This is mildly amusing for outsiders but baffling for former Braves’ manager Fredi Gonzalez and those close to him.
Gonzalez was fired on Tuesday after his team started the season 9-28. But it wasn’t a typical sit-down with the owner and/or general manager to “discuss your future with this organization” firing. It was a “there’s a plane ticket in your e-mail inbox … get the hell out”.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote about the inexcusable error by the organization that has become the laughingstock of baseball.
An hour or so after the Braves’ 8-5 series-opening loss to the Pirates, a person familiar with the situation said Gonzalez received an email notifying him of his scheduled flight to Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon.
The Braves had made the decision to fire him and booked his commercial flight home Tuesday, but didn’t plan to tell him he’d been fired until Tuesday morning, after president of baseball operations John Hart flew to Pittsburgh to join general manager John Coppolella.
Later Monday night after getting the email, Gonzalez eventually had confirmed by Braves top officials what he already was certain about by then: He was fired.
So not only can the Braves not hit a home run or win games to save their lives, they can’t even fire their manager in a professional manner.
