Braves offseason 2012: Fredi Gonzalez was 'never worried' about contract extension

The Atlanta Braves signed a two-year extension on manager Fredi Gonzalez's contract on Wednesday, securing the services of Gonzalez through 2014. Gonzalez has a 183-141 record with the club, and a 459-420 record over his six-year managerial career.

Gonzalez may have a winning record with Atlanta, but his tenure has been mixed. The Braves threw away a substantial wild card lead in 2011, dropping out of playoff contention on the final day of the regular season. 2012 featured a much stronger finish, but the team was eliminated from the playoffs in the one-game wild card play-in.

Had the Braves not signed the extension, Gonzalez would have been entering the final year of his contract. That wouldn't have bothered him very much, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"It was a nice thing that the Braves did. But I've never worried about that last-year-of-the-contract type deal because, hell, for all the years in the minor leagues and as a [major league] coach, you're on a one-year contract. I never worried about that.

"The thing that I like about it is that your coaching staff, who are working with one-year contracts, they feel better that - not that I'm Bobby [Cox] or Tony [La Russa] - but I love ‘em all, and as long as I'm here they know at least I have a voice and they're going to be OK. Even though they don't have a two-year contract, they're going to be OK. I feel better for them that way than for myself."

Prior to his time with Atlanta, Gonzalez was at the helm of the Miami Marlins. He had a 276-279 record in four years with the team.