Braves Turmoil Will Leave A Lasting Stain

 

- Jerry Crasnick

Every baseball transaction comes with a corresponding human benefit or cost. I couldn’t help but think about that side of the equation with the news that Braves general manager John Coppolella had suddenly resigned his position at the end of the regular season.

The professional ramifications are stunning: A prominent executive and decision-maker for one of Major League Baseball’s signature franchises had amassed a list of transgressions so egregious and wide-ranging that he was forced to clean out his desk and leave the building.

I’m sure the following thought occurred to executives and scouts throughout the game in the aftermath of the Coppolella news: If Padres GM A.J. Preller, an executive who’s earned a reputation for envelope-pushing, had never incurred anything more than a 30-day suspension without pay and a warning to knock it off, how extensive was the dossier of violations committed by Coppolella and the Braves?