Please Sell out to Arthur Blank

By Joe Joe Wright

joejoe.wright@cordeledispatch.com

The Atlanta Braves are saving cash for what I don’t know. Over the years they have been notorious for trading off  major talents especially young pitchers. Why well they had  a dump truck load of them in the minor league system. The Braves at one time owned the very best, second to none A, AA and AAA farm teams in America. They have let their lead slip. Even though they still have a very fine farm system they ain’t number 1 any longer.

87 million dollars may seem like a lot of money to us ordinary folk but in pro sports it is nothing. Atlanta is in desperate need of another highly talented starting pitcher and at least 1 or 2 quality middle relievers and with the loss Dan Winkler it is now imperative. The middle infield is atrocious period. If upper management waits just one month to do anything the season will be lost and the Braves may end up at 62 -100. At least with a dead last finish Atlanta might be able to take Crisp native Robert Tyler in the draft now wouldn’t that be sweet. Personally I am not a believer in the build a team philosophy if you are going to spend 6 years doing it.  I have an idea lets all take out an add in the USA today and help Liberty Media sell the Braves to Arthur Blanks or someone who will spend some money because they just don’t seem willing to get the job done, corporate America GEEEEZZZZZ. What ever they do please do something yall are making us Braves fans sick.

Oh and while I am on my soapbox let me get this off my chest. Why in the world would you build a new stadium when yours is only 20 years old? At a cost of 622 million dollars a good bit of which is taxpayer dollars about 300 million. Also move the team to Marietta so that South Georgia people have an even longer ride to go to a game and then the worst part. Total capacity 41,500 down from 49, 586 and the cost of a seat just got even more expensive. Now an average family of 4 will spends about 200 dollars just on decent tickets not counting food and other extras so just kiss 300 dollars good bye. The new facility will definitely cost more at least 20% more so say good-bye to 360 dollars in 2017. My final analysis on this “ it’s not worth it”.

Especially if they continue to remain as a bunch of greedy penny pinchers and produce a losing product. As of today the Braves are winless and it wouldn’t shock me if they stay that way for at least 9 straight games maybe even as much as 13 games without a win. My friend James “the Fish” Fitzgibbons told me my prediction of a .500 season was wrong, well it was Miss Coaches prediction and she is still a puppy but I’ll bite fish you are right 10 to 12 games under .500 seems reasonable. As for me I would start firing and cutting folks and shifting people up from the 40-man roster right now and buying up some contracts.  Internal competition is what the Braves need right now.