Atlanta Braves: What’s next for the organization?
The Atlanta Braves management has made some very controversial changes in the past few days, including firing manager Fredi Gonzalez. Now, the Braves face the issue of who will be their permanent head coach next season.
Specifically, the way they went about firing Gonzalez – through an emailed plane ticket home, was unacceptable.
How do you fire your manager by emailing him a plane ticket back to Atlanta after the first game of a four-day road trip? Why would you not handle that business before – or after – leaving for a road trip? What was so urgent when your current record is 9-29?
Prior to receiving the email, Gonzalez had not yet been contacted by Atlanta Braves management informing him of their decision.
Do the Braves expect everyone to believe that they told a secretary about their plans to release Gonzalez before they told him?
More from ATL All Day
- Atlanta Braves: Felix Has Already Shown Enough to Win a Rotation Spot
- Atlanta Braves Implode Late To Phillies, Cole Hamels Remains Sidelined
- Kyle Wright Shines As Folty Struggles In Atlanta Braves Loss To Red Sox
- Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
- Atlanta Braves: Grapefruit League Play Check Up
In short, the way they went about firing Gonzalez was very bush league.
Now, speaking of bush league, the Braves made Brian Snitker the current interim manager. Snitker has spent a total of 34 years in the Atlanta Braves organization. From 2006-2013, he was the Braves’ third base coach.
Additionally, Snitker has been the Gwinnett Braves manager for the last two years, meaning he has worked with these players and has developed them and knows their abilities. He is the perfect person to turn these young Braves into major league players.
Making Snitker interim manager may be a much better decision than the way they went about handling firing Fredi Gonzalez.
The next decision to be made will be the question of who is going to be the Braves’ manager when they move into SunTrust park in 2017?
If Snitker develops these young players and turns the 2016 season around, has he done enough to win the job permanently?
Or, will Braves favorites, Bud Black or Terry Pendleton, be the next manager? Will there be some other candidate? The Braves still have three-quarters of a season to figure out these management issues.
Next: Fredi Gonzalez never had a prayer with the Atlanta Braves
Hopefully, from here on out, the Atlanta Braves management decisions will be more timely and professional. Fredi Gonzalez deserved better.