Ed. note: to see the previous installment in the 1914 Braves saga, click here
By the morning of Sept.11, Boston had resumed its surge into first place, holding a tenuous 2 ½ game lead over the New York Giants. The standings looked like this:
| W | L | Pct. | GB | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Braves | 72 | 54 | .571 | — | 7-2 |
| New York Giants | 69 | 56 | .552 | 2.5 | 4-5 |
| Chicago Cubs | 69 | 61 | .531 | 5 | 5-3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 68 | 62 | .523 | 6 | 4-2 |
| Pittsburg Pirates | 59 | 66 | .472 | 12.5 | 4-3 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 58 | 68 | .460 | 14 | 4-5 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 57 | 70 | .449 | 15.5 | 3-6 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 56 | 71 | .441 | 16.5 | 1-6 |
The Braves would go 5-1 over the next seven days, winning the final game of the series from Philadelphia, taking two of three from Brooklyn and two from St. Louis.
Boston managed this record despite the return of itss early season bugaboo, poor fielding. In the six games, Braves fielders committed 16 errors, including seven (!) against Brooklyn on Sept. 14th. But Dick Rudolph overcame the miscues, along with eight hits and a walk, and recorded his 21st victory as Boston held on for a 4-3 victory.
Overall, Rabbit Maranville accounted for 6 errors at short, while Possum Whitted added three more (all in the Sept. 14th game) while filling in for Johnny Evers at second.
Despite the fielding miscues, the Braves added a game to their lead, holding a 3.5 game lead with 24 games left. The Braves would participate in nine more double-headers before the season ended.
The standings on the morning of Sept. 18 1914 looked like this:
| W | L | Pct. | GB | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Braves | 77 | 55 | .583 | — | 5-1 |
| New York Giants | 74 | 59 | .556 | 3.5 | 5-3 |
| Chicago Cubs | 72 | 64 | .529 | 7 | 3-3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 71 | 64 | .526 | 7.5 | 3-2 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 64 | 71 | .474 | 14.5 | 6-3 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 62 | 71 | .466 | 15.5 | 3-5 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 59 | 74 | .444 | 18.5 | 2-4 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 56 | 77 | .421 | 21.5 | 0-6 |
Rabbit and Possum. Now that’s classic.
I’m absolutely loving these 1914 updates. Thanks for your thoroughness, AtlCrackers Fan!
Wow, its crickets around here. Lots of stuff at various places talking about the Braves collapse. SI.com etc. Nothing we don’t know but still good reading.
Falcons >>>>>>>> Braves
This caught my interest.
‘Incidentally, Wins Above Replacement stats are no help here. Baseball-Reference’s WAR has Kershaw way out in front, at 8.0 to Stanton’s 6.4, but Baseball Prospectus’ Wins Above Replacement Player has Stanton with an even larger lead (8.1 WARP to Kershaw’s 5.2). Meanwhile, FanGraphs’ WAR — the least valuable of the three stats due to the shortcomings of Ultimate Zone Rating, its defensive component — has Kershaw with a slight lead (6.7 to 6.0), but that’s due in part to the fact that UZR grades Stanton as a subpar fielder this year. That’s in stark contrast to B-R’s Defensive Runs Saved and BP’s Fielding Wins Above Average, both of which confirm the consensus opinion that Stanton was excellent in rightfield before his season came to a premature end.’
from http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/09/18/awards-watch-mvp-cy-young-rookie-of-the-year-clayton-kershaw-andrew-mccutchen
I just thought it was interesting because of the differences in the WAR/WARP metrics of BR, BPro and FanGraphs.
http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/09/17/atlanta-braves-toronto-blue-jays-second-half-collapse
59-67 since starting 17-9. That’s not a collapse.
Anyone else here going to any of the Outkast shows? I’ll be at the Sunday one.
Peanut sayeth:
– Wren still a goner
There has been some discontent throughout the organization dating back to last October, when pitching coach Roger McDowell nearly went to the Phillies before Braves president John Schuerholz stepped in during the final hours to make sure McDowell had reason to continue serving as one of the most influential members of Atlanta’s coaching staff.
Around the same time, Dave Wallace left his role as the Braves’ Minor League pitching coordinator to become the Orioles’ pitching coach. Then one of Schuerholz’s longtime aides, Dick Balderson, suddenly opted to retire — to the surprise of many of his friends and associates.
Having already made his mark as a pitching coach in Boston and Los Angeles, the 66-year-old Wallace seemed content to continue working at the Minor League level. But he opted to exit because of the regular battles he had with assistant general manager Bruce Manno.
[…]
Still, if Wren is relieved of his duties, the decision would likely have more to do with the club’s desire to regain the culture of cohesion and pride that the organization enjoyed for many years.”
Now I guess we know whose clubhouse chemistry really matters! A losing season, fine, so long as the front office can all still be bros.
– Fredi possibly endures
While Gonzalez has taken the role of a leader by assuming responsibility for his club’s disappointing results, the Braves might opt to keep him in his current position and alter their coaching staff. Hitting coach Greg Walker and assistant hitting coach Scott Fletcher appear to be the most likely casualties given the offensive struggles the club has experienced throughout the year.
This is perhaps why it’s better not to know, when it comes to what’s really going on behind the scenes.
@5, they’re 4-11 in September, during the height of the stretch run. That’s enough of a collapse to blame the man in charge.
The arbitrary endpoint gets me again.
Now I guess we know whose clubhouse chemistry really matters! A losing season, fine, so long as the front office can all still be bros.
This completely misrepresents the problem. I’m not sure if it’s willful ignorance or just ignorance, but it completely fails to grasp the reason why cohesion in management is important to any business. An organization that does not have a single vision, a directive and order for achieving that vision, and people top to bottom acting in cohesive unity to those ends, is an organization in need of change. This has nothing to do with being “bros.” It is the basic, fundamental nature of working in a complex organization toward a common goal.
If Wren fails to lead his direct reports in a manner that is cohesive and leads to the achievement of the organizational goals, he is a problem. Bad managers who sow discontent with their underlings are poison to any org.
No shit, Sherlock.
@10, Upon first reading, I thought Peanut was suggesting that the team performing this far beneath expectations, with the succession of FA mistakes front and center in all that, isn’t in and of itself a sufficient reason to clean house, in the eyes of the Braves brass. Which is sort of infuriating.
But that’s not quite right, so fair enough. Though it would be great if a beat writer would do us a solid and spell out how a fractured front office actually resulted in the on-the-field product falling on its face.
I’m actually on board with keeping Wren with the exception being if we would give the job to Coppolella as I fear he will go elsewhere soon if he’s not given a shot here.
I think Wren is probably in the top third of GMs right now, of course he has done questionable things (the Uggla and Johnson extension namely) but as many have said it was hard to see the black holes that Upton, Melky, Uggla, Lowe, McLouth etc. coming based on prior performance.
Which gets me to coaching. Seems to me the job of a manager and the coaches is to get the best out of the 25 guys you are given and for whatever reason, Fredi and the staff haven’t done that. I have defended Fredi’s in game decisions more than most, but I think it is time for him and the hitting coach tandem to go.
@ 2.
Thanks for the kind words.
The lineup for tonight’s game looks absolutely pathetic:
Gosselin 3B
Simmons SS
Freeman 1B
J. Upton LF
Bethancourt C
Doumit RF
La Stella 2B
B.J. CF
Tehran P
Also, I really think we will not be seeing Gattis on this team next year. There seems to be a lot of forced talk about how Bethancourt has given a reason to why he is ready to take over as the big league starting catcher. The reason I say forced talk is it all seems extremely scripted.
It’s far more Wren than Gonzalez. Sam is correct IMO. The GM job is more than just making trades and signing free agents. It’s creating an organization in which everyone is pulling in the same direction. It sounds like Wren has not done that so he should go. It’s not as if the Braves in the past were an old boys network full of incompetents. They have had success so if JS doesn’t like the organizational culture I take that seriously.
The Mets have a player who’s real nickname is Pickles? I protest.
Nicely turned, Braves. Hit the ball, please.
Even maimed, Andrelton’s smooth.
Well done, Julio.
Edit: Alone again, apparently.
I love me some Andrelton Simmons.
I wish Simmons had looked this good at the plate all season. Or half the season. Or for portions of this season.
Dammit Chip, you woke me up.
That Justin clip was hilarious. I think it’s the most personable thing I’ve ever seen from an Upton. If he did stuff like that more often, he’d be a lot easier to root for.
Edit: And if did less stuff like THAT, he’d really be a lot easier to root for.
Coulda called it. Coulda called him not making the catcher throw to first too.
@24
The scene from last season when he gave tips to Gattis on how to hit Kenley Jansen was pretty great, too. But I agree, few and far between.
Love that high-and-tight jam pitch by our Persian Julius
@26 I agree. That was cool, too. So he’s on pace for one a season.
Y’all win now, y’hear? Good night.
Oh, well. So much for this game. I want another win or two this season before we head into six months of no Braves baseball. Make it happen, Braves.
Let’s see….Nibber to pitcher by Bethancourt; pop up just to the infield dirt by Doumit; what joys does the third batter bring?
Edit: A noisy out! Drive pushed to the foul side of the left field wall by La Stella! At least he’s making outs like a grown man.
We don’t really have a chance to make the playoffs now, even if we start playing well, but this month-long pathetic capitulation grows tiresome. I’ll watch the rest of these games except on nights where I have something better to do, but it’s long past being a chore at this point. And this is coming from someone who didn’t see a single pitch of the Texas series.
This winter will definitely be an interesting one.
I am willing to say at this point that the only two sure people we will have in our lineup next season from this season is Freeman and Simmons.
Other than those two, I would say that there are no sure things with the possibilities of people being released or included in trades during the winter. I will say that we will either have Heyward or J. Upton back. With the way this team is playing with the needs we have, I really do not see us having both back in the outfield next season, but it could happen. I think it is a certainty if we have both J. Upton and Heyward back that we will not have Gattis back if those two are still here. We will have to trade someone this winter if not multiple players.
I say all this because I believe there will be a overhaul of the team before their is an overhaul of front office and managers. Also, an overhaul of the front office and managers will more than likely come with an overhaul of the team, too. It might actually put us into a complete rebuilding mode.
Did Frank Wren learn his management style from Peter Angelos?
Had to believe Scherholz would allow the tales of discontent and finger-pointing to exist. Perhaps Liberty Media has shoved him farther to the side than realized.
Oh, now we have to listen to Chip Caray perform sexual favors for Derek Jeter one last time? As if this game wasn’t already bad enough? Gag me with a goddamned spoon!
“A lot of people dislike the Yankees, but it’s impossible to dislike Derek Jeter.”
Watch me, you asshat!
Uh, yeah, there’s not a shred of evidence that Coppolella would be a competent, above-average GM. This smells like Dayton Moore all over again.
The relievers are doing their best to make sure we can’t just pin this one on the offense. Love it when guys step up to take some of the load off their teammates’ shoulders.
On the tear it down front, what if they packaged Freeman, BJ, and Justin?
They might get something back and they’d get a TON of flexibility a la Boston
Recapped.