Is Liberty Media holding the Braves back?

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Photo credit © Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

After the Atlanta Braves notched their first win of the season, John Fricke and Hugh Douglas began to discuss the offseason moves by the team and if they did enough to improve into a World Series contender. The discussion eventually moved toward Liberty Media and if they were limiting the spending of the Braves, and if they were actually holding the team back.

John Fricke approached Liberty Media's mindset from a business standpoint and explained why it does benefit them to make sure the Braves are a draw.

"They have to have a good product in The Battery," said Fricke. "They can't put out a bad product otherwise people aren't going to go to their other properties. To make The Battery a destination place you have to have a good team."

Hugh Douglas won't fully back up Liberty Media, but he does ask when they have had a chance to truly put the Braves over the top.

"If you're in position, you're one or two pieces away from making a push in the playoffs, that's when most teams tend to make their move," said Douglas. "And I'm not trying to defend Liberty Media. But when has there been a time when the Braves have been in position to make those big splash moves that would put them over the top and get them to the World Series?"

Projected 2019 collective bargaining tax payroll, per Cot's Contracts at @baseballpro:Washington $197.3 M (5th)NY Mets $195.5 M (6th)Phily $188.2 M (8th)Atlanta $122 M (22nd)Miami $79.7 M (30th)

— 92.9 The Game (@929TheGame) April 2, 2019

Hugh also recalls some discussions he had last season about making sure the Braves can compete not just for one or two years, but for a long time to come.

"We were talking to some higher-ups last season and their biggest issue was we want to win, but we don't want to win at the expense of our future," said Douglas.

Hugh continues by remaining positive that if the time comes Liberty Media will step up and do the right thing. 

"If the Braves are in position I hope that they can get some peices and push all in," said Douglas. "I would hope that then they can make that move. To say that Liberty Media is not an entity that will push all in and spend some money, I would say that's a a little premature because, since I've been here, there hasn't been a reason to."

John Fricke understands the concern that Braves fans have, and of course any owner now is going to be compared to what Ted Turner did with the franchise, but he explains what the difference is between Turner's goals and the goals of Liberty Media.

"Ted Turner wanted to be a television product, a hit TV show," said Fricke. "Since he wanted a hit TV show, he got out of the way and said to the braintrust, 'Hey listen do what you gotta do to build me a hit TV show so that I get a lot of viewers.' That's what he was after. Liberty Media is after a different thing. They're after making money in The Battery and expenading and having tenants that are happy and you have to do that by putting people in the stands and you have to put out a quality product, so they're not going to not spend money. 

All of us at Liberty Media want to wish the @Braves good luck in the upcoming 2019 season. We have invested heavily in our roster and know that we can win the World Series! #ChopOn

— Liberty Media (@LibertyMediaATL) March 27, 2019

Hugh agrees with that idea and concludes that if the time comes to make a big move, if Liberty Media wants people to keep coming to The Battery, they will do the right thing.

"If you want to keep people happy, keep The Battery jumping, than someone in that boardroom has to realize we are in a prime position to win a World Series," said Douglas. "You gotta show them where it benefits you to get this guy because it's going to put you in a position to win a World Series and, in turn, come to The Battery."