Rob Manfred's Statement on Braves' Stability is Missing Some Key Facts
By Parker White
On Wednesday, Major League Baseball and commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the Atlanta Braves will host the 2021 All-Star Game at SunTrust Park, arguably one of the best new venues in the sport.
You understand why they'd want the Midsummer Classic in Atlanta at their new digs, but what Manfred said about the Braves' organization while announcing the honor is...kinda false, to put it bluntly.
Weren't the Braves involved in a huge management scandal less than two years ago, for which the team is still being punished? https://t.co/m4XV3wKYHb pic.twitter.com/jdwMWob2N4
— J.C. Bradbury (@jc_bradbury) May 30, 2019
"You want to be in a situation where you know in 2021 who is going to be here, who's going to be running the club," Manfred said. "There is no better-managed organization in baseball than the Braves. It's been true for a very long time, and it makes it a lot easier for us to give them an even."
Well, that's a bit of a head-scratcher. I mean, isn't this the same organization that did some shady dealings on the international market that led to their GM being banned from baseball, sanctions on international spending for several years, and 12 minor league players being taken out of their system and becoming free agents?
Is that really the model franchise you speak of? The ex-GM is BANNED!
It’s as if Manfred thinks that no Braves fans (or fans of other clubs for that matter) read his statements. Because this is beyond farcical. For all the shit that they caught throughout the years, we’d thank God if Ted and/or Time Warner owned this team. https://t.co/6X2bCr5QJA
— Just 1 Before I Die (@BringBackErk54) May 30, 2019
Now, the Braves did clean house in the front office after this fiasco, and before John Coppolella was around, there weren't any off-the-field whispers. However, there is still a dark cloud hanging over this franchise, so saying the honor is partly an appreciation for the stability of the management sphere is flat-out false.
You can be fluffy with your words and dole out compliments, but fans aren't that stupid. We know what happened. That doesn't mean the Braves don't deserve this amazing honor, but be factual.