Atlanta Braves Morning Chop – Eddie Perez, Cup of Coffey, Stadium Annexation?
Perez has eyes set on MLB managerial job
ATLANTA — After spending the past few months managing Las Aguilas del Zulia in the Venezuelan Winter League, Braves bullpen coach Eddie Perez has returned to the United States confident that he is prepared for the potential opportunity to become a Major League manager.
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But because of the strong bond he has formed with Braves manager
Fredi Gonzalez, Perez would rather the opportunity come outside of Atlanta.
“I hope [the managerial opportunity] is not here,” Perez said after a Tuesday morning workout at Turner Field. “This is my hometown and I’d love to be here, but I hope the opportunity comes somewhere else, because I don’t want Fredi to go anywhere.”
As longtime Braves coach Bobby Dews was nearing the end of a career that fell short of his hope to one day become a Major League manager, he instructed Perez that he should reveal his willingness to manage once he was confident he was ready for the challenge at the big league level.
When there was some discussion about him potentially filling Cleveland’s managerial vacancy after the 2009 season, Perez thought he was ready to step into this lofty role. But by the time he concluded a previous two-season stint (2008-09 and 2009-10) as Zulia’s manager, he realized he had more to learn.
Perez’s most recent experience with Zulia proved to be much different, as he guided the club to a 35-28 record. As the season progressed, he found himself much more confident in his authoritative role.
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All Your Pitchers Are Belong to Us
Todd Coffey (Photo: Gene J Puskar/AP)
In what is almost becoming a comical thing to report, the Braves – stop me if you’ve heard this one before – signed a pitcher yesterday. Oh, you have heard it.
Yeah – that makes 3 more arms added in the past 2 days. Here’s MLB Trade Rumors report on the subject:
Continuing their trend of adding veteran arms on minor league deals, the Braves have added right-hander Todd Coffey on such a pact and invited him to Spring Training, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Coffey missed the 2013 season after undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery and spent much of the 2014 campaign with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, where he posted an excellent 1.93 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 37 1/3 innings of work. From 2009-12 with the Brewers, Nationals and Dodgers, Coffey notched a 3.76 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 225 innings. The Braves have also added Jose Veras, Matt Capps, Chien-Ming Wang, Wandy Rodriguez and Donnie Veal on minor league deals this winter.
I still think Joba Chamberlain oughta be checking his messages regularly.
Report: Atlanta legislator files bill to annex Braves Cobb stadium into city of Atlanta
CARLA CALDWELL / BIZJOURNALS.COM
Sen. Horacena Tate (D-Atlanta) has filed a bill in the Georgia General Assembly seeking to extend the city limits of Atlanta north to include the 60-acre Cobb County tract where the Braves are building a new $672 million stadium and $400 million mixed-use development.
Senate Bill 96, filed Tuesday, proposes extending the city limits along Interstate 75, the Marietta Daily Journal is reporting.
The MDJ says Tate, who represents a portion of south Cobb, did not return calls for comment on the bill, but state Rep. John Carson (R-northeast Cobb) called the bill irresponsible.
“I am very disappointed that such legislation, that has virtually no chance of passing, was introduced,” Carson told the MDJ. “In addition, this type of legislation, as well as the manner in which it was introduced, will only cause tension between our communities.”
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Also, from the referenced Marietta Daily Journal article:
“Although we are determining the legality of such a statute, this is clearly an attempted land and money grab and nothing else,” he said. “The Atlanta Braves organization made a decision to relocate into our county based on their best interests, both financially and for the fan base,” Carson said. “If this is a shot of revenge against Cobb County, it’s really past time to move on. Like my fellow constituents, I love Cobb. In addition, we will absolutely fight this legislation to protect Cobb.”
Hill said Tate’s bill faces a number of hurdles before becoming law.
“In this instance, the measure bypasses the local voters and property owners of Cobb County and the decision rests with the Legislature,” Hill said. “The Senate will vote on Senate Bill 96, like any other bill, should it come to the floor for a vote. … I don’t see that bill passing by this Senate body, and I expect fairly strong opposition from the members who represent portions of Cobb County.”
[Ed. note: that last paragraph is loaded with irony, given that the entire stadium deal bypassed the local voters and property owners of Cobb County.]