Atlanta Braves : News : Atlanta Braves News
Braves’ run on TBS to end in ’07
This actually might be good for the franchise, in that (presumably) Fox will pay a real rights fee and it will make it less likely for them to cry poverty. (On the other hand, they might have given lowball terms as part of the TS sale.) But it’s the end of an era, no doubt.
a sad, sad day to be sure.
Damn, TBS made me a Braves fan ( I’m from Boston area) because when I grew up NESN (Sox games channel) wasn’t part of the regular cable package and as a result I could only see scattered Friday night/special circumstance or ESPN Sox games but I could see most Braves games (my dad is a Yankees fan but I hate them and my mom doesn’t care aobut baseball). I can’t imagine them not being on TBS, this undoubtedly means that a package or soemthing is in my future.
I had the nicest times watching the Braves on TBS when I was a fledging Braves fan. But all good things eventually have to come to an end.
Wow, this is the worst case of bad news I’ve heard in quite a while.
Well I guess Pete and Skip will move over to FOX. I just don’t see them doing all the MLB games
Wow, I have been to Atlanta one time in my life but I have been a diehard Braves fan since ’82 because of TBS. 30 years, wow.
Who would you rather have at bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth? Carlos Lee or Andruw Jones?
Maybe it’s Braves Bias, but I know my answer.
Wow, I am surprised that Andruw didn’t even play. Perhaps it’s good that he has a chance to rest his shoulders.
Man this really sucks, I live in St.Louis so they only time I can watch the Braves is on TBS.
I’d rather have what’s his name Case up at the plate, then he pulls a Cody Ross and the pain just explodes throughout the AOL/TW television division. Take your damn (fan) base.
Druw should of hit in the ninth, with Carlos, sure he is more of contact hitter but with Andruw you get POWER something that the AL had over the NL.
Trevor Hoffman kinda looked like are bullpen.
*closer*
BTW Michael Young is one of the most underrated players.
Oh and one more thing before I leave, F**K TED TURNER you crazy son of a BI***.
Good to see Rietsma got in the game!
What’s this guy talking about?
I too am a TBS baby. Got hooked just in time for the era of Dale Murphy and 24 warm bodies. This has been inevitable, I supposed, since Turner and the Braves parted ways, but it’s still a great shame and bodes ill for the Braves in the future.
And yes, Garner brain-farted. You’ve got a guy who hit 51 HR last year on the bench and need a home run. Maybe you should give him a try.
I’m officially sick. They open up two restaurants, the fans love ’em, yet Skip & Pete are nowhere to be found due to corporate ignorance..
Not the first time we have seen Phil Garner make odd moves. It really doesn’t appear that he is a very good in-game manager.
TBS made me and my entire family Braves fans 🙁
And what’s up with these Texas guys getting big hits off of the “dominating” closers in the All-Star game…
First it was Blalock taking Gagne deep, and now this..
Hopefully this losing feeling keeps surrounding Wright and the Mets all through the second half…
What I want to know is, who are the morons that are giving those reruns of “Friends” and “Seinfeld” such high ratings? I think I’m possibly the only female in my age demographic that hates “Friends,” and I’m totally indifferent about “Seinfeld.” How many times can you watch those things over and over again? Just buy the DVDs, for Pete’s sake!
One of my lasting childhood memories (do I still qualify as a child?) will be sitting with my grandparents watching the Braves on TBS in the mountains of NC. We didn’t have cable then, so summer was the only time I got to see them. I’ll miss that. This sucks, as it means I have to keep my MLB.TV subscription running until I die.
jenny, i am a religious watcher of seinfeld and find friends amusing on occasions, but if i would have known that it would backfire like this then i would have boycotted both from the beginning. from the dog days of the 80’s, to the worst to first team, to the world series champs, and to this marvelous 14 year run, all tbs braves baseball (good or bad) will be missed immensely. what a blow.
Hm, I think I might shed a tear tonight after hearing this news. I grew up in Puerto Rico, where I had two choices: Chicago Cubs (WGN) or Atlanta Braves (TBS). By the time I reached middle school I had made my choice.
Is the MLB extra innings package worth its price? 🙁
I live in New York so obviously TBS has been the one way I can keep up with the Braves. I’m probably more upset than I should be about this because I kind of saw it coming when they kept dropping the number of games shown.
Man, this just sucks.
If I lived out of market, I’d get extra innings.
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/tools/med/2006/06/ipt/1150742098.jpg
Why is my last comment “pending moderation”? Am I not to be trusted?
In the last thread there was talk about Betemit for Linebrink of the Padres. Doing a search, it appears this deal was already turned down back. But this was written back in mid to late June, which means the Padres could be changing their mind.
“In recent trade talks, the Braves wanted a reliever, most likely setup man Scott Linebrink, when the Padres asked for infielder Wilson Betemit, according to a National League executive.
The Padres, who envisioned Betemit as their full-time third baseman, balked at the Braves’ request, preferring to keep their bullpen intact.
Cubs right-hander Scott Williamson, currently on the disabled list with an elbow injury, is another reliever who has drawn the Braves’ interest.
The Braves also have been pursuing a right-handed platoon partner for first baseman Adam LaRoche; they floated the idea of Reitsma for Rockies Class AAA first baseman Ryan Shealy before Reitsma was injured, an industry source says.”
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5700028
Yeah, I’m upset about this too. I live in Wisconsin and will now be unable to watch the Braves like I did while I was growing up. I suppose I can just listen, or watch the webcast, but it all just sucks. Like the NL.
Sad, sad, sad. Only reason I’m a Braves fan is TBS.
“they floated the idea of Reitsma for Rockies Class AAA first baseman Ryan Shealy before Reitsma was injured, an industry source says”
That would be one of the biggest steals of JS career. No way the Rockies ever go for that. It would have to be like Shealy for Reitsma … and Salty.
Terrible news. Everything going with the Braves sucks right now. I guess its karma for all the good times we’ve had the last 1.5 decades.
Now I can only pray that FSN’s dumb-ass blackout rules will be relaxed,, because FSN midwest sucks. Nothing sucks more then seeing the Braves game on my dish guide’ only to see that is blacked out.
I would think the loss of games on TBS will greatly reduce the fan base.
Well it can’t hurt the fan base that lives in the Atlanta Metro area, they don’t even go to playoff games.
To come in for the day from the hot Georgia sun, to hear Skip or Pete read the line-up . . . ah, that was sweet!
There’s a dreamy quality to a TBS broadcast … the promos for action movies you saw to years ago . . . the eccentric products on the commercials . . .now the hyperactive graphics for Braves Exxtra. When our pitchers threw we hoped they’d hit it to center. . . Come on Murph, start us off . . . Chopper to Chipper . . . Braves WIN!
All good things . . .
It’s sad that the year I get TIVO we lose the Braves on TBS. TIVO is great because I can watch the games when I want and fast forward through the ninth innning so I don’t have to suffer through the bullpen.
The glory days for the Braves are fast coming to a close. It was inevitable that this would happen, but I’m surprised that TBS is taking on more baseball considering they seem to be going after a particular demographic that I thought was not into baseball. The Braves will soon be just another middle-market team with no particular cache. What bothers me a lot is the opportunities they had to be a truly historic team and squandered. I wonder how long it will be before the Braves are back in the World Series.
Smitty
#34. July 12th, 2006, at 8:22 AM.
Well it can’t hurt the fan base that lives in the Atlanta Metro area, they don’t even go to playoff games.
—
You work for ESPN now, Smitty? Really, I’m tired of hearing that.
truth hurts
I wish a TBS boycott were organized. This is a sad day.
And I vote that NL managers be forbidden from using NL West closers against Texas Rangers infielders late in All-Star games. 0-2 meatball? What in the world?
Also…9 innings for Beltran and 0 for Andruw? Seriously? Phil Garner is not my favorite manager.
(Also, note that Ozzie “I’m playing this like Game 7” Guillen played all AL position players except for Pierzynski, while Phil “We have no signs; strut your stuff!” Garner gave 0 playing time to Andruw, Nomar, Rolen, and Uggla. Cabrera only got in to play defense, and Freddy Freaking Sanchez got 2 ABs. I mean, it’s just unbelievable.)
And if Hoffman hadn’t crapped the bed, Howard and Lee wouldn’t have gotten any ABs, either.
I drive an hour and a half to go to a few of the playoff games. Why can’t Atlanta area people go to the games? It is sad. When you go to the games and talk with many of the fans sitting around you, they would rather talk about going to Underground or how much money their husband’s made last year. They don’t cheer or get loud. In general, Braves fans are terrible.
That’s why I like this board. The people on here are student’s of the game. They love the Braves (though can be a little hard on some players sometimes) But thier critique of the team is backed with logic. If most Braves fans cared half as much as most the people on this board, then the Ted would always be a rockin and Time Warner might have put more money into their investment.
I agree Stu, I have no clue how Gardner wins in Houston.
Garner
Smitty, wouldn’t it be nice to go to some games and actually see the fans wearing the teams colors. Face it folks, most Braves fans are terrible. My uncle for ex, he has season tickets 10th or 11th row behind the on deck circle on the 1st base side. He has had tickets for 3 years and has only gone to two games. That is ridiculous, of course he sometimes offers them to clients and who knows if they even know how to spell baseball. It does get old hearing this, “but braves fans are not loyal, they are spoiled.”
In reference to the comments made about metro area Braves fans…
I live a good four to four and a half hours away from the ballpark. I make it out at least once a month during the season to see the Braves. Every time I’m there, I make a point to strike up conversation with whoever is next to me in line or my neighbors in the stands. It seems that every person I talk to has travelled just as far as me to see the games. South Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, all over the place. Gas is high, tickets aren’t cheap, but I don’t care.
I love the team and the ambience. And it does befuddle me as to why Atlanta area people have to drive an hour tops through traffic. If I lived in town, I wouldn’t be able to stay away from the park. Season tickets would be a mighty fine investment for me.
Just sayin.
…brain fart. I meant it befuddles me as to why Atlanta people live that close and DON”T go to the games and DON’T make any noise. Sometimes it seems to me that Atlanta people don’t deserve the team.
The Braves are truly the South’s team.
I’ve been to two braves games this year, and I went to an NLDS game last year (as well as a regular season game). I live in Washington DC.
—
I wonder who TBS will use for their announcers for the Sunday games and the playoff games. That would be nice for Skip & Co. to get some national exposure, though I’m sure they’re just as sad about the loss of the Braves on TBS as the rest of us are.
I fell asleep (in part thanks to my friend PBR) in the . . . 7th inning (?) and woke up to find out the NL blew it. Deeply unsatisfying. I begin to mildly hate the AL.
This TBS news is deeply distressing. I don’t get TS or any other network that carries the Braves. I hate TimeWarner. Not mildly either.
Carlos Lee’s hitting .407/.475/.815 in close and late games this year, to Jones’s .279/.357/.686. Both would have been acceptable decisions.
On the TBS thing, how is Finazzle gonna get national exposure without the Braves’ telecasts?
“Why don’t Atlanta fans go to playoff games” is an interesting question, and I’d like to see someone in the media actually delve into the answers beyond just tossing slurs that are only heard by people who actually DO care enough to follow the team. Maybe the people who aren’t going to the playoff games aren’t really fans to begin with? Atlanta area people are, very often, not from Atlanta, and they brought their outside sports allegiances in. Most of the plates I see in the stadium parking lot are from counties far outside the city.
Investigating the lack of fan support would be a study of demographics and city planning as much as anything else. (Full disclosure: I have only missed 3 home playoff games since 1991.) However, I don’t think there’s a competent-enough journalist in our national media to investigate it. In fact, I don’t even consider them journalists at all. They’re cheerleaders for the network home teams, enabling bandwagoners everywhere.
As for the lack of electricity in the stadium, I don’t think being spoiled has as much to do with it as being apathetic. I certainly feel that way much of the time. The atmosphere compared to, say, Cubs or Red Sox games also differs due to the kind of attendees. Your average group of Cubs or Red Sox fans are drunken louts; your average group of Braves fans are a mother from the sticks and her three kids. One of these groups gets cursed at by the other (I’ll let you guess which.)
In short, I’m tired of hearing the same old lame “har har Braves fans don’t even go to games” junk from the national media (and echoed here on BravesJournal apparently) without hearing any attempts at explaining it or any constructive ideas with which the situation could be improved.
I like Garner. I don’t really like the fact that he bats Taveras so high in the lineup, but he’s a player’s manager who uses sabermetrics.
TBS’s old format can’t generate the revenue it used to. Any baseball fan can find baseball on the TV and Internet every night. Baseball fans used to watch the Braves and Cubs because they were the only options. That’s just not the case anymore. TBS isn’t doing this to lose money. This might even cause more money to go to the club.
Daniel:
“I love the team and the ambience. And it does befuddle me as to why Atlanta area people have to drive an hour tops through traffic. If I lived in town, I wouldn’t be able to stay away from the park. Season tickets would be a mighty fine investment for me.”
If you lived in town, you probably wouldn’t be from ’round these parts. Ergo, you would probably be a fan of another team.
Regarding the All-Star Game, I’m going to personally try to float the rumor than McCann called for the meatball to ruin the potential homefield advantage the Mets would get in a hypothetical World Series.
drzachary,
Amen to #50. I thought about trying to put into words the response you did, but I would have failed miserably. I feel exactly the same way.
As to #53, that’s a fabulous idea. Count me in.
I’m going to email Buster Olney and Rob Neyer with that today.
how much does MLB Extra Innings cost? ballpark figure?
I just heard Garner on the radio say Edgar got hurt last night. Anybody know anything?
As for Jones, he declined National League manager Phil Garner’s offer to go to the plate in the ninth inning — the veteran outfielder wanted to give New York’s Carlos Beltran a chance to win the MVP.
Well, I guess that one’s not on Phil. Classy move by Andruw, though. The article also said the reason for doing so wasn’t because he’s hurt, so if that’s true, that’s good.
Stu… read between the lines!
Andruw didn’t want to help the Mets win homefield!!! 🙂
Isn’t extra innings like $179.99 for the year, that’s what it is in my area (Birmingham). I think.
drzachary, as to #53 AMEN. I think it could be the fact that Garner let Beltran get 4 plate appearances and Andruw didn’t get one. Or like you said, McCann just said screw you Mets. Or both…
okay, nevermind about my comments on Garner
Aubrey Huff just got traded to the Astros for a few minor leaguers.That will make it harder on us to win the WC.
That is of course if Huff plays to his potential.
Jay10, stole my post. Here’s the link
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5778412
Garner should have pinch hit for Sanchez. Used Andruw there. But on a side note did anyone see the plays that Sanchez made? I saw at least 2 fantastic plays…
Zinedine Zidane will speak for the first time tonight about his headbutt in World Cup of a French T.V. show. It will be interesting to hear his side of the story.
To drzachary (#59):
You got that right! Of course, you can never really guess which teams will be in the World Series, but right now the Mets have a much better chance than the Braves do, so it would only make sense for a Met to try winning homefield advantage instead of a Brave. Of course, if that is the case, it would be reason #294,398 to hate the “winner of the All Star Game gets homefield advantage” rule. It made me have to watch a Met bat instead of a Brave.
I guess I’m the exception fan. I come to this forum every day. I also have season tickets and go to every game I can get to. I was born in a northern suburb of Atlanta and have lived here all my life. I always attend the playoff games. I wear some kind of Braves shirt and hat to every game. I cheer at the games. The funny thing is for the most part it seems the folks sitting around me are also good fans. There is one section of seats which is apparently owned by some corporation because the fans who sit there always say they were given the tickets and for the most part they do not seem like true fans (even though it is different people for most games). But they are the exception in the section my seats are in. Most of the time it seems to me most people at the park are into the game. Except for the fans tendancy to try to start a wave at the worst possible time (tying run on third with Braves trailing and Andruw at bat seems to be a favorite), I find most of the fans to be plenty attentive to the game. I have had bad experiences with non-fans at the game (a lady in line for beer asked me at a playoff game who Javy Lopez was one year!) but those times have been rare.
what is this about, I didnt watch the game…
“Garner’s attitude was evident in the field, too, with Pirates spark plug Freddy Sanchez actually shoving third baseman Wright out of the way to catch a foul popup.”
Hap, if the wave and the chop were abolished (I’m not sure which is more offensive..) and the cheers and chants grown organically, if that makes sense, the atmosphere might seem a lot less forced and more electric.
Then again, it might just be quiet.
This whole Braves no longer in TBS thing has me depressed. The first baseball I ever watched was the ’95 World Series, and I was actually rooting for the Braves because my dad had lived with big Braves fans while he was in graduate school and when I asked him which team we wanted to win he said, “I suppose Atlanta.” Although the rest of my family could have cared less, I got hooked on the game. When we finally got satellite TV, I was thrilled to see the Braves were always on TBS. At that point I would have been willing to watch any team during the summer since before that all we could watch was the postseason.
All that to say, if TBS hadn’t carried Braves games I probably wouldn’t be a fan right now. I would probably still think of them fondly because of the ’95 WS, but would probably not be the fan I am today. Thinking of other teams playing on TBS just sounds wrong. I do hope I’ll be able to invest in Extra Innings, or something, so I can still watch the Braves, but as a broke college kid I seriously doubt that will be happening any time soon.
I wonder what will happen to Skip and Pete. Those two doing non-Braves games would be just weird.
Pete is an employee of the braves, not TIme Warner, so I would imagine he would only do Braves games
@ csg
I think Sanchez called for that pop up and Wright didn’t hear, so he was pushed out of the way. Either that, or Sanchez wanted the glory of catching a foul pop in front of the home crowd in the ASG… yeah, okay, I’ll shut up now.
csg—
There was a popup to short left field (maybe slightly foul) and Sanchez and Wright both went after it. It was a SS ball, but Wright got in the way, so Sanchez push him out the way then ran over to catch the ball. Where did you read that?
I’m with ‘Rissa, I got hooked watching the Braves in the early ’80s on TBS. Anyone else have that Dale Murphy poster with the bat that looked like a light-saber, or am I dating myself?????
The bad thing is, we dont get TS, and the FSN we get here is Devil Ray’s games (yuk) so it leaves me out in the cold….time to get x-tra innings I suppose…..
This is horrible news. Broadcast revenue is one of the things that was keeping the Braves afloat these last few years. The effect this will have on payroll and the franchise as a whole is simply staggering. Can you say “Atlanta Marlins” ??
and the FSN we get here is Devil Ray’s games (yuk)
Is that so bad? Granted, the telecasts sucks. Staats is one of the worst broadcasters in the sport, and the Trop looks terrible on TV (and only slightly better in person). But that’s a pretty interesting young team. Crawford, Kazmir, maybe Upton and Young soon. I don’t mind getting stuck with their games. I’ll always watch the Braves first, but they’re a better second option than, say, the Pirates or the Royals.
Thats true Mike, but I dont understand why the cable company here wont carry TS.
Wow, this is BOMBSHELL for sure! While reading about this this morning I came to the conclusion that TBS basically is turning into ESPN(having a Sunday afternoon instead of night game of the week, having the all star selection show, the division series and of course not being married to one team anymore which is the biggest BOMBSHELL). That sounds just like ESPN’s baseball coverage!
Living just BARELY outside Braves territory in Wilmington, NC(I mean we’re basically just two counties north of being in Braves tv territory) TBS made my dad a Braves fan and he passed it on to me as a young lad in the 80’s. Fortunately I have the package(extra innings AND gameday audio) so it doesn’t really effect me anyway BUT…..
…..I do feel bad for our broadcast crew! Particuarly the guys like Skip and Pete who have been there since day 1 of the Braves on TBS. These guys have given pretty much all their adult life to the Braves and they get taken OFF the air 3 years ago for(and nothing against them) Joe and Don before being put back on. Then the announcement a couple months ago that their only doing TBS broadcasts and now they’ll get just 45 LOCAL broadcasts unless Fox does the right thing and hires them to replace Torborg and Rathbun. I mean Skip and Pete are our version of Vin Scully, Jack Buck, Haray Carey yet their treated like Sh!t by Turner!
TS/FSN South takes a lot of heat on here, but atleast they WANT the Braves! Turner Sports obviously doesn’t! I hope Skip and Pete can give the ultimate “up yours” to Turner and one day start doing our FSN/TS games. Let someone else do the 45 WTBS games!
— Bravesfan1
Skip and Pete are employed by a corporation and they are being treated like corporate employees. And, let’s not forget, I’m sure they have made a very nice living from TW. I’m sure they will still be doing the games on radio and the local TBS games,by which time, Skip, at least, will be in his seventies. I don’t think they have that much to complain about. My god, the Tigers fired Ernie Harwell, the Yankees fired Mel Allen–this is what happens in this business.
This stuff about the Braves players not wanting the Mets to get home field; I hope and assume that maybe you are kidding. First, presumably the Braves still think they have a shot at the WS. Second, I’m sure the players don’t hate the Mets like the fans do, they are just another team. Players go from one team to another. This isn’t like the Giants and Dodgers in the fifties. There is much more solidarity between players overall than between teams and, especially between players and fans. I’ll guarantee a Braves player feels a lot closer to a Mets player than he does to a Braves fan. I’m sure the Braves players couldn’t care less whether or not the Mets get the home field, but they are hopefully thinking (if, most likely unrealistically, about themselves getting homefield.) As for me, if the Mets win the pennant, I will root for them in the WS, first, because I have friends that are Mets fans, and, second, because I’m tired of the American League winning all the time. (Not that I think they would have a snowball’s chance in hell of actually beating the American League.)
Marc, I was clearly kidding about the conspiracy theory.
As for if the Mets made the WS, I’d pretty much pull for them only if they were facing one of the two Evil Empires.
Sad news about TBS.
As a born and raised Atlantan who moved away for school and then work, I loved TBS because it allowed me to keep in touch not only with the team, but also, in some small way, with my “home.” Some of you may not have any idea how incredible it was, when caught in a Michigan snowstorm or a San Francisco fog bank, to hear the Southern twangs of Skip and Don and see countless Home Depot commercials. It’s almost as good as hopping on a plane and going home for 3 hours every night. Goodbye TBS Sports, and thanks for all the memories.
For others like me out here in California or elsewhere, I highly recommend the MLB Extra Innings package. I get it through Comcast, but I think it is available on most cable networks. You can catch basically every Braves game (and tons others, as well, if you’re a fantasy baseball junkie like me), and it works great with TiVo too. It’s not cheap (around $150 for the season), but it’s worth every single penny.
For some of you who were talking about the best sections to sit in, in terms of the most lively fans.
I’ve been to so many games at different times of the year, so I’ve sit in nearly every section one could possibly sit at The Ted. In my experience, I would say that byfar the most fun section to sit in is right around the right foul poul in the upper deck. There’s a reason that you always see guys like the Chefs, Cans, Franks, and whatever else up there. It seems as if it’s always the semi-regulars from around Georgia Tech and the other colleges up there most of the time.
My fondest memory of that section is at the NLDS game last year that featured Smoltz and Clemens. I was sitting a few rows back from the ledge right amongst a throng of Georgia Tech guys. After a botched call that had Andrew (I think) out at first, the entire section started chanting “BULLLLL-SHIIIIT, BULLLLL-SHIIIIT, BULLLLL-SHIIIIT”. Finally, an usher had to come out and tell them that Fox had requested that we watch our language since it was a nationally televised game.
Which was like putting gasoline on an open flame. Shortly therafter, McCann hit a three run shot off of Clemens. That was a fun night.
Although I have nothing new to add, let me join those lamenting the end of an era for those of us who grew up with TBS. I lived in Atlanta until I was 13, watching Hazel and Green Acres reruns during the day and Braves games at night. After growing up and moving away, TBS has been a cherished lifeline to the game and team that I love. As I sit here with my faded memorabilia and worn copy of the 1995 Sports Illustrated, I suddenly feel 100 years old.