AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2005 > December > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFurcal latest addition to laundry list
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Jerry Seinfeld had it right: We don’t root for people anymore — we root for laundry. We root for the shirts that bear a team’s logo, not so much for the wearers of those shirts. Because the wearers, as we’re constantly reminded, can change their shirts any old time.
Rafael Furcal is a Dodger now, the Rafael Furcal who had been a fixture atop the Braves’ batting order the last six seasons. His loss is a big deal, but it would seem much bigger were it not the latest in a series. Since December 2002, the Braves have seen Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux and Gary Sheffield and Javy Lopez and J.D. Drew depart for bigger money elsewhere, and this distressing trend has reached the point where we might as well start counting the days until we hear these nauseating words:
“Starting in right field for the Yankees, Jeff Francoeur!�
Every offseason, we of advancing age are reminded how much Things Have Changed. We grew up following teams and learning to love certain players because they played for Our Team. Then along came Marvin Miller and the players’ union, and down went the reserve clause that bound a player to an organization in perpetuity, and up went salaries everywhere. And soon it became a great time to be a ballplayer and a lousy time to be a fan.
But what of the 6-year-old who has Furcal’s poster tacked above his bed and who wears No. 1 in T-ball because that was Furcal’s number and who showed up three hours before a game at Turner Field last July just so he could get his hero’s autograph? What’s he (or she) feeling today? That he (or she) should just root for the Braves’ balance sheet from here on?
There’s a 15-year-old who lives under my roof who hasn’t rooted for the Braves since they traded David Justice to Cleveland. Even before she’d started kindergarten, she picked him as her favorite. She had a dress (it started as an adult T-shirt, but her mom is nifty with a sewing machine) with Justice’s No. 23 on the back. She cried at the end of the movie “The Flintstonesâ€? because Halle Berry’s character — Berry was then Mrs. Justice — got arrested in the film. We had a David Justice Party — he didn’t attend — for her fourth birthday. She met him in spring training one year. She waved to him (and he waved back) during batting practice the night he hit the home run that made the Braves world champions.
And Rachel hates the Braves now. On the day she learned David Justice had been traded, these were her first words after she stopped crying: “All they care about is money.�
We of advancing age can look on Furcal’s departure and say, in our occasionally mature way, “The Braves did the right thing. They offered him $9 million a year, which seems a hefty price for a shortstop who has lately only had good half-seasons, and the Dodgers, who haven’t made a shrewd move since Sandy Koufax was a rookie, decided he was worth $13 million. The Braves have lost a shortstop and a leadoff hitter, but the structure of their payroll still makes fiscal sense.�
The Braves do care about money. So does every team (except the Yankees, who simply spend even more and get no better). Rafael Furcal cares about money. So does every player. We of advancing age have managed to grasp the concept that big-league baseball isn’t really a kid’s game and the men who play it aren’t really selfless heroes, but there now comes a time in every offseason when we have to try and explain this to someone of more tender years.
And what do we say then? “Cheer up, kid — we’ve still got our laundry�?
Permalink | Comments (53) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Mark Bradley
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Manny
December 6, 2005 11:40 AM | Link to this
Boohoo. Wow I haven’t read such a sad sack pity story in a long time. If you daughter was so distressed over the loss of one player ( who only a year earlier had ripped the city of Atlanta) then maybe she isn’t getting the entire story of how baseball really works. I miss Furcal, just as I miss Glavine, Sheff and the other great players who have left recently, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Braves are my favorite team and would be my favorite team regardless of who is playing.
By Carroll
December 6, 2005 11:44 AM | Link to this
DOn’t be a d* Manny. I thought it was a cute story. My heart still bleeds over the Justice trade (that and game 4 and 5 of the 96 WS).
By Lew Hartman
December 6, 2005 11:44 AM | Link to this
And yet, even with all of the players leaving over the past 10 years, the Braves are still winning. This just proves that the game is bigger than any individual player. It was great, back in the old days, to be a fan of a team and it still is now. Things have changed-get over it and get used to it. Gas used to be .25 a gallon and a Snickers bar used to cost a nickel:they’re not anymore a crying is not going to change this. Bobby Cox is still manager and John Schuerholz is still GM. Life will go on. Apparently without Furcal.
By Bradley G
December 6, 2005 11:46 AM | Link to this
Mark Bradley said, “We don’t root for people anymore — we root for laundry.”
Manny said, “…the Braves are my favorite team and would be my favorite team regardless of who is playing.”
Manny, do you not get the point of Bradley’s whole article? You are an example of what he was saying. I, for one, enjoyed the touching story about his daughter. It drove his point home…at least it did to me anyway.
By Lew Hartman
December 6, 2005 11:50 AM | Link to this
Yes, we get the point of the story. Life still has changed and there is nothing we can do about it. My son and I loved Dale Murphy as a player. He still isn’t in the HOF and no matter how much we cared for him as a player won’t get him elected. The point of all of this is that life will change whether or not you like it, but the Braves are still there.
By Hawaii Brave
December 6, 2005 11:53 AM | Link to this
Cute and touching story, but……. There’s no crying in Baseball
By Dan Gordon
December 6, 2005 11:59 AM | Link to this
There was a time in the now distant past when people went to the ballpark to pass a pleasant afternoon and see the game played by the best, to appreciate the skills few of us ever had.
Actually, in those days the problem was the reverse of the state of affairs you lament-old-timers were often kept on far too long, and rookies sat and waited.
Yes, of course, it’s root, root, root for the home team as it should be, but not as an obsession, but as a temporary diversion. Fun while it lasts.
So now ,as you say, it’s like pick-up basketball in the park-you’re a team for a game or two, and then you’re opponents. Good guys instantly become bad guys. Hard for a child to understand, certainly, but for the rest of us, with today’s athletes performing impossible feats every game, the beauty and magic of baseball cheers our hearts more than ever.
By Lee Bonds
December 6, 2005 12:02 PM | Link to this
Great story. I feel the same way about the Hawks, once Nique left town so did my support.
It’s a sad truth about sports nowadays. There isn’t a lot of loyalty from the team or player, and by no means do I say that’s right or wrong. Because I could not say how I would react if I had a chance to make $9M/yr or $13M/yr. I just hope that the Braves don’t get too complacent. In recent years (as it has been stated) we have had to watch very good players that we’ve grown to love move on to somebody else’s team. All the while experiencing a dropoff in performance by their successors.
By Lew Hartman
December 6, 2005 12:13 PM | Link to this
In our continual puruit of the negative, we, as Braves fans, should also remember that Chipper Jones and John Smoltz renegotiated their contracts for the good of the Braves. Andruw Jones even negotiated his own contract at considerably less than he could have gotten on the open market. Let us not forget this. There are players on the Braves worthy of your respect and admiration. These three may very well be Braves throughout their careers.
By MrNailz
December 6, 2005 12:47 PM | Link to this
I will always be a braves fan, that being said I refuse to spend any of my money to support them until AOL sells the team. They have obliterated our rosters, television and radio broadcasts with their philosophy that baseball is a business. It is no wonder that games don’t sell out when you have an owner who is treats the team like it’s nothing more than “reality television”.
By Braves fan
December 6, 2005 12:50 PM | Link to this
$9 million was too much for Furcal. I think that offer was made with their hearts, not their wallets. But the Dodgers have deeper pockets and management that has to make a splash. But of all those players who have left as free agents, who among them has gotten better or maintained a high level of excellence? Probably the only one who fits that description is Sheffield. But the Braves didn’t have enough money to fit his ego. All the rest have fallen off. Glavine, Maddux, Lopez, Drew all had worse seasons one year removed from wearing the tomahawk. So you can’t say the Braves were making bad moves. Currently they’ve held onto three players who could’ve left for more cash. Smoltz and the Jones have maintained a high level of play (even if Chipper has missed some games). And players like Francouer and McCann will also be held onto. Furcal just wasn’t of that ilk.
But let’s all recite it together: WE NEED A CLOSER. WE NEED A CLOSER. WE NEED A CLOSER. Please call Trevor Hoffman before he signs with Cleveland.
By Jman
December 6, 2005 12:59 PM | Link to this
Very true, very true. Baseball economics are becoming sickening. Oh well such is life. I remember as 7 year old kid learning the Dale Murphy was no longer going to be a Brave. There was nobody like Murph in my eyes. It broke my heart. Then came Justice and then a few years later there went Justice. Another favorite of mine. No matter which stars come and go I’ll still be Tomahawkin’ no matter what!
By Penn
December 6, 2005 01:02 PM | Link to this
Braves fans are (as happens every year) in PANIC MODE. Fortunately, panic is not part of the makeup of JS and Bobby. They have a good idea who will be pulling on those Atlanta uniforms before opening day.
In the meantime bow down and give thanks you don’t live in South Florida like I do.
By Jman
December 6, 2005 01:25 PM | Link to this
Hoffman has a physical scheuduled for the Indians. I presume that means he has signed pending the physical!
By Robert (Justice is the best)
December 6, 2005 01:25 PM | Link to this
I agree that fans are panicing a bit and I’m as guilty as anyone. I think the Braves made a huge mistake in not signing Furcal during the season but that withstanding, it would have been ludicrous for the Braves to give Furcal the money the Dodgers did. To all of those lamenting Raffy’s departure allow me to ask this. Was he worth a 3yr 39 mil contract? Should that kind of money be used on him or a closer?
By DJ
December 6, 2005 01:43 PM | Link to this
Furcal is over-rated and now over paid. He has never put together a complete season and forgets he is a lead off man and not a home run hitter. His on base percentage would be much better if he didn’t try to put every pitch in the seats. He has shown great potential but there are others who can put up similar numbers for far less money. 9 million a year was more than fair. Good Luck Raffy, get used to watching post season ball from your living room in LA. Maybe you can invite JD Drew over to join you.
By wes
December 6, 2005 02:02 PM | Link to this
Furcal was a drunk who couldn’t get on base during the postseason anyway.
By Jman
December 6, 2005 02:15 PM | Link to this
Postseason-Anonymous Party at Rafael Furcal’s house
Begins the second week in October
Plenty of food, plenty of drinks, plenty of postseason baseball
Expected to attend: The host - Rafael Furcal, JD Drew, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Javy Lopez & the latest addition for 2006 Gary Sheffield.
Dont miss the party of the century!
By Marty
December 6, 2005 03:10 PM | Link to this
I liked Furcal, and I’ll still miss him even though I think less of him now, but as Mark says, it is the nature of the business these days. It does, however, give me a greater appreciation for those hard-to-find loyal players like Chipper, Andruw, Smoltz, and Julio Franco.
It’s sad, but as Braves fans we have to enjoy the great players we have each year, even though they are not always the same ones, and look forward to the day when the free agent market in baseball collapses due to overspending. It’s only a matter of time.
By T
December 6, 2005 04:19 PM | Link to this
I’ll take it one step further… When was the last significant off season free-agent signed by the Braves? Sheffield in 2000-01?
The Braves wonder why attendance is down. You can point directly to the organizations FAILURE to recognize the committment to the fans. When you look at the bottom dollar as the driving force of your team, it makes the fans look at the bottom dollar of what it costs to attend more than one game. That equals rapidly declined attendance!
There have been many players over the last 10 years that have either been traded (because of money), let go to another team via free agency (because or money) or free agents, who could help this team tremendously, not even considered (because of money). Heck, John Schurholtz gets praise in the national media for his ability to lose players and “plug” people in and still win. What that says to the loyal baseball fan is “we don’t care who you like or love to root for, it’s all about money.” At some point, Braves’ fans see everyone leave that built this organization and wonder why he or she is still rooting for this team?
They do not show loyalty except to a select few…WHY oh WHY do they (Braves) wonder why the fans don’t care as much as they used to? It seems elementary to me.
Can you bring in talented players that make the fans bleed with every win or loss. And add a key player in each off season (or before the All-star break) that feeds that committment. Then your attendance and fan base will grow along with your team on the field.
I feel better now…until April.
By Chris
December 6, 2005 05:03 PM | Link to this
Hooray! 95% of you missed the point of the article!
By alan from Atlanta GA.
December 6, 2005 05:11 PM | Link to this
I just want people to think about and consider the possibility that the Braves, being owned by Time-Warner in NYC is basically a product to sell advertisement on TBS. Baseball fills several hours of time and makes money from the ads that are sold. It is not Furcal or Farnsworth or any other player, rather the Braves should be locally owned instead of a product to be sold such as “Sex in the City” also on TBS.
By Jennifer
December 6, 2005 07:21 PM | Link to this
My heart was broken twice, first when Brett Butler was traded and the second time during the baseball strike. I have never really returned to the sport, though I am and will remain a fan of the Braves. Collegiate sports are so much better for this and many other reasons.
By Toby Cash
December 6, 2005 07:24 PM | Link to this
Wouldn’t it be nice if baseball had a salary cap? The salaries of these guys is crazy, stupid, ridiculous, and is way beyond this fans’ comprehension.
By Bo
December 6, 2005 07:44 PM | Link to this
Braves made a good move. Not only is 9 mil too much so is 5mil. Baseball needs to change their way of doing business. It should make no difference what name is playing but by position. In other words, each position is worth just so much. 1B- 2mil, 2b-3mil, etc etc. Each year they advertise for 1B, 2B, etc. Then the players will bid on them. The best numbers of each position that bid would be takened. In other words a yearly draft except in reverse. So much for the shirts and not the person.
By David
December 6, 2005 08:06 PM | Link to this
Manny is a p******. Can we trade him?
By Manny
December 6, 2005 08:19 PM | Link to this
David you a moron!
By John
December 6, 2005 08:25 PM | Link to this
Reply to Postseason-Anonymous Party at Rafael Furcal’s house:
Begins the second week in October
Plenty of food, plenty of drinks, plenty of postseason baseball
Expected to attend: The host - Rafael Furcal, JD Drew, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Javy Lopez & the latest addition for 2006 Gary Sheffield.
Dont miss the party of the century!
…And arriving to the party about one week late, the rest of the Braves.
By alex
December 6, 2005 08:25 PM | Link to this
Furcal f******* us.
By alex
December 6, 2005 08:27 PM | Link to this
Furcal fookied us. Beat the censors.
By Charles
December 6, 2005 08:52 PM | Link to this
why should everyone be upset about Furcal leaving,good riddance,he and his agent are both bold face liars who said he was not concerned with money and that he looked up to bobby Cox as a father,that is an outright blatant lie,why should any fan of any age want to follow a scum bag like Furcal,i hope he has the worse 3 yrs of his carrer,and that Wilson betemit makes furcal look sick with his play at short or if we get Lugo for a year thats good too because we got Escobar who is gonna be better than Furcal.lets move on and forget about this rum dum Furcal and all his and his agent’s greed.we need a closer and need to go after Baez or someone right away.let Ryan Langerhans leadoff.
By second bass
December 6, 2005 08:53 PM | Link to this
The Braves wonder why attendance is down.
Attendance actually went up with the arrival of the Baby Braves. Also, with a starting lineup featuring Giles, Francoeur, C.Jones, A.Jones, Furcal, LaRoche, McCann, Langerhans, and Smoltz, you have a team that is COMPLETELY built from within the organization. Add to that 14 straight division titles. Not too shabby for a team that loses some to free agency (Furcal, etc.), signs a new face or two (Hudson, Sheffield, etc.), and keeps the winning tradition alive.
Schurholtz gets praise in the national media for his ability to lose players and “plugâ€? people in and still win. What that says to the loyal baseball fan is “we don’t care who you like or love to root for, it’s all about money.â€? That statement is not the fault of Scheurholz. Chipper has stayed and re negotiated his contract to help the team. Andruw shut Boras up and made his own deal to stay in Atlanta. Bottom line: you’ve got guys who have no loyalty and guys who do. Scheurholz and company have managed to juggle them all and maintain excellence.
By Bill Wright II
December 6, 2005 09:21 PM | Link to this
Well I guess you can tell a lot about Manny. He really doesn’t understand kids and how they feel about heros. Manny must have had a deprived childhood for him tto react in this way. But when you must have come from the Southend of a North bound mule what else would you expect. Leave the childrens dream alone, persons like you you make them grow to soon. They will lean the bad parts of life soon enough. LEAVE THEIR DREAMS ALONE!
By howard
December 6, 2005 09:33 PM | Link to this
trade chipper waste of money guy
By john
December 6, 2005 09:37 PM | Link to this
Mark why did you have to knock the Yankees? Is it because they beat the Braves twice in the Series and I believe they kicked the Braves a**es six consecutive World Series games IN TURNER STADIUM.If the Braves were in the Yankees division they probably wouldn’t have won that division once much less fourteen.If the Braves have a player the Yankees want they will get him.As long as there are New York Yankees the Braves will always be minor leaguers.
By Ngo
December 6, 2005 09:40 PM | Link to this
Sources indicate that the Braves are trading Mark Bradley for a bag of dog food.
By kutt
December 6, 2005 09:41 PM | Link to this
i believe the player is worth what the demand pays him, good job furcal, get over his imperfections, because none of you are perfect, hope for you the best…sorry little boys and girls, but they can’t play forever and they need to make what they can while they can, it’s no different than one of us going from one career/occupation for another, the jone’s shouldn’t have had to sell themselves short, or smoltzy!
By Jeff
December 6, 2005 09:43 PM | Link to this
I like to kick Mark Bradley in the mouth.
By Ngo
December 6, 2005 09:45 PM | Link to this
Sources indicate the Braves are trading Mark Bradley for a bag of dog food.
By Tuienda
December 6, 2005 09:47 PM | Link to this
Why do you want to beat up a little girl?
By 3Pitch
December 6, 2005 09:50 PM | Link to this
It is time for JS to retire. He has been a great GM for running an organization, but he has a weakness. It is negotiating. His idea of “waiting” until free agency to re-sign a player no longer works. When was the last time he kept a player from going to free agency by signing him early? Oh I know, there was Tim Hudson last year, but that was to keep JS from looking bad since he had just traded a bunch of quality prospects for what could have been a one year rental. JS needs to retire, and allow Deyton Moore to take over this team. Perhaps then we can actually sign a player who is approaching free agency. And perhaps it can be done during the season which is a no-no under JS.
By Dave
December 6, 2005 10:05 PM | Link to this
Good article, though the Justice-Furcal comparison is inapt. Justice was clutch! The heart and guts of the Braves, and vastly underappreciated in retrospect. What did Furcal ever do in the postseason? Even an imminent jail term couldn’t spark him in ‘04. And he’ll get paid more than Paul Konerko will the next 3 years! Furcal’s a good player, but 9 mil/yr was outrageous. This shows either: 1. Dodgers’ ownership is still completely clueless, or 2. Baseball was on to something when it waited 23 years to give Ned Colletti a GM job. Insane!
By Bob
December 6, 2005 10:06 PM | Link to this
Before we spend a lot of money on Lugo lets give Betimit his deserved chance. He has earned it with his play last year. Save that money toward a decent closer. Wilson was supposed be the number one prospect up until last year. Remember the rookies that got a shot last year had done nothing compared to what Wilson has done in the bigs both hitting and fielding wise. Lugo always appeared to me as a run of the mill fielder and a punch and judy hitter.
By geechee
December 6, 2005 10:13 PM | Link to this
Great column Mark. I never read anything about tears so not sure what anyone is talking about with the crying part.
I’m not sure what the difference in numbers was. I haven’t paid attention to anything since the Dogs first kickoff a few months back. Whatever it was, Time-Warner could afford it. They cry poor mouth too much. Any major league team worth their salt would have re-signed him. John and Bobby can’t keep this up forever, they need some help from upstairs.
The Mets keep acting like their crosstown cousins every off season and at sometime will buy their way past the Braves like Miami did.
I’m also in full agreement with Rachel. My ticket to that same game is hanging right above my head. Glavine was always my favorite but when they traded Justice, I lost something inside for them though I’m still a fan, when they wouldn’t pony up to Glavine and let him leave, it was like this is all Time-Warner now, Ted wouldn’t have let it happen. So yea mostly they are just shirts now that John and Bobby do the best they can to fill out.
By kevin
December 6, 2005 10:21 PM | Link to this
Is there such thing as loyalty in this world anymore? Ballplayers today are driven not by their link to the team but by the almighty-dollar.
And what of these ballclubs who flash around money and pay exorbitant amounts to players when they’re not worth that much?
I am a huge baseball fan but I really hope there is some kind of economic disaster in the game to bring this nonsense to a stop.
By geechee
December 6, 2005 10:39 PM | Link to this
Kevin, there already is economic disaster. It is called George or the Boss (not the real one from Jersey but the one from Tampa)and it is not stopping them. You can’t blame the players for this. The other sports figured it out somewhat, what’s up with baseball they’ve been here the longest and yet are the most immature.
By janey
December 6, 2005 10:42 PM | Link to this
I wonder why no-one has commented on the fact that Time Warner has an investment in the new Mets Superstation. With all the players the Mets obtained for next season, obviously it means that the New York market is more important to them (read “bottom line”) and they know they can just keep doling out the small bucks to the Atlanta Braves forever and ever. What can we do about it, they figure.
By Charles
December 6, 2005 10:45 PM | Link to this
Why not lets talk to Boston and see if we might be able to get Edgar Renteria for our shortstop and leadoff man and has decent speed.has more power than Lugo and is younger than Lugo.
By Jorge
December 7, 2005 08:33 AM | Link to this
I was very disappointed to learn that Furcal was leaving. After Javy Lopez, he became my favorite on the team. I met the guy once, and he was really nice. So was Javy Lopez. I wish that both players could have stayed with the team, but they couldn’t. Whoever said that they don’t play forever was right. They could get injured, etc., and then what will they do?
By Deer
December 7, 2005 11:11 AM | Link to this
STOP YOUR INCESSANT WHINING! SHOULD RAFFY REALLY SACRIFICE AND DECLINE SUCH A LUCRATIVE OFFER SO THAT AOL CAN MAXIMIZE IT’S BOTTOM LINE?
By janey
December 7, 2005 12:15 PM | Link to this
Again AOL! They no longer have anything to dso with Braves. Guess this should teach me a lesson — I will never bother to mention Time Warner and their investment in the METS NEW SUPERSTATION.
By Manny
December 7, 2005 12:35 PM | Link to this
Wow some people that post here are total d*******. Sheff was brought over for the 2002 season in TRADE for Odalis Perez and Brian Jordan. The last “Big Name” free agent the Braves signed was probably Jordan in the 1998 offseason, before that The Big Cat.
By Del Young
December 7, 2005 11:02 PM | Link to this
Noticed that the Padres have re-signed Hoffman and traded away their 2nd and 3rd basemen. Wonder if a trade is brewing with the Braves with Marte, a starter and a rook for Hoffman ?????