Braves 6, Nationals 4
August 3, 2011 at 4:28 pm by Capitol Avenue Club under Atlanta Braves
Dan Uggla (2/4, HR) and Craig Kimbrel (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, SV) are the reasons why, despite struggles, you always play the more talented player–as if there’s no reason to expect the struggles to continue past yesterday.
Fredi “going with the hot hand” in Jose Constanza over Jason Heyward is mind-blowingly dumb. I appreciate everything Constanza has done as a fill-in, but in the end he’s a minor-league scrub and Heyward is a franchise-changing talent. Playing the former over the latter is a clear indication of cluelessness.
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Huh?
Fire Fredi
I couldn’t agree with you more. There is no way you take Heyward out unless he is injured against a right-hander.
On a much more scary note, I actually called that Heyward double switch and I’m scared I’m starting to think like Fredi. Is there a cure??
@3 Corey
There is a cure, but it´s illegal, and harder to find help since the passing of Dr. K. I wish you well.
it seems to be that Fredi may be trying to get some fire from Heyward. it should be embarassing to Jason
#FireFredi
Apparently Jason Heyward is now a defensive replacement. Fantastic. Maybe Fredi should call AAA and tell them to convert Teheran into a long reliever
@4-
Rational thought.
My gosh, Fredi is a towering symbol of idiocy.
Mr. Uggla = Boom! Winning!
CK = Boom boom, out go the lights.
Why Heyward isn’t playing is as baffling as why you’d ever bat Sea Bass anywhere but 7th or 8th.
When this team wins it’s in spite of FG.
It’s not always his fault when they lose, but his decisions before and during a given game reduce their chances of winning.
Nonetheless, on to NY where the Braves must take at least two of three.
The new #FF = #FireFredi
But constanza is so fast and heyward struck out
Duh
@5 I agree
I think what Fredi does is play MLB 2k11 and whatever that video game says should happen he does.
Remember when Bobby would stay loyal to players for long periods of time even while they were struggling? I get that Jason has had a rough year but the guy is inifity times better that JC.
Fredi v anyone on a Tosh.O videos for dumbest thing I see all week
Not that I believe he read this but….before the AS break I wrote Dan Uggla a letter telling him a bunch of stuff but basically that no one cares about how much money you make as long as we win games. Told him he was a cool dude and that he should just have fun and not listen to what people say (I wanted to say don’t listen to Fredi or Larry P but left them out). Since then he has been on a tear. I am not taking credit but just sayin’………
I agree except I would have Heyward in instead of Hinkse.
I like what Constanza is doing right now and I agree on playing him, though not at the expense of Heyward.
Though, I do somewhat agree with llc that it should be embarrassing to Heyward and if he’s not working as hard as he should be, then this could be a wake-up. I don’t know that this is the case, just speculating.
I think Fredi should use the off day tomorrow to teach Constanza how to play SS. Then all our problems will be solved. Champtionship.
I have no problem with playing Constanza over Heyward. If he is playing better then play him. Its stupid to put in a guy who is obviously in a slump over a guy who is killing the baseball just because he is “special”. Please explain your logic to me.
One look at Constanza’s batted ball data and its clear he’s just been really lucky. Coming into today he had 1 hard hit ball in 20 PAs. 7 of his 12 ground balls just happened to find holes and be hits. He has yet to walk and has stuck out five times. Basically, we benched Heyward for a AAA lefty who’s “hot streak” has included a whole bunch of poorly hit balls finding holes. Awesome management as always, Fredi!
Oh Dr. K i wouldnt post here if you have that opinion
@12/Jared
Listening to the radio broadcasts, they’ve been talking about how Heyward has been putting in extra hours at the cage with coaches, working on his swing. I’m inclined to believe that it’s definitely not a lack of effort on his part.
Apparently Jason Heyward is now a defensive replacement
Hey, pinch-hitter!
I have no problem with playing Constanza over Heyward. If he is playing better then play him. Its stupid to put in a guy who is obviously in a slump over a guy who is killing the baseball just because he is “special”. Please explain your logic to me.
One of them is a whole hell of a lot better at baseball than the other.
@CAC
well said.
And, Jose Constanza is not “killing the baseball”, he’s slapping the baseball around the infield and it’s finding a hole. No reason to expect that to continue.
Considering the team has had problems properly coming to conclusions about player’s health recently, I am willing to at least entertain the option that perhaps Heyward’s shoulder is bothering him and Fredi is having him sit until it’s better.
He did stick with Uggla and that was dramatically worse. I can’t tell if I’d prefer Heyward to be slightly hurt and Fredi doesn’t want him to aggravate it, or him to be healthy and Fredi too stupid to let him play.
Dr. K, for how long? Until JC’s average is below Jason’s? Until Jason has “learned his lesson”? Until FLOCK OF SEAGULLS have another #1?
Can you imagine if you inserted that logic for Dan Uggla 2 months ago when Brooks had a few ABs that were solid?
Is Dr. K Fredi?
At this point in time, Constanza is helping the Braves more than Heyward is. Replacing a guy that is batiing .400 with a guy that is batting .220 is mind boggling. I am not saying Constanza is better in the long run, I am just saying that at this moment, Constanza is outperforming Heyward.
Heyward better be hurt because benching him will not get his swing right. He needs to get some confidence and sitting doesn’t help that. Constanza will be a good bench player, but we need Heyward to get right.
I worry about this becoming a KK/Escobar/Rasmus-type situation.
Dr. K – confusing luck with talent is never a good quality in a manager. Frego obviously agrees with you, and is going with the “hot hitter”. Even though that hot hitter has a hit a whole bunch of shitty groundballs that have happened to find holes. That’s not a talent, its just luck. Including his single today, I believe he has hit the ball hard twice in 23 PAs this year, with no walks. He sucks, and Heyward should be playing.
Dr k is the guy who thinks that the more he loses in the casino, the more he thinks his odds of winning go up.
Its the hot hand fallacy, on any given day, Heyward will always have the potential to have a better day than constanza, and constanza having a good series spent change that
@12/Jared: There is no excuse to play Constanza at all if everyone in the OF is healthy. And you’re basically trying to walk around that because Constanza is getting really really lucky.
It does feel like Fredi is trying to find that Bonafacio that he had with the Fish.
@27
At-bats against Chien-Ming Wang are good for any hitter’s confidence. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Using a small sample size to justify a .400 average is the only mind bottling thing im seeing.
@Dr. K: Your argument is mind boggling. A career minor leaguer who is getting lucky is not better than a franchise cornerstone in a slump.
Batting average is never the end-all be-all. Go look at the stats, now. You should be forbid to post again until you see that Heyward, in his “slump” (if that’s what people really want to call it), is better than Constanza, at his luckiest.
Didn’t get a chance to catch the game but I love this hot streak Uggla is on. He is absolutely raping the ball right now. Hopefully the starting pitching gets back to quality starts (I know, they’ve spoiled me), and Frediot doesn’t fuck anything up too bad in the next 24 hours.
Using “rape” as a word for crushing/destroying/mashing..always the classy thing to do.
“I worry about this becoming a KK/Escobar/Rasmus-type situation.”
I’m not really worried about that. Heyward is by all accounts a hard worker and a serious young man who fits the bill for what these old school managers like. He’s no trouble maker, so to speak. I’m more concerned about his batted ball data and inability to hit balls in on his hands. Could there be a bat swing issue? Or is it simply, definitely, swing mechanics?
“Could there be a bat swing issue?”
I meant “bat speed issue” there. Sorry.
Calm down guys, the Braves’ brass is just trying to stir up some excitement for Costanza so they can move him to some other bottom dweller for their best player.
Costanza/Proctor/Varvarro for Heath Bell. Frank Wren is a genius at work!!
“Hey, why put in a guy that is actually successfull at the plate when I could play a guy that is struggling?” You are geniuses. I agree Heyward is the cornerstone. But right now he needs to rest and get ready for the playoffs and as long as Constanza is hot, let him play. As soon as he goes o’fer then you can send him down
Any word on when to expect McCann and/or Jones back?
@15
I was actually thinking how great it would be if he could play shortstop…
RE: Fredi playing the hot hand, does he realize Heyward had reached base in 6 of his last 16 PAs? Which is only 6 PAs less than Constanza’s “hot” start.
Heyward had a .375 OBP in those 16 PAs and Constanza’s was like .400 (correct me if I am wrong he had 0 walks). How is one hotter than the other?
@40, Chipper is shooting for Friday. Read a tweet that said McCann has started throwing but not hitting yet, I am guessing he misses more than 15 days.
@29 Thats your opinion and I respect it…which is what some of the others here should start doing
@39 (Dr. K) When predicting future performance, you don’t use a 2 game sample. You use a player’s career numbers, they say Heyward will have the better PA’s going forward. Going with the hot hand because of a few bloop singles is stupid.
“you cant spell dancing with out ‘dan’ ” haha classic!!
I think Derek Lowe is hitting .400 or so in his last 10-11 at bats. He should be starting over uggla.
@42/Dr. K: When the opinion is absolutely wrong, and proven wrong no less, it will be shot down.
@46 Proven wrong?…I didnt know you could see the future and know that Jason will come out of his slump this year and stop hitting .220. My bad…I guess you just proved me wrong haha