1
00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,480
Speaker 1: They expected. Identity of this team is supposed to be

2
00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:05,560
Speaker 1: the offense right now. That's the point that struggling right now.

3
00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,559
Speaker 1: The Braves need to improve any way that they can.

4
00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:13,560
Speaker 1: All right, let's talk.

5
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,360
Speaker 2: Sean Coleman is on the show here, host of Hammer

6
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,160
Speaker 2: Territory with three other friends, and we encourage you to

7
00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,920
Speaker 2: check that show out. Sean, I wish that we were

8
00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,840
Speaker 2: talking during more positive times. But let's start nice and simple.

9
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:33,519
Speaker 2: Are the Braves okay? Are the Braves okay? That is

10
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,760
Speaker 2: a very very loaded question.

11
00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,479
Speaker 1: I think we have a few minutes, not a few hours,

12
00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,120
Speaker 1: so I won't I won't get too into detail in

13
00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,640
Speaker 1: terms of are the Braves too defeated? Are they're you know,

14
00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,239
Speaker 1: the mentality of them is has changed where they don't

15
00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,159
Speaker 1: feel they'll be able to improve upon this. I don't

16
00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,200
Speaker 1: think that's the case at all. I can go through

17
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,600
Speaker 1: when whenever I see the Braves go through instances like

18
00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,000
Speaker 1: this over the past few years. One of the reasons

19
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,280
Speaker 1: why they've been so success is because they've been so

20
00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,360
Speaker 1: good at bouncing back when they go through roles and

21
00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,240
Speaker 1: you know, you could go back to last year, for instance,

22
00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,240
Speaker 1: a disappointing loss and they came back one twelve out

23
00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,280
Speaker 1: of sixteen right after that, So they've been in this

24
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,800
Speaker 1: instance before, coming off a horrible loss when they really

25
00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:15,520
Speaker 1: needed a big win, and then they go on a

26
00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,200
Speaker 1: road trip. That's really really important. The big thing though

27
00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,960
Speaker 1: about this instance in time this season for the Braves

28
00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,600
Speaker 1: is that they've never been in this era of the

29
00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,480
Speaker 1: team this slow before. Seven games below five hundred this

30
00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:28,880
Speaker 1: late in the season. I think the last time they

31
00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,240
Speaker 1: were this many games in our five hundred was twenty sixteen.

32
00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,800
Speaker 1: Nor have they been in a spot where the offense

33
00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,720
Speaker 1: is now more than a year into really underperforming. So

34
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,679
Speaker 1: are they to the point to where the mentality's changed. Yes,

35
00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,440
Speaker 1: the World Series is still the outcome that they want.

36
00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:44,880
Speaker 1: Can they still be one of the best teams in

37
00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,240
Speaker 1: the National League to at least get a playoff spot? Yes?

38
00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:49,560
Speaker 1: But the hole that they're going to have to dig

39
00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,520
Speaker 1: themselves out of it's not been bigger in the Alexanthopolis

40
00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,720
Speaker 1: Brian Snicker era, and a lot of stuff has to

41
00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,600
Speaker 1: change for the positive, and we haven't really seen indications

42
00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,400
Speaker 1: that it will be able to change as fast as

43
00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,040
Speaker 1: it needs to even over the past year.

44
00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,760
Speaker 3: Let's rewind about three weeks. Okay, the Brave are starting

45
00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,880
Speaker 3: to play better ever since the oh to seven start.

46
00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:13,000
Speaker 3: They're playing six fifteen baseball. Oh when Spencer Strider's coming

47
00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,280
Speaker 3: back from his hamstring, he expects to be great. Acunya's

48
00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:22,680
Speaker 3: on the horizon and they're back and they have continued

49
00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,880
Speaker 3: the same mo as a outside, not a Braves fan,

50
00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,440
Speaker 3: just somebody that watches Braves baseball. Can they win when

51
00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,400
Speaker 3: Acunya is there? I'm not saying Acunya is making them lose,

52
00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,200
Speaker 3: but they won the World Series in twenty one without Akunya.

53
00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:42,440
Speaker 3: They ended up making the playoffs without Acunya. Is there

54
00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,560
Speaker 3: something to his like aura and like his like in

55
00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,560
Speaker 3: the clubhouse or are we just using easy stats to

56
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,040
Speaker 3: pick and choose that maybe he's not the like winning

57
00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,120
Speaker 3: player that he needs to be for this team.

58
00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:59,720
Speaker 1: I could certainly see where that perspective would come into play,

59
00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,280
Speaker 1: because you're right, you know, we've seen them have success

60
00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,160
Speaker 1: without Acunya. But we've also seen the fact that in

61
00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,720
Speaker 1: that twenty twenty one World Series, one of the biggest

62
00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,239
Speaker 1: reasons why we were able to win that is because

63
00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,080
Speaker 1: it was kind of the opposite of what we're seeing now.

64
00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,160
Speaker 1: We were seeing a lot of players play above their

65
00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:17,040
Speaker 1: heads to allow for us to be able to be

66
00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:18,959
Speaker 1: as good as we were. Our bullpen was one of

67
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,400
Speaker 1: the most dominant bullpens that we've seen in recent history

68
00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,880
Speaker 1: for a playoff stretch. You know, Jorge Hilaire, John Peterson,

69
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,440
Speaker 1: Eddie Rosario, they were above their head looking at what

70
00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,440
Speaker 1: Eddie Rosario did. Acunya is at that superstar level on

71
00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,480
Speaker 1: a consistent basis. So I get where you're coming from

72
00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,320
Speaker 1: America in terms of you know, could this team potentially

73
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,080
Speaker 1: you know, you wouldn't think about it, but Couldacunya have

74
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,480
Speaker 1: a negative effect. I don't necessarily think that's the case,

75
00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,040
Speaker 1: especially now, because there's so many things that Acunya does

76
00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,480
Speaker 1: in the spot that he does it that that is

77
00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,720
Speaker 1: needed to help this team improve. You look at what

78
00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:51,800
Speaker 1: he's done since he's been back, It's like he's not

79
00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,160
Speaker 1: lost a beat. The other stolen bases are not there,

80
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:55,800
Speaker 1: but he's hitting their level that he did during his

81
00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,080
Speaker 1: twenty twenty three MVP season. He gets on base, he

82
00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,760
Speaker 1: allows for us to be to have his presence in

83
00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,360
Speaker 1: the lineup that teams have to position around. You know,

84
00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,560
Speaker 1: you've seen teams do that here recently. Other players just

85
00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,200
Speaker 1: haven't stepped up. So I certainly see in past years

86
00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,080
Speaker 1: where that may have been an opinion that may have

87
00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,760
Speaker 1: had a bit more validity. I just it. Acuna is

88
00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,080
Speaker 1: one of, in my opinion, when the top five to

89
00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,400
Speaker 1: ten offensive forces overall players in the games, and now

90
00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,520
Speaker 1: more than ever, especially in one singular source that can

91
00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,680
Speaker 1: help us out in so many ways, we need him

92
00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,960
Speaker 1: more than ever with how bout our offense is performing.

93
00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,960
Speaker 1: So I think now more than ever, I know, I

94
00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,840
Speaker 1: keep saying that it's just that we haven't been the

95
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,280
Speaker 1: slow at a point in offense under the Alex and

96
00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,400
Speaker 1: thopless Bryan Sneaker era. He's our best offensive player. We

97
00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,279
Speaker 1: need him to consistently perform where he has been for

98
00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:41,359
Speaker 1: us to get where we want to be.

99
00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:47,800
Speaker 3: Do you agree with Tom Glavin? Was that rock bottom yesterday? Yeah?

100
00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,040
Speaker 1: It's got to be. And I asked the same question

101
00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,680
Speaker 1: on Hammer Territory the night before, like me and in

102
00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,080
Speaker 1: Stephen Tolbert, you know Brad Roland, Scott Coleman, you know

103
00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,880
Speaker 1: the other great hosts of the Hammer Territory podcast. We

104
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,720
Speaker 1: each had danced around the conversation all week long. Is

105
00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,159
Speaker 1: this rock bottom? Is this rock bottom, and then every

106
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,280
Speaker 1: single game it seemed like that was the new rock bottom. Yes,

107
00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,080
Speaker 1: I hope it's rock bottom. And the reason why I

108
00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,760
Speaker 1: say that is because when you have that disappointing of

109
00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,520
Speaker 1: a loss, when it was that much of a needed

110
00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,960
Speaker 1: win in the fashion that we lost it against a

111
00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,760
Speaker 1: fellow team that's disappointing as well, that's looking to get

112
00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,200
Speaker 1: back into the playoff picture themselves. It really hasn't been

113
00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,400
Speaker 1: any worse. And again I go back to last year

114
00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,720
Speaker 1: we lost nine to eight against the Rockies in August

115
00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:33,479
Speaker 1: and we had a six year league going into the

116
00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,040
Speaker 1: eighth inning in that game. I thought it was rock

117
00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,800
Speaker 1: bottom last year. Well, this time around, the reason why

118
00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,320
Speaker 1: it's even worse is because we're seven games under five

119
00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:44,320
Speaker 1: hundred versus being six games above five hundred at that point. So, yes,

120
00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,880
Speaker 1: this is the worst we've been all season long. And

121
00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,000
Speaker 1: I hope and pray do whatever I can to hope

122
00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:51,880
Speaker 1: that this is as worse as it gets. But we

123
00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:52,800
Speaker 1: bounce back quickly.

124
00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,080
Speaker 4: You talk about being games under five hundred, they are

125
00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,960
Speaker 4: struggling this year, and we already know that trade deadline

126
00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:00,760
Speaker 4: is looming.

127
00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:02,760
Speaker 1: What are your thoughts?

128
00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,680
Speaker 4: I mean, could it be I dare say, maybe get

129
00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:08,800
Speaker 4: rid of some guys or start all over. Do you

130
00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:11,040
Speaker 4: see them getting some pieces? There's seven games out of

131
00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,080
Speaker 4: the wild card. It's really not that much if you

132
00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:14,800
Speaker 4: look at it, but there's a bunch of teams ahead

133
00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,360
Speaker 4: of them. What are your thoughts at the trade deadline?

134
00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:19,719
Speaker 1: It's to be determined. And I know that that's a

135
00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,960
Speaker 1: cop out answer, but to me, that's just the thing

136
00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,000
Speaker 1: that stands out about this team. Todd is you know,

137
00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,200
Speaker 1: as a player, and I'm sure you experienced at times

138
00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:28,880
Speaker 1: during your career, is that Yes, as bad as the

139
00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,560
Speaker 1: Braves are performing now, there are still elements of this

140
00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,159
Speaker 1: team that easily can lead to a turnaround if the

141
00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,200
Speaker 1: offense can keep going. Our defense has been one of

142
00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,640
Speaker 1: the best in the game. Our starting pitching has been

143
00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,800
Speaker 1: one of the best since May first. Our bullpen is

144
00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:42,560
Speaker 1: a mess right now, and hopefully some changes that have

145
00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,520
Speaker 1: recently been made can improve it. But if our offense

146
00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,080
Speaker 1: gets going, we can put the needed two to three

147
00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,000
Speaker 1: week stretch of winning at the level that we need

148
00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,680
Speaker 1: to win to really turn the conversation around. But to

149
00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,000
Speaker 1: answer your question, if we continue on the path that

150
00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:56,880
Speaker 1: we are, the thing that I'll say is This is

151
00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:58,520
Speaker 1: that if we go more of a If we go

152
00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:00,240
Speaker 1: a month or so, especially through some of the teams

153
00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,279
Speaker 1: that we're playing through June, and we remain seven to

154
00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,599
Speaker 1: ten games under five hundred, it probably means that this

155
00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,080
Speaker 1: season isn't going to work out the way that we

156
00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,320
Speaker 1: want to. I don't think that has that much impact

157
00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,000
Speaker 1: on the future. I still think that World Series is

158
00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:13,960
Speaker 1: still reasonable outcomes for years to come. So I think

159
00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,360
Speaker 1: you could see us both buying and selling older players

160
00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,360
Speaker 1: who are towards the end of their contract with the Braves.

161
00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,040
Speaker 1: They potentially could be potential trade candidates that could make

162
00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,200
Speaker 1: sense for other teams. But we also, if we find

163
00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,560
Speaker 1: the right deal, could buy for the future cost control

164
00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,800
Speaker 1: player that can make sense. So I think that in

165
00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,680
Speaker 1: the end, the most likely scenarios you'll see us both

166
00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,200
Speaker 1: buy and potentially sell if we remain where we are,

167
00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,240
Speaker 1: But if we do get that search that we're desperately

168
00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,000
Speaker 1: looking for, we'll certainly be buyers.

169
00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,920
Speaker 3: All Right, two guys, I need you to pick one, sorry,

170
00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:46,680
Speaker 3: not a couna Albi's and Michael Harris. Which of these

171
00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:48,640
Speaker 3: guys when you're watching them on a day to day

172
00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:52,200
Speaker 3: basis seems the closest to be getting out of it,

173
00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,160
Speaker 3: because if one of them or both of them don't

174
00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,720
Speaker 3: get out of it, it could really signify that trade

175
00:07:57,720 --> 00:07:59,600
Speaker 3: deadline need for something different.

176
00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,720
Speaker 1: I think that's a great assessment because when you look

177
00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:06,160
Speaker 1: at besides our main guys, you know, everybody points to

178
00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:10,000
Speaker 1: Austin Riley, Matt Olsen, Ronald Acuna Junior. It's those second

179
00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:11,760
Speaker 1: tier of bosom. It's of guys who really need to

180
00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:13,840
Speaker 1: step up to once again propel us to be one

181
00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:15,640
Speaker 1: of the best offenses in the league. And those two

182
00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:17,480
Speaker 1: guys you hit the nail on the head. If there's

183
00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,800
Speaker 1: one guy that I could see it coming out of it,

184
00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,920
Speaker 1: potentially that would be Ozzy Alby's coming into I believe

185
00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:29,040
Speaker 1: it was yesterday Ozzy had draw had produced seven walks

186
00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:30,840
Speaker 1: over his past ten games, first time he'd done that

187
00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,520
Speaker 1: September of twenty twenty three. You're seeing him start to

188
00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,480
Speaker 1: have better overall play, approach, better performances at the plate.

189
00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:39,600
Speaker 1: He's got a couple of clutch hits. He's also been

190
00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,520
Speaker 1: able to hit, you know, with more power. I think offensively,

191
00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,520
Speaker 1: Ozzy Albi's is starting to find his groove a bit more.

192
00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,680
Speaker 1: Now what I will say is. I think though, while

193
00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,400
Speaker 1: it's good to see him working it into a group

194
00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,680
Speaker 1: a bit more, seeing I think he's closer to getting

195
00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,120
Speaker 1: back to his normal production. It's more important in my opinion,

196
00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,480
Speaker 1: for Michael Harris to do that, because I think the

197
00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,360
Speaker 1: power potential was higher with Harris on base or when

198
00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:03,600
Speaker 1: he's on base. I think that Michael Harris it's much

199
00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:05,520
Speaker 1: more of a threat. And just in general, if you

200
00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,720
Speaker 1: could get Michael Harris performing out of that nine spot

201
00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:09,800
Speaker 1: with the Coonie at that one spot, what made that

202
00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,480
Speaker 1: two thousand and three lineup so deadly besides the home runs,

203
00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,839
Speaker 1: was that term Michael Harrison Ronald of Cooney Junior getting

204
00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,280
Speaker 1: on base before our big bats. If Michael Harrison once

205
00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,960
Speaker 1: again do that, that could be a really good indication

206
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,559
Speaker 1: that we're getting more consistent offensively. But in terms of

207
00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:25,280
Speaker 1: the two, which one is closer to getting back to

208
00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,360
Speaker 1: the normal level of production, I think Ozzy is edging

209
00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,560
Speaker 1: closer to be in his normal level than Michael is.

210
00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:31,000
Speaker 1: Right now.

211
00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:34,720
Speaker 4: My question to you is, there's some guys they've got

212
00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,880
Speaker 4: some contracts here with the Braves talk. We've we talked

213
00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:42,080
Speaker 4: about this earlier. Being comfortable. Guys aren't performing the way

214
00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,599
Speaker 4: they are. Do you think players right now are a

215
00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,840
Speaker 4: little bit too comfortable, or you think Antopoulis did the

216
00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,480
Speaker 4: right thing by getting all these guys signed and going

217
00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,280
Speaker 4: out there and playing, they're just not doing their job.

218
00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,200
Speaker 1: I think it's the latter, I think right now. Unfortunately, Todd,

219
00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,360
Speaker 1: It's just it's a great question, first off, But I

220
00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:01,840
Speaker 1: think right now, it's just the simple fact that right

221
00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,199
Speaker 1: now it is just a perfect storm of many players

222
00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,760
Speaker 1: with significantly high sinned ceilings. Many players who right now

223
00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,720
Speaker 1: who should be among the best overall at their positions

224
00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,560
Speaker 1: in all of baseball, they're just underperforming. If you look

225
00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,600
Speaker 1: at this lineup as a whole right now, and you

226
00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,680
Speaker 1: were to say, okay, namely the players that right now

227
00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:23,320
Speaker 1: are performing at their expected level of outcomes, you could

228
00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,800
Speaker 1: point to Ronald Acuna Junior, and you could point to

229
00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,600
Speaker 1: Drake Baldwin. Beyond that, I don't think there's anybody else

230
00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,120
Speaker 1: that you could point to, especially when it counts. I

231
00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,520
Speaker 1: look the other day and compared our heart of the

232
00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:35,880
Speaker 1: lineup versus all of the heart of the lineups in

233
00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:38,960
Speaker 1: baseball with runners in scoring position when it matters most,

234
00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,280
Speaker 1: if you're not hitting home runs, for you to succeed,

235
00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,240
Speaker 1: and the Braves were bottom three to bottom four in

236
00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,280
Speaker 1: every important category WRC plus, slugging, ISO, what have you.

237
00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,480
Speaker 1: They just are not producing when it matters most, so

238
00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,400
Speaker 1: you see it in the lineup. I think the clubhouse

239
00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,080
Speaker 1: dynamic remains a positive. I think these players, more than anyone,

240
00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,440
Speaker 1: know how it's important to get going, and I think

241
00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,080
Speaker 1: they're more disappointed than anyone that they're not getting going.

242
00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,000
Speaker 1: So I could certainly see the idea that maybe they're

243
00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,360
Speaker 1: a bit comfortable since they've got, you know, so many

244
00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:09,920
Speaker 1: they're taking care of long term and all that different stuff.

245
00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,280
Speaker 1: But what makes this team so good when they're good

246
00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:14,240
Speaker 1: is that you've got a lot of passionate players who

247
00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,280
Speaker 1: really know the importance of playing together as a team.

248
00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:18,040
Speaker 1: That's what allowed for them to win the twenty twenty

249
00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,320
Speaker 1: one in the World Series. They know they're capable of

250
00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,920
Speaker 1: doing that again. It's just figuring out how to consistently

251
00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:24,720
Speaker 1: get back to the level that will allow for that

252
00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:25,880
Speaker 1: to be a realistic outcome.

253
00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,520
Speaker 3: In a ninth inning yesterday, when Matt Tuyasa Sopo was

254
00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,079
Speaker 3: on the mound and he gave up, oh wait, no, no,

255
00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:36,120
Speaker 3: they already fired Matt Tuiasa Sopo. How bad was he

256
00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,320
Speaker 3: because he became a scapegoat, but you watched the games

257
00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,920
Speaker 3: every night? Was he really that bad that you're like,

258
00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:44,840
Speaker 3: I knew that was coming. I totally knew that he

259
00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:46,360
Speaker 3: was going to be the reason now we're going to

260
00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:47,160
Speaker 3: turn it around.

261
00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,959
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think it's it is the significance of the

262
00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,280
Speaker 1: change from Matt Tuiyosa Sopo to Freddie Gonzalez, it shouldn't

263
00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,560
Speaker 1: garner a strong reaction. I think it was just simply

264
00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,440
Speaker 1: a point that listen, when it comes to the Braves team,

265
00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:04,319
Speaker 1: it's pretty clear that with the investments that they made

266
00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,000
Speaker 1: that we just talked about the expected identity of this

267
00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,440
Speaker 1: team is supposed to be the offense right now. That's

268
00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,760
Speaker 1: the point that's struggling. So the Braves kind of just

269
00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,360
Speaker 1: looked at an assessment of every factor that could be

270
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,400
Speaker 1: impact in the offense. And there has been multiple occurrences.

271
00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,400
Speaker 1: You know, we talked about it a few weeks ago,

272
00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,600
Speaker 1: me and Stephen Tolbert on the Hammer Territory podcast. It's

273
00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,040
Speaker 1: just that it seems like Matt Tuyasa Sopo did not

274
00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,599
Speaker 1: have the best awareness when it came to identifying opportunities

275
00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,079
Speaker 1: where if he made a certain decision, it would put

276
00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:32,959
Speaker 1: the odds in the braves favor to be able to

277
00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,240
Speaker 1: score runs. And those type of instances had built up

278
00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,720
Speaker 1: over time. So I do think that it was important

279
00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,240
Speaker 1: to get someone there with experience, who had familiarity with

280
00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:43,920
Speaker 1: the organization. That's why they went with Freddie Gonzalez. So

281
00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,079
Speaker 1: in terms of an overall impact on like getting the

282
00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,520
Speaker 1: offense back on track, it's going to have you know,

283
00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:50,440
Speaker 1: it's not that big of a change, but I do

284
00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,200
Speaker 1: think that it is a needed change because right now

285
00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,160
Speaker 1: the Braves need to improve any way that they can,

286
00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,800
Speaker 1: and if it includes getting more experience, that can put

287
00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,520
Speaker 1: them in better positions to win over time. I think

288
00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:03,160
Speaker 1: that it was a needed move to be made, so

289
00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,320
Speaker 1: I applauded the move, But in the end, it's a

290
00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:07,080
Speaker 1: minor move more than anything that's going to be a

291
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,160
Speaker 1: significant reason whether or not we get back on track.

292
00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,199
Speaker 3: Maybe some people forgot they got rid of their offensive

293
00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,640
Speaker 3: hitting coach Kevin Sitzer in the off season. Now the

294
00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:21,240
Speaker 3: offense is struggling. Do they regret that? Do they regret

295
00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:25,240
Speaker 3: getting rid of asal Fosano, because now Kevin Sitzer's out

296
00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:29,720
Speaker 3: in Seattle where they never hit, and oh wait, Seattle

297
00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:30,720
Speaker 3: Mariners can hit now.

298
00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't think that they regret really getting, you know,

299
00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,720
Speaker 1: being Kevin Sitzer, you know, coming out of the organization.

300
00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:38,720
Speaker 1: I know he's in Seattle.

301
00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:38,920
Speaker 4: Now.

302
00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:41,160
Speaker 1: The thing I'll say to this is that the thing

303
00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:43,360
Speaker 1: that needs to really be made, and this is why

304
00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,040
Speaker 1: it is concerning, is that the offensive concerns go back

305
00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,760
Speaker 1: to last April. You could pinpoint April twenty eight, twenty

306
00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,480
Speaker 1: ninth of last year twenty and twenty four, we'll basically

307
00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,440
Speaker 1: say May first. Before May first, the Braves offense was

308
00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,199
Speaker 1: at historical times in twenty twenty three, got off to

309
00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:59,640
Speaker 1: a really good start in twenty twenty four, and then

310
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,520
Speaker 1: they just went down, fell off a cliff on May first.

311
00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,880
Speaker 1: And a lot of that happened under Kevin Seitz. Under

312
00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,880
Speaker 1: Kevin Seitzer's tutelage, we saw many players underperforming. We saw

313
00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,200
Speaker 1: the struggles when they're not hitting homers or runners in

314
00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,760
Speaker 1: scoring position. So I think, more than anything, what has

315
00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,640
Speaker 1: happened now that the struggles of much of twenty twenty

316
00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,360
Speaker 1: four carrying over to twenty and twenty five. It's not

317
00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,040
Speaker 1: necessarily that you know, hey, a change in the hitting coach.

318
00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:26,600
Speaker 1: You know, we failled in that aspect because I think

319
00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,160
Speaker 1: that a new voice was needed. It's just that once again,

320
00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,400
Speaker 1: these players are going through an extended period of time

321
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,400
Speaker 1: where they're not performing to the level that they would

322
00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,800
Speaker 1: have expected to. That either means that we need to

323
00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,400
Speaker 1: lower the overall expectations of what their ceilings are because

324
00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:41,960
Speaker 1: they're not making the needed adjustments, or we overall need

325
00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,280
Speaker 1: to make a complete haul of the coaching staff. Not

326
00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,400
Speaker 1: saying that needs to happen now, but there may just

327
00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,040
Speaker 1: need to be a complete organizational refocus of how the

328
00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,720
Speaker 1: offense goes about doing things so these players can once

329
00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:55,040
Speaker 1: again consistently be able to perform at the high levels

330
00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,640
Speaker 1: they're expected to and should be able to should be expected.

331
00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:03,520
Speaker 2: To perform on Great info, great energy, Thanks for joining us.

332
00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,640
Speaker 2: Maybe you know we listen to Hammer Territory in a

333
00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,120
Speaker 2: few weeks and all has settled, or maybe even in August,

334
00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:12,280
Speaker 2: like in twenty twenty one, where they're five hundred ish

335
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:13,920
Speaker 2: and then all of a sudden they made some trades

336
00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:15,920
Speaker 2: and they're a different team and they win the World Series.

337
00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,040
Speaker 2: But we'll see. Good talking to you man.

338
00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:20,840
Speaker 1: One last thing, I'm gonna go ahead on record and

339
00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,040
Speaker 1: say it right now. The Braves will make the playoffs.

340
00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:24,640
Speaker 1: I have faith that they're going to make the surge

341
00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,880
Speaker 1: that they need to. I think this offense is going

342
00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:28,960
Speaker 1: to bounce back. The Braves will be in the playoffs

343
00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:30,840
Speaker 1: for the eighth straight year. Todd, I say, I see

344
00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:35,800
Speaker 1: you waving your hands. Hey, Hey, one last thing, I'll

345
00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,560
Speaker 1: in with the last team. The last team that was

346
00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:42,320
Speaker 1: performing at the level that the Braves were or worse

347
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:44,880
Speaker 1: this late into the season seven games under five hundred

348
00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,440
Speaker 1: at their ops or worse that won the World Series

349
00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:50,120
Speaker 1: was the nineteen fourteen Braves. We're going to put positive

350
00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:52,680
Speaker 1: vibes into the universe. So I'll we're talking about thanks

351
00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:53,479
Speaker 1: for the opportunity.

352
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:53,880
Speaker 3: I want.

353
00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:55,880
Speaker 4: I want some of that juice you're drinking down and

354
00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:57,440
Speaker 4: out there. Brother, we'll talk later.

355
00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,720
Speaker 1: Thanks. I like it.

356
00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,720
Speaker 2: I like it, Sean, I'm all about it. Hey, there's

357
00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,760
Speaker 2: a look at Hammer Territory on YouTube. They run shows

358
00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,920
Speaker 2: usually about four a week. There's four hosts. It's really

359
00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:13,560
Speaker 2: good stuff. I like Sean of course saying it with

360
00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,080
Speaker 2: his chest, just like Krats I'm sure was proud of.

361
00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:20,520
Speaker 2: So anyway, that's all the location for your braves information,