FINAL THOUGHTS ON 2011 SEASON

Damn.. what a dissappointing end to a good season. This Braves team is too talented to be sitting at home right now. Where do I begin to state my thoughts... I  have given myself a couple days to get over the shock over not making it to october. I dont know what  happened to martin prado this year but he was not good. He never seemed comfortable after the Braves got mike Bourn. It seemed to take away some of is agression and he just wasnt producing. Brian Mccann also sucked in the second half. In the first half he was legit MVP  canidate but he was awol in second half. I read he it about .190 in the last 30 games of the season. The Braves offense honestly just never got on a roll this year.We never seemed to get the clutch big hit that we needed. This offense really under achieved. We defiently made the right move firing the  hitting coach. The players just didnt click well wit the coach and the offense never got in synk. Down the stretch the Braves hitting was horrible.

 The injuries to Hanson and Jurrjens no doubt about it hurt us. But it didnt cost us wild card. Fredi Gonzalez used Kimbrel and Venters way to much this year and by september they had nothing left. Kimbrel really faded under pressure in Wednesday game. It was so dissappointing to see. Derek Lowe was a joke this year and I hope hes gone next year. Im not sold on mike minor, I think the braves could use a good veteran in the rotation. I do believe they will try to trade Hanson or Jurrjens. Hopefully we could get a good bat in return

 I was so dissappointed with Jason Heyward this year. He was literally an automatic out the entire season. We have got to upgrade right field position next year. I dont think the braves should give up on Jhey yet but hes def. become a major concern. He just looked lost the entire year. He seems to lack passion and hasnr adjusted to the pitchers adjustments to him. Im not sold on Jhey being a legit future MVP. Is he the  next Francouer??  I know alot of Braves fans will disagree with me but I think Chipper is hurting this team. He is making 12 million a year for .280 avg 18 hrs and 70 rbis thats not enough production for the $ hes making.. I respect what Chipper has done in is career but at this point to me with is contract he is handicapping this team. I thought he played better then I expected him to this year- he showed he still has some left in his tank but with is $ hes just not worth it anymore.Braves need to see if he can rework his contract.

I dont like Fredi Gonzalez- I dont think hes the man for the job- He is too much like Bobby Cox and AI respect Bobby Cox but him only winning one ring with those elite teams in the 90s was because of his micro managing in playoff games. Fredi was too reserved for me- when we were struggling in september he was too laid back when she should have tried to spark this team. When your team blows a lead like that I do blame the manager. He should have had the the players better prepared and more on edge- the atmosphere was too laid back. The last month of the season the braves played with no heart, no passion, no edge. I didnt see them play hard with passion until game #162 and by then it was too little too late. It was a joke they had to turn to  the astros for helping getting into the playoffs. Its time this team has a new voice, new leader that doesnt involve from the Bobby Cox cloth. I just was so disappointed with te lack of intensity that Fredi Gonzalez showed this season especially in september. It was on him to  hold this team accountable and wake them up. Where was the leadership in the clubhouse? Who stepped up and said " enough of this bullshit this ends tonight" .It pissed me off in games in September the players would do post game interviews and just be soft, show no emotion or anger in losing. How can you not be upset when your huge wildcard lead is cut into half and over?? the final series against the phillies the braves didnt show up until the last game. Why wasnt bourn stealing bases like crazy? where was constanza? why didnt thry try to move prado down when he wasnt hitting?

 The phillies had nothing to play for the final 3 games yet they showed more desire and  heart then the braves did. I give credit to charlie Manuel for that and hold Fredi G accountable for that. As I sit here it still blows my mind that the Braves arent in the playoffs. They showed nothing down the stretch that would indicate they were legit playoff team. No great pitching, no clutch hits, no big innings.. How do you claim to be playoff team but lose series to Fla,Ny mets, and Washington?It was a joke. There was no excuse. no excuse but they played without urgency or heart. The braves thought talent alone would get them to october. But talent didnt. if you would have put the heart of the 2010 team with the talent of 2011 team I think we could have given philly a run for there money. The Braves just didnt have heart this year.And that goes back to my issue with Fredi G and lack of real clubhouse leader. The Braves should have had Bourn  running like crazy when he was on base.. he didnt start playing until the last game when was running often. where was  that effort monday and tuesday??? This team is just a joke that we didnt make it. We upgraded with uggla and he did produce for us. But the lack of production from heyward killed us,I was highly impressed with Freddi Freeman . I think he will def. be a major factor  in the future. But we ave got to figure out Jason Heyward.

All in all when I think back on the 2011 season I will think "choke" I personally am not proud of the Braves at all. For this team to have this much talent and be sitting at home right now is just nuts- Im thankful for the Red sox because they  have more talent and more money then the braves and they choked too.I want to see more changes made this offseason. Hold more people accountable- let Fredi G know how he managed and handled the team down the stretch  was not productive and it showed in the way the braves come out and played. Im dissappointed with not making the playoffs but what disqust me is the fact the braves showed no passion or heart the last month. They werent worth my money I spent on them in september. I will never understand why the Braves waited until last game of the season until they showed effort in september. Its like they werent woken up until game 162. Thats why there was no game #163.I will always love the Braves  but I lost alot of respect for there heartless play in september this year. Im not ready to say " wait til next year" because it should have happened this year!