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Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Don’t give the Braves Liberty — please
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Let’s start with what the Braves don’t need as a new owner, and that is another symbol on the New York Stock Exchange instead of somebody that you actually can choke or hug depending on whether they keep flopping during the postseason.
In other words, Liberty Media Corp., get outta here. If this latest “thing” that wants to replace the Braves’ current “thing” called Time Warner wants something to give it a mighty tax break, may I suggest moving the home office to Bermuda?
Arthur Blank isn’t the best option, either, and you needn’t go further than the disaster that was Wayne Huizinga trying to run an NFL team and a baseball team in south Florida between doing stuff with his NHL team and Blockbuster Video. Now he’s just a Miami Dolphins guy. Blank needs to remain just a Falcons guy, especially since his team has to do whatever it takes this season to match reality with hype after jacking up ticket prices following last year’s underwhelming finish.
Those other locals who were in the mix to buy the Braves (real estate tycoon Ron Terwilliger and radio magnate Lew Dickey Jr.) reportedly aren’t key challengers anymore to this latest “thing” and Blank, which brings us to this: What the choppers and the chanters need to save their franchise is a miracle. They need a candidate in shiny armor to gallop out of nowhere on a white horse. Former Braves owner Ted Turner would do nicely, but he would prefer to make his dramatic entrance on a buffalo these days. Speaking of which, he’s more into bison now than baseball. So, given that, the Braves need their Arturo Moreno, the breath of fresh air in his fourth season with the Angels of Los Angeles, Anaheim, California or Whatever They Want To Be Called At This Moment.
In contrast to his faceless predecessor called The Walt Disney Company, Moreno mingles with the crowd, and he produces as many cheers around Angel Stadium as Vladimir Guerrero since he sliced ticket and concession prices. He also keeps his wallet open when it comes to acquiring whatever players his baseball people suggest are necessary. This is the same Moreno who wasn’t even mentioned as a possible Angels owner until five days before the deal was announced in April 2003. See what we’re hoping for?
Prior to Moreno, the Angels had their version of Liberty Media and Blank. There was a Boston group led by Frank McCourt, who later bought the Dodgers, and then there was a New York group led by Jimmy Nederlander, who gasped along with McCourt when Moreno dropped from the sky to get baseball’s approval to snatch the Angels away from Disney’s mostly indifference toward baseball. Soon after the Angels grabbed their 2002 World Series trophy, for instance, Disney already was looking to pull a partial Huizinga by getting rid off a baseball franchise that wasn’t as profitable as, say, selling Mickey Mouse ears or visually enhanced DVDs of “Animal House.” A full Huizinga would have involved Disney doing what Huizinga did after his Marlins won the 1997 World Series, and that is Huizinga shipped away nearly everything in the Florida clubhouse that could fetch a few pennies to add millions to his billions.
But back to corporations, baseballs and ruthlessness. In addition to the Angels, the Toronto Blue Jays also won a World Series (twice) under a corporation when they were owned by a Canadian brewery during the 1990s. Still, with “the bottom line” always more important to CEOs than “the pennant race,” corporations only win world championships by accident. Mostly, corporations don’t win world championships. All you need to know is that the Braves’ solo world championship during its current run to the playoffs of 14 consecutive seasons was in 1995. That was the year BEFORE Time Warner took over from Ted Turner.
Elsewhere, Fox hadn’t a clue of how to bring success to the Los Angeles Dodgers, only baseball’s most famous franchise not named the New York Yankees. It eventually sold the Dodgers to McCourt. As a result, Time Warner and The Tribune Company are the only corporations left with baseball franchises. The Tribune Company purchased the Chicago Cubs in 1981, and it’s a “thing” that cares more each season that Wrigley Field is stuffed every game (money, money, money) than that the team hasn’t reached the World Series since the end of World War II.
Just wondering: Does Arturo Moreno have a twin brother or sister?
Permalink | Comments (24) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Terence Moore
Betemit’s playing more than a bit role
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
All those seasons there was the promise. From the time he was signed on his 16th birthday for a $40,000 bonus in 1996. The world was out there waiting, his new frontier. Then it was “from Braves Top Prospect” to trading bait, and while that may sound a bit harsh, John Schuerholz does say this:
“We never gave up on him, but I can’t say that we didn’t consider a trade.”
Thankfully, the Braves held onto Wilson Betemit, and at the end of the season a year ago, who was their leading hitter? Himself, average .305 in 115 games as a stand-in for the frail and wounded. And as far as regional notoriety was concerned, though, he might as well have been playing in the Union League. That’s often the fate of troops in waiting.
“I know I can play. I’m just filling in now, waiting for the right opportunity,” he said in the spring.
Opportunity has come his way again this season. Chipper Jones goes down. Betemit goes to third. Edgar Renteria goes down. Betemit goes to short. Any old time at any old place on the field, just call for Wilson. A rather Anglicized name for someone from the Dominican Republican. That’s his full name. “I’m just Wilson, that’s all,” he said.
“I’ve always had confidence in him,” the Braves chief said. “I saw him hit two home runs in a Futures game in Seattle. He always had a good swing, but he did have to fight through some injuries.”
Betemit arrived at Class AAA Richmond after three seasons that earned him Top Prospect rating, and there his star took a fall. He developed back problems. Then a ligament was torn in his right hand, and his batting average slipped from the .300s into the upper .200s. When he hit training camp in 2005, it was last call. Make it or hit the road. He had worn out his options, and that was in his favor, especially when Rafael Furcal and Jones had to sit out some early games. It was then the Braves realized the “top prospect” had arrived, a little behind schedule, but ready. He had had a good season in the Dominican winter league to build on, and wherever the Braves put him, he performed.
He is not one to grab attention, nor create a clubhouse stew. To the contrary, he is a gentle man, easy smile, the kind of attitude that curries favor with Bobby Cox. No manager could ask more than Betemit has given the Braves playing his waiting game.
“I know I can play, I want to play, and I don’t care where, but I know it takes patience. I’ve developed a lot of that since I’ve been here,” Betemit said.
Then came the performance on national television Sunday night in Washington. Martin Prado and Pete Orr on base, Betemit up to face the Nationals’ leading reliever, Gary Majewski. It was not a violent swing, but at liftoff the ball was headed out of town. The three-run homer won the game, and Terry Pendleton, the hitting coach, continued telling anyone who’d listen, “He’d be playing every day for a lot of teams in this league.”
Shortstop is his native position, but his best asset is that he can play anywhere, and will. Well, you can eliminate pitch and catch, but I’m just trying to make a point. The former “top prospect” has now become the real thing.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Furman Bisher
Betemit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
All those seasons there was the promise. From the time he was signed on his 16th birthday for a $40,000 bonus in 1996. The world was out there waiting, his new frontier. Then it was “from Braves Top Prospect” to trading bait, and while that may sound a bit harsh, John Schuerholz does say this:
“We never gave up on him, but I can’t say that we didn’t consider a trade.”
Thankfully, the Braves held onto Wilson Betemit, and at the end of the season a year ago, who was their leading hitter? Himself, average .305 in 115 games as a stand-in for the frail and wounded. And as far as regional notoriety was concerned, though, he might as well have been playing in the Union League. That’s often the fate of troops in waiting.
“I know I can play. I’m just filling in now, waiting for the right opportunity,” he said in the spring.
Opportunity has come his way again this season. Chipper Jones goes down. Betemit goes to third. Edgar Renteria goes down. Betemit goes to short. Any old time at any old place on the field, just call for Wilson. A rather Anglicized name for someone from the Dominican Republican. That’s his full name. “I’m just Wilson, that’s all,” he said.
“I’ve always had confidence in him,” the Braves chief said. “I saw him hit two home runs in a Futures game in Seattle. He always had a good swing, but he did have to fight through some injuries.”
Betemit arrived at Class AAA Richmond after three seasons that earned him Top Prospect rating, and there his star took a fall. He developed back problems. Then a ligament was torn in his right hand, and his batting average slipped from the .300s into the upper .200s. When he hit training camp in 2005, it was last call. Make it or hit the road. He had worn out his options, and that was in his favor, especially when Rafael Furcal and Jones had to sit out some early games. It was then the Braves realized the “top prospect” had arrived, a little behind schedule, but ready. He had had a good season in the Dominican winter league to build on, and wherever the Braves put him, he performed.
He is not one to grab attention, nor create a clubhouse stew. To the contrary, he is a gentle man, easy smile, the kind of attitude that curries favor with Bobby Cox. No manager could ask more than Betemit has given the Braves playing his waiting game.
“I know I can play, I want to play, and I don’t care where, but I know it takes patience. I’ve developed a lot of that since I’ve been here,” Betemit said.
Then came the performance on national television Sunday night in Washington. Martin Prado and Pete Orr on base, Betemit up to face the Nationals’ leading reliever, Gary Majewski. It was not a violent swing, but at liftoff the ball was headed out of town. The three-run homer won the game, and Terry Pendleton, the hitting coach, continued telling anyone who’d listen, “He’d be playing every day for a lot of teams in this league.”
Shortstop is his native position, but his best asset is that he can play anywhere, and will. Well, you can eliminate pitch and catch, but I’m just trying to make a point. The former “top prospect” has now become the real thing.
Permalink | | Categories: Braves / MLB
