This is the worst team we've had since the late 80's

[Sothron]

I've been a Braves fan, well all Atlanta sports fan, since the 70's. This absolute joke of a team we are going to put on the field for 2015 is going to probably set records for the least runs scored in Atlanta Brave history.

 

When I look at our projected depth chart there's only one player that can safely project to hit 20 or more HR and that's Freeman. You look around at the rest of our starting position players and it is like watching the movie Major League with all the rejects and castoffs we are going to start.

 

There's 3, maybe 4 players that are actually worthy MLB starters. I know the team didn't want to spend money to keep Heyward and the Good Upton but this is just flat out pathetic. We might have two players who MIGHT hit over .260.

 

I don't know what kind of thinking this is to drive fans away when a new stadium is a year or two away but great job Braves brass. We are solidly on pace to lose over 100 games for the next few years if this is kind of roster management we can expect.

[macdaddy]

They are looking for every possible way to make money for this new boondoggle.   I'm so pissed off by what they've done that i think i've been permanently lost as a fan.  I know there are those that don't think this move and subsequent gutting of the team is not a big deal, but i do.   It's a slap in the face of the city, the fans, and the history of the Atlanta Braves.   And fielding a minor league team for the remainder of their time in the city really shows the type of pricks that are running this franchise now.   

 

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2015/03/20/8649/braves-exec-if-you-wont-give-us-sales-tax-break-maybe-we-should-just-stop-paying-property-taxes-yeah/

 

 

 

Braves exec: If you won’t give us sales tax break, maybe we should just stop paying property taxes! Yeah!

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Neil deMause

 

 

In addition to all the other goodies that the Atlanta Braves are getting from Cobb County and the state of Georgia as part of their stadium deal, they’re also looking to get an exemption from state sales tax on construction materials for the project. That’s not that unusual — it’s one of the more typical subsidies that local governments like to throw at development projects as a sweetener, but instead of going with the “everybody does it” line, Braves VP Mike Plant decided yesterday to take a somewhat different tack:

“I think it’s just very narrow minded to say, ‘Oh, why should they be able to take that money out of the public?’” Plant said. “We’re putting a lot more into the public, and that’s I think the flaw in some of the rhetoric is that there’s no recognition for that.”

Plant said the state needs to have skin in the game if it wants to reap the rewards of the project, such as Tuesday’s announcement that Comcast would be the sole tenant of the nine-story office building the Braves are building adjacent to the stadium and bringing 1,000 jobs with them, the majority of which are expected to be new, high-paying jobs.

“Why shouldn’t we just keep all that then?” Plant said. “Why should we have to share the revenue upside that we’re creating if there’s no participation? We have close to a $1 billion investment in that ballpark and mixed-use (development). You’ve known from day one 100 percent of that mixed-use (development) is our responsibility. Creating a Comcast situation that brings 1,000 jobs, many of them new jobs, well, then we’re the only ones that took the risk to do that. Maybe we should have a discussion that we should get all the proceeds from that. That’s not the way the system works, and we’re OK with that.”

To anyone now wondering what on earth Plant is going on about, the “Comcast situation” is that the cable company is agreeing to move some workers into the office buildings the Braves are building next door to the stadium (as well as supply some technology to the stadium itself) as part of a sponsorship deal. By “share the revenue upside,” Plant means … okay, I have no idea what he means. The development next to the ballpark isn’t paying any rent or revenue sharing to Cobb County, just an estimated $6 million in property taxes per year, the same property taxes that any development would have to pay.

So Plant’s argument appears to be, “Hey, we’re paying one of the taxes that normal businesspeople have to, what, you want us to pay another one too?” Clearly it’s going to be a tough decision this year for the Nobel committee on chutzpah.

[macdaddy]

Shoot @Sothron.  I"m sorry to hijack your thread.  I'll delete that if you want.

 

I agree this team sucks and I have real doubts whether their plan to have a team that doesn't suck in 2017 will work.  And I don't care anymore.

[Sothron]

Shoot @Sothron.  I"m sorry to hijack your thread.  I'll delete that if you want.

 

I agree this team sucks and I have real doubts whether their plan to have a team that doesn't suck in 2017 will work.  And I don't care anymore.

 

It isn't hijacking. I just had to post about this with the new season about to kick off. This team is just...I mean in all honesty this is literally like Major League the movie in real life. The ownership refuses to spend any money, traded away the good players and now has the most random trash players having to start that I've ever seen.

[Guest]

Heard team is now worth just north of $1.2 billion.

[Sothron]

Heard team is now worth just north of $1.2 billion.

 

And they spend maybe 70 million in payroll.

[Guest]

I just hope folks in the media shine a light on what they're doing.  Folks need to just not show up.  I'm almost at the point where I hope the fanbase is so eroded and turned off that the Cobb move totally flops.

 

I'm sure they're counting on the "northern" fans to separate themselves from the rabble south of the city and will still come out and support the Cobb Braves.  It's actually pretty brazen, sad and basically Levenson's words put into practice.  I really hope someone calls them on it though.

[Admin]

This has the potential to be one of those wow look how wrong you were threads at the end of the season. Or you could be right. At least your team aren't relying on a ton of old, broken down, way overpaid players to try and score runs or pitchers who are perpetually injured. 

[Guest]

This has the potential to be one of those wow look how wrong you were threads at the end of the season. Or you could be right. At least your team aren't relying on a ton of old, broken down, way overpaid players to try and score runs or pitchers who are perpetually injured.

Well half the Braves pitching staff is coming off tommy john or about to get one. Lol.

[macdaddy]

This has the potential to be one of those wow look how wrong you were threads at the end of the season. Or you could be right. At least your team aren't relying on a ton of old, broken down, way overpaid players to try and score runs or pitchers who are perpetually injured. 

 

I think we were the second worst offense in the league last year so we got rid heyward, justin, and gattis.  Freddie ain't going to get much to hit i don't think. 

 

There again it could be that removing all those strikeouts actually works better....but i doubt it.   

I just hope folks in the media shine a light on what they're doing.  Folks need to just not show up.  I'm almost at the point where I hope the fanbase is so eroded and turned off that the Cobb move totally flops.

 

I'm sure they're counting on the "northern" fans to separate themselves from the rabble south of the city and will still come out and support the Cobb Braves.  It's actually pretty brazen, sad and basically Levenson's words put into practice.  I really hope someone calls them on it though.

 

This is where i am too.

[Sothron]

This has the potential to be one of those wow look how wrong you were threads at the end of the season. Or you could be right. At least your team aren't relying on a ton of old, broken down, way overpaid players to try and score runs or pitchers who are perpetually injured. 

 

I'll gladly take that. Any time I'm wrong and it helps the actual team? God let me run my mouth more often and be wrong. My internet pride is nothing compared to my team pride.

 

But honestly this Braves team is just...wow. I mean it when I say this team is the living Major League movie come to reality. We have ONE GUY that might hit 20 or more home runs. I'm sure someone can tell me what the record is for lowest runs scored in a season in Atlanta Braves history. We're going to be in serious contention to beat that. We were right at dead last in all of baseball last year in offense and that was BEFORE we traded away the good hitters.

[Sothron]

I just hope folks in the media shine a light on what they're doing.  Folks need to just not show up.  I'm almost at the point where I hope the fanbase is so eroded and turned off that the Cobb move totally flops.

 

I'm sure they're counting on the "northern" fans to separate themselves from the rabble south of the city and will still come out and support the Cobb Braves.  It's actually pretty brazen, sad and basically Levenson's words put into practice.  I really hope someone calls them on it though.

 

I really can't believe they think deliberately putting a crap product for two consecutive seasons 2015-2016 is going to get fans wanting to go to the new stadium in 2017. I mean do they really think people are going to blind trust them after this year's fire sale to actually spend money on the roster in 2017?

[bobrathbun4pres]

I'd love to be wrong at the end of the season but this team will suck balls. We'll be lucky to finish 3rd in the division.

[Guest]

This has the potential to be one of those wow look how wrong you were threads at the end of the season. Or you could be right. At least your team aren't relying on a ton of old, broken down, way overpaid players to try and score runs or pitchers who are perpetually injured.

A couple weeks ago I thought we wouldn't finish with more than 65 wins, but I have a feeling this low talented team with scrap n fight and surprise some people. If I had to guess right now if say we get 75-80 wins.

[macdaddy]

A couple weeks ago I thought we wouldn't finish with more than 65 wins, but I have a feeling this low talented team with scrap n fight and surprise some people. If I had to guess right now if say we get 75-80 wins.

 

I think Fredi's forte is taking a crap team and making them a middle of the pack team.   Once they signed Pieryskie or however you spell that i knew it was all over.   

[Guest]

I think Fredi's forte is taking a crap team and making them a middle of the pack team. Once they signed Pieryskie or however you spell that i knew it was all over.

We don't want no mediocre-T.I.

[ATLHawks3]

And I thought Wren was dumb. Hart has completely gutted our Major League talent, and with the prospects who we got back, this team won't reach contender status until I'm in my mid 20s (I'm 17 now). So frustrating that the front office is trying to perpetuate what was wrong with this team last year, into this year.

[Guest]

And I thought Wren was dumb. Hart has completely gutted our Major League talent, and with the prospects who we got back, this team won't reach contender status until I'm in my mid 20s (I'm 17 now). So frustrating that the front office is trying to perpetuate what was wrong with this team last year, into this year.

Actually it may not look it now, but Hart has a plan. Wren was basically riding it out witha team that had deficiencies all over the place. Hart did the exact same thing with the Indians in the 90's and had them contend for about a decade. You will love Hart starting in 2017. You might be about 20 then but it'll be worth the wait.

[benhillboy]

I think this bum team is gonna do okay. I'm no seamhead by any stretch but the talent level can't be too much lower than the Giants or Royals can it? Work the count, get on base, and play sound defense. If they're in the today's Majors where 2-tool players can get $300 mill that should be easy enough.

Hopefully these new wacky rules will affect pitchers curtailing their dominance we've seen and help out our crappy lineup. I've yet to see any rhyme or reason in winning in the MLB or NFL beyond pitching and line play, neither of which are glamourous or representative of the games' top talent ie what the chicks dig in the way of offense. I do know Roger will squeeze every drop of gas left or potential out of his guys, that's a good starting point.

As far as the business surroundig the new stadium and baseball operations as it relates to the on-field product, yall know how that go. I feel dirty just thinking about the politicians and fat cats rolling around in their pig pens, I can't even get into it.

I hear this Hart guys' a shrewd Baseball Man, Shurholtz's track record has only been recently blemished, so I'll rock with a couple tough years if need be. We've all witnessed tomato cans who've received the same criticisms as Freddi win a World Series, before or after the scrutiny. It was only two years ago I loved the team that led the National League in homers and defensive efficiency and the whole MLB in team ERA, this with not one but two legendary contract busts.

Edited April 6, 2015 by benhillboy

[Dejay]

This team would have trouble beating Gwinnett right now. Now having traded Kimbrel, they'll do well to win 65 games.

And I really do think that this whole thing is a collective 'eff-you, we're moving to a new subsidized stadium with extras we can cash in on' to Kasim Reed and the folks in Atlanta's City Hall. They will not make any effort to be good while still having to play at Turner Field. Even if Mike Trout was available, they'd pass on it.

As I've stated before, if the younger ones here wanted to know how bad Braves baseball was in the late-'80s, you're about to find out...