitching woes can be blamed on McDowell. Injuries do happen in the MLB! Tony Gywnn would be a fine hitting coach, but the Braves have started this season on fire with their bats. Until that consistantly changes, there is no need for a new hitting coach. Finally, Bobby Cox is a great manager and there is NO NEED for a change. After all, the man still has a fire brewing.
Thanks for the view. The article written by Jamie Leger can be read here.
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I think McDowell is part of the pitching problem. Mazzone always got more out of his pitchers – look at Marquis, Moss, Davies, Avery, etc. I think the younger guys like James, Morton, and Reyes would have been better pitchers with Mazzone around. Mazzone also could give veterans new life like no one else. McDowell hasn’t had a pitcher like Hammond, Wright, or Holmes restart their careers.
Jones will miss more than 12 games. He’ll have at least 1 stint on the DL – there’s a minimun of 15 games. I’m thinking he’ll miss more like 30-40 games.
As far as the coaches are concerned, I think Cox still has something left. He’s got a team that under-performs and he can only do so much about their bad luck the last couple of years. Pendleton is a great choice as the next manager, if he’s still around. I think he’ll be one of the top candidates for a manager position next year. Tony Gwynn won’t be the hitting coach here. I think the only teams he’d coach for is the Padres or where his son is playing. Maddux would make a great coach as well, but since he’s only a year removed from pitching, I expect he’ll take a litte more time with the family.
Tommy Hanson will be up by the end of the season.
Thanks for the comments. There is no question Hanson will be called up this year, the question is just when. Gwynn wouldnt come to the Braves. The only possibility for Tony would be the Padres. As for Maddux, he would make a great pitching coach, but I believe it will be a few years before he gets involved with baseball again.
Kraig, I appreciate you using my article on the Braves. It’s a nice gesture whether you agreed or disagreed.
There was only one problem with your argument that I could really see. In mentioning what I said about Chipper Jones, you quoted me as saying that he would miss 12 games. I never mentioned in my article how many games I thought he would miss. I actually believe he will miss between 50 and 60.
Jamin- Thanks for the comments. I actually quoted you as saying Chipper would miss a large part of the season. I then went on to say that it was my personal opinion that Chipper Jones would miss 12 games.