2015 Atlanta Braves

[LowerWolf]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

There's going to be some unhappy people here, but Fredi and staff have been extended through 2016 with a club option for 2017.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

I don't hate it, and here's why: if 2017 is the organizational plan for the year to be competetive, it may be best to wait until right before that season to look for a new manager. If you fire Freddie, you're probably not getting a top tier managerial candidate this offseason. But, in the 16-17 offseason, these prospects we have are in the majors or close to it, we've just spent a bunch on the international market, we've got money to spend in free agency, and a new ballpark, that could attract a better candidate. If that's the reasoning, I'm okay with it. If the reasoning is that they think this staff is actually good, no. Not okay.

[p_rushing]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

The reason you get a new manager next year is to get them familiar with each other. Now you are basically saying next year doesn't matter (even though we new that), but an up and coming manager is needed who you can give a shot for next year. Sign someone for 1 year and give them a chance, you know you don't want to keep him for 2017, so just let TP or someone else have a shot.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

I don't get this whole "2017!" ****.

If your plan is to compete in 2017, shouldn't you be building towards that ON the field in 2015 and 2016? Or are we just banking on ****-to-first again? That's why I'm not a fan of stripping the team down. You work with what you have and build cohesiveness and then add to the mix while improving on the field. Otherwise all you're gonna have is a perpetually losing culture that nobody wants to play for and a shot in the dark that "2017!" is finally gonna be the year.

It's sad that the **** that plagues basketball has finally reached baseball. "Oh well we're gonna suck anyway so let's just throw away next year because 2017 is REALLY where we're gonna be awesome!"

No. Always build. Always develop. Always progress. Always.

I'm just glad fans don't get their way usually.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

No legitimate up and coming manager is going to take a 1 year deal. That's just not going to happen.

Building a winning franchise takes time. I don't buy the "losing culture" BS. You can turn that around really quick. Look at the Royals. But if you want sustained success, it takes time. And you're right, it is done on the field, but not in the major leagues; putting guys in the majors too early hinders their development, can hurt their peak potential, and cost you more in the long term. You learn in the minors, you adjust in the majors. If you come up before you have the tools to make those adjustments, I believe that is a big reason talented guys fail at the major league level. Most of the guys that, as of right now, figure to be the best players in the organization, will not be ready at the beginning of next season.

We don't have the talent to be actual contenders, this year or next. We don't have a second baseman (.231/.305/.313 career line for Peterson, and Peraza isn't ready). We don't have a third baseman (.261/293/.356 the last two years for Johnson, and our top prospect at the position is hitting .229/.344/.289 in double A). We don't have a catcher unless Bethancourt makes a huge jump. We have a right fielder with 0 hr and 1 sb. We don't have a right fielder. We have a center fielder who has had trouble staying healthy, and has only logged over 300 major league ABs in a season twice, despite being 28. We don't have a left fielder. To fill those holes, we'd have to spend money earmarked for the international market (supposedly we're already agreed with a 15 year old that could be an elite player, though he can't sign until next summer), and then some. And we'd have to dip into the farm system we just rebuilt.

So we can be mediocre to pretty decent next year, and cap out at being pretty good, or we can be bad to mediocre next year, and have a chance to be a legitimate contenders for the next decade. Baseball is cyclical; trying to keep all of our good players and get the instant gratification of winning now hasn't worked out well; we haven't won a playoff series since 2001. We haven't won a pennant since 1999, and haven't been World Champs since 1995. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The last time we'd bottomed out and committed to rebuilding the system, we average 97 wins a year for 14 years. That team fell apart, and we tried to hold on, and "retool" rather than "rebuild", and averaged 85 for the next 9; still not bad, but not really good either.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

The Royals?

The Royals spent 30 years between playoff appearances, lol.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

That's true. And despite that, this group of guys (who obviously haven't been there for 30 years) went from 72 wins, to 86, to 89 and a pennant, to the best record in the American League. The worst team in baseball is one that refused to acknowledge a need to rebuild and is now a crippled franchise.

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

I'm actually fine with Fredi's extension. First off, I like McDowell/Sietzer and think they've done a good job...an extension is warranted, IMO.

With Fredi, while I've never been a fan, I actually think he's done a decent job this year and deserves a chance to see this through. If he still can't get us over the hump with talent next year than you axe him.

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

Regardless of who's in charge...here's to a MUCH better second half than last year's debacle. I just want to see improvement from the younger guys...

[TheMatrix31]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

Agreed. And I'm really liking Seitzer too. McDowell...eh.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

I like Seitzer. The approach has been fantastic this year, and I attribute a lot of that to the hitting coach. With Heyward struggling, I kinda want to see if they can bring him back and see what Seitzer can do with him.

McDowell, I'm "eh" too. There's been good reclamation projects, but also too many inexplicable declines (Minor)

[thefakeJTS]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

I think Fredi has done a good job this year considering the negativity surrounding the squad entering the year. Seitzer is making the best of what'd available and Roger is just a wizard so I like our staff. Pendleton and Porter are also great base coaches.

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[TheMatrix31]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

Too many inexplicable declines for McDowell and too much potential unrealized.

Of course, he's gotten stuff out of guys like Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang so....I dunno.

Overall unimpressed. Wish we could get Leo Mazzone and make him 30 years younger.

[p_rushing]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

McDowell is so so. I would like to replace him, but who is that? There are lots of guys worse than him, but there are better guys out there.

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[redsox4evur]

Re: 2015 Atlanta Braves

How about a guy like Maddux, Smoltz or Glavine? Would any of them get into coaching? They would be a great choice IMO.