Show #187: Braves Put All Facets Together For A Five Win Week
5 of 6. Jekyll and Hyde team. Favorite Smoltz memories. And what to do with JJ?
154 Responses to “Show #187: Braves Put All Facets Together For A Five Win Week”
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Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 » Show All
June 12th, 2012 at 9:39 pm
This is gross. Time to watch the NBA finals.
June 12th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Oh…good show. Wish you guys could predict the gut wrenching games that make me want to beat someone.
June 12th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
How many times does Venters have to wet the bed before the Braves figure out he needs to work out the kinks at Gwinnett? And given his performance this year, why would you not have someone warming up in the bullpen when you bring him in in the 8th with a guy on base and the game on the line? It’s just dumb.
June 12th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Where the hell is EOF?????? Why even bring Venters in there? Because he has to be the 8th inning guy? He’s been awful this year. And to just again let him be in the position where it seems like failure is the only outcome we are getting. And then to let Swisher bat lefty? Are you kidding me? So terrible.
June 12th, 2012 at 10:06 pm
Yeah, letting the Gerrain/Swisher matchup happen was literally insane. The whole inning was insane.
June 12th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Igads. Can’t take this anymore.
June 12th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
EOF=elbow soreness.
June 13th, 2012 at 12:50 am
I was at the game and once again Fredi doesn’t make the right decision that costs us a win. I’m not Monday morning quarterbacking. I was baffled by him not letting Minor at least face Granderson with a 4 run lead. Who knows what would have happened. Also, with our bullpen struggling , Fredi has got to find some way to incorporate Kimbrel more. Having the sidearm righthanded Gaerrin face Swisher’s power side was crazy.He’s a complete joke. I never ever had to complain about Bobby Cox on a daily basis like this.
June 13th, 2012 at 9:06 am
You have one of the best closers in baseball, you’re facing the Yankees, 5 outs left, game on the line, you’re going through the heart of their order, when is there a better opportunity to use Craig Kimbrel? Instead you elect to use Venters, who was absolutely terrible for pretty much the last month and a half, if not more, and then after he blows it, you bring in a Gerrain to face Robinson Cano and Swisher.
I guess Fredi was hoping to save Kimbrel for the “save” in the bottom of the ninth facing the bottom half of their order. Why not bring him in for their 4 best hitters? I’m not a MLB manager, but it seems like that would have been the better choice.
June 13th, 2012 at 9:13 am
Imo, our manager has had a heavy hand in our current 3 game skid. I wish he would stop shooting this team in the foot, get out of the way, and let us win some games again.
June 13th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Fredi said he was giving Minor a baserunner in the 8th (before taking him out). Why? That was due to be the fourth time through the Yankees’ order (not just any other team’s order). And Minor is a young pitcher and was approaching 100 pitches. He’s not a veteran like Sabathia that the Braves should be trying to stretch to get a complete game. If there is even a chance that you might take him out, why let him pitch until he gets a baserunner? This is the Yankees, not the Pirates.
Top of the order due up for the fourth time in the game with the starter nearing 100 pitches. That was the game there. Why not use Kimbrel there and use Durbin or someone to get three outs with hopefully a 3-run lead in the 9th? Oh, that’s right: THE SAVE RULE! God forbid anyone other than Kimbrel get a save.
June 13th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
This is how I read Fredi”s response, “I wanted to take him out after someone got on, in spite of the fact that he had retired 10 straight, and I wanted to replace him with someone who hasn’t had command of any of his pitches since August of 2011.”
June 13th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
It’s like he manages on hope and memories from years past instead of logic and a player’s recent performance level.
June 13th, 2012 at 2:49 pm
I like how folks seem to be interpreting Fredi criticism as Kimbrel should have pitched two innings or that Minor should not have come out.
What about just throwing Kimbrel in that key inning (top of the Yankees’ order due up (emphasis on Yankees) in a fairly close game and, if he doesn’t work a quick, low-pitch inning, just take him out and put someone else in for the save.
There is no rule that Kimbrel has to get all the saves. You need to get to save situations before you can worry about which pitcher should be in there. It does no good to worry about who is closing if the game is blown before there is a save opportunity. Why is this so hard for many major league managers to understand?
June 13th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Finally coming out of my anger coma from last night’s game.
Headed to the ballpark for tonight’s game. Not too pumped, I have to admit. After last night + all the Yankees fans already has me a bit deflated. Let’s get a lead and keep it tonight to shut the Yankee fans up. I can’t bear the thought of all the cheering if the good guys are losing.
June 13th, 2012 at 3:19 pm
I would have kept Minor in a little longer. Shaun, you make good points, but he was cruising. And it’s not like Jeter’s hit was some mammoth bomb.
No EOF certainly limited Fredi’s options and Kimbrel is just not an option in the 8th. It’s ridiculous, but true right now. I would have gone with Durbin despite having pitched the last 2 games. He’s been rock solid and Venters is a mess. I know he had a clean week last week, but I no longer trust him. But, if you’re Fredi, you’re probably thinking this is part of getting him healthy again.
I don’t agree with it, but I don’t think bringing in Venters was egregious. Now, after letting the first two guys on, I would not have let him face A-Rod, however.
June 13th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
How many wins has Fredi cost us this year because he sure hasn’t helped us win any. Good decision starting Diaz and then he blows the game. I was ready to give him credit too. Oh well, a bad manager will eventually show you why he’s bad. I wonder what dumb decision he makes tonight.
June 13th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Steve @41, I actually agree that Venters wasn’t a horrible option in that spot. For all of Venters struggles, there is no indication that he will sustain such a poor performance. Ben Duronio over at Capitol Avenue Club has a solid post about Venters’ peripherals, which are not bad, not quite matching up with his results and how that is bound to change at some point even if he’s not quite as dominant as he’s been in the past.
My biggest gripe is that if they are thinking about taking Minor out that inning anyway, as soon as he gives up a baserunner, why not just let Venters (or whomever) come in with a fresh inning, with nobody on base?
And saving Kimbrel for a save is the kind of thing all managers are going to do. That’s a baseball problem, not a Fredi problem.
June 13th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
You know we aren’t going well when a bunt hit is a positive play for the team on defense. What Simmons did made no sense.SMH
June 13th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
we suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck
June 13th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
I’m about to throw up. What a horrible series but not a surprise. I’ve been watching the Braves since 1998 and I swear can only remember 2 times where we beat the Yankees. I know we’ve won more but I can’t remember.
June 13th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
On a positive note…I hear somebody’s having a birthday.
June 13th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
#46, we beat them 3 out of 4 in interleague in ’97. That’s the last time I can remember us doing anything against them. The first 2 games of the ’96 Series went great, but then we came back to Atlanta…
June 13th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
And THAT is why I hate going to Yankees (or Red Sox) games at the Ted.
We almost never win and the over taking of the stadium is sickening. What a disappointment.
June 13th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Happy birthday, Leah!