County officials have mixed feelings on Gwinnett Braves name change
The Gwinnett Braves announced Monday that, come 2018, they'll no longer be that: Braves.
Officials are soliciting fan help to find a replacement for the iconic moniker, which they said has created "confusion" among fans of the big league ball club in Atlanta and its Triple-A affiliate in Lawrenceville.
The team hopes to find a "unique, hometown" name — but Gwinnett County officials, who have seen poor performance at the box office and a disappointing lack of development around taxpayer-funded Coolray Field, aren't sure what to make of the decision.
“I’m a little concerned in that I don’t want the Braves to do anything that would affect the marketability of the stadium and bringing people out to our ballpark,” District 4 Commissioner John Heard said Monday. “Although I’m so disappointed in the attendance that they’re having right now that I don’t think they could do anything to hurt.”
Read more about the name change proposal — and what county officials had to say — on myAJC.com.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
