Is it just me or do even really good closers look like crap in non-save situations. I have been saying that we need another bat in our lineup since spring training. Our offense relies to much on being able to string together hits. Johnson should be hitting further down in the order. Escobar is a good enough number 2 hitter but he lacks power and doesn’t steal bases. Chipper is still a good 3rd hitter but he gets pitched around because there is no one behind him. Anderson sucks and shouldn’t be on the team anymore. McCann is a good hitter but he’s a catcher and requires days off. Francouer is way to streaky and lacks 30 home run power. Kotchman isn’t a bad hitter but being a 1B and not having that good of power makes him below average. Schafer if a K machine but I still have hope that he will get better as the season goes along.
At this point I think we need to go out and get a power bat for our outfield. We don’t have anyone in our minors thats going to be ready in the next couple years to produce 30 home runs and we need that now. Chipper needs protection and we are going to need another Chipper type hitter when he does decide to retire.

It’s just getting painful to watch this offense lumber and stumble along. As a team they have below average power, speed, and plate discipline. Basically, they can’t beat anyone with the long ball, they can’t manufacture runs and they can’t draw enough walks so when they do string together a couple of singles their are runners on base.

I hate GAnderson. Period. No more optimism for him. Professional hitter my ass.

We’re officially closer in the standings to the Natinals (3 game lead on them) than we are to the Phils/Fish (3.5 games back).

And Gonzo was the victim of bad defense and bad defensive positioning.

Guess I might be wrong, at least as far as the walks go, as the Braves somehow rank seventh in the majors in BBs with 108. They do, however, rank dead last in the majors with FOUR stolen bases! That’s incredible when you consider Carl Crawford had 6 in one game. They also rank 24th in home runs with 20.

by the end of the month we are going to have to look at small market teams that are out of contention and see if we can add a bat.

Short of Heyward in the minors, do the Braves have any other power hitters in the minors? I’m talking about a 30 hr/100 rbi guy to play lf or rf. If not, put together a package of these .280 / 10 hr outfielders we have and go get one from somebody. Chipper needs protection, Mac can’t do it all the time, Anderson sux, Francouer who knows. Bobby’s done so much with so little for so long, that management thinks they can by with little to nothing in the way of offense. And eventually we wind up with the past 3 years. Time for changes.

I thought it was crazy at the time for Wren to try to sign Furcal but imagine if that had all panned out including trading Johnson for Ludwick or some other LF who’s not a washed up has been like GAnderson. The offense would now be in much better shape. I’m ready to pull the plug on the Francoeur, Johnson, Kotchman, Diaz/Anderson line up. You aren’t going to score enough runs to make the playoffs when half your lineup consists of those players.

If were not going to make a move to improve this team then it’s time to start selling off the pieces. Our pitching staff has been great so far but with no offense its useless. When your pitching staff holds teams to under 3 runs a game and you don’t win thats a clear indicator that your offense sucks. Another problem thats being overshadowed by the offenses poor play is that the bullpen sucks to. Gonzalez is a good enough closer although I’m not sure I would trust him in the playoffs and Soriano is a good enough set-up man but the rest of the bullpen is pretty bad. There is something wrong with Moylan and instead of sending him to AAA to figure it out they just keep pitching him and hoping for the best.
I think its time to clear house on everyone coaching staff included and start building this team back up again.

I honestly find all this gloom and doom talk kind of disappointing. We’re not even a fifth of the way through the season and we’re talking about selling everything?

I’m curious, if this team is as bad as everyone here thinks, what kind of a return do you think the Braves are going to get on all these awful players? This is a buyers market right now, man.

Last night Jermaine Dye hit his 7th Home Run of 2009. He has nearly 1000 rbi and 300 hr since the best GM in the world traded him. Right. How is michael Tucker anyway?Thank god for Frank Wren. We are more than one hitter away from being a good offensive team,I fear.