The obvious answer is “yes”. The obvious response is “look at the record, dude!” The Braves have the third-best record in the majors. The counter to the response, however, is that the record is in part a result of Fredi doing dumb things. By this, of course, I mostly mean his use of the bullpen, of using his best relievers in, at most, medium-leverage situations. This does slightly increase the team’s chances of winning. But if you’re leading 5-1 in the eighth, bringing in Jonny Venters instead of Scott Linebrink or Cristhian Martinez increases the chances from maybe 98 to 99 percent. And since pitcher innings are a limited resource, using Venters in this situation is counterproductive in the long term.
Bobby Cox did, of course, tend to ride his best relievers hard, particularly in the last few years of his career. However, he did not generally use them in non-close situations (defined as save/hold situations, ties, and one-run deficits) unless they needed work. The exception to this is, of course, when they were already warming up when the Braves put the game out of reach. Fredi has also used his relievers on three straight days a lot this year, much more than Bobby ever did.
Fredi has done some things right. His use of Derek Lowe has been far superior to Bobby’s; Fredi has not tried to push him for that extra inning in which he inevitably blows up. He’s been more willing to shake up the lineup than Bobby was, trying to get certain players who will not be named going; it hasn’t really worked, but at least he’s being proactive. But his bullpen usage — that’s dumb.
Here’s to a buncha runs & a Venters-free weekend.
BTW, good luck, Mac.
Here’s to hoping the travel day gave Wren the opportunity to have an awkward conversion with the manager of the team concerning bullpen use that is not only rigid, but stupid… and potentially damaging to the value of the franchise. We’re still going to see all the bunting, Schafer leading off, and misuse of the bench for the foreseeable future.
Phils scored 2 in the top of the 9th, now lead 7-6
I’m tired of these motherf*$#@ing Phillies on this motherf*$#@ing plane.
Chipper’s back!
1 Schafer CF, 2. Heyward RF, 3. McCann C, 4. Jones 3B, 5. Freeman 1B, 6. Uggla 2B, 7. Gonzalez SS, 8. McLouth LF
New poll, will be a landslide.
Mac,
Did you just bait us by being the one “NO” poster in the poll?
Sam H all the way.
I thought Bobby used bull pen just as much as Fredi, at least close
Anyone happen to see the 9th of the Phillies game?
Lead off walk, and then a Chase Utley flyball to left field that Juan Rivera flat out missed. Ran the wrong way, turned back and lunged for and missed.
Then a Howard single up the middle scored two.
This kind of stuff has been going on for about 4 years now. Did the Phillies somehow sign a long-term deal with the devil?
Leased it from the Steinbrenners.
The Phillies really are going to win over 100 games with a sub-par offense. Unreal.
We’re going to win 90+ with one – count your blessings.
#13 – no kidding, our pitching should have us 15+ games over .500. The offense, however, should have us 15+ under .500. Good thing only a couple of teams can hit this season.
Prado update per twitter…
Prado is planning to take bp today w/#Braves. There’s a chance he goes on rehab next week and returns Phillies series before AS break. 50 mins ago
Batting Cleanup this season…
Chipper – 29AB 0HR .138/.242/.207
Uggla – 39AB 3HR .359/.467/.667
Speaking of Martin and BP: I only went to one game last season (haven’t been to any this season) and it was in Miami. (It was the one with the big comeback and the Brooks Conrad grand slam.)
Got there early to watch batting practice. You know how they talk about the ball just ‘sounding different’ off some guys bats? That was Martin that day.
As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember two guys that day who stood out for how fast the ball was coming off their bats, and how loud the sound was.. Martin, and Omar Infante.
Weird, right? Omar was ripping line drives all over the field that day, and they were LOUD. Martin was just depositing balls over that tall scoreboard in left field. He seriously put like 16 balls out there.
Then in the game he went out there, same place he’d been knocking them in BP.
No point to any of this really, just what I thought of when I thought of Martin Prado taking BP.
all you have to do is look at Jonny’s usage this year vs. last year to get very upset:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/ventejo01.shtml
2010 Total: 79 Gs and 83 IP
2011YTD: 46 Gs (leads majors) and 51 IP
this is reckless.
That’s a little misleading though because Venters didn’t start the year with the club and it took Bobby a month or so to start trusting him in any kind of close game.
Nine “No” votes? I’m losing faith in human intelligence.
As you might expect, I’ve had a hard day. Which will require an earlier than normal bedtime. Morning recap.
wonder what it would take to pry Adam Jones away from the O’s…
Chipper is driving me nuts.
Fredi really doesn’t fucking get it:
“Early on, that one stretch we were playing
a lot of close games, extra-inning games,
and games where we were one run down in
the eighth, we would pitch him just to stay
in the game,” Gonzalez said. “Maybe we’ll
not do that as often. Pitch him when we’re
tied or up.”
I give up. I hate him.
@23, UGH. I hope he’s joking.
I kinda hope he’s choking. Right now, in the dugout, choking on seeds or something.
I guess it could be worse — he could say there’s no problem with his amount of usage.
Another night of great pitching, and offense that makes great pitching necessary.
Mac, Bobby would use his best relievers even in none saves situation when the team is in-line for a series win, which happened more often than not for this team.
Nice, Nate. Nice, JJ. Nice.
Nooooooooooooo
Yes!!!!
JASON!
Tagged that one.
The Baltimore announcers are weak.
I would like to add my well-wishes, Mac.
As far as the post on Fredi goes, if using Venters/Kimbrel/O’Flaherty with four-run leads increases our chances of winning only from 95 to 98 percent (and that’s probably about right, give-or-take), then how is our record inflated by anything more than a half-game to a game? I really don’t think there’d be any drastically notable record inflation, meaning you can’t really use that as an excuse for our great record.
JJ’s something else tonight.
Best Brave defensive outfield in how long?
Andruw and any two others?
May not need anyone in the ‘pen tonight other than maybe Kimbrel.
37 — Andruw, Charles Thomas in LF, and Drew in RF in 2004 is probably the best one we’ve ever had.
Or perhaps the next season when Langerhans and a young Francoeur were in the corners.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if you use a pitcher who’s true talent level was represented by a 9.00 ERA, over the course of one inning, wouldn’t you expect to generally allow 1 run?
And not even Proctor is that bad.
More hit-and-run madness with Uggla and Freeman. I mean, seriously: What the F?
Well that was ugly.
The ol’ strikeout- CS double play. Boils the blood every time.
As for the best defensive outfiled, how about Tucker-Lofton-Andruw in 1997?
Is there any way Fredi gets fired in the near future? What a dumb series of moves.
Wow, I guess Fredi really is dumb as hell.
43 — That’s also an excellent one, though I seem to remember Lofton having a bad defensive year that season.
Jeebus, Frediot didn’t get it the first time that happened?
At least Fredi wasn’t dumb enough to pull JJ.
That should just about wrap up the whole “is Fredi dumb?” conversation. And now, on to the next one.
#46
I seem to remember that Lofton had some kind of nagging leg injury & was really bad on the bases that year, too.
JJ hangin’ tough on Scott.
Here’s something pretty cool, all the closers in the majors and their celebrations.
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/7/1/2253666/classifying-mlbs-closer-celebrations
And Mac, take care man.
Fredi needs to be fired… upon… with an artillery cannon.
The Orioles haven’t come close to touching JJ. I’d let him go for the shutout.
You gotta let him go on into the ninth here, right?
53- I’d settle for firing him from the artillery piece.
55- I’d get Kimbrel ready and pull JJ if anyone gets on.
I would, you would. would fredi?
55 – I would think so, though the lineup turns over for the fourth time next inning. I’d just love to rest the pen another day.
Gotta get at least one here.
Wonder if this guy is related to Frank Viola?
(perhaps will only make sense if you’re watching the game)
Seems unlikely, as Pedro was born in the Dominican during Frank’s second year in the majors.
More likely kin to Pedro Beato.
Attaboy, Chipper…
Somebody chain Venters, Kimbrel and EOF to the bench.
Kimbrel is warming up, might as well use him, right?
LOL, Chipper is having a solid inning.
With regard to my earlier suggestion, strike Kimbrel and warm up Martinez.
Jim Donnan owes creditors $10 million, proving that overspending is not just a young man’s game….
If the inning is too long and you don’t want Jurrjens to continue, that’s fine, but please Fredi don’t use Kimbrel with a 4+ run lead. Especially when he pitched all 3 games in the last series. That’s a Linebrink or Proctor inning.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“.176 AVG, 0-4, Strikeout (3), Strikeout-DP.”
I have nothing to add to GameDay’s judgment on our 2B.
Expected Runs Matrix: runners 2 – 3, one out, Uggla and Gonzalez hitting:
0.004
Well, maybe Jurrjens finishes this, but at least we got Kimbrel and O’Flaherty some work in the pen.
Heckuva game, JJ!
That was “dominate.”
Nice game, kid.
Way to go, JJ.
NL all-star starter?
So, it’s 9-4 in IL, and 8 straight wins vs the AL.
What a game by JJ.
Yeah, All-Star Game starter. If he wants it.
let a phillie start the all star game, let’s just keep on winning these ones.
I rarely go to bed during near no-hitters and other masterpieces. Recapped!
I need some advice, guys. I have been at a job since january, and it has been an awful experience on my end. They miss paychecks, I have to ask to be paid, and I am expected to work late and wekends, usually for nothing. I have been expected to basically run the studio on multiple occasions, including this upcoming month, when the lead designer is off on a month long motorcycle trek.
A great opportunity has come up that would allow me to quit. Should I give two weeks notice? I am not salaried and receive no benefits.
Bethany , No Salary and No Benefits to me means you owe them nothing. Unless you need their reference on anything.