We grew up watching players like John Smoltz, Javy Lopez, and Chipper Jones being household names in the entire Southeast. For years, the Braves had a solid roster with very few movements. One day, that all changed, when the Braves started trading left and right, players were retiring, and management was changing. Fans began losing interest in the Braves because there were so many changes, that it was hard to keep up. Attendance started dropping, and long-time fans began walking away. The entire franchise seemed to be crumbling apart.
As the club announced that it was closing Turner Field to the Braves, this meant a new stadium was on its way. Attendance started to rise, and the fan base began to reappear. People wanted the chance to say they went to the last few games the Braves ever played at Turner Field. October 2, 2016, Ceremonies and celebrations occurred during the last game against Detroit as a going away extravaganza to send the team off to their new ballpark.
April 14, 2017, Suntrust Park opens its gates for its Inaugural game against the San Diego Padres. After a colossal Opening Day ceremony, the Braves score 2 runs in the bottom of the first to start the game off. San Diego responds quickly with 2 runs in the top of the second. The Bravos go on to win the game 5-2. It’s the fuel the franchise needed to rekindle the flame that is the Atlanta Braves spirit.
While the club has been trading and farming players from the minors with no end in sight, we may finally be rebuilding the all-star team we once had. Slowly but surely, the Braves have signed on some major potential. With players like Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran, Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson, and most recently Matt Adams, we seem to have have the ability to bring home some pennants in the coming years (assuming we can keep Freeman off the D.L. and not trade away any of our M.V.P.s)
Via Albany Herald
What we want to avoid -
- Terrible trade deals (ex;)
- Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden to St. Louis RHP Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. (neither of which we have anymore)
- Justin Upton and Aaron Northcraft to San Diego for Max Fried, Jace Peterson and Dustin Peterson, Mallex Smith and international bonus compensation.
- Evan Gattis and James Hoyt to Houston for Mike Foltynewicz, Rio Ruiz and Andrew Thurman
- Signing terrible players like Bartolo Colon as P.R. stunts
- He was obviously on his way out from baseball, but we didn’t have to be the ones to let him die off.
- Digging too deep into the hopes and dreams of the farm system.
- Leaving pitchers in way past their prime. (we have too many pitchers for you to let colon drag his fat knuckles through the dirt.)
- Did I mention terrible trade deals?
What we can keep doing right.
- Using the farm system in an advantageous manner
- Keeping our players off the D.L.
- Freeman backpacking the team to a win
via RantSports
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