7/4/17 GDT Thread: Welcome back Freddie!!!

[Enscheff]

The largest crowd in suntrust history was just too much pressure on our team. We'll win 5 in a row now to close out the break. Astros probably didn't sleep a wink worrying bout facing Jamie tonight

If you think they pounded Newk, just wait until that RHed-heavy lineup gets to take hacks against Garcia.

[Enscheff]

Very impressed with the Stros last night. I think Newk was missing on several pitches. Pitches that where supposed to be breakers down were in the middle.. fastballs either in or up were belt high, middle.. But the Stros also hit some good pitches.. the springer homer was impressive to take a slow curve that was outside and muscle it opposite field.. I know.. short porch.. but still that was a good pitch. A couple doubles were lined off good pitches too. I am not discouraged by Newk's start. He faced a really hot team with not his best command and sloppy play at 2B didn't help either.

I showed the heat maps...he's been pitching like that since he got to Atlanta. He was lucky to be facing bad lineups that weren't punishing those mistakes.

It was a bad outing by Newk, but nothing changed from his other outings.

1. He still has the FA and CU to be a TOR guy.
2. He still needs to add a change.
3. He still needs to work on command within the zone.

I said as much after his first outing and got bitched at by the pozzies. Now that they have seen those areas of concern cause him to get pounded by a quality lineup, everyone is suddenly saying the same things I said a month ago.

His ERA and FIP are now exactly in line with each other, just like I said would happen over a very short period of time when a drastic correction occurred.

The pozzies were offended and threw a tantrum when I suggested these things...and they were wrong...again. As usual.

[Enscheff]

One of the things that will happen as the prospects come up is that our defense will improve. Albies will be a defensive upgrade at second. Same with Acuna in right. When we get around to acquiring a third baseman it is likely that this will also upgrade the defense. The team can succeed with Kemp in left if the rest of the defense is above average.

Absolutely. Teams have won before with terrible defensive sluggers in LF. The Braves can do the same.

However, for it to work, they must be smart about defensive replacements late in games. So far, Twitker has completely failed at getting Kemp out of the game in favor of a pinch runner and/or better defender. Kemp also must DH in every single game played in an AL park, without exception.

A large part of Kemp's offensive slide of late is likely due to wearing down. He should have played about 50 less innings in LF so far this season alone with proper defensive substitutions.

Twitker has to go this offseason. He is a terrible tactical manager and needs to be replaced before his mistakes lose games that matter.

[bravesfanMatt]

I showed the heat maps...he's been pitching like that since he got to Atlanta. He was lucky to be facing bad lineups that weren't punishing those mistakes.

It was a bad outing by Newk, but nothing changed from his other outings.

1. He still has the FA and CU to be a TOR guy.
2. He still needs to add a change.
3. He still needs to work on command within the zone.

I said as much after his first outing and got bitched at by the pozzies. Now that they have seen those areas of concern cause him to get pounded by a quality lineup, everyone is suddenly saying the same things I said a month ago.

that is why I said I wasn't discouraged. he made pitch.. just not enough to beat a quality team. His command needs to improve.. I think his control is there. Just throwing strikes in the bigs is not going to make you a star. you have to throw quality strikes and also know how to set guys up. He has a good enough curve that high heat would be an effect 2 strike pitch.. even if they laid off, a curve that drops in or drops out of the zone after said high heat would probably result in an out.

I didn't like some of the sequencing I saw. The first batter of the game was FB, FB, FB that resulted in double.. I know Flowers was looking for FB up and Newk didn't get it there.. but I thought a curve in the dirt should have been called then FB up.

[bravesfanMatt]

Absolutely. Teams have won before with terrible defensive sluggers in LF. The Braves can do the same.

However, for it to work, they must be smart about defensive replacements late in games. So far, Twitker has completely failed at getting Kemp out of the game in favor of a pinch runner and/or better defender. Kemp also must DH in every single game played in an AL park, without exception.

A large part of Kemp's offensive slide of late is likely due to wearing down. He should have played about 50 less innings in LF so far this season alone with proper defensive substitutions.

Twitker has to go this offseason. He is a terrible tactical manager and needs to be replaced before his mistakes lose games that matter.

I am not confident that a Bobby Cox influenced FO would make a better choice. Snitker is a jello mold of Bobby.. same as Freddiot. Bobby needs to ride off into the sunset and stop 'helping' make decisions. this is not the 90's anymore. time to move on and upgrade. We don't have 4 HOF'rs with another 2 close to manage every season.

[smootness]

I am not confident that a Bobby Cox influenced FO would make a better choice. Snitker is a jello mold of Bobby.. same as Freddiot. Bobby needs to ride off into the sunset and stop 'helping' make decisions. this is not the 90's anymore. time to move on and upgrade. We don't have 4 HOF'rs with another 2 close to manage every season.

Bobby Cox is likely not involved on any tangible level in decision-making.

Remember that Snitker is not really the guy the FO wanted. They likely thought there was no chance of him being the manager in 2017...but then the team played far better than expected down the stretch, and there was really no other option.

But it worked out ok because we can still cut him loose after this season (which I think is probable, especially since I think it is likely we limp home a little bit in the second half) and then bring in 'our guy' to manage a better team next year.

I don't know who they would hire, maybe it's not anyone better than Snitker. But I have to hope.

[Enscheff]

Bobby Cox is likely not involved on any tangible level in decision-making.

Remember that Snitker is not really the guy the FO wanted. They likely thought there was no chance of him being the manager in 2017...but then the team played far better than expected down the stretch, and there was really no other option.

But it worked out ok because we can still cut him loose after this season (which I think is probable, especially since I think it is likely we limp home a little bit in the second half) and then bring in 'our guy' to manage a better team next year.

I don't know who they would hire, maybe it's not anyone better than Snitker. But I have to hope.

Meanwhile, Bud Black has the Rockies playing better this year than anyone predicted.

[smootness]

Meanwhile, Bud Black has the Rockies playing better this year than anyone predicted.

I'm not convinced Black is a great manager, but yeah, it kinda stinks that we had to hold onto Snitker.

[CyYoung31]

I am not confident that a Bobby Cox influenced FO would make a better choice. Snitker is a jello mold of Bobby.. same as Freddiot. Bobby needs to ride off into the sunset and stop 'helping' make decisions. this is not the 90's anymore. time to move on and upgrade. We don't have 4 HOF'rs with another 2 close to manage every season.

Bobby had nothing to do with Sniker getting hired.

[bravesfanMatt]

I'm not convinced Black is a great manager, but yeah, it kinda stinks that we had to hold onto Snitker.

I was going to say something like Enscheff.. I think we can't get 'our' guy because I think coppy wanted Black as his guy. but like you said, he couldn't hire him.. but I think Bobby has more play than you let on. I think him and Hart are tied together a bit more tightly than most think.. also, there is this 'Brave's way' from the 90's that gets tossed around like there is some sort of tradition that is 100's of years old. It also influences decision making.. The worse thing an org can do is to rule off antiquated methodologies.

I am not being a nega-brave.. I still think overall I like the process.. but I think they tried to win too soon because losing is not the 'Braves way'..

[smootness]

I was going to say something like Enscheff.. I think we can't get 'our' guy because I think coppy wanted Black as his guy. but like you said, he couldn't hire him.. but I think Bobby has more play than you let on. I think him and Hart are tied together a bit more tightly than most think.. also, there is this 'Brave's way' from the 90's that gets tossed around like there is some sort of tradition that is 100's of years old. It also influences decision making.. The worse thing an org can do is to rule off antiquated methodologies.

I am not being a nega-brave.. I still think overall I like the process.. but I think they tried to win too soon because losing is not the 'Braves way'..

I just think most of that is PR noise. When they say 'Braves Way,' I hear, 'Don't worry, casual fans...remember when we won so much for so long? We're going to do that again.' I don't think they actually walk into the office and make decisions according to some 'Braves Way' ethos. Coppy is the primary one pulling strings now, and he had nothing to do with that stretch. And honestly, I never viewed any of that talk as meaning anything specific about pitching or decision-making...as far as it is actually tangible, I just took it to mean that we were going to focus more on scouting and building up the farm system.

And in the same way, I don't think Bobby Cox is making any decisions or influencing them. He's certainly not spending time in the FO, and I can't imagine they call him up and say, 'Hey, who do you think we should hire as manager?' I just don't buy any of that. Again, I think any links with Bobby Cox were entirely for show for the fans who see Bobby Cox and think 'winning'.

[Enscheff]

I just think most of that is PR noise. When they say 'Braves Way,' I hear, 'Don't worry, casual fans...remember when we won so much for so long? We're going to do that again.' I don't think they actually walk into the office and make decisions according to some 'Braves Way' ethos. Coppy is the primary one pulling strings now, and he had nothing to do with that stretch. And honestly, I never viewed any of that talk as meaning anything specific about pitching or decision-making...as far as it is actually tangible, I just took it to mean that we were going to focus more on scouting and building up the farm system.

And in the same way, I don't think Bobby Cox is making any decisions or influencing them. He's certainly not spending time in the FO, and I can't imagine they call him up and say, 'Hey, who do you think we should hire as manager?' I just don't buy any of that. Again, I think any links with Bobby Cox were entirely for show for the fans who see Bobby Cox and think 'winning'.

I don't buy it. The most valuable asset the Braves organization possessed a year ago was Dansby Swanson. Coppy seemed to understand how to manage that asset, and was then overruled by the other Johns who wanted to needlessly promote him.

If the Braves trade BP I fully expect to see the exact same mistake being made with Albies this year. For that reason alone I would prefer the Braves hold onto BP for the rest of this season. Then maybe something else can happen to keep Albies down in AAA for a few weeks in 2018, because it's a certainty the stone aged remnants in the FO will want to see him at 2B on opening day at the cost of his age 27 season...which will likely be worth $30M+.