JORDANS BLOG ON THE ATLANTA BRAVES!

8 game losing  streak


 Most Braves fans should be fed up with this 8 game losing streak. The offense has been good this entire season but the last 8 games the offense has disappeared. The pitching has been mediocore so this is nothing new but when you dont have the offense to bail out the pitching it makes it worse. Add on that the defense has  hurt and you can see easily why we have lost 8 games in a row.

Changes have got to be made. Mccann hasnt hit well this season, Heyward is showing signs of the 2011 season. and Chipper Jones sitting out with injury is becoming a once again familar site. I  firmly believe he will be on the bench a good part of the second half. I cant see him staying healthy. I can see Juan F. getting alot of playing time due to Chippers injuries. Its been a special season so far for chipper- but the last 3 weeks Chipper hasnt done much but stay on the bench hurt.  I said before the season I would be shocked if Chipper played 100games this year. my estimate was 80-90. seems like that could be legit now.

Something has got to be done with the rotation- Delgado and Minor are just flat out not cutting it- I knew they wouldnt though this doesnt suprise me. It has truly hurt the braves with Jurrjens  failures this year. Overcoming his struggles have been  hard. Any Braves fan that was confident in Minor and Delgado to me was out of the loop from jump.From spring training I felt we relied too much on inexperienced rookies and needed a Veteran to take some pressure off our young arms. Beachy has been better then expected but besides him everyone else hasnt held up there end of the bargain.  If the Braves dont make a move for a starter then they could fall out of  position. It seems growing speculation is moving Medlen into the rotation. He defiently is a starters but as I stated last week- moving him from bullpen creates huge hole. You fill a starters roll and lose a big asset in the bullpen. Say Medlen does move to starter then you have Hudson, Hanson, Beachy, Medlen and Delgado/ Minor and Ive said a hundred times those guys dont cut it. The rotation is a mess. It is a big weakspot for us. Things have gotten even worse now that the bullpen is getting  beat up. I dont know whats wrong with Venters but he seems to  give up runs on a nightly basis and Eric O has struggled  this year. I can admit that Livan Hernandez has been better then I expected. hes one of the few who haev done there  job well  out of the pen.

The issue that bugs me most is the Braves seem to have the EXACT ATTITUDE they had during there September collapse last year. Can you imagine the story lines on Baseball tonight if the yankees, or Red sox, or phillies had an 8 game losing streak? but with the Braves its nothing. what will it take for the Braves to wake up? When will they get sick of losing and show emotion? The braves always talk about having a "great clubhouse" well whose standing up and holding these guys accountable? whose lighting that fire and holding the guys accountable? To me the Braves havent had a vocal leader since the day they  traded  Dave Justice. Teams need that mean streak guy to light a fire when things are dull. Things got dull last September and May 2012 they are dull again. This team is too talented to lose 8 games in  a row. I dont use injuries as an excuse either because alot of teams have injuries right now. The Braves have no life right now. Everyones walking around in the clubhouse with the "We will whether this storm" mentality  Just like they did last September. It frustrates the life out of me.  It starts from uptop- GM Frank Wren seems to have alot of patience with the players and with Fredi G. Its a big head scratcher that Fredi G didnt lose his job after collapse last year. He shows no emotion and fire in him and the players follow suite. I often wonder- what gets under Fredis skin? what makes him angry? this lack of passion and energy is killing the Braves. They need a strong voice in that clubhouse because its obvious management wont step up to the plate and do it. Its a long season I Admit but right now there is atleast2 better teams in the braves divison them then. when will the Braves wake up and act like they care? or is it still September 2011 to them??