Braves Quote For The Day

Forbes Magazine released their ranking of the value of all MLB teams, and here is what they said about the Braves:

The Braves are at a crossroads. The team has not made the postseason since 2005 and attendance at Turner Field was 2.4 million in 2009, an average of just 29,300 per game, the lowest since the ballpark opened in 1997. Manager Bobby Cox is retiring after this season, his 25th at the helm. At this point it is a fair question to ask: Will Liberty Media's ownership of the Braves resemble CBS' disastrous reign of ownership of the Yankees in the late 1960s and early 1970s, or Walt Disney's triumphant leadership of the Angels earlier this decade? Liberty has supported the Braves financially. The team's payroll was $99 million last season, sixth-highest in the National League. But its legacy as the owner of the dominant NL franchise of the 1990s will be determined by whoever succeeds Cox.

That's the concern. Luckily, those other examples were apparently taken into account when Bud Selig approved the sale of the Braves to Liberty Media. Forbes values the current Braves franchise at $450 million, $50 million more than what Liberty bought the team for just a few years ago. That's a pretty good return on investment... so perhaps it's time to sell to an owner who has in interest in putting the best team on the field year after year.