The 7-20 Atlanta Braves have run up the flagpole the firing of manager Fredi Gonzalez. His dismissal can't be too many losses away.
Gonzalez has presided over a pair of losing skids this season -- eight and nine games -- bracketing a four-game win streak. They have the worst record in the game, befitting the worst collection of talent in the sport.
This is nothing new. Gonzalez skippered last year's sinking ship, which crashed after the All-Star break on a 22-53 record. He helmed the 2014 squad that cratered to an 11-22 finish.
Good Guy. Bad Manager?
Gonzalez's friends and detractors alike acknowledge that he's a good guy, a loyal soldier and a mediocre tactician, not the worst but far from the best in the Majors. Braves' brass evidently thinks Gonzalez is a patient teacher because they re-upped him and his coaching staff midway through last season as their sell-off began.
The Braves are in a tear-down in preparation for their move to
Marietta. They've sold off or let go Craig Kimbrel, Shelby Miller,
Andrelton Simmons, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Evan Gattis. In
return, they signed Nick Markakis and collected a pile of prospects.
Blaming Fredi Gonzalez for leading this collection of Minor Leaguers and veteran castoffs to a losing record against a brutal early schedule (Nationals, Cardinals, Nationals, Marlins, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox) is akin to blaming Robert E. Lee for commanding the rebel armies to a two-year losing streak against superior Union forces.
What If They Keep Losing?
The question has been raised about what happens if the losing continues. At 7-20, the Braves are "on pace" -- the stupidest pair of words in baseball -- to go 42-120, tied with the '62 Mets for the most losses in a season. So? If management hands Gonzalez a 100-loss team, what difference does it make if they lose 90 or 120?
Obviously the public knows little about the internal workings of the franchise. Perhaps Fredi is insubordinate, shiftless or apathetic. Perhaps he's regularly voicing his displeasure to management about the direction of the franchise. Firing might be in order.
Or maybe it's just an act of mercy, although there are a lot worse things than a million dollar paycheck and access to the ballpark all summer. The Braves lack star power, but the teams they lose to have players worth watching.
The talk, however, is solely about the team's performance, which was largely pre-ordained by the people who would ostensibly do the firing. And for this team, at this time, that is the dumbest reason to fire the manager.
Now that that Atlanta Braves have slain 2011's demons and clinched their Wild Card berth, it's fair to wonder who exactly is going to carry them through the playoffs.This team is a mile wide and a foot deep, which is a commendable formula for the regular season, but not for the fast twitch muscles of the playoffs. They boast a solid but unspectacular lineup lacking any serious threat and eight plausible starters but perhaps no ace.
On offense, they're the Atlanta Egalitarians. If you asked 100 Braves fans who was their MVP you'd get eight different answers. Jason Heyward is a five-tooler leading the team in home runs...with just 27. Martin Prado is a five-position Gumby leading the team in batting average. Michael Bourn's after burners and noteworthy CF chops combine with a .346 OBP for a stellar leadoff resume. Brian McCann (.297 OBP) has scuffled and Dan Uggla leads the league in walks to offset a .216 batting average. With rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons, this is a shiny defensive corps.
(Spell check is going out of its mind over five-tooler, Gumby, OBP, leadoff and Andrelton. Spell check must be a wussy golf fan.)
All well and good, but who's the guy you walk intentionally?
On the hill, they're a hot band without a frontman. Tim Hudson (16-6, 3.61) has cracked the 15-win mark for the eighth time in his outstanding career, but he's no Tim Lincecum Roy Halladay Clayton Kershaw. Craig Kimbrel (1.06 ERA, 107 K in 52 innings, 39 of 41 saves) makes Superman look like David Spade, but closers aren't aces. Kris Medlin, (9-1, 1.64) might be an ace, but he's only started 11 games, all Atlanta wins. He might be the only pitcher in baseball with a save, a hold, a complete game and a shutout.
Then there's Mr. Jones, already a big big star. In his curtain call season he continues to rake .300/.380/.470 despite knees entering their fifth decade. As long as he's upright he remains the biggest threat to put this team on his back.
Maybe the manager, Fredi Gonzalez, is the MVP. Since Spring Training he has been banishing the ghosts of 2011, waving off questions about their collapse. He clearly learned some lessons, taking the foot off the pedal of Kimbrel and Jonny Venters, whom he wore to a nub by last season's final weeks. He also lightened Chipper's load to keep him healthy, and the result has been 105 games of All Star-level performance and more at bats and glove time for Martin Prado.
It's all moot if they lose their play-in game, but if they don't, it will be interesting to see whether the yin of good pitching, strong defense and a couple of hot bats overwhelms the yang of a no-star team.
