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Braves: Terry McGuirk Needs to Cool His Jets on Playing in NL Central

By Jake Mastroianni

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 8: Chairman Terry McGuirk of the Atlanta Braves, Bill Bartholomay and Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig during a ceremony honoring Aaron's 715th home run before the game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets at Turner Field on April 8, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Mets won 4-0. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 8: Chairman Terry McGuirk of the Atlanta Braves, Bill Bartholomay and Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig during a ceremony honoring Aaron's 715th home run before the game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets at Turner Field on April 8, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Mets won 4-0. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves) /
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Atlanta Braves chairman Terry McGuirk was adamant about the team not joining a central division in baseball, but he’s dead wrong.

A story from Bob Nightengale of USA Today outlined what division could look like if MLB breaks teams into three divisions for a restart and he put the Atlanta Braves in the Central.

That proposed division would look like this: Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Brewers, Reds, White Sox, Royals, Indians, Twins, and Tigers.

When I saw that division I immediately thought how great that would be for the Braves.

Not that it would be a cakewalk with teams like the Cardinals and Twins, but honestly there isn’t a ton of competition in that division.

It’s certainly easier than what the Braves are facing now in the NL East with the defending World Series champs as well as the Phillies and Mets.

All three of those teams are likely better than any team other than the Braves in that central division.

So why is Braves’ chairman Terry McGuirk so up in arms over this proposal? I honestly have no idea, and the article from the AJC doesn’t really explain his qualms either.

His only real argument is that “we live in the East.”

But honestly, it’s easier and a shorter distance for the Braves to get to a lot of the teams in the central.

Distance-wise, St. Louis and Cincinnati are the closest teams to Atlanta. The point that we live in the East is ridiculous and makes no sense.

What does make sense is shortening their travel by playing teams that are located closer to Atlanta.

And it helps that this new division would be a lot easier for the Braves to win, which is why McGuirk needs to cool his jets on this one.

I have no strict ties to playing strictly on the East, and maybe that’s partly because I live in the Central timezone, so I’d love to see a move to the central.

Next. Report: MLB Preparing for Comeback. dark

But honestly, I’m for whatever makes the most sense to help us get baseball this season. And if that requires Atlanta to play in a weaker division, then I’m not going to stand in the way — and neither should Mr. McGuirk.

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