If it seems like this season for the Atlanta Braves has had a lot of ups and downs, then you are not alone. When I started the Atlanta Braves Fan Confidence poll just after spring training, I envisioned that it would be a quick and easy way for us to see what people think about the Braves now, and as a quick snapshot back in time to see what we were thinking for the last few months. I envisioned big sweeping ups and downs that went in one direction for several months, but not the jagged and sharp jumps and dips that currently dominate the graph at the half-way point of the season.
After falling for the past three weeks and finding a new season low last week, the FCP jumped back up this week. The fans' confidence likely buoyed by a sweep of the Phillies and perhaps the promotion of the organization's two top prospects, Jason Heyward (Jay-Hey) and Freddie Freeman, to double-A Mississippi -- just one rung of the minor league ladder away from the majors.
The unfortunate part of this graph is that this peak will probably not last, as most of the peaks on this graph have not lasted. After losing 2-out-of-3 to the worst team in baseball and the first game against the Little Bears, we can only hope the Braves can salvage the rest of the games this week, lest our collective confidence will plummit once again.
0 recs | 22 comments
Two major moves make my vote higher.....
Diaz and Prado
secondbass - July 7, 2009
Exactly...
It is just comforting to my soul to have Johnson and FYF out of the lineup.
SupermanWearsBobSander'sPJs - July 7, 2009
totally agreed
I was very pleased with Bobby this week after he actually kept fuck-you-fucky out of the lineup for the third straight game. I didnt think he’d last that long but it looks like Bobby’s out to win now.
traphicg - July 7, 2009
Who would have thought the sweep of the Phillies
would have steered the respective momentum of both teams in this direction? I would have thought it would have been the opposite.
gramsey712 - July 7, 2009
+1
VivaLosBravos - July 7, 2009
what goes up must come down
Unfortunately I saw the flop against the Nats and Cubs coming. The confidence poll is in for a huge correction (to borrow terminology from the stock market) this Friday.
redwards95 - July 7, 2009
I was at 70% after the phils but now I am around 50-60%
Heyward is the next crime dog - July 7, 2009
My opinion has been around 65% (+/- 5) for the past 2 months.
If Bobby keeps Jeff and Kelly out of the starting lineup, then it will probably go up.
If the Braves trade or send Frency down to the minors, then I’ll probably be 100% regardless of wins/losses.
Sparhawk - July 7, 2009
Fading fast...
I’m prolly at about 40%…maybe. I really thought McClouth would make more difference. He’s playing fine but didn’t seem to add any spark to the rest of the lineup.
The games v. the Nats, the Braves just looked uninspired for the most part. What a shame to waste this great starting pitching.
So frustrating…even with Diaz and Prado raking (compared to the black holes they’ve replaced) we still aren’t scoring consistently.
Every year, I become more and more in awe of the 14-season run. Incredible. Seemed so easy then…
WienerDog - July 7, 2009
Even though it's a small sample size
i.e., 3 or 4 games, it seems to me that FYF and KJ aren’t necessarily THE problem(s) on this team. Sure, they’ve failed plenty enough over the rest of the season, but the Braves have not been consistently better with them on the bench.
I admit that my hope was raised by the Philly sweep (including a 5-game W streak), but the crushing way we’ve lost to the worst team in MLB immediately afterward, not to mention the asleep-at-the-wheel play last night against the Cubs, tells me that hoping in this team this year is a fool’s errand.
The Confidence Meter will continue to swing between 40 and 70 percent all season as the Braves occasionally break the funk and sink back into it.
35% and holding from me….and that’s a little generous based on Esco/Prado/GFA (recently) stepping up.
skymuse - July 7, 2009
I disagree
In this three game stretch we’ve seen two effective lefties (against which our lefty heavy lineup struggled), a bullpen meltdown that cost us a win, a weak start from our most ineffective SP at the moment, and another great start from Wells who is 4-0 with <3 ER in his each of his last four starts.
I think a lot of this was bad luck, and wouldn’t be shocked to see the team rip off another 5 straight going into the beak.
I definitely believe Diaz and Prado make our lineup better.
VivaLosBravos - July 7, 2009
Small sample size, yes
You just answered your own question, skymuse. FYF is a huuuuuge problems on this team. Unless you’re saying that FW is the problem for allowing his starting corner outfielders to be FYF and GFA in the first place.
bangorbro - July 7, 2009
I'll be rating the Braves at a 4 until
they start winning and I see how Hudson holds up when he comes back.
taney71 - July 7, 2009
You guys do realize that this isn’t a “how well do you think they are playing right now” poll, right? It is a poll that asks how confident are we in the organization as a whole, not just how well the MLB club played over the past 6 games.
justincredubil02 - July 7, 2009
I heavily weight it to the major league team, though, because that’s the end result. Its just the way I vote.
That being said, I haven’t varied from a 6 or a 7 the entire year. Tempered peaks and valleys, so to speak.
soup du jour - July 7, 2009
Agreed
I was referring more to the “I will only vote a 4 until this team starts to win” crowd.
justincredubil02 - July 7, 2009
OWNERSHIP IS THE PROBLEM
Ownership is the big problem here. Management does not give a rat’s ass how disfunctional the Braves are as long as we have attendance like we did vs. NY/Boston/Philly. The old if it will fit in our budget logic comes into play way too often. What will get their attention is the attendance figures that will come about in August/Sept. time frame.
As for us old Braves fans the TBS epic comes to mind. Remember “IT’S A LONG WAY TO OCTOBER”? Well it will be this year for sure.
chicken little - July 7, 2009
thanks for stealing my nickname for Jason Heyward.
if I can assist with anything else I’d be happy to do so.
Scott Coleman - July 7, 2009
You really think you came up with Jay-Hey? Like people haven’t been using that for 2 years?
cbwilk - July 8, 2009
I came up with “LOL”. True story.
justincredubil02 - July 8, 2009
You ever see the Topps Total baseball cards that came out from 2001 to 2005? Yeah, I came up with that idea. And they didn’t even do it right.
cbwilk - July 8, 2009
Do you remember UD 40-man? What an abortion THAT was
bigjoe - July 8, 2009
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