Report: John Schuerholz stepping down as Braves president
John Schuerholz, a 50-year veteran of baseball front offices and the architect of the Atlanta Braves dominant run during the 1990s and early 2000s, is stepping down as the team’s president.
In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tim Tucker, Braves’ CEO Terry McGuirk revealed that Schuerholz would move in to a vice-chairman role with the team. His president position will be filled by two men. Derek Schiller will take over as the president of business, while Mike Plant will become the president of development. Schuerholz’s new title will include filling an advisory role for both men, but he will no longer hold day-to day responsibilities in the club’s operation.
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Though the team insists Schuerholz is not retiring, in many ways it feels like the the end of era. Schuerholz has not only served as one of baseball’s highest-profile executives during his 25-year run with the Braves. He’s been recognized as one of the highest-profile and most successful executives in all of sports.
After joining the Braves as general manager in October 1990, Schuerholz would oversee an unprecedented 14 straight division championship teams. Though the Braves only managed one championship in five World Series appearances during that run, the level of consistency only further cemented a legacy of success that he started building in Kansas City.
As some may have forgotton, Schuerholz served as the Royals general manager from 1982-1990, where he helped construct a World Series champion in 1985. In total, Schuerholz spent 22 years in the Royals organization, essentially helping build them from the ground up.
That was certainly his speciality. Schuerholz liked to built things, and he was very good at it. So it’s only fitting that he’ll continue to lead the Braves’ search for a new spring-training home in Florida, The Braves have been in serious talks with officials in both Palm Beach and Sarasota County, and the hope is a deal will be reached soon, allowing the Braves to move in by spring 2018. Once completed, that will likely be Schuerholz’s last major project for the team.
Of course, the Braves will also be playing their final season in Turner Field before this season before moving on to SunTrust Park in Cobb County. Building a winner there will someone else’s responsibility, but you can bet Schuerholz’s wisdom will help lay the foundation.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
