This deserves its own thread

[Dalyn]

Names?

There has already been a bunch mentioned the last time you asked for names. Do you even read responses, or do you just wait for your turn to type?

[Heyward]

There has already been a bunch mentioned the last time you asked for names. Do you even read responses, or do you just wait for your turn to type?

''

Actually no one said any list of names last time i asked.

[Dalyn]

''

Actually no one said any list of names last time i asked.

Sure they did. It was about two months or so ago. I mentioned five or six myself.

[KB21]

Well one thing he could have done was bat our best hitters in a row at the top of the batting order. Heywood/Justin/Freeman/Gattis. I thought it was well established last year that our offense was at its best with Justin batting second. Why is it then that Fredi didn't try it once this year. They never tried Heywood in center and Gattis in left once either. If it was good enough to start a playoff game how can you not even try it once in 2014.


Other than that the bullpen could be managed better. I still think he should be fired for not bringing in Kimbrel in game 4.

The difference in run expectancy between the line up Fredi used most of the time and the line up many wanted him to use is minimal. According to baseball musings calculator, a line up that has Heyward, JUp, Freeman, and Gattis at the top followed by La Stella, BJ, Johnson, Simmons, and the Pitcher has a run expectancy of 3.836 runs per game. The line up of Heyward, BJ, Freeman, JUp, Gattis, Johnson, La Stella, Simmons, and the pitcher had a run expectancy of 3.771 runs per game. A difference of 0.065 runs per game. How many games on the year did that truly cost the team?

The fact of the matter is, this team had 3 regulars that had an OBP of less than .300, and they had only 3 regulars that had a slugging percentage of .400 or greater. Also, when Evan came back from his back injury earlier in the year, he posted a .690 OPS the rest of the way. Down the stretch, if Heyward, Freeman, and Justin didn't hit, the team didn't win.

[KB21]

Also, I listened to John Hart's comments on Sirius XM today.

*On Fredi, Hart mentioned how high his character is and that he has known him for a long time. He also stated that he feels Fredi deserves a chance to come back and manage the team, BUT he would meet with Fredi sometime this week to discuss some things.

*On the line up, he was asked about having teams that were always strong up the middle in Cleveland (Lofton in center, Baerga and Vizquel at 2B and SS, Alomar Jr at catcher) with power bats at the corners (Ramirez, Belle, Thome, etc). He mentioned Freeman in particular as a great young hitter and stated that the team isn't very athletic....doesn't have the speed to manufacture runs when the power game isn't there. He also stated that with the power numbers down this year, the team struggled to score.

*On the farm system, he stated that the organization isn't where it needs to be. He states that he does not see a lot of difference makers in the farm system. He sees a lot of role players, some #2/#3 pitchers, but very few true difference makers. He mentioned specifically how much international scouting has to improve. He said that is something he will take a very close look at.

My comments: It sounds to me like John is going to talk to Fredi about making some staff changes, maybe at the hitting coach and base running coach positions. If he refuses, then he could very well be fired with Hart going in a different direction. Also, I might add that John Hart sounds like a guy who may be approaching this job like a full time guy. It would not surprise me to see him take the job with John Coppolella as his right hand man, grooming him to take the job in 2-3 years.

The Braves will look to get more athletic. IMO, that doesn't mean just getting faster. This also means getting guys who are strong base runners. He also mentioned having some contracts that he will have to deal with (i.e. BJ Upton, Chris Johnson, Dan Uggla's remaining money).

With the farm system, this is something I have mentioned several times. The Braves farm system is lacking in top prospects. They have a lot of guys that will ultimately top out as AAA players. Some of the better prospects in the system like Kyle Kubitza are likely role players in the majors, with Kubitza likely being a guy that can play some corner infield as well as corner outfield as a bench guy. When you look at the lower minors, where is the pitching? This is as bad as I have seen the Braves lower minors as far as pitching prospects go. We are essentially a year away from Ozhanio Albies being named the top overall prospect in the system in all likelyhood, and he's probably already top 5. The thing with Albies and Peraza is whether or not they are difference makers themselves or if they are strong prospects that will be better when they are surrounded by difference makers?

The decline in the Braves farm system in the 7 years that Frank Wren has been the GM is marked. The team has to refocus on getting the high upside prospects in the draft, in particularly pitching, instead of going safe with the 4 year college guys that will sign below slot deals.

[rico43]

[KB21]

Here's the link to the Hart comments:

https://soundcloud.com/mlbnetworkrad...ce-with-jimear.

IMO, topics that will be much more important topics than who the manager is as to whether or not the Braves can bounce back from this season going forward.

1. Will Jason Heyward's power return if the team can get a legitimate lead off hitter that will allow him to bat in the middle of the order? Jason had a .210 ISO in 2012, and that fell to .173 in 2013 and then to .113 this past year. How much of the decline is due to the fact that he had to change his approach some to be the lead off guy?

2. Is Jose Peraza the guy the team needs to be the lead off hitter? He's a great contact guy, doesn't walk a lot, and is great on the base paths. Considering that Tommy La Stella and Phil Gosselin are "JAGs" at second, will Peraza be given a chance to win that job out of spring training?

[The Chosen One]

Even if Peraza doesn't win the job at second, throw him at third for crying out loud.

He and Gosselin can rotate at third when Peraza can spell somebody a day off (Heyward, La Stella, Simmons, etc).

[zitothebrave]

Heyward had a power decline, I don't think his spot in the lineup should have reflected it unless our idiot manager filled him with BS and told him to cut down his swing.

[clvclv]

Just wondering, who do you replace Fredi with if you fire him?

I'm curious.

I've said before firing him wont make much difference.

[clvclv]

I'm curious then. Should Bob Melvin be fired for Oakland's collapse this year? I bring him up because he is a guy many of the sabermetric guys tout as one of the best managers in baseball because he is willing to use the data in his decisions, yet Oakland went from having the best record in baseball to having to win its last game just to get into a one game playoff.

Tough to hang Oakland's "collapse" on Melvin when the front office completely restructured the team he had (that was ROLLING) with the Samardzija and Lester deals.

Did they make the team better for the postseason? Probably. Tough to score much against them when they can trot Lester/Samardzija/Gray out there TWICE in a short series regardless of who you are.

It did make a very good team have to adjust to an entirely new clubhouse dynamic when it didn't appear there was a need to though.

[emk418]

Names?

Ron Gardenhire

[clvclv]

''

Actually no one said any list of names last time i asked.

http://www.chopcountry.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2506

"FWIW, I'd want to sit down and have a long chat with Jason Varitek, Dave Martinez, Torrey Lovullo, and Jose Oquendo about replacing Gonzalez. You really need someone with some "fire" that's not such a players' Manager - someone willing to step on the players' toes when the situation warrants it."

[Heyward]

Oakland is in the playoffs. You can't call it a collapse, not when they could still win the World Series. The guy went out there and made some great in-game moves and did what he could to get them to the playoffs. He succeeded.

Oakland isnt winning the WS.

[Heyward]

http://www.chopcountry.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2506

"FWIW, I'd want to sit down and have a long chat with Jason Varitek, Dave Martinez, Torrey Lovullo, and Jose Oquendo about replacing Gonzalez. You really need someone with some "fire" that's not such a players' Manager - someone willing to step on the players' toes when the situation warrants it."

Thank you and i would agree.

Still dont think it makes much of a difference.

[Dalyn]

Oakland isnt winning the WS.

LOL They are built for just that. All they have to do is survive tomorrow.

[Heyward]

LOL They are built for just that. All they have to do is survive tomorrow.

This is also true, but they cant hit their way out of a wet paper bag.

[Enscheff]

If O'Dowd is hired and Fredi remains the manager, I have zero faith in this organization becoming relevant again any time soon. No matter how much of an asshole Wren may have been, going from Wren to O'Dowd is a significant downgrade.

The most probable semi-ideal scenario is Hart takes over for 1-2 years while Copp is groomed as his right hand man. Fredi gets to stick around, but Copp takes him aside and explains how to properly manage a roster that he will build with platoon advantages, defensive replacements, and pinch hitters/runners in mind. Hopefully contracts like Uggla's and BJ's are eliminated so Fredi doesn't have to balance getting the expensive guy out of a funk with the cost of hamstringing the lineup.

I think more in game strategy meeting need to occur before each series. Going over scenarios such as "if Simmons comes up in the 7th or later with runners in scoring position against so-and-so RHer out of the BP, he must be PH for with Goss taking over at SS", and other possible scenarios involving PHers, defensive replacements and pinch runners that will become defensive replacements (like pinch running for Gattis with Goss and then having Goss come in to play 3B for CJ).

And if Fredi fills out one more lineup with a sub .300 OBP guy batting in the top half of the lineup, he needs to go, period. I don't care how little it matters with run expectancy...it just screams incompetence. It undeniably hurts the chances of winning, and it is easily corrected...literally with the stroke of a pencil. Hurting your chances to win, no matter by how much/little, when the solution is so trivial is completely inexcusable.

[50PoundHead]

Yes.

As for the bit about Fredi. Do you watch Oakland? I do. Almost as much as I watch the Braves. The difference between Fredi and Melvin is drastic.

And yet the A's are 11 games below their Pythagorean. Hardly an endorsement of Melvin.

[Braves1976]

And yet the A's are 11 games below their Pythagorean. Hardly an endorsement of Melvin.

While useful, that is isn't telling on how good a manager Bob Melvin is (and it is a night and day difference between him and Fredi). Ned Yost is a better comp to Fredi, though Yost is better than Fredi too IMO.