Well, no other way to describe today’s events for Braves fans other to say that it sucked. John Coppoella, Gordon Blakey, and John Hart have now taken their place along with the likes of John Rocker, Dan Kolb, and Melky Cabrera as among the most disliked people in recent Braves history. Another case in point that the actions of a few affect many others.
It’s a bitter pill to swallow. Unreal to us fans that there are those in the organization who were willing to cheat and potential consequences be danged. I know we want to be mad at MLB for making an example of the Braves, but if Coppy and company didn’t do what they are charged with doing, we’re not having this conversation. It’s over. It’s done with. The Braves have gotten the punishment, but it is us, the fans, who suffer. Because we were betrayed and will also be the target of mocking from Nationals, Phillies, Mets, and all 25 Marlins fans.
So what can we do as fans? Certainly demand more accountability from those in charge, but other than that, just continue to cheer on our team. It sounds simple, but that’s the reality. No amount of yelling and anger is going to change the past or the results of it. The higher ups know the fans feel betrayed and are angry. The pressure is on Terry McGuirk. It’s now his job to win the trust back from the fans.
We’ve heard the past couple of years about a return to “The Braves Way”. That is now dead and gone. Today’s punishment basically pulled the plug on that. With Hart gone and the influence of Scherholtz and Cox getting less by the day, a new direction is sorely needed. Hopefully, the hire of Alex Anthopoulos is a step in that direction. He’s widely regarded as a great baseball man in many circles. Hopefully, he’s the right man to lead the Braves out of this.
Clearly, today was a very negative day. One of the worst days in Atlanta Braves history. So, what are any positive vibes we can have right now? Definitely nothing in the punishment. Even with the losses today, the farm is still strong. There is still young talent in Albies and Swanson. We have potentially a big time player about to come up in Acuna. The pitching coming up from the minors is still solid. Allard, Fried, Toussiant, Anderson, Wentz, I mean, that’s not too shabby. Even in today’s negative, good things I believe, are still ahead.
I know I’m rambling, but I just had to get this out in the open. It’s said often it’s the darkest before the dawn. Hopefully, that is also the case for the Atlanta Braves and their fans.
