MLB

Ex-Braves GM John Schuerholz sort of addresses Astros penalties, Collier spring training

Former Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves general manager John Schuerholz didn't directly address the Astros sign-stealing scandal that has rocked Major League Baseball.

But he did in a sense.

Schuerholz, a 79-year-old part-time Naples resident in Pelican Bay, spoke Wednesday night to the Naples chapter of the Society of American Baseball Research at the Collier County Library.

During a question-and-answer session, Schuerholz was asked to compare penalties the Braves organization received in 2017 for multiple rules violations for signing amateur players, including circumventing the international signing rules, with those the Houston Astros received this year for creating a system of sign stealing during the 2017 season when they won the World Series.

USA TODAY - https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/11/21/braves-lose-9-international-players-in-mlb-sanctions/107917746/

The Braves' 2017 penalties included the release of 13 international prospects. Former general manager John Coppolella was banned for life by MLB and former special assistant Gordon Blakeley was given a one-year suspension. President of baseball operations John Hart already had stepped down, as had Coppolella and Blakeley before the penalties were announced.

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were both suspended a year by MLB, and the team was fined $5 million, the maximum. Astros owner Jim Crane then fired both Luhnow and Hinch. Former Astros bench coach Alex Cora resigned as Red Sox manager, and former Astros player Carlos Beltran resigned before ever managing a game for the Mets.

MLB hands down historic punishment to Astros for sign stealing, including suspensions for manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow

"The only comment I'll make is that I don't disagree with your characterization about how is it that one organization was penalized so rigorously — we — and another unnamed organization was not penalized as much or what most people seem to think was a far more egregious set of circumstances than we were accused guilty of?" Schuerholz said. "I think that analysis is an accurate one. I'll stay there. I'm not in a position to talk about it, nor will I talk about that. We've all got our own opinions about it, and I think we're all pretty much in the same boat."

Otherwise, Schuerholz covered a variety of topics, from increased use of analytics, which the current Braves regime uses, to players such as Royals great George Brett, and Braves All-Star Chipper Jones, and who the best player he ever saw was (Mickey Mantle).

Atlanta Braves vice chairman John Schuerholz, a part-time Naples resident, was honored before a game against the Miami Marlins at SunTrust Park. Schuerholz was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Schuerholz also addressed something more close to home -- the multiple failed attempts at bringing another MLB team to Southwest Florida for spring training. The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins have been in Fort Myers since the 1990s. The last attempt Schuerholz was involved with was his Braves to Collier County in late 2016, but they ended up going to North Port. 

"Every night I lay my head on the pillow, I can close my eyes peacefully — I did everything we could do on behalf of our organizations, both the Royals and the Braves. I tried three separate times and was rebuffed each of the times," said Schuerholz, who was with the Royals when they came to Terry Park in Fort Myers for spring training.

Schuerholz is still a vice chairman emeritus for the team he was GM for from 1990-2007 and president of until 2016. He got his start in baseball when he applied for a job with the Baltimore Orioles. A teacher at the time, he wrote a letter to the club asking for a job. He got it, then had to choose between his $6,800 teaching job and $4,700 position with the Orioles under Lou Gorman.

"You make those kind of dumb decisions," Schuerholz said. "I made that dumb decision, and it turned out very right and very, very well for me."

Schuerholz moved to Kansas City when the Royals were granted an expansion franchise in 1969. After being elevated to general manager in 1981, he helped build a World Series champion in 1985, centered around Brett at third base.

Hall of famer George Brett is introduced at Clark Sports Center.

"George was a remarkably competitive and determined and tough-minded man," Schuerholz said. "A youngster then, but he became a man. He became a great player. He became the cornerstone of our organization that we built around, and he became a Hall of Famer. I'm happy to say he's still one of my dear friends."

Schuerholz moved on to the Braves in 1990, creating a very successful, but star-crossed dynasty in the postseason that won just one World Series, in 1995. Atlanta won 14 straight division titles.

Schuerholz said his best trade was with the Braves when he acquired first baseman Fred McGriff in 1993. 

"I'm also the guy that traded David Cone from the Kansas City Royals (to the Mets) for Ed Hearn, who was a catcher with a broken arm, a broken shoulder," he said. 

Schuerholz said he was told by Cone's manager and pitching coach: "Do not worry about trading David Cone. He'll never come back to haunt you."

Cone, a Kansas City native, joined the Mets rotation in 1988, a year after the trade, and went 20-3. He became a five-time All-Star pitcher, won five World Series, won the Cy Young Award in 1994, and threw the 16th perfect game in major league history back in 1999. 

Schuerholz's son, Jonathan, now in the scouting department for the Braves, couldn't let it go.

"Dad, you never have to worry about figuring out the answer to that question, 'What was the worst trade you ever made?'" he said. "You traded David Cone — for Ed Hearn?"

Atlanta Braves executive John Schuerholz celebrates after clinching the NL East division after defeating the San Francisco Giants at SunTrust Park.

Schuerholz thinks the designated hitter will eventually come into both leagues -- "I think it'll be a near-time decision," he said -- and isn't sure what to make of the new rule that a relief pitcher must face at least three batters. While Schuerholz spent three years, along with Joe Torre and Tony La Russa on implementing baseball's video replay system, he isn't ready to make the leap of replacing human umpires with a machine.

"You're taking me off into the new world of baseball," he said. "I'm not ready to step into that yet. It may happen."

Schuerholz was a unanimous selection into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. Of all of his rings, it's the Hall of Fame one that Schuerholz still wears. Before the induction, former Cardinals star pitcher Bob Gibson asked Schuerholz to sit down next to him, and told him, "You will never again wear a ring other than this one that says 'Hall of Fame member.'"

"And he's so right," Schuerholz said. "If you reach that pinnacle and you're honored in that way ... .. I'm still in awe of that."

Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/