Atlanta Braves: Four Areas to Build on for Next Season

Sep 25, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves manager

Fredi Gonzalez

(33) looks on from the pitching cage before a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

FREDI GONZALEZ NEEDS TO GO

After the 2010 season, Bobby Cox advocated for the Atlanta Braves to pursue Fredi Gonzalez. Fredi Gonzalez experienced success the three years following Cox’s retirement, but the past two seasons have been a disaster. With the then Florida Marlins, Gonzalez possessed a losing record of 276-279 (.497 win percentage).

-= Related: Atlanta Braves: 5 Potential Replacements for Fredi Gonzalez =-

In the three years following Cox’s retirement, Gonzalez led the team to two postseason appearances; however, he did not advance once in the postseason, accumulating a 1-4 record. Following the 2013 season, Fredi Gonzalez is showing his obvious limitations as an in-game manager, leading the Atlanta Braves to a losing record in each season. One could argue that Gonzalez rode the coattails of Bobby Cox while he enjoyed success early on.

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Moreover, it seems that there are better options out there to supplant the struggling manager. Notable names that come to mind are: Bud Black, Ron Gardenhire, Leo Mazzone and Bo Porter. Two of the aforementioned coached (Black and Gardenhire) have MLB managerial coaching experience; while, the other two (Mazzone and Porter) do not. Gardenhire and Black are likable managers that have had similar success to Gonzalez.

Mazzone and Porter make for good candidates, because they held some coaching capacity for the Atlanta Braves. In short, there are coaching options out there to replace Gonzalez, and Braves’ fans are fed-up with his poor performances over the past two seasons. If John Hart really wants to have a contender by 2017, Gonzalez is not his guy.

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