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by The Grinch


PALMETTO, GA -Having just gone through a bunch of nonsense, I’m having a difficult time getting into the mindset of telling a story, so with your permission I’ll just rant on the state of things and what might be done about it.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fair-weather fan. I spent the 1980’s dragging coolers full of alcohol and food down to Fulton County Stadium to watch both the Braves AND the Falcons. If y’all remember how putrid both teams were during the ’82 to ’91 period, you’ll admit that this isn’t something a non-fan would do. While I wish the Braves would go back to the old stadium rules regarding coolers so that it didn’t cost me $150 to go to a game, they’ve at least put a better product on the field to partially make up for it.

However, here’s the problem I have with both the way the organization’s being run and the people they’re marketing it to: “better than it was” seems to be all anybody’s aiming for as well as all the fans need to be pacified. What’s missing? We have a great scouting department, a great farm system (the envy of most other teams), a large payroll, a large market that provides good revenue, a shrewd GM, a Hall of Fame Manager and a solid collection of veteran superstars, up and coming superstars, and solid role players. So, what’s the problem?

The problem is that this team should be ten games ahead in the division by now, even with all the injuries. The fact that they’re just tripping and stumbling along nonchalantly in third place like a Harley with a bad spark plug should be a major cause of concern for everyone. However, it isn’t for some reason. Sure, we get frustrated. Sure, we come up with ideas about what would help. Sure we keep the fires of hope burning that things will pick up and be all right. “Smoltz’s gonna come back and close,” we say. “Gonzo and Soriano are gonna shore up the bullpen and give others a rest.” “Chuck’s gone.” “We’ll pick up Maddux at the deadline and it’ll be just like old times again.” And a partridge in a pear tree.

The fascination with old times and memories are exactly what the problem is. It wouldn’t matter WHO we had on the team right now. The Braves are coasting, and getting by with it on the reputation of past laurels. Atlanta is the only major city I can think of that is so “neuvaux riche” that both the people and the baseball team can only think back a few years to capture their “tradition.” Look at the Yankees. We were essentially tied with them as the best team of the 90’s. Since then, neither team has done squat (though we’ve done less than them). The difference is the Yankees won’t continue to put up with being mediocre or even pretty good. That’s not the way they do things there. The organization won’t allow it because the fans and the media won’t allow it. They demand better, and better they will get or at least a damn solid visible effort at it. The fans and media know what good baseball is, and won’t accept less.

Atlanta doesn’t demand anything of anybody; as long as we’re at or above .500 and Bobby says “Aw, shucks” when interviewed, the businessmen in their Izod’s and loafers with no socks and silicone enhanced wives will continue to make deals on the cellphone at the park instead of watch the game and pay attention. If everyone else thinks its ok, they will too. I GUARANTEE you if the AJC would start doing its job (and we could force that by booing them; let ‘em know we can dang sure get another paper or two started here…they don’t have a monopoly) and Schultz and Bradley started ripping the Braves like they do the Hawks things would turn around quick. Imagine if there were two or three major papers and ALL of them were doing that. Creative Loafing, too. And blogs everywhere. And the evening news. Jerome Jurenovitch (?). Y’all, I love Brian Jordan but they have him on there for a reason; he doesn’t make waves. That must stop. The people would catch on that we don’t have to put up with all this failed planning, poor managing, poor effort, poor excecution, etc. When Bobby does something stupid, write about it. Talk about it. Yell about it. Boo at the stadium like other teams do. Boo bad bunt attempts. Boo rally-killing double plays. Boo ignorant lefty-righty bullpen moves. Boo Tex for talking like Boras and playing like Andruw. Other cities would. Boo poor effort. Make the Braves from the President on down to the bat-boys understand that we know what the heck is going on and we won’t put up with it. That if players are underperforming we want them benched or traded, or we’ll make a scene. That if Terry can’t help any of the hitters with fundamentals, we want someone who can. Boo them. Talk about it. Get the media going. If Bobby can’t motivate players anymore, promote him up or talk him into retiring. If you don’t, we’ll make a scene. Booooo! That’s the way others do it, and that’s why they’re “Baseball Towns” and we’re not. That’s why their teams may not always win, but they always look like they’re giving maximum effort.

People, the people who run this team are only there because we pay for it and support it. This team with its payroll just like it is now could be up there competing with the Yankees and the Red Sox every year. WE NEED TO BE TIRED OF PAYING NEW YORK CITY PRICES AND RECEIVING LAZY REDNECK RESULTS IN RETURN.

LET’S MAKE THIS A BASEBALL TOWN. POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

~Grinch~

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