Chop Chick

By ThunderNoodle

January 14, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this

Yes! I’ll be there. I lived in Greenville during its AA days, and nothing’s better than hanging out at minor league games, and watching the up-and-coming players. No huge, inflated egos, and no $10 beers. Life is good!

By rich brave

January 14, 2008 11:37 PM | Link to this

As a response to Chop Chick’s latest blog, I would refer you to my post of 11:17 p.m. January 14, 2008 on DOB’s blog. Not only will Richmond fans now lose TBS as an outlet to see the Braves visually, but the ability to acquire memories of wonderful moments gone by will go aglimmering in September 2008. Goodnight.

By eric the elder

January 15, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this

rich brave and others who know way more about the minors than I do might correct me on this, but my impression is that AAA is not necessarily the best place to watch future stars.

From what I have heard, AAA is a place where older players are still holding on, where 4-A players have done all they can do at AAA but can’t seem to cut it in the majors, where players go for rehab, etc. I think I might be more excited if it had been Pearl moving here.

I also wonder about the economics of having the big club and the AAA club in the same city. I anticipate that the cost of seeing the team in Gwinnett will soon far exceed what it was in Richmond - - as a way of offsetting the possible loss of attendance at Turner.

Seems odd to have minor league players living closer to Turner Field than Bobby Cox does.

By Roswell Ed

January 15, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this

The place where the RBraves play now seats less than 13,000 people.

How big will the Gwinnett stadium be?

Certainly Atlanta can support the major league club and one that draws less than 15,000 fans per game.

By Roswell Ed

January 15, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this

I was just reading the Richmond paper and they said that the RBraves average attendance was less than 2,000 a game.

By rich brave

January 15, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this

ROSWELL ED:

What source? I read 6,000 which is too high. Attendance was up this year with the Governor’s Cup run, but 2,000 could be correct although it sounds low to me.

By rich brave

January 15, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this

ERIC:

I was just concluding a big post to you on all the different catagories that make up a typical AAA team here and the computor erased it all. So the short of it is: used to be older players on the way out. Corky Miller is an example from 2007. Maybe one other player in his catagory. A mix. The baseball is pretty good although its a big step to Atlanta from Richmond. Maybe now the step won’t be quite so huge.

By rich brave

January 15, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this

The mendoza line for Richmond’s attendance appears to be around 500,000. Less and the organization’s not happy. More and everything’s fine. Fans have been slipping last decade. I used to go regularly until that horrendous string of last or near last place finishes. Now that I have other interests I just don’t go as much although I follow the paper’s boxes religiously. I’m not sure AA will fly here. The immediate area’s 1.1 million. That used to be enough to stir ML interest, but 20 years have passed since then. With today’s salaries that’s just not big enough. The city fathers are amazed. They were working out a new stadium complex deal. Just too slow for the Braves I guess. I think The Nationals might be mixed in this somewhere. A two year deal with Columbus which is up in 2010. Oh they’ll say I’m crazy, but AAA 90 miles away makes more sense than Gwinnett for the Braves. Just a hunch of course.

By eric the elder

January 15, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this

rich brave, I’m intrigued by what you said:

its a big step to Atlanta from Richmond. Maybe now the step won’t be quite so huge.

That’s certainly true geographically, but I’m sure that’s not what you meant. Do you think the Braves will be making a philosophical shift in what they want their AAA team to be? Will they reduce the step from AAA to the big club by loading up the AAA team with their best prospects? How do you see that step being made smaller?

By rich brave

January 15, 2008 6:40 PM | Link to this

Eric:

When I said the step would be smaller, I was referring to the design of Gwinett’s new park. There is such a bias here in Richmond toward pitching.

I keep scratching my head wondering just WHY management wants AAA so very close geographically. As others have posted, why not Savannah or southern Georgia? I know all about the regional scope of recruiting and the physical presence of dominating an area - saturation if you will. But it seems to me there’s more too this than meets the eye. Is Gwinnett willing to built a 38 million statium designed specifically for the Braves which will ultimately reflect the playing conditions at ‘the TED?’ Is Charlotte in the running for an expansion franchise? I haven’t consulted a map, but isn’t Gwinnett up that way? Eric, you could possibly keep an eye on that angle, that is assuming you live in the NE Atlanta ‘burbs. Almost 40% of respondents to the AJC survey said the location of AAA would affect attendance in HOTlanta. Could this be a ‘beat feet to the suburbs’ beginning? It doesn’t give that appearance.

So why, unless the Braves plan events along the lines you have mentioned, that being a stadium with a team that reflects a mini-TED. Geography aside, I would think this tends to streamline ops, cut costs, and greatly improve personnel quality control. As I was attempting to post to you earlier until lost, the make-up of the Richmond team has changed significantly over the past twenty years.

There are far fewer young men playing out the string at the end of their careers, or of those rehabing serious injuries. Bad attitudes and bad blood resulted in many cases. I just don’t sense that now as a general rule. And that’s why Boyer’s attitude struck me as being different. It harkened back to the old days. Frustration, disappointment, half-hearted effort. Corky Miller is one of the older men on the team, but I just didn’t get that from him. I think the Braves are taking a new direction with the farm system, and this move is the first major step. Sorry for the epistle, but you did ask so here it is.

By eric the elder

January 15, 2008 8:51 PM | Link to this

rich brave, many thanks. Your epistle was very informative.

By way of detail, Gwinnett is a county that abuts Fulton County where Atlanta is. On a good day, it would be an easy 30-minute drive from Gwinnett to the Ted.

By KC

January 16, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this

I live 10-15 minutes away from the location of the soon-to-be stadium… so of course I’ll be there. It won’t affect the number of big league games I attend though.

By No Name

January 16, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this

I would rather go see the AAA guys anyway. The majors are full of big heads and big wallets who really dont give a hoot about the fans that actually support them and make their contracts possible. They are rude and ignore the fans. Why bother.

The minors on the other hand enjoy the fans, sign autographs and actually care that your there. I will go to minor league games. I stopped going to the Ted long ago. Just not worth the hassle or the traffic.

By rich brave

January 16, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

And there you have it. From both KC and No-Name. There is a market for AAA baseball in Gwinnett. And the Braves know that. Ted Turner was their marketing guru for years, and his fledglings learned well. Just a thank you to the Braves organization for sticking with Richmond as long as you did. Its been great.

By STL

January 16, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this

Logistically for a ball team to move the farm location closer to its major league city does make sense. It’s more efficient to move players between clubs. However, teams that have their farm locations closer to their major league city (i.e. within 100 miles) actually limit their fan base. The R-Braves (I’m sure soon to be) had (major league Braves) fans in Richmond and it’s surrounding area. Now that they are moving, those fans (don’t know how many) will turn their fan ship from the major league Braves to another organization (i.e. Nationals).
I thought it was smart for a farm team to establish in a smaller market away from the major league team. It spreads the team’s fan base into opposing territories. In this case Braves AAA team is not moving to a smaller market, Buford, which practically an extension of the city of Atlanta. .
Congrats to Gwinnett and surrounding area. Just remember, ball fields take a lot of water to keep them in pristine condition. ;)

By STL

January 16, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this

Logistically for a ball team to move the farm location closer to its major league city does make sense. It’s more efficient to move players between clubs. However, teams that have their farm locations closer to their major league city (i.e. within 100 miles) actually limit their fan base. The R-Braves (I’m sure soon to be) had (major league Braves) fans in Richmond and it’s surrounding area. Now that they are moving, those fans (don’t know how many) will turn their fan ship from the major league Braves to another organization (i.e. Nationals).
I thought it was smart for a farm team to establish in a smaller market away from the major league team. It spreads the team’s fan base into opposing territories. In this case Braves AAA team is not moving to a smaller market, Buford, which practically an extension of the city of Atlanta. .
Congrats to Gwinnett and surrounding area. Just remember, ball fields take a lot of water to keep them in pristine condition. ;)

By STL

January 16, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this

Logistically for a ball team to move the farm location closer to its major league city does make sense. It’s more efficient to move players between clubs. However, teams that have their farm locations closer to their major league city (i.e. within 100 miles) actually limit their fan base. The R-Braves (I’m sure soon to be) had (major league Braves) fans in Richmond and it’s surrounding area. Now that they are moving, those fans (don’t know how many) will turn their fan ship from the major league Braves to another organization (i.e. Nationals).
I thought it was smart for a farm team to establish in a smaller market away from the major league team. It spreads the team’s fan base into opposing territories. In this case Braves AAA team is not moving to a smaller market, Buford, which practically an extension of the city of Atlanta. .
Congrats to Gwinnett and surrounding area. Just remember, ball fields take a lot of water to keep them in pristine condition.

By rich brave

January 16, 2008 4:08 PM | Link to this

STL:

Last year in Richmond about 360,000. 2006 about 330,000. Not nearly enough. The mendoza-line was around 500,000.

The Braves on TBS continued a long slow fade-out. We had a decade of abysmal finishes. Both contributed to a long decline in fan support. The local paper carried less and less actual articles on the Braves.

This however goes hand in hand with the ‘news-bite’ theory of sports reporting. It’s expensive to actually produce original news-worthy information, etc. Let’s just follow the leader - Rupert Murdock or some other ‘giant’ of the news media. I don’t blame the staff. They’re now retiring early, or bailing for other venues. It goes with the times.

The Braves started dialogue with Richmond FIVE YEARS AGO - that’s FIVE. Five later, nothing was even on the table let alone in print. Talk about a glacial pace!! The Braves made generous offers for lease renewal and a new stadium complex according to today’s paper.

This scenerio continues to be the prevailing stance taken in the Richmond area toward sports in general. A cultural backwater from a sports business standpoint. We were lucky to have the Braves as long as we did.

This post is way-y-y to long. If you’re interested in what I think might transpire in the future go to Dave O’Brian’s blog and look around the 11:00 a.m. to 12;30 p.m. area. I gave some prognostications there.

CHOP CHICK:

Thanks for your generous words ending this blog. Maybe Richmond deserved your lagress. Then again, maybe we didn’t.

I would add this for Richmond fans. If attendance in ‘08 doesn’t approach 400,000, the message the community will be sending to any new prospects such as Washington will be fatal for the future of major professional sports in this area. It time to stand up for our community and show America’s sports businesses that we will support major organized sports here.

By John

January 16, 2008 4:10 PM | Link to this

I think its great we will have a triple A team in Gwinnett in addition to our double A-RP (AARP) team in Atlanta!

By Da Mick

January 16, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

My question is this: Have Terry McGurk and Prince Charles ever been seen at the same time?

By Loyal Brave$$$ Fan

January 17, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this

ATLANTA,

Are youu ready to pay the GWINNETT BRAVE$$$ some hefty parking FEE$$$ for the “privilege” of attending their games way out in the outer suburbs…. just like the ROME BRAVE$$ have done for years ?

Get the Glove Oil Ready and Let Those of Us in Gwinnett Bend Over for You, BRAVE$$$ !!!

By burp bailey

January 19, 2008 7:48 AM | Link to this

Gwinnett is nasty I wouldn’t send my neighbors dog there…

By marv albert

January 19, 2008 7:55 AM | Link to this

enjoy the tax increase gwinnetians….it ain’t great and it’s getting worse….should add some quality jobs for asian ballwashers and your oversexed daughters can sell hotdogs instead of playin with em

By Born-n-Bread

January 19, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this

Marv go home a Southern town don’t need or want u around…YES

By NumbaOneFan

January 19, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this

**your oversexed daughters can sell hotdogs instead of playin with em. Dayum where do I find those babes that sell and play with hotdogs, wooooohoooooo!

By Burt Reynolds

January 19, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Loganville

By Clem

January 21, 2008 3:06 AM | Link to this

WHERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE’S

Loganville ???

By Jesus

January 21, 2008 4:57 AM | Link to this

Hey Clem,

That’s funny u get in heaven for making me giggle

By Just Wondering...

January 21, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this

Just wondering….

Which county in the ATL area has the “most oversexed daughters” who like baseball?

I like Suburban ‘Tang with my Suburban Baseball.

By eric the elder

January 22, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this

CC, a few of us tried to support your blog, but I really think it’s time to shut it down. The response was negligible, and now crude and horny 14-year-olds have taken over.

It was a valiant effort, but you gotta know when to fold ‘em.

By richbrave

January 22, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this

CC:

Agree with Eric. All we had to say on this subject has been discussed. One final on Richmond. The Mayor’s planned stadium complex deal now has backers bailing for other venues. So long AAA baseball in Richmond.

By Lee in S. GA

January 23, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this

Chop Chick -

Perhaps instead of shutting your blog down completely as Eric suggested perhaps you could just get the AJC to ban the email address from certain retards and they could not post again. This way you could continue your blog. It is a good alternative sometimes from DOB’s blog. I for one hate to see it go away.

By free speech

January 23, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this

free speech ban people who want to ban retards

By antonio banderas

January 23, 2008 4:31 PM | Link to this

I agree with richbrave and lee- 2 guys who i’m sure have joined their neighborhood assoc. to tell everyone on their block how to live as well keep trying to run others lives since your butt-ugly wives are running yours

By Ticki Barber

January 23, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this

I love eli

By richbrave

January 24, 2008 8:45 AM | Link to this

ANTONIO BANDERAS:

Dude. I just want CC to put up a new blog. Think what you want. Look in my eye. Do you see anything in there with “I give a s&it what you think on it?”

By eric the elder

January 24, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this

rich brave, CC put this blog up 10 days ago, and we haven’t seen a word from her since. If she isn’t going to participate in her own blog, then I don’t see the point.

Lee, I too hate to see it go away. After two years of being an active part of the DOB blog, I lost interest in it because it seemed to be getting a little obsessive.

I had hopes that CC’s blog would offer a feasible alternative, but it hasn’t. And now we have creeps crawling in from under the woodwork. I think CC needs to find a new niche at AJC. She can continue to pretend to be a blogger, but I don’t intend to be a part of it anymore.

By buford buzzard

January 24, 2008 2:04 PM | Link to this

I know the truth hurts richbrave but i think its healthy u take it out on antonio instead of your ugly wife eric do us all a favor and spread your ashes over lake lanier when the big one hits

By larry flynt

January 24, 2008 2:14 PM | Link to this

Trying to protect free speech got me shot in gwinnett’s capital grow up gwinnetian’s if u can’t handle the truth stay off the blog

By richbrave

January 24, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this

At last, Eric. We ingendered some genuine thoughtful prose about my wife. She’ll be thrilled.

By richbrave

January 25, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this

ERIC:

engendered - sorry. Almost as bad as Your are and idiot on DOB’s blog. Sorry for the fox pas. Arrhh, arrhh.

By Cheap Chick

January 26, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

If you really want to see a bit of humor—go read the David O’Brien blog…as DOB attempts to perform his Jim Rome imitation—by the way, some funny shyt, my man!…not really a good imitation, kind of like a peck er gnat trying to emulate an eagle…

By Cheap Chick

January 27, 2008 10:57 PM | Link to this

[http://www.bravesandstuff.wordpress.com/] great alternative to these crappy AJC blogs!