WEBVTT - Have the Braves hit rock bottom?

0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.480
<v Speaker 1>They expected. Identity of this team is supposed to be

0:00:02.480 --> 0:00:05.560
<v Speaker 1>the offense right now. That's the point that struggling right now.

0:00:05.760 --> 0:00:08.559
<v Speaker 1>The Braves need to improve any way that they can.

0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:13.560
<v Speaker 1>All right, let's talk.

0:00:13.600 --> 0:00:16.360
<v Speaker 2>Sean Coleman is on the show here, host of Hammer

0:00:16.520 --> 0:00:19.160
<v Speaker 2>Territory with three other friends, and we encourage you to

0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:21.920
<v Speaker 2>check that show out. Sean, I wish that we were

0:00:21.960 --> 0:00:26.840
<v Speaker 2>talking during more positive times. But let's start nice and simple.

0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:33.519
<v Speaker 2>Are the Braves okay? Are the Braves okay? That is

0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:35.760
<v Speaker 2>a very very loaded question.

0:00:36.520 --> 0:00:38.479
<v Speaker 1>I think we have a few minutes, not a few hours,

0:00:38.479 --> 0:00:42.120
<v Speaker 1>so I won't I won't get too into detail in

0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:46.640
<v Speaker 1>terms of are the Braves too defeated? Are they're you know,

0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:49.239
<v Speaker 1>the mentality of them is has changed where they don't

0:00:49.280 --> 0:00:51.159
<v Speaker 1>feel they'll be able to improve upon this. I don't

0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:54.200
<v Speaker 1>think that's the case at all. I can go through

0:00:54.240 --> 0:00:56.600
<v Speaker 1>when whenever I see the Braves go through instances like

0:00:56.680 --> 0:00:59.000
<v Speaker 1>this over the past few years. One of the reasons

0:00:59.040 --> 0:01:01.280
<v Speaker 1>why they've been so success is because they've been so

0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:04.360
<v Speaker 1>good at bouncing back when they go through roles and

0:01:04.400 --> 0:01:06.240
<v Speaker 1>you know, you could go back to last year, for instance,

0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:08.240
<v Speaker 1>a disappointing loss and they came back one twelve out

0:01:08.240 --> 0:01:11.280
<v Speaker 1>of sixteen right after that, So they've been in this

0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:13.800
<v Speaker 1>instance before, coming off a horrible loss when they really

0:01:13.800 --> 0:01:15.520
<v Speaker 1>needed a big win, and then they go on a

0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:18.200
<v Speaker 1>road trip. That's really really important. The big thing though

0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:20.960
<v Speaker 1>about this instance in time this season for the Braves

0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:24.600
<v Speaker 1>is that they've never been in this era of the

0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:27.480
<v Speaker 1>team this slow before. Seven games below five hundred this

0:01:27.600 --> 0:01:28.880
<v Speaker 1>late in the season. I think the last time they

0:01:28.920 --> 0:01:32.240
<v Speaker 1>were this many games in our five hundred was twenty sixteen.

0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:34.800
<v Speaker 1>Nor have they been in a spot where the offense

0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:37.720
<v Speaker 1>is now more than a year into really underperforming. So

0:01:38.240 --> 0:01:40.679
<v Speaker 1>are they to the point to where the mentality's changed. Yes,

0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:43.440
<v Speaker 1>the World Series is still the outcome that they want.

0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:44.880
<v Speaker 1>Can they still be one of the best teams in

0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:47.240
<v Speaker 1>the National League to at least get a playoff spot? Yes?

0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:49.560
<v Speaker 1>But the hole that they're going to have to dig

0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:52.520
<v Speaker 1>themselves out of it's not been bigger in the Alexanthopolis

0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:54.720
<v Speaker 1>Brian Snicker era, and a lot of stuff has to

0:01:54.800 --> 0:01:57.600
<v Speaker 1>change for the positive, and we haven't really seen indications

0:01:57.600 --> 0:01:59.400
<v Speaker 1>that it will be able to change as fast as

0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:02.040
<v Speaker 1>it needs to even over the past year.

0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:05.760
<v Speaker 3>Let's rewind about three weeks. Okay, the Brave are starting

0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:08.880
<v Speaker 3>to play better ever since the oh to seven start.

0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:13.000
<v Speaker 3>They're playing six fifteen baseball. Oh when Spencer Strider's coming

0:02:13.080 --> 0:02:16.280
<v Speaker 3>back from his hamstring, he expects to be great. Acunya's

0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:22.680
<v Speaker 3>on the horizon and they're back and they have continued

0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:25.880
<v Speaker 3>the same mo as a outside, not a Braves fan,

0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:30.440
<v Speaker 3>just somebody that watches Braves baseball. Can they win when

0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:33.400
<v Speaker 3>Acunya is there? I'm not saying Acunya is making them lose,

0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:37.200
<v Speaker 3>but they won the World Series in twenty one without Akunya.

0:02:37.760 --> 0:02:42.440
<v Speaker 3>They ended up making the playoffs without Acunya. Is there

0:02:42.680 --> 0:02:46.560
<v Speaker 3>something to his like aura and like his like in

0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:50.560
<v Speaker 3>the clubhouse or are we just using easy stats to

0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:54.040
<v Speaker 3>pick and choose that maybe he's not the like winning

0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:57.120
<v Speaker 3>player that he needs to be for this team.

0:02:57.639 --> 0:02:59.720
<v Speaker 1>I could certainly see where that perspective would come into play,

0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:02.280
<v Speaker 1>because you're right, you know, we've seen them have success

0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:05.160
<v Speaker 1>without Acunya. But we've also seen the fact that in

0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:07.720
<v Speaker 1>that twenty twenty one World Series, one of the biggest

0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:10.239
<v Speaker 1>reasons why we were able to win that is because

0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:12.080
<v Speaker 1>it was kind of the opposite of what we're seeing now.

0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:15.160
<v Speaker 1>We were seeing a lot of players play above their

0:03:15.240 --> 0:03:17.040
<v Speaker 1>heads to allow for us to be able to be

0:03:17.080 --> 0:03:18.959
<v Speaker 1>as good as we were. Our bullpen was one of

0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:21.400
<v Speaker 1>the most dominant bullpens that we've seen in recent history

0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:24.880
<v Speaker 1>for a playoff stretch. You know, Jorge Hilaire, John Peterson,

0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.440
<v Speaker 1>Eddie Rosario, they were above their head looking at what

0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:31.440
<v Speaker 1>Eddie Rosario did. Acunya is at that superstar level on

0:03:31.520 --> 0:03:34.480
<v Speaker 1>a consistent basis. So I get where you're coming from

0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:37.320
<v Speaker 1>America in terms of you know, could this team potentially

0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:39.080
<v Speaker 1>you know, you wouldn't think about it, but Couldacunya have

0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:41.480
<v Speaker 1>a negative effect. I don't necessarily think that's the case,

0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:45.040
<v Speaker 1>especially now, because there's so many things that Acunya does

0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:47.480
<v Speaker 1>in the spot that he does it that that is

0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:49.720
<v Speaker 1>needed to help this team improve. You look at what

0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:51.800
<v Speaker 1>he's done since he's been back, It's like he's not

0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:54.160
<v Speaker 1>lost a beat. The other stolen bases are not there,

0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:55.800
<v Speaker 1>but he's hitting their level that he did during his

0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:59.080
<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty three MVP season. He gets on base, he

0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:01.760
<v Speaker 1>allows for us to be to have his presence in

0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:04.360
<v Speaker 1>the lineup that teams have to position around. You know,

0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:06.560
<v Speaker 1>you've seen teams do that here recently. Other players just

0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:09.200
<v Speaker 1>haven't stepped up. So I certainly see in past years

0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:11.080
<v Speaker 1>where that may have been an opinion that may have

0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:14.760
<v Speaker 1>had a bit more validity. I just it. Acuna is

0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:17.080
<v Speaker 1>one of, in my opinion, when the top five to

0:04:17.080 --> 0:04:20.400
<v Speaker 1>ten offensive forces overall players in the games, and now

0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:23.520
<v Speaker 1>more than ever, especially in one singular source that can

0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:25.680
<v Speaker 1>help us out in so many ways, we need him

0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:27.960
<v Speaker 1>more than ever with how bout our offense is performing.

0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:29.960
<v Speaker 1>So I think now more than ever, I know, I

0:04:30.040 --> 0:04:31.840
<v Speaker 1>keep saying that it's just that we haven't been the

0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:34.280
<v Speaker 1>slow at a point in offense under the Alex and

0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:37.400
<v Speaker 1>thopless Bryan Sneaker era. He's our best offensive player. We

0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:40.279
<v Speaker 1>need him to consistently perform where he has been for

0:04:40.360 --> 0:04:41.359
<v Speaker 1>us to get where we want to be.

0:04:42.400 --> 0:04:47.800
<v Speaker 3>Do you agree with Tom Glavin? Was that rock bottom yesterday? Yeah?

0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:50.040
<v Speaker 1>It's got to be. And I asked the same question

0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:52.680
<v Speaker 1>on Hammer Territory the night before, like me and in

0:04:52.760 --> 0:04:55.080
<v Speaker 1>Stephen Tolbert, you know Brad Roland, Scott Coleman, you know

0:04:55.120 --> 0:04:58.880
<v Speaker 1>the other great hosts of the Hammer Territory podcast. We

0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:03.720
<v Speaker 1>each had danced around the conversation all week long. Is

0:05:03.760 --> 0:05:06.159
<v Speaker 1>this rock bottom? Is this rock bottom, and then every

0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:10.280
<v Speaker 1>single game it seemed like that was the new rock bottom. Yes,

0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:12.080
<v Speaker 1>I hope it's rock bottom. And the reason why I

0:05:12.120 --> 0:05:14.760
<v Speaker 1>say that is because when you have that disappointing of

0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:17.520
<v Speaker 1>a loss, when it was that much of a needed

0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:19.960
<v Speaker 1>win in the fashion that we lost it against a

0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:22.760
<v Speaker 1>fellow team that's disappointing as well, that's looking to get

0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:26.200
<v Speaker 1>back into the playoff picture themselves. It really hasn't been

0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:28.400
<v Speaker 1>any worse. And again I go back to last year

0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:31.720
<v Speaker 1>we lost nine to eight against the Rockies in August

0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:33.479
<v Speaker 1>and we had a six year league going into the

0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:35.040
<v Speaker 1>eighth inning in that game. I thought it was rock

0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:37.800
<v Speaker 1>bottom last year. Well, this time around, the reason why

0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:40.320
<v Speaker 1>it's even worse is because we're seven games under five

0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:44.320
<v Speaker 1>hundred versus being six games above five hundred at that point. So, yes,

0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:46.880
<v Speaker 1>this is the worst we've been all season long. And

0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:50.000
<v Speaker 1>I hope and pray do whatever I can to hope

0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:51.880
<v Speaker 1>that this is as worse as it gets. But we

0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:52.800
<v Speaker 1>bounce back quickly.

0:05:54.120 --> 0:05:57.080
<v Speaker 4>You talk about being games under five hundred, they are

0:05:57.080 --> 0:05:59.960
<v Speaker 4>struggling this year, and we already know that trade deadline

0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:00.760
<v Speaker 4>is looming.

0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:02.760
<v Speaker 1>What are your thoughts?

0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:06.680
<v Speaker 4>I mean, could it be I dare say, maybe get

0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:08.800
<v Speaker 4>rid of some guys or start all over. Do you

0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:11.040
<v Speaker 4>see them getting some pieces? There's seven games out of

0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:13.080
<v Speaker 4>the wild card. It's really not that much if you

0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:14.800
<v Speaker 4>look at it, but there's a bunch of teams ahead

0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:17.360
<v Speaker 4>of them. What are your thoughts at the trade deadline?

0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:19.719
<v Speaker 1>It's to be determined. And I know that that's a

0:06:19.720 --> 0:06:21.960
<v Speaker 1>cop out answer, but to me, that's just the thing

0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:24.000
<v Speaker 1>that stands out about this team. Todd is you know,

0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.200
<v Speaker 1>as a player, and I'm sure you experienced at times

0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:28.880
<v Speaker 1>during your career, is that Yes, as bad as the

0:06:28.920 --> 0:06:31.560
<v Speaker 1>Braves are performing now, there are still elements of this

0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:34.159
<v Speaker 1>team that easily can lead to a turnaround if the

0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:36.200
<v Speaker 1>offense can keep going. Our defense has been one of

0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.640
<v Speaker 1>the best in the game. Our starting pitching has been

0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:40.800
<v Speaker 1>one of the best since May first. Our bullpen is

0:06:40.800 --> 0:06:42.560
<v Speaker 1>a mess right now, and hopefully some changes that have

0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:45.520
<v Speaker 1>recently been made can improve it. But if our offense

0:06:45.600 --> 0:06:48.080
<v Speaker 1>gets going, we can put the needed two to three

0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:50.000
<v Speaker 1>week stretch of winning at the level that we need

0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:52.680
<v Speaker 1>to win to really turn the conversation around. But to

0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:55.000
<v Speaker 1>answer your question, if we continue on the path that

0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:56.880
<v Speaker 1>we are, the thing that I'll say is This is

0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:58.520
<v Speaker 1>that if we go more of a If we go

0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:00.240
<v Speaker 1>a month or so, especially through some of the teams

0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:02.279
<v Speaker 1>that we're playing through June, and we remain seven to

0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:04.599
<v Speaker 1>ten games under five hundred, it probably means that this

0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:06.080
<v Speaker 1>season isn't going to work out the way that we

0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:08.320
<v Speaker 1>want to. I don't think that has that much impact

0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:11.000
<v Speaker 1>on the future. I still think that World Series is

0:07:11.040 --> 0:07:13.960
<v Speaker 1>still reasonable outcomes for years to come. So I think

0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:16.360
<v Speaker 1>you could see us both buying and selling older players

0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:18.360
<v Speaker 1>who are towards the end of their contract with the Braves.

0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:21.040
<v Speaker 1>They potentially could be potential trade candidates that could make

0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:23.200
<v Speaker 1>sense for other teams. But we also, if we find

0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:25.560
<v Speaker 1>the right deal, could buy for the future cost control

0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:27.800
<v Speaker 1>player that can make sense. So I think that in

0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:30.680
<v Speaker 1>the end, the most likely scenarios you'll see us both

0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:33.200
<v Speaker 1>buy and potentially sell if we remain where we are,

0:07:33.280 --> 0:07:35.240
<v Speaker 1>But if we do get that search that we're desperately

0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:37.000
<v Speaker 1>looking for, we'll certainly be buyers.

0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:41.920
<v Speaker 3>All Right, two guys, I need you to pick one, sorry,

0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:46.680
<v Speaker 3>not a couna Albi's and Michael Harris. Which of these

0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:48.640
<v Speaker 3>guys when you're watching them on a day to day

0:07:48.680 --> 0:07:52.200
<v Speaker 3>basis seems the closest to be getting out of it,

0:07:52.240 --> 0:07:54.160
<v Speaker 3>because if one of them or both of them don't

0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:57.720
<v Speaker 3>get out of it, it could really signify that trade

0:07:57.720 --> 0:07:59.600
<v Speaker 3>deadline need for something different.

0:08:01.160 --> 0:08:03.720
<v Speaker 1>I think that's a great assessment because when you look

0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:06.160
<v Speaker 1>at besides our main guys, you know, everybody points to

0:08:06.200 --> 0:08:10.000
<v Speaker 1>Austin Riley, Matt Olsen, Ronald Acuna Junior. It's those second

0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:11.760
<v Speaker 1>tier of bosom. It's of guys who really need to

0:08:11.760 --> 0:08:13.840
<v Speaker 1>step up to once again propel us to be one

0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:15.640
<v Speaker 1>of the best offenses in the league. And those two

0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:17.480
<v Speaker 1>guys you hit the nail on the head. If there's

0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:19.800
<v Speaker 1>one guy that I could see it coming out of it,

0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:23.920
<v Speaker 1>potentially that would be Ozzy Alby's coming into I believe

0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:29.040
<v Speaker 1>it was yesterday Ozzy had draw had produced seven walks

0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:30.840
<v Speaker 1>over his past ten games, first time he'd done that

0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:34.520
<v Speaker 1>September of twenty twenty three. You're seeing him start to

0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:37.480
<v Speaker 1>have better overall play, approach, better performances at the plate.

0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:39.600
<v Speaker 1>He's got a couple of clutch hits. He's also been

0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:42.520
<v Speaker 1>able to hit, you know, with more power. I think offensively,

0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.520
<v Speaker 1>Ozzy Albi's is starting to find his groove a bit more.

0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:48.680
<v Speaker 1>Now what I will say is. I think though, while

0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.400
<v Speaker 1>it's good to see him working it into a group

0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:53.680
<v Speaker 1>a bit more, seeing I think he's closer to getting

0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:56.120
<v Speaker 1>back to his normal production. It's more important in my opinion,

0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:58.480
<v Speaker 1>for Michael Harris to do that, because I think the

0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:01.360
<v Speaker 1>power potential was higher with Harris on base or when

0:09:01.360 --> 0:09:03.600
<v Speaker 1>he's on base. I think that Michael Harris it's much

0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:05.520
<v Speaker 1>more of a threat. And just in general, if you

0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:07.720
<v Speaker 1>could get Michael Harris performing out of that nine spot

0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:09.800
<v Speaker 1>with the Coonie at that one spot, what made that

0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.480
<v Speaker 1>two thousand and three lineup so deadly besides the home runs,

0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:15.839
<v Speaker 1>was that term Michael Harrison Ronald of Cooney Junior getting

0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:18.280
<v Speaker 1>on base before our big bats. If Michael Harrison once

0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:20.960
<v Speaker 1>again do that, that could be a really good indication

0:09:21.000 --> 0:09:23.559
<v Speaker 1>that we're getting more consistent offensively. But in terms of

0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:25.280
<v Speaker 1>the two, which one is closer to getting back to

0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:28.360
<v Speaker 1>the normal level of production, I think Ozzy is edging

0:09:28.400 --> 0:09:30.560
<v Speaker 1>closer to be in his normal level than Michael is.

0:09:30.640 --> 0:09:31.000
<v Speaker 1>Right now.

0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:34.720
<v Speaker 4>My question to you is, there's some guys they've got

0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:37.880
<v Speaker 4>some contracts here with the Braves talk. We've we talked

0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:42.080
<v Speaker 4>about this earlier. Being comfortable. Guys aren't performing the way

0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:44.599
<v Speaker 4>they are. Do you think players right now are a

0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:47.840
<v Speaker 4>little bit too comfortable, or you think Antopoulis did the

0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:50.480
<v Speaker 4>right thing by getting all these guys signed and going

0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:52.280
<v Speaker 4>out there and playing, they're just not doing their job.

0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:56.200
<v Speaker 1>I think it's the latter, I think right now. Unfortunately, Todd,

0:09:56.240 --> 0:09:59.360
<v Speaker 1>It's just it's a great question, first off, But I

0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:01.840
<v Speaker 1>think right now, it's just the simple fact that right

0:10:01.880 --> 0:10:05.199
<v Speaker 1>now it is just a perfect storm of many players

0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.760
<v Speaker 1>with significantly high sinned ceilings. Many players who right now

0:10:08.920 --> 0:10:11.720
<v Speaker 1>who should be among the best overall at their positions

0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:14.560
<v Speaker 1>in all of baseball, they're just underperforming. If you look

0:10:14.559 --> 0:10:16.600
<v Speaker 1>at this lineup as a whole right now, and you

0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:19.680
<v Speaker 1>were to say, okay, namely the players that right now

0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:23.320
<v Speaker 1>are performing at their expected level of outcomes, you could

0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:25.800
<v Speaker 1>point to Ronald Acuna Junior, and you could point to

0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:28.600
<v Speaker 1>Drake Baldwin. Beyond that, I don't think there's anybody else

0:10:28.720 --> 0:10:31.120
<v Speaker 1>that you could point to, especially when it counts. I

0:10:31.160 --> 0:10:33.520
<v Speaker 1>look the other day and compared our heart of the

0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:35.880
<v Speaker 1>lineup versus all of the heart of the lineups in

0:10:36.000 --> 0:10:38.960
<v Speaker 1>baseball with runners in scoring position when it matters most,

0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:41.280
<v Speaker 1>if you're not hitting home runs, for you to succeed,

0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:44.240
<v Speaker 1>and the Braves were bottom three to bottom four in

0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:48.280
<v Speaker 1>every important category WRC plus, slugging, ISO, what have you.

0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.480
<v Speaker 1>They just are not producing when it matters most, so

0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:54.400
<v Speaker 1>you see it in the lineup. I think the clubhouse

0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:58.080
<v Speaker 1>dynamic remains a positive. I think these players, more than anyone,

0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:00.440
<v Speaker 1>know how it's important to get going, and I think

0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:03.080
<v Speaker 1>they're more disappointed than anyone that they're not getting going.

0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:05.000
<v Speaker 1>So I could certainly see the idea that maybe they're

0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:07.360
<v Speaker 1>a bit comfortable since they've got, you know, so many

0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:09.920
<v Speaker 1>they're taking care of long term and all that different stuff.

0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:12.280
<v Speaker 1>But what makes this team so good when they're good

0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:14.240
<v Speaker 1>is that you've got a lot of passionate players who

0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:16.280
<v Speaker 1>really know the importance of playing together as a team.

0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:18.040
<v Speaker 1>That's what allowed for them to win the twenty twenty

0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:20.320
<v Speaker 1>one in the World Series. They know they're capable of

0:11:20.360 --> 0:11:22.920
<v Speaker 1>doing that again. It's just figuring out how to consistently

0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:24.720
<v Speaker 1>get back to the level that will allow for that

0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:25.880
<v Speaker 1>to be a realistic outcome.

0:11:26.800 --> 0:11:29.520
<v Speaker 3>In a ninth inning yesterday, when Matt Tuyasa Sopo was

0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:32.079
<v Speaker 3>on the mound and he gave up, oh wait, no, no,

0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:36.120
<v Speaker 3>they already fired Matt Tuiasa Sopo. How bad was he

0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:39.320
<v Speaker 3>because he became a scapegoat, but you watched the games

0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:41.920
<v Speaker 3>every night? Was he really that bad that you're like,

0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:44.840
<v Speaker 3>I knew that was coming. I totally knew that he

0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:46.360
<v Speaker 3>was going to be the reason now we're going to

0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:47.160
<v Speaker 3>turn it around.

0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:51.959
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. I think it's it is the significance of the

0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:55.280
<v Speaker 1>change from Matt Tuiyosa Sopo to Freddie Gonzalez, it shouldn't

0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:58.560
<v Speaker 1>garner a strong reaction. I think it was just simply

0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:01.440
<v Speaker 1>a point that listen, when it comes to the Braves team,

0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:04.319
<v Speaker 1>it's pretty clear that with the investments that they made

0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:07.000
<v Speaker 1>that we just talked about the expected identity of this

0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:09.440
<v Speaker 1>team is supposed to be the offense right now. That's

0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:11.760
<v Speaker 1>the point that's struggling. So the Braves kind of just

0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.360
<v Speaker 1>looked at an assessment of every factor that could be

0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:17.400
<v Speaker 1>impact in the offense. And there has been multiple occurrences.

0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:19.400
<v Speaker 1>You know, we talked about it a few weeks ago,

0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:22.600
<v Speaker 1>me and Stephen Tolbert on the Hammer Territory podcast. It's

0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:25.040
<v Speaker 1>just that it seems like Matt Tuyasa Sopo did not

0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:28.599
<v Speaker 1>have the best awareness when it came to identifying opportunities

0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:31.079
<v Speaker 1>where if he made a certain decision, it would put

0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:32.959
<v Speaker 1>the odds in the braves favor to be able to

0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:36.240
<v Speaker 1>score runs. And those type of instances had built up

0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:38.720
<v Speaker 1>over time. So I do think that it was important

0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:41.240
<v Speaker 1>to get someone there with experience, who had familiarity with

0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:43.920
<v Speaker 1>the organization. That's why they went with Freddie Gonzalez. So

0:12:44.000 --> 0:12:46.079
<v Speaker 1>in terms of an overall impact on like getting the

0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:48.520
<v Speaker 1>offense back on track, it's going to have you know,

0:12:48.559 --> 0:12:50.440
<v Speaker 1>it's not that big of a change, but I do

0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:53.200
<v Speaker 1>think that it is a needed change because right now

0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:56.160
<v Speaker 1>the Braves need to improve any way that they can,

0:12:56.360 --> 0:12:58.800
<v Speaker 1>and if it includes getting more experience, that can put

0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:01.520
<v Speaker 1>them in better positions to win over time. I think

0:13:01.520 --> 0:13:03.160
<v Speaker 1>that it was a needed move to be made, so

0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:05.320
<v Speaker 1>I applauded the move, But in the end, it's a

0:13:05.360 --> 0:13:07.080
<v Speaker 1>minor move more than anything that's going to be a

0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:09.160
<v Speaker 1>significant reason whether or not we get back on track.

0:13:10.160 --> 0:13:13.199
<v Speaker 3>Maybe some people forgot they got rid of their offensive

0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:17.640
<v Speaker 3>hitting coach Kevin Sitzer in the off season. Now the

0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:21.240
<v Speaker 3>offense is struggling. Do they regret that? Do they regret

0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:25.240
<v Speaker 3>getting rid of asal Fosano, because now Kevin Sitzer's out

0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:29.720
<v Speaker 3>in Seattle where they never hit, and oh wait, Seattle

0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:30.720
<v Speaker 3>Mariners can hit now.

0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:34.800
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I don't think that they regret really getting, you know,

0:13:35.400 --> 0:13:37.720
<v Speaker 1>being Kevin Sitzer, you know, coming out of the organization.

0:13:37.760 --> 0:13:38.720
<v Speaker 1>I know he's in Seattle.

0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:38.920
<v Speaker 4>Now.

0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:41.160
<v Speaker 1>The thing I'll say to this is that the thing

0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:43.360
<v Speaker 1>that needs to really be made, and this is why

0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:46.040
<v Speaker 1>it is concerning, is that the offensive concerns go back

0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:48.760
<v Speaker 1>to last April. You could pinpoint April twenty eight, twenty

0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:51.480
<v Speaker 1>ninth of last year twenty and twenty four, we'll basically

0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:54.440
<v Speaker 1>say May first. Before May first, the Braves offense was

0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:57.199
<v Speaker 1>at historical times in twenty twenty three, got off to

0:13:57.240 --> 0:13:59.640
<v Speaker 1>a really good start in twenty twenty four, and then

0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:02.520
<v Speaker 1>they just went down, fell off a cliff on May first.

0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:05.880
<v Speaker 1>And a lot of that happened under Kevin Seitz. Under

0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:09.880
<v Speaker 1>Kevin Seitzer's tutelage, we saw many players underperforming. We saw

0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:12.200
<v Speaker 1>the struggles when they're not hitting homers or runners in

0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:15.760
<v Speaker 1>scoring position. So I think, more than anything, what has

0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:18.640
<v Speaker 1>happened now that the struggles of much of twenty twenty

0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:21.360
<v Speaker 1>four carrying over to twenty and twenty five. It's not

0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:24.040
<v Speaker 1>necessarily that you know, hey, a change in the hitting coach.

0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:26.600
<v Speaker 1>You know, we failled in that aspect because I think

0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:29.160
<v Speaker 1>that a new voice was needed. It's just that once again,

0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:31.400
<v Speaker 1>these players are going through an extended period of time

0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:33.400
<v Speaker 1>where they're not performing to the level that they would

0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:35.800
<v Speaker 1>have expected to. That either means that we need to

0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.400
<v Speaker 1>lower the overall expectations of what their ceilings are because

0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:41.960
<v Speaker 1>they're not making the needed adjustments, or we overall need

0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:44.280
<v Speaker 1>to make a complete haul of the coaching staff. Not

0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:46.400
<v Speaker 1>saying that needs to happen now, but there may just

0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:49.040
<v Speaker 1>need to be a complete organizational refocus of how the

0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:51.720
<v Speaker 1>offense goes about doing things so these players can once

0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:55.040
<v Speaker 1>again consistently be able to perform at the high levels

0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:58.640
<v Speaker 1>they're expected to and should be able to should be expected.

0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:03.520
<v Speaker 2>To perform on Great info, great energy, Thanks for joining us.

0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:06.640
<v Speaker 2>Maybe you know we listen to Hammer Territory in a

0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:10.120
<v Speaker 2>few weeks and all has settled, or maybe even in August,

0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:12.280
<v Speaker 2>like in twenty twenty one, where they're five hundred ish

0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:13.920
<v Speaker 2>and then all of a sudden they made some trades

0:15:13.960 --> 0:15:15.920
<v Speaker 2>and they're a different team and they win the World Series.

0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:18.040
<v Speaker 2>But we'll see. Good talking to you man.

0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:20.840
<v Speaker 1>One last thing, I'm gonna go ahead on record and

0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:23.040
<v Speaker 1>say it right now. The Braves will make the playoffs.

0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:24.640
<v Speaker 1>I have faith that they're going to make the surge

0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:26.880
<v Speaker 1>that they need to. I think this offense is going

0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:28.960
<v Speaker 1>to bounce back. The Braves will be in the playoffs

0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:30.840
<v Speaker 1>for the eighth straight year. Todd, I say, I see

0:15:30.840 --> 0:15:35.800
<v Speaker 1>you waving your hands. Hey, Hey, one last thing, I'll

0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:38.560
<v Speaker 1>in with the last team. The last team that was

0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:42.320
<v Speaker 1>performing at the level that the Braves were or worse

0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:44.880
<v Speaker 1>this late into the season seven games under five hundred

0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:47.440
<v Speaker 1>at their ops or worse that won the World Series

0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:50.120
<v Speaker 1>was the nineteen fourteen Braves. We're going to put positive

0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:52.680
<v Speaker 1>vibes into the universe. So I'll we're talking about thanks

0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:53.479
<v Speaker 1>for the opportunity.

0:15:53.520 --> 0:15:53.880
<v Speaker 3>I want.

0:15:53.920 --> 0:15:55.880
<v Speaker 4>I want some of that juice you're drinking down and

0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:57.440
<v Speaker 4>out there. Brother, we'll talk later.

0:15:57.560 --> 0:16:00.720
<v Speaker 1>Thanks. I like it.

0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:03.720
<v Speaker 2>I like it, Sean, I'm all about it. Hey, there's

0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:07.760
<v Speaker 2>a look at Hammer Territory on YouTube. They run shows

0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:10.920
<v Speaker 2>usually about four a week. There's four hosts. It's really

0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:13.560
<v Speaker 2>good stuff. I like Sean of course saying it with

0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:16.080
<v Speaker 2>his chest, just like Krats I'm sure was proud of.

0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:20.520
<v Speaker 2>So anyway, that's all the location for your braves information,