Last night the Braves ended their fourth game in 30 hours or so. But they only played 27 innings. Strange.
Braves competed yesterday in a place famous for mimicking modern toilets. Or is it ancient compost piles? Something like that.
We experienced 2 of the new MLB created 7 inning doubleheaders games. In the first game, Kyle Muller went against Jacob DeGrom. At the end of the night, Snit’s decision to go ahead and pit Muller against DeGrom proved insightful. Muller looked a little better than his first couple of appearances. Obviously the issue for him is control and command. If those tick forward, he can be pretty good. But Muller at his best can’t compete with DeGrom at anything above his 25 percentile outcome, so thus the loss. Muller only gave up one run in 4 innings. In the 5th, Shane Greene teed them up and Newk Triple Grybo’d 3 more in.
Freddie got on by walk in front of Ozzie in the 6th after the Mets put in Seth Lugo. Ozzie took it out and that was the only Braves scoring.
So, as Ernie Banks would have said, “It’s so nice today, why don’t we play 2?” And thus they did. The Braves’ low offense thing has been going on now through 4 games. Braves still got the win in game 2 despite only scoring 1 on one of those Ronald Acuna, Jr. explosions. Cousin Ian Anderson was his usual near elite self and then Minter and Lost in Space finished it up effectively.
Even DOB is starting to bang the drum on Snitker’s ‘decisions’… Hmmmm….
Thanks, Cliff.
Go Braves.
Even if the team doesn’t fire Snit, they have to at least allow for the appearance of attempting to do something about how poorly the season has gone. I don’t think this season is his fault, but part of the job involves falling on your sword when everything goes wrong.
100% not trying to open a can of worms, but Ryan, if you created a Patreon, could we get rid of the ads? I’d 100% support the Patreon.
I’ve been very critical of Snit’s bullpen management–and I was especially perplexed at the decision to bring in Newk yesterday. Even DOB was all over that one!
But I don’t for a minute think it makes sense to switch managers mid-season. He’s done a terrific job with this young roster the past few years. And I still think there is a decent chance they make a run at the division this year (the next five games against LoLMets will have a lot to do with that). If OTOH they finish the season below .500 then this offseason may be time to look at new leadership in the dugout.
The Hawks’ coaching change during this season is a dramatic example of how new discipline and structure made a world of difference. But I’ve long been convinced that baseball is fundamentally different than football or basketball. In baseball, “lighting a fire” or “kicking ass” or the like is rarely the answer.
As Chief mentioned at #1, if DOB is starting to bang the drum for a new manager, this is likely not completely his idea. I’m torn on this. I still think they can turn it around with Snit, but I maintain that a manager’s biggest job is to keep the team consistently performing at close to their best level. Atlanta has been all over the map this year and Snit has to take some of the blame.
@Tfloyd — you’re definitely not wrong, and as people often point out, you ideally want to fire the manager in the offseason so you can run a proper candidate search. Otherwise, you run the risk of having the interim guy do just well enough that you can’t fire him, as happened with Snit himself, and then you’ve totally lost the opportunity to run a proper search. I just also see the benefit in occasionally moving the deckchairs on the Titanic. I’m ready to fire Rick Kranitz, fire Kevin Seitzer, then hire Kranitz as our hitting coach just so we can fire him again.
As a much wiser man once said, I think this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part. And we’re just the guys to do it!
Hey,if it’s stupid and futile you need, here am I. Send me.
I think Snit really overestimated the number of relievers he was going to need to get through those 7 inning doubleheaders. In the 4 games, Smith and Newcomb were the only guys he used twice. Martin never pitched at all, and Luke got 1/3 inning.
And even with Nuke, sometimes guys gotta do their dang job.
I think Nuke has had a half a decade to answer the question of “won’t” or “can’t.” We know the answer to it.
@7 and @11 100% agreed on both. Something should be done to make it seem like there is a chance things could get better. I am as big of a Snit critic as anyone but he had done a good job over the last couple of years. Dumping Kranitz and/or Seitzer for their awful performance would make the most sense at this point and would at least be something
@9–his comments to DOB seemed to indicate that. It’s like he forgot the fifth inning is the equivalent of the seventh
@13 lovely
New thread: https://bravesjournal.mystagingwebsite.com/2021/06/22/must-not-be-too-early-for-a-must-win/