AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > February > 14 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBraves’ new owner should not mess with success
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Professional sports teams should be owned by people instead of things.
Where have you gone, Ted Turner? The choppers and the chanters turn their lonely eyes to you.
Anyway, Ted and Jane left the Braves to a thing called Time Warner nearly a decade ago after they sprinted away from the admiring glances of baseball folks toward more worldly causes. Now Time Warner is preparing to sell the Braves to another thing called Liberty Media after both sides agreed this week on terms.
This is mixed news (see what we just said about “things” in this situation). As for the good news, which overrides the rest, current team president Terry McGuirk will be retained. The same goes for John Schuerholz, the general manager during the Braves’ run to 14 division titles, five pennants and a world championship since 1991. Bobby Cox also will stay, and he only is the best manager in history.
As for everything else regarding the Braves’ move from thing to thing, pending approval by 75 percent of the baseball owners, you may yawn now. You may do so, not like the exhausted Ted and Jane used to do during all of those Braves playoff games. You may do so to match the upcoming yawns of those involved with Liberty Media. Those upcoming yawns also represent good news. If you believe McGuirk, always trustworthy through the years, those involved with Liberty Media will yawn out of indifference regarding the operation of the Braves.
It makes sense. Those involved with Liberty Media admitted from the start of their courtship of the Braves nearly a year ago that their thing only wished to buy the most prominent team in the National League since the Big Red Machine as a high-powered tax writeoff.
That’s not necessarily bad news. It means those involved with Liberty Media will stay out of the way of McGuirk, Schuerholz and Cox. Just like everybody with that other thing. The Time Warner people were so preoccupied with stocks and bonds that they couldn’t care less about balls and strikes. Consider, too, that it doesn’t have to be this way when it comes to things owning professional teams.
For instance: Soon after that thing called News Corporation bought the Los Angeles Dodgers during the late 1990s, that thing worked a trade to send Mike Piazza to the Florida Marlins. The problem? Piazza was highly popular in southern California, and that thing didn’t bother to tell Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ highly respected general manager, what was going on.
Not only that, since a thing can’t feel, touch, see or smell, News Corporation lacked the senses to know that the Dodgers are the Yankees of the NL when it comes to tradition. That’s why News Corporation tinkered with the Dodgers’ classic uniforms, and the results were as disastrous as News Corporation paying ridiculous money for perennially injured pitchers Kevin Brown and Darren Dreifort.
At least News Corporation spent money, which is why you have to combine the yawning over the Braves’ move from thing to thing with shrugging. We’re talking shrugging as in, nobody really knows if those involved with Liberty Media will give McGuirk, Schuerholz and Cox enough pennies to keep the incomparable Andruw Jones around, along with John Smoltz, who already has his toes in Cooperstown.
This is what we do know: In recent years, despite flashing no signs of going bankrupt anytime soon, the Braves have kept their budget around $80 million. They also have refused to join others this winter during what has been one of baseball’s golden ages of spending. Even commissioner Bud Selig likes to boast that the game had record revenues of more than $5.2 billion.
Will Liberty Media allow McGuirk, Schuerholz and Cox to spend as freely as its folks who run, oh, say, the home-shopping network QVC?
Can’t tell. That’s the worst part of the news.
Permalink | Comments (33) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves / MLB, Terence Moore
Comments
By Mantuan
February 14, 2007 08:36 PM | Link to this
I keep seeing that $5.2B number … and I keep dividing 30 into it and I keep getting $173M average per team.
I know that it is not evenly distributed …
Average — $173M per team.
I keep thinking that ought to be enough money to keep everyone on the average satisfied.
By AdirondackDave
February 14, 2007 08:43 PM | Link to this
Very good article on the new ownership, Terence. I agree Liberty will likely set the budget and watch from afar. Logic suggests that they want to build value in an already valuable franchise and you don’t do that by cutting budgets when your competitors are doing the opposite. I think it’s better than even money that they restore $10M per year to the budget for the next 3-4 years. The idea being to return the club to dominance in the National League and then bail out for a handsome profit and big bonuses for the suits at Liberty who made it happen.
By Me
February 14, 2007 10:04 PM | Link to this
My guess is that like in the vast majority of corporate acquisitions, Liberty’s major concern will be to cut expenditures.
By cjohnson
February 14, 2007 11:34 PM | Link to this
No one has really made mention of John Malone(CEO of Liberty) being old pals with Turner. Lets not forget he was one of the driving forces behind “Americas Team” and the TBS family. I really believe that Liberty will dump some money into payroll…its in their best interest. Kepp the fans happy and attendence up and in 5 yrs they will make a tidy little tax free profit….plus the CEO really likes the Braves…follow the money guys….a good product only makes sense….u cannot market a bad product and expect results.
By Najeh Davenpoop
February 15, 2007 01:37 AM | Link to this
It’s hard to tell, but honestly I don’t think Liberty Medical… er, Media, is going to be any different about payroll than Time Warner was. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Time Warner wasn’t exactly in the black while they were owning the Braves — they still managed to allot $80 million to payroll (yeah, not as much as the elite teams, but not exactly the Royals either). I don’t see why Liberty won’t do something similar with the payroll. And as the Marlins have shown, a team that drafts well can win the World Series even without a high payroll.
By Ryan
February 15, 2007 02:50 AM | Link to this
Well, I agree that the payroll will most likely remain around $80 million. However, the Marlins weren’t built solely from the draft. They also sold off their players for other teams top prospects. If you want to see the Braves turn around and create a cheap team from young players and hope that we win, say goodbye to Andruw, Chipper, Smoltzie, Hudson, and Hampton and say hello to several losing seasons in a row…
By gotigers72
February 15, 2007 05:49 AM | Link to this
Liberty Media staying out of the way could be a good thing or a bad thing. Will they let JS spend more money to put another championship team on the field, or will they be like Time Warner and let players like Marcus Giles go because the bottom line is more important? Marcus could have been kept for a small amount of money in the big money world of baseball.
If they end up being another Time Warner, which will probably be the case, then i doubt if the Braves will win another pennant in my lifetime. Bud “Jello Spine” Selig should step in and see that teams are sold to people with passion for the game and for the team they are buying instead of bottom line corporations that don’t care anything about the sport or the team. That should especially be true when the team has individuals like Arthur Blank, [and that pair of brothers] standing by that WANT to buy the Braves.
Prove me wrong Liberty. Please prove me wrong.
By Dan
February 15, 2007 07:40 AM | Link to this
Not much is known about what Liberty intends to do with the Braves, but let me assure you this: It can’t be any worse than Time Warner.
Major League Baseball furthered their incompetence by not doing anything about Time Warner’s conflict of interest. What conflict of interest you ask? How about them owning the Braves and also owning a major stake in Sportsnet New York. You know who the primary programming for SNY is? The New York Mets.
So essentially while Time Warner was trying to sabotage the Braves because they didn’t want to own them, they were profiting off the Mets’ success and Major League Baseball did nothing to stop it.
John Malone is a smart businessman. He’s not going to step in and destroy the Braves. Will he sink a ton of money into them? Not necessarily. However, this is still good for the Braves in the addition-by-subtraction kind of way.
By Jeff R
February 15, 2007 07:46 AM | Link to this
Liberty Media won’t let Schuerholz spend freely. I doubt they hold the team longer than the two years required by law to qualify for the tax breaks they gain from the deal with Time Warner.
Perhaps the new “thing,” as Terence so aptly puts it, will boost the payroll modestly for the sake of giving the Braves a little buffing before resale, but no more than that.
Having a person and not a thing own the Braves would be desirable, so long as that person has the business sense to let the baseball pros run the team. Let’s hope there’s a new Ted Turner somewhere out there.
By Morris
February 15, 2007 08:22 AM | Link to this
If Liberty Mutual is looking for a tax write-off then why would they be interested in spending more than the bare minimum on the Braves operation? Slash expenses; ride it; and in a few years sell the team to one those omnipresent billionaire types whose real dream has always been to own his own sports franchise. Then, Heaven help us.
By Kieran36
February 15, 2007 08:37 AM | Link to this
Terrance you are a hack!! You are the racist!!
ok sorry, I figured you couldn’t go an article without someone insulting you…
Anyways I am not too worried about the Braves ownership, the deal seemed more or less about financial leverage and cash positions than about baseball operations.
By ERIC
February 15, 2007 08:50 AM | Link to this
Nice collum, terance the braves are the premeire sports team in atl. Let’s not forget that 10 million well go a very LONG way asuming that liberty will come off with the money. They should condsedering the amount there saving on the deal!
By jack
February 15, 2007 09:19 AM | Link to this
Whoever owns the team, short tern or long term, better know that good pitching stops good hitting. Save the $$$ being spent on our few overpaid, over the hill players, Scott Boros type blooksucker agents etc. and sign the best pitchers available…Somewhat just like the ones John S. got this offseason. Not even the Yankees spending sprees on offensive lineups is good enough to offset BAD PITCHERS…starters or bullpen losers.
By Paul Simon
February 15, 2007 09:47 AM | Link to this
Where have you gone, Ted Turner? The choppers and the chanters turn their lonely eyes to you.
Good one.
By GT
February 15, 2007 09:50 AM | Link to this
John Malone not only was a friend and partner of Ted Turner, he saved Turner Boardcasting when Ted bought that film library/studio and over extended himself. Malone work directly with Terry McGuirk for years before and when Terry was chairman of Turner. Time Warner are the interlopers in this arrangement, they hijacked a well run company here in Atlanta and moved it to NY where it is no longer the number one cable news producer in the world, practically shot the Braves out from under us and replaced McGuirk as chairman with one of those corporate robots that one size fits all, give me my golden parachute and I’ll leave in peace types. Malone once again has come and bailed us out. Maybe the stadium should be named after him instead of Ted, time will tell.
By scott
February 15, 2007 09:52 AM | Link to this
Great column Terence. Also like your work on JRIB. Hard to know what to make of this since there has been little comment from Liberty, but I’m relieved that it appears the baseball operations will be left to our baseball professionals. But I sure would feel a lot better if a actual person were buying the team. Someone with passion and energy that could give the fans new hope( too bad Mark Cuban is preoccupied with the Mavs…love that guy!) Been a die hard Bravo for over 20 years so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed. Death to the NY Mutts!
By HarleyDavidson
February 15, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this
TM: Once again your articles make no sense whatsoever. What do you mean-dont mess with success. What success. The Braves have had failure in that they have been to the playoffs so many times the past two decades and have only ONE championship to show for it. That is NOT success. What the Braves have done is failed in winning championships while the Yankees have succeeded. If the Braves had won maybe four championships your article would have been justified. But to say they are successful and have come up empty each and every year with the exception of ONE lucky glorious year in 1995 denotes failure in my mind and in my eyesight. Look at what happened to Marty Shottenheimer the other day. Marty goes out and gets his team to the best record in football at 14-2, but ends up getting fired. Marty SHOULD get fired because he didnt win the superbowl so he came up short of being successful. Only one coach in football is successful every year because only one coach wins the Lombardi trophy. Im not the least surprised that Martyball was stopped cold with the firing of Marty Shottenheimer. Marty is the kind of coach who can take you to the edge of the cliff, but wont take you far enough to push you over the cliff. Martys teams NEVER win the superbowl and never win the significant games. There are two other coaches who are the three stooges in the football coaching fraternity. Those two other coaches are Dan Reeves and Marv Levy. They, like Bobby Cox, can get you to the big dance, but once they get you there the dancing shoes become glass slippers and they FAIL EVERY TIME. Those three coaches or clowns are known for their infamy and futility as they will NEVER GET IT DONE. Its strange however how much these three coaches are recycled with new jobs the same way that you recycle old tires or aluminum cans in a dumpster. Those three idiots ALWAYS get hired in new fresh coaching jobs but they always FAIL at their job by not winning the BIG GAME.
By caveman22
February 15, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this
Terence Moore Sucks!!!!! BUT your actually on target with this one. As a current amatuer ball player I have played with some former Atlanta Braves and they all say the same thing. TW had so many conflicting interest (like a stake in the Mets TV rights on a subsidiary company) that they would never make in improvement as owners. At least Liberty’s ownership has expressed a huge interest in baseball as a sport’s fan, and being good friends with Ted Turner has to count for a little bit in the competency department. The only thing we as fans can do is let our feeling be known in the most important place the pocketbook. This year could be the start or the end…… stay tuned to find out.
By Sam
February 15, 2007 11:43 AM | Link to this
I have been a Braves fan when they were in Boston. I think I have bad vibes on Liberty Media.They will cut payroll and keep the Braves for 3 or 4 years and then sell them. That is the way the old ball game goes in Corporation and finance.
By Chief Slapaho
February 15, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this
For all you you sheetheads that say TM is a racist. I sit in the barber shop with him and he has never discussed one issue. How the Braves have slowly evolved into an all white team that can not longer compete for world championships. The Braves do not represent the demographic of the city and have not tried to represent it for years. The Marlins represent their city’s demographic and have 2 championships to ours. The last time we were competitive, we had a nice balance of the city’s demographic. Now we look like a team from Utah. TM time to talk about the real truth. I hope Liberty puts more african americans on the field at the Ted. I hope that the rest of you guys realize TM ain’t as pro black as you make him out to be.
By Seymour
February 15, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this
I think it is unlikely they will increase spending. I think what will probably happen is that they keep spending about the same and in a year or two (or however long they legally have to retain the team) they will sell the team again. No sense in spending more to make more in the future if you’re just going to turn around and sell the team for the next owner to make money off of. Hopefully when they do so they’ll sell it to someone like Arthur Blank.
By Ryder
February 15, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this
Harley, you’re an idiot. By your intelligent logic Tony LaRussa was a failure for never winning the World Series until last year, despite last winning the title in 1989. By your logic Joe Torre is a failure for not winning a title in the last six years. By your logic great coaches like Tony Dungy would’ve been fired years before he won it all this year. The bottom line is this , Cox is the best manager of the last 15 years bar none. He has taken teams with a roster full of All-Stars to a team built with first year rookies to the playoffs. Let’s see if other managers could do what he does. Besides, the last time the Yankees won a title you actually had a date that you didn’t have to blow up!
People, it’s doesn’t matter if the owner is a person or a corporation. If you don’t believe me ask the Kansas City Royals. It’s all about having a competent GM and scouts who can bring in the talent, as well as a coach who presents a winning environment. That is what has made Atlanta so successful over the years. The playoffs in baseball are a crapshoot, just ask the St. Louis Cardinals who won a title despite only winning 83 games last year. I understand TM’s desire for an actual human he can point to in regards to an owner. However, it’s the actual competency of the front office that determines where this team goes.
By Dr.Doom
February 15, 2007 12:40 PM | Link to this
Ryder,
The GM can’t spend the money dumba$$! If the owner doesn’t give a $hit about the team then they won’t be able to draft or trade for anyone no matter what the GM wants.
By eric reust
February 15, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this
Everybody talks like the deal is done. It still has to pass through the other owners, and i don’t think it will. My opinion is that it will be shot down because this is a tax write off deal. Once that happens timewarner will sell to auther blank and co. very quickly!
By eric reust
February 15, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this
Everybody talks like the deal is done. It still has to pass through the other owners, and i don’t think it will. My opinion is that it will be shot down because this is a tax write off deal. Once that happens timewarner will sell to auther blank and co. very quickly!
By Kevin NYC
February 15, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this
Terence-I have lived in NYC for a long time, but grew up in Atlanta. It was painful to watch the Braves last season when it was obvious that a reasonably effective bullpen could have kept them in the race. The Mets fans are convinced that their dynasty has begun. However, I suspect that their weakness in starting pitching, and the age of their starting lineup[ the second oldest team in baseball overall] might turn out to be a problem.However, the Braves cannot entirely rely on their farm system. An infusion of 10 to 20 million in payroll,given their present solid base, could maintain the team as a contender for the next couple of years.If Liberty Media is at all concerned about the value of the Braves in 5 years,Andruw should be retained,and Smoltz should be signed for 2008. Nobody in New York is giving theBraves any credit for the trades that brought in Gonzalez and Soriano. Add to this the signing of Wickman, the Met fans are primed for a hard fall. I hope that I can ride all summer long.
By SICEM
February 15, 2007 01:35 PM | Link to this
The Mets are toast this year! The Braves WILL win the division again this season. After that who knows we will just have to wait and see if Liberty is a real team owner or just another Time Warner.
By gb
February 15, 2007 02:03 PM | Link to this
By Chief Slapaho
How the Braves have slowly evolved into an all white team that can not longer compete for world championship
This is a rediculous statement. The braves have Andruw Jones (not white) and Edgar Renteria (not white) as starting position players. Not to mention Bryan Pena, Mike Gonzolez, Soriano, Aybar, Prado. There are also top prospects like Elvis Andrus (not white) in the minors. I guess John Scherholtz suddenly got a racist streak and decided to get as many white guys on the team as possible. I bet he could never stand the fact that he signed or drafted or traded for the likes of Terry Pendleton, Rafael Belliard, Kenny Lofton, Otis Nixon, Mariquis Grissom, Brian Jordan, Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff, Andres Galaraga, Javy Lopez, Eddie Perez, Rafael Furcal, Dennis Martinez, Jermaine Dye, Jorge Sosa, Ozzie Guillen, Julio Franco, or Vinny Castillia. Slapaho, if you could get that very large chip off your shoulder you might be able to straighten your neck enough to look up and see the talent on this team. Scherholtz could put an all black/hispanic/ or whaterver team out there that had no talent and they wouldn’t win. He could also put out an all white, no talent team that wouldn’t win. Scherholtz doesn’t look for skin color- he looks for 5 tool players, great pitchers, or complementary pieces to the puzzle. If he can fit it all into the budget, the team will win. Making an argument about whether or not the team matches the demographic make up of a city is just about the stupidest thing I have ever heard!
By Armstrong
February 15, 2007 04:28 PM | Link to this
I know Andruw is a great player and all guys. He is by far the most powerful bat on the team and the best defensive outfielder in the game. But with the payroll already as low as it is, don’t you think it would be smart to maybe trade him if possible for a top CF prospect and maybe some more pitching help? Cause think about it. The payroll is already small, and most of it is locked up to just a few players. Imagine how much worse that would be if we signed Andruw to a large deal like he wants. I love Andruw as a player to death. But maybe it’d be best if he was released.
By caveman22
February 15, 2007 05:26 PM | Link to this
Slapaho need to be bch slapped for even suggesting that, or completely ignored. Any decline in african american players would have more to do with their availability than there color. Also probably more indicative of a nationwide trend that has been discussed in detail by almost every prominent news agency relating to baseball. Latino players will continue to grow in numbers till they probably become an equal percentage with caucasions while african-american males continues to seek their athletic careers in football and basketball. I don’t see anybody claiming hockey is racist and that’s almost all caucasion with a heavy canadian and european presence. But I guess it’s easier for the ignorant to play the race card, and yes I said you were ignorant **SLAPAHO. (GREAT NAME FOR A SOCIALLY CONCIOUS PERSON).
By gb
February 15, 2007 07:07 PM | Link to this
infact, slapaho’s comment is no different than Jimmy the Greek’s, and he got in major trouble for it. He says an all white team can’t win (even though the braves are not all white). If I made a post that said the braves are losing because there are too many Latinos on the team, I would have been branded a racist quickly. Slapaho didn’t just play the race card: His whole comment was fundamentally racist.
By Jim
February 15, 2007 09:30 PM | Link to this
Slapaho, someone should slap you. Preferably a white player.
By Ryder
February 15, 2007 09:58 PM | Link to this
Hey Doom,
(I’m doing this in caps so that illiterate son of a b*tch can read, so pardon my upcoming rant everyone else)
WHAT PART OF MY BLOG SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A GM SPENDING MONEY YOU LIMP DCK FDGE P*CKER! IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MONEY, BUT ABOUT SCOUTING ACTUAL TALENT, DRAFTING BUT APPARENTLY A TWO BIT RACIST LIKE YOURSELF THAT GETS HIS ROCKS OFF ON A COMIC BOOK NICKNAME WON’T UNDERSTAND THAT! SO DO ME A FAVOR, NEXT TIME YOU PLAN ON CHALLENGING MY BLOG, YOU MAY WANT TO READ UP ON THE FACTS VENDEJO! OWNERS DON’T DRAFT, GMS DO MONKEY BOY!