Offseason Moves will Come “The Braves Way”, or No Way at All
By Ryan Cothran
Yes, an Atlanta Braves Shakedown is happening at this very moment…
After news hit that Frank Wren had been dismissed as Atlanta Braves General Manager, many rumor mongers jumped on the good ol’ Interwebz to bang away at the little letters regarding who could be next in line to try and fill the shoes of legendary GM John Schuerholz. However, one person that was also banging away at those little letters was none other than Schuerholz himself. Here, Schuerholz defines what presumably had been lost during Frank Wren’s tenure as the GM of the Braves, and that is…
The Braves Way:
So why does the Atlanta Braves President Leak this Now?
This is all speculation and piecing the puzzle together between actions this season, the press conference today, and attitudes from current players, but…
1. Frank Wren lost “The Braves Way”– In a news article recently published by Mark Bradley of the AJC this little tidbit was most interesting:
"“If Wren hadn’t been quite so abrupt — he’s always a man in a hurry — in his personal dealings, he might have engendered more in-house good will. But Wren was something of a micro-manager, which the revered John Schuerholz hadn’t been. Any move of Wren’s that didn’t work would be received with glee in some sectors of the organization, as if the know-it-all had just been handed another cup of comeuppance. It would be wrong to say that Wren was widely disliked; it would not be wrong to say that he’d made few allies.”"
Whether it be through his signings, trades, or his inability to listen to all of his scouts, there’s reason to believe that the first year of real adversity that came his way, Frank Wren’s time would be done as his actions didn’t represent “The Braves Way”.
2. There are players on the current team that do not represent “The Braves Way”- In my opinion, high character would be the most contributing factor in this argument as there are many players on this team that lose their cool way too often. Here are just a few, with the most glaring listed 1st, to the least at the bottom:
B.J. Upton– the easiest scapegoat on the team and, quite frankly, the most unlikable Brave since John Rocker. B.J. has collected over 300 strikeouts in his 2 years with the Braves, and I’d be willing to bet that 75 of those have come with B.J. having some choice words with the umpires, and furthermore 60 of those showing pitch tracker agreed with the umpire. His lack of hustle was questioned by Heyward earlier this year, and through many an eye test, has been questioned by almost every Braves’ fan, a question that never came up with Dan Uggla, no matter how hard he struggled.
Chris Johnson– Although Chris has made a lot of strides with keeping his anger in check on the field, Chris was an absolute ticking time bomb last year and I’m sure there’s some of that still finding its way into the clubhouse.
Justin Upton– The loud, blatantly clear f-bomb shouts that bounce off of Stone Mountain when Justin strikes out, doesn’t seem like “The Braves Way” that Schuerholz is referring to above. However, I’m not sure “The Braves Way” includes players that are finding success as it didn’t seem to include Frank Wren until this year, his first true unsuccessful year.
Julio Teheran– Teheran’s mound fits and inability to work with his catchers might not fit “The Braves Way”. The success rule mentioned above comes to mind here as well.
Tommy La Stella– La Stella has all but been called “cocky” by numerous individuals that are affiliated with the Braves, which leads me to wonder if cockiness is acceptable in “The Braves Way”
My real thought on “The Braves Way”
When the poo hits the fan, “The Braves Way” of doing things will come up and likely the person slinging the poo will be accused of not doing things “The Braves Way”. As of now, it looks like the one person that wasn’t following the club’s mission statement was Frank Wren.
My thoughts on what happens this offseason to support Schuerholz’s definition of “The Braves Way”
1. The Braves will reach out their hand and pocketbook to Jason Heyward, the biggest leader by example on the team
2. The Braves will either find a bad contract swap or release B.J. Upton, the anti-Braves way player.
3. The Braves will shop Justin Upton- selling high on a player that doesn’t fit the “Braves Way” mold.
4. The Braves will shop Chris Johnson- selling low on a player that doesn’t fit the “Braves Way” mold.
5. The Braves will keep Evan Gattis– his story is so “Braves Way” it should be enshrined in the Braves Hall of Fame Museum.
6. The Braves will once again infiltrate their team with veteran leadership. Look for David Ross and some like Scott Hairston or Torii Hunter to be targeted.
Some of these moves I’d like to see happen, and some of these moves I’d dread to see happen. Later in the offseason, I’ll re-visit the “Braves Way”, put myself in the brown leather recliner rich in the smell of manliness, and play armchair GM, “Braves Way” style. Toodles!