Like most reasonable people in the good old United States of America, I marvel at the utter stupidity, egregious arrogance, and incredible greed of some of our most cherished professional athletes. At the same time, I'm disgusted by some members of the media who lack either the knowledge, integrity, or tact required to be admirable journalists.
That covers two of the three branches of the sports universe. It also covers the two most trivial ones.
Seen through objective lenses, neither the players nor the keyboards are doing damage on a grand or fundamental scale. They're not caballing in hopes of violently overthrowing any governments and they're not threatening the fabric of humanity (yet).
They simply don't have the power, influence, or prestige to do so.
World-wide, people with a firm grasp on reality view those active in the ridiculous sideshow as immature children and dismiss them just as easily.
Unfortunately, the heretofore undisturbed and last branch can offer no such affirmative defense.
Nope, the owners and executives of these franchises are just as guilty as the athletes and media. What makes them different is they DO have the power and prestige to do real damage.
Anyone vested with the mantel of leadership on such a macroscopic level usually enjoys those two assets and, with them, a considerably heavier burden of responsibility.
So, stand up and take a bow, Atlanta Braves powers-that-be.
That'd be team president John Schuerholz, chairman Terry McGuirk, and (especially) general manager Frank Wren.
Well done. Your marvelous discretion and wisdom were on full display as you handed Tom Glavine his walking papers.
Unfortunately, the club is owned by Liberty Media, and I hardly think taking CEO John Malone to task for the maneuvering of a Major League Baseball team will matter. Something tells me the Bravos don't have Malone's focus at the moment, considering the current (though slowly improving) economic situation.
And, anyway, I want Wren—he seems to be the grossest offender here, although Schuerholz' fatuous apology definitely doesn't get him off the hook.
Not by a long shot.
Please explain how someone with the title "President of BASEBALL Operations" can speak of the "handling" of the situation as if he were a passive participant? Sorry John, why didn't any of this occur to you while it was happening? Why did you need to toss and turn all night to realize you and your cronies butchered the situation?
Are we to believe you're so moronic or dim-witted the situation could zoom by you before you realized what happened?
Nah, sounds to me like Johnny woke up after a sound sleep to a public relations nightmare and started dancing, toot sweet.
Still, Schuerholz at least has a track record to land on. He's got a good reputation as far as I can tell so I'll bite on his mea culpa, softly. Gotta give some leash based on performance.
As for McGuirk, his explanation (in the same article) that the decision was, in no way, made because of finances doesn't work either. I think his words are pretty clearly untrue, but he's merely the chairman.
The real ogre in the room is Wren because, as the GM, he's the one on the front lines of the major decisions. Although he needs final approval (presumably) from up the ladder, his hand is (or should be) firmest on the team reins.
The moving and shaking is (or should be) because of Wren's brainstorms.
Unfortunately, Frankie seems capable of only a slight misting.
Wren was careful to point to the $1 million option Glavine's call up would trigger as a total non sequitor. Had nothing to do with the decision since dropping the axe was driven by pure performance, baby.
Pay no attention to the trade for Nate McClouth and the hurried feel to the Glavine move, either. The two are obviously unrelated.
In the same article, Frank tries to dump the release into Tommy's lap—"We gave him the option [of retiring as a Brave]. He asked us to release him."
Aaaaaah, I see. It was actually a move according to Glavine's wishes. Got it.
Sadly, Frank Wren just couldn't stop talking.
"We've been evaluating [Glavine] the last four weeks and everyone felt we had a better chance to win at the major league level with one of our younger pitchers. The pitching line is irrelevant when you're pitching in low A-ball."
Or how about this?
"The comeback was not working. Our evaluation was he would not be successful."
First, this is coming from a guy whose powers of perception lead him to believe Brad Penny is an option worth pursuing while a 300-game winner (many of those with Atlanta) isn't worth the trouble.
I'm skeptical right off the bat.
Second, Wren's comments seem very odd following 11 scoreless frames from Tom Glavine at AAA. I get it—even the high minors are not of the same quality as the Show, but AAA is not "low A-ball" and the scoreless frames are scoreless frames.
As Glavine said, himself, what was he supposed to do? Throw no-hit ball or a perfecto?
Also, as Tom pointed out, Glavine was never about blowing hitters away with mid-90s heat. Even at his peak, so how can that suddenly be a concern?
Hey, as far as baseball decisions go, this was probably the right one.
That's an expensive option to waste on a guy who, even if he is good enough to pitch in 2009, isn't gonna be in the long-term picture. The Atlanta Braves are on the outskirts of the playoff picture, but they're better off girding up for the future.
That means trading for a young up-and-comer (McClouth) and bringing up the young guns (Kris Medlen and Tommy Hanson).
But there is a right way and a wrong way to treat people, even more so when the individual is an hombre like Tom Glavine.
The lefty from Massachusetts is a class-act.
Even in the wake of this nonsense, he was careful to point out his life is pretty good.
Tommy quickly swatted away bitterness, emphasizing a great career and a lovely family as the bigger picture. Despite the awkward period at the end of his Atlanta chapter, Glavine really seemed to harbor no lasting resentment, I believe he even mentioned the Braves had given him a lot for which to be thankful.
Only a scope of vision that has always encompassed the world outside the Bigs would allow for such connection to reality.
THAT is a man you should do right by. THAT is the kind of individual and attitude you should champion, even if it costs an extra mil or four.
It's not a person you should use to massage columns on an accounting sheet.
But it's what the Atlanta Braves' brain trust has done.
And all the clamoring with hat in hand won't change that simple fact.
- Login to post comments