Atlanta Braves, John Coppolella Being Petitioned to ‘Fire Erick Aybar’
By Dan Horton
Someone Wants Erick Aybar out of Atlanta Bad
A little more than 24 hours the Atlanta Braves dismissed Fredi Gonzalez from managerial duties, someone thought they could get, while the “gettin’ was good”.
First of all, it’s no secret that Erick Aybar has been nothing more than dismal in the young 2016 season for the Braves. So bad in fact, many fans have been calling for his benching. Aybar didn’t start in the opener in Pittsburgh.
However, one fan has observed Aybar’s horrible season and has petitioned Braves GM John Coppolella to “Fire Erick Aybar“, according to the title of this Change.org petition:
"“Erick Aybar sucks balls and he needs to go.” – Petition Creator “Deep Freeze”"
That’s right. “Deep Freeze”, whoever he or she is, is a very disgruntled Braves fan, and apparently, has seen fit to call for Aybar’s firing. Riding the coat tails of the Fredi G. fallout probably isn’t a bad idea.
“Deep Freeze’s” initial request for 100 signatures was met with in hours. At around 3:30 this afternoon, he/she had 38 or so.
As it sits now, the signature count is up to 174 out of the (increased) 200 asked for. I have no doubt he/she will reach the 200, and he/she may go on to request 300.
The Ugly Numbers
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The truth is, as hilarious as this is, that they (and the many commenters) have some points. Look, we all know that Aybar was not going to be anywhere close to Andrelton Simmons‘ defensively. He was supposed to be better offensively and we have yet to really see that.
Here’s a little glimpse into how awfully bad Aybar has been offensively. In 38 games, he is slashing .174/.207/.205/.412. How do you slash a .207 OBP but have a lower SLG? He’s the only Braves regular to have a SLG lower than his OBP.
On defense, he’s just as bad. In 298 innings, Aybar is sporting a less than stellar .975 fielding percentage. Tallying only a .645 RZR and UZR at -4.5, he is not helping the Braves. In fact, he’s actually assisting the opponents more than he is helping Atlanta.
Aybar’s presence in the lineup, day in and day out, is debilitating and crippling this team. Daniel Castro may not be the best hitter on the roster, but he could do a whole heck of a lot better defensively. I’d almost rather see him in the lineup, if not just for his defense.
So Much Truth Here
So, “Deep Freeze’s” call for a “firing” of Aybar is not far off. He has a valid argument. I actually kind of agree with him, too. But let’s be honest, a change.org petition may get some attention, but it’s not going to get Aybar fired. What it may do is raise awareness; which it has.
I, for one, think Aybar needs to spend a little time riding the pine. One game isn’t enough. He needs a prolonged vacation on the bench. Maybe he needs to sit in the corner and think about what he’s done wrong.
When he’s ready to play, he should apologize to the team and maybe show a little interest in his job. Aybar looks like a body just going through the motions, and not that well. He looks like he doesn’t care at times, and that’s disheartening.
Maybe the managerial change will help. If, for nothing more than pure entertainment, or if you have an inclination to join forces with “Deep Freeze”, you can sign the petition as well.
You can find it on Change.org. You can also click on the link: Petitioning John Coppolella: Fire Erick Aybar
UPDATE: As of 8:30 AM EST, the petition had reached 207 signatures and he/she has increased the requested amount to 500.
People want this man gone, and they want him gone now.