The blame game

[rileyn]

INJURIES to Harper and Werth are to blame.  Last year guys stepped up when called upon, but this year Moore, Tracey, Bernadina have been dreadful.  Perhaps we caught lightning in a bottle with the goon squad last year, and this year they are regressing to their actual ability levels.  You cannot understate the importance of taking Harper and Werth out of the lineup - not only for how it extends the lineup, but pitchers have to approach us completely differently with them, not to mention the fact that we have no swagger without them. 

[PebbleBall]

The fans are to blame.  This wouldn't happen in St. Louis.

[ZimW1N]

INJURIES to Harper and Werth are to blame.  Last year guys stepped up when called upon, but this year Moore, Tracey, Bernadina have been dreadful.  Perhaps we caught lightning in a bottle with the goon squad last year, and this year they are regressing to their actual ability levels.  You cannot understate the importance of taking Harper and Werth out of the lineup - not only for how it extends the lineup, but pitchers have to approach us completely differently with them, not to mention the fact that we have no swagger without them. 

Yeah, I mean it's not like we have close to MLB ready in the minors mashing right now. We could have swapped Moore and Marrero a while ago and improved the bench substantially./ Bernadina isn't producing? Why not swap him with Brown? Chad Tracy isn't hitting? DFA him and call up Will Rhymes. Better yet the Braves just DFA'd Juan Fransico who is hitting .268/.316/.440 against righties this year, claim him and give him Tracy's spot on the bench.

There are moves we could have made but Rizzo and Johnson keep choosing to try getting the same under preforming players going.

[madj55]

Loyalty to players usually comes back to bite you in the ass in baseball. You can only keep giving guys chances to perform until it's clear that they can't. However, Bernadina has actually been playing well the last couple of games so I don't understand the hate he's getting. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Meanwhile the Braves are considering sending down their very own but more expensive Espinosa in Bj uptown.Patience is a good virtue and I like that Rizzo and Davey have this but it gets to a point where this very virtuous quality begins to become a negative quality. this is one case.

Curious - where did you see  this?  I'd figure BJ would be out of options. Are they thinking of doing an Alex Rios, waiving him, and seeing if anyone would pick him up.

Upton has more than 6 years in the majors, so could refuse assignment.

[Optics]

Dan Uggla is closer to Danny Espinosa than BJ Upton.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Brown has had a nice two weeks since coming off the DL.  He has hit 4 homers and stole 5 bases in that time, with a line of .262 / .328 / .525 over 68 PAs in May, which is when he came back from the DL.  He had a nice little 5 game stretch from 5/21 to 5/26, with 3 HRs. 

I don't think you can say every minor leaguer who has a hot streak is a no brainer replacement for a bench guy in the majors.  FWIW, Bernie since 5/26, with his starts, has gone 7 for 20 with 2 homers.  You call up Brown after his little hot streak, and send Bernie down, you miss that from Bernie.

I don't see how you can criticize what Bernie has done this week, and before that, Brown was hurt or just off the DL.  Bernie's performance as a fill in starter recently  is least of the team's problems.

Wil Rhymes, OTOH, has a substantial track record that establishes he has no power.  Tracy's job is pop off the bench. Rhymes for Tracy does not fit the structure of the team.

[Baseball is Life]

I know people at my office who would excel at this game.

[TigerFan]

Curious - where did you see  this?  I'd figure BJ would be out of options. Are they thinking of doing an Alex Rios, waiving him, and seeing if anyone would pick him up.

Upton has more than 6 years in the majors, so could refuse assignment.

I saw it on Yahoo and ESPN.  Fredi did say that Upton would have the right to refuse the assignment if he didnt agree with the thought process.  Fredi did say that he has not spoken to Upton about it but they had discussed his recent benching.  Gonzalez also said he thinks Upton wants to "do what is right" which meant to me he would accept the assignment.  I can't imagine he would go down to AAA unless injured. 

[Terps and Nats]

Blame for this game rests squarely on Davey for 1. playing espi 2. hitting him 7th.

[PowerBoater69]

Blame comes from the top down, are the owners going to hold their GM and manager accountable?  Probably not, they're buying into the Leonsis model.

[spidernat]

Blame comes from the top down, are the owners going to hold their GM and manager accountable?  Probably not, they're buying into the Leonsis model.

They'd have to pay them and their replacement and that isn't going to happen. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Blame for this game rests squarely on Davey for 1. playing espi 2. hitting him 7th.

If you think that the whole problem with that game and this offense boiled down to those two decisions, you missed a lot of that game.  Not to score in the 9th was a sin, but with 2d  and 3d in a tie game on the road, you have to be more aggressive with Desi and Bernie.  Taking strike 3?  c'mon.

[Terps and Nats]

If you think that the whole problem with that game and this offense boiled down to those two decisions, you missed a lot of that game.  Not to score in the 9th was a sin, but with 2d  and 3d in a tie game on the road, you have to be more aggressive with Desi and Bernie.  Taking strike 3?  c'mon.

well actually I did miss the first 8 innings, but still...

[PowerBoater69]

They'd have to pay them and their replacement and that isn't going to happen. 

I know.  And where else are they going to find another halfway decent GM willing to take a bottom of the league salary?