House That Hank Built
Fansided

A reflection on the last decade of Atlanta Braves baseball

By Alan Carpenter

ATLANTA - OCTOBER 10: Manager Bobby Cox #6 of the Atlanta Braves runs to the outfield after Jason Heyward #22 collided with the wall in the second inning against the San Francisco Giants during Game Three of the NLDS of the 2010 MLB Playoffs at Turner Field on October 10, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - OCTOBER 10: Manager Bobby Cox #6 of the Atlanta Braves runs to the outfield after Jason Heyward #22 collided with the wall in the second inning against the San Francisco Giants during Game Three of the NLDS of the 2010 MLB Playoffs at Turner Field on October 10, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – AUGUST 11: Manager Fredi Gonzalez #33 of the Atlanta Braves argues with umpire Lance Barksdale #23 after Eury Perez #14 of the Braves was called out on batter’s interference. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – AUGUST 11: Manager Fredi Gonzalez #33 of the Atlanta Braves argues with umpire Lance Barksdale #23 after Eury Perez #14 of the Braves was called out on batter’s interference. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

2011 and Beyond

It’s hard to follow a legend and yet the Braves now had an entire organization trying to do just that.

  • Fredi Gonzalez followed Bobby Cox
  • A cast of many followed Chipper Jones, Martin Prado perhaps being the most successful, though not getting a lot of time at third
  • Atlanta ran through a bunch of successors to Brian McCann… finally culminating in McCann himself at the end of the decade.
  • Every starter seemingly had to overcome the shadows of Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, or Hudson
  • Even in the front office, Frank Wren was given the impossible task of maintaining what John Schuerholz had done before him.

Still, it appeared early on that a handful of players might be those anchors to return the Braves to the post-season on a consistent basis:  names like Heyward, Freeman, Uggla, and CF Jordan Schafer.

Alas, those wheels feel off fairly quickly.  Schafer messed up a wrist shortly after his debut and and was never the same after that.  Uggla had a shocking deterioration in the ability to see and hit the ball.

Jason Heyward rejected a chance to stick around in Atlanta for the long term and was traded to the Cardinals.  Only Freddie Freeman was able to maintain both performance and a will to stay for the duration.  He was ultimately the top performer of the decade for the Braves – and it wasn’t close.

The Unexpected Turns

General Manager Frank Wren’s attempts to keep Atlanta competitive ultimately decimated the farm system and – despite a 1st place finish in 2013 – still met with no success in the playoffs.

This last, best effort was the result of 2 significant deals:  the signing of Melvin/B.J Upton and a trade to acquire brother Justin Upton.

That lineup also included Freeman, McCann, Uggla, Simmons, Heyward, and Chris Johnson – along with fan favorite Evan Gattis and a cast of lesser characters who looked promising.  Yet virtually all (aside from Freeman and Johnson) under-performed for the year… and they still won 96 times.

Alas, that team collapsed in the playoffs again and the 2014 edition – featuring much of the same lineup – seemed to give up on the season, falling to a 79-83 record under Fredi Gonzalez.

The internal turmoil boiled over, and Wren lost the power struggle.  He was relieved of his duties in mid-September that season.

John Hart took over with the clear direction that he was keeping the seat warm for up-and-comer John Coppolella.  But this time also ushered in The Rebuild.

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