Atlanta Braves: Fredi Gonzalez to be fired soon
Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is not expected to remain in his role much longer.
The Atlanta Braves have the worst record in baseball at 5-18. The season seems like a wash and it is still April, and recent news seems to point to changes being made.
An article by Ken Rosenthal explains how Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is likely to be fired soon.
"Gonzalez, meanwhile, continues to draw scrutiny with his decision-making, not that Bobby Cox could get much more out of this bunch. Maybe things will improve slightly once the Braves dismiss Gonzalez — it’s difficult to imagine him surviving past the team’s current eight-game road trip, with the Braves facing the Red Sox, Cubs and Mets. But whichever coach the Braves appoint as Gonzalez’s interim replacement — most likely, Eddie Perez or Terry Pendleton — will be just as doomed."
Firing a manager so early in a season is not always best for morale, but Gonzalez struggled last year and only appears to be headed for worse this year.
He led the Braves to the playoffs in 2012 and 2013, but the results have been downhill since then.
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He also was the manager of the team in 2011, when the Braves blew a massive Wild Card lead in September, which was a bad omen from the start.
The Braves started this season 0-9, which isn’t necessarily Gonzalez’s fault, but the coach will always take the blame when a team plays poorly.
This bad start does reflect on the players who have played terribly all year. From the article:
"The Braves have hit four homers. Their No. 2 starter, Bud Norris, has an 8.74 ERA. Their one actual star, first baseman Freddie Freeman, is batting .219 with a .680 OPS."
Next: Inside Neil Walker's hot start
The team is already 11 games back in the NL East and about to lose its manager in the final season of Turner Field. After so many great seasons in the ballpark with Bobby Cox at the helm, the Braves are likely anticipating a change of scenery and a fresh start in 2017.