Malone could soon own the Braves
According to this, though, he’d then flip the Braves to Arthur Blank.
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Malone could soon own the Braves
According to this, though, he’d then flip the Braves to Arthur Blank.
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
So, logically, what does this mean for the Atlanta Braves, as a team? Does this mean we have someone willing to increase our payroll? Does this mean we have someone who is going to take a more hands-on approach to the front office decisions? I don’t enough about these people to predict what this does to the on-field Braves.
Arthur Blank, just based on his involvement with the Faclons, is the type of owner who likes to get very involved in the team’s operations. He is not affraid to take big risks either, and I imagine payroll will jump a good bit with him in control. Another good thing about Blank, fan wise, is that he is a very visible owner, who will be showing his face at the games. The Braves have needed a face on the franchise ever since Ted left and Blank would provide that. Although sometimes he seems to go a bit overboard, like always wanting to stay on the sidelines with the Falcons instead of up in the owners box. I can imagine that if he was our owner when Chipper got injured, we’d all of a sudden see Arthur Blank run out onto the field with the medical trainer to check on him.
Overall I think he’d be a wonderful owner for the Braves. He has made the Falcons popular and is committed to winning, and very committed to the city of Atlanta. He lives in Atlanta and is here all the time. (I know when he’s here because his house is near mine and he has a security guard parked outside on the road whenever he and his kids are home)
I really hope the sale to him goes through, the Braves need an owner who will be visible at the games, visible in the city, wealthy enough to make offseasons exciting and committed to winning, and he is all of those things.
Surely, change can bring uncertainty. But, as long as this team doesn’t go below $80M in team salary or get some genuine lunatic or greedy miser for an owner (like…fill in the examples), I can’t squawk too much.
From the fans’ perspective, on the surface it would seem to be a good transition to A. Blank. It’s not like the Braves need to double its payroll to succeed, but it would be nice to have a little flexibility at the trade deadline & in the off-season (for sensible FAs or to keep its own talent). If Blank (or whomever) can bring that scenario, it’s a welcome move.
What is our payroll right now? I know the salary that is committed to a third power hitter (Galarraga, Sheffield, Drew, etc.) is gone, plus our corner outfielders, catcher, and 1st baseman get paid very little. That with the relatively inexpensive starting rotation and bullpen, I would have to say it’s about… 75 million?
ESPN.com says that it’s $92M, but that CAN’T be correct. That would make us the 8th-largest team payroll-wise. Is that right?
Yeah Rob, it’s technically incorrect, because insurance is paying Hampton’s salary this year. Really it’s closer to 77, 78 million but it’s so danged confusing..
Auburn just won the National Championship in Equestrian. Whee!
So let assume that is all true.And Arthur Blank own the Braves .How much will our payroll go up.Let say now it 78Mill.Could our payroll next year Be over 100Mill?
I couldn’t imagine it going up that much. And honestly, we don’t need to have a $100M payroll to contend and succeed. If we had even a $85M payroll, we would still have Furcal and Andy Marte, which would mean no Tony Pena, Jr. right now.
Isn’t baseball a funny game?
If the Braves’ payroll was at $85 million, we have Furcal, which means he doesn’t plow over Derrek Lee, which means the Cubs still have a chance this year..
With a payroll of 100Mill.The Braves could sign who ever they want to .We won’t have to make a big trade get a very good player in the Trade then Lose him when he become a FA
Blank is a fine owner who likes to win – and win fast. If he takes over the controlling interest of the team, I think therw would be more money with which to play. That said, Blank is something of control freak with the Falcons – his ‘thing’ is to create a very strong chain of command from top to botton, as he did in Home Depot – and he would be entering an organization that, unlike the Falcons, has been run with incredible efficiency and merit.
Anyway, here’s so funny Onion links related to NL East opponents… thought they were worth sharing.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/47433
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/47653
I imagine payroll would eventually approach $100 mil with Blank as owner but it wouldnt happen overnight. JS doesnt just go get big names for the sake of it, he puts the pieces of the puzzle together. I imagine most of our payroll increase would go towards keeping the team’s young nucleus intact, just like the in the 90s when we had to keep Glavine, Lopez, Smoltz, Chipper, Kelsko around. We filled in with one big free agent or trade every couple years, usually just a revolving door for one roster spot. Like the outfield position or first base, with mcgriff and galaraga and fick, or sheffield and drew etc.
What we need is an owner who can keep the team intact without question. Having your hands tied with respect to bringing in new big names is not so bad, but when you’re unable to keep the players youve developed that is a shame, and its not consistent with the braves organization to be unable to keep the players they want. Furcal leaving is not the kind of thing Braves fans should have to see, we take pride in the talent our system develops and that a lot of our players are home grown. We need to keep them in ATL.
Yeah Rob, it’s technically incorrect, because insurance is paying Hampton’s salary this year. Really it’s closer to 77, 78 million but it’s so danged confusing..
The $92m figure also doesn’t count the large portion of Renteria’s contract that the BoSox are paying.
My guess is that Blank would try to make a splash right away. And that he’d order JS to make a run at Clemens and (when that doesn’t work) to try to work a trade for some other big-name pitcher (Maddux?)
I’d have no problem ordering JS to make a run at Clemens.
I wouldn’t mind, but I’m guessing JS and Bobby would hate the idea.
I just want the Braves to be moved away from ownership by a faceless corporation run by suits who worship the dollar above everything else. Blank is certainly hands on but let’s recognize that the other Atlanta franchise he already owns doens’t come close to the success the Braves have had and that Blank is certainly bright enough to recognize that and Leave JS and Bobby alone.
No offense, but Maddux is no longer a “big name” pitcher. I know he’s doing well this season, but the possibility is great that he’d fail by the end of the year .I think if Blank were to take over he’d let JS and Bobby stick with their philosophy of winning and not trading away the farm for nothing.
Actaully Maddux is a big name pitcher, just not a big time pitcher anymore. Bob Gibson is a big name pitcher. J. Saltalamacchia is a big time catcher – ha.
I heard somewhere though that Arthur Blank pulled out of the bidding. Does this mean he is interested again?
(Im going by what yall say because I cant get the link to pull up)