Longtime Braves executive John Schuerholz will step down from his role as the club’s president into the newly-created role of Vice Chairman, as announced per a Braves media release. Executive vice presidents Mike Plant and Derek Schiller, both with the team since 2003, will step in under the new titles of president of development (Plant) and president of business (Schiller).
Stepping down as president allows the 75-year-old Schuerholz to escape some of the day-to-day business associated with the job, though he tells MLB.com’s Mark Bowman that he’ll certainly continue to be involved with the Braves.
“There is so much joy to me to be a part of this great game,” Schuerholz said. “I love it. It’s not a chore for me to come into the office. It’s not a chore for me to go to my work. But I keep being reminded by my lovely wife that I’m doing too much of that grinding and working on holidays and so on and so forth. That’s how I am. It’s not work for me.”
As he enters his 51st season working in pro baseball, Schuerholz has had one of the most decorated careers of any executive in the game. After breaking into the business working for his hometown Orioles, he joined the expansion Royals’ front office in 1969 and assumed many roles over the next 21 years with the team, including serving as general manager from 1981-1990 (a stint that included a World Series title in 1985). He took over as the Braves’ GM in October 1990 and the club proceeded to go on a historic run of success.
In Schuerholz’s stint as GM from 1991-2007, the Braves won an incredible 14 straight NL East titles, a streak interrupted only by the 1994 strike season. The highlight of that run was the 1995 World Series championship, making Schuerholz part of the very short list of executives to build World Series winners with two different franchises. Schuerholz stepped away from GM duties after the 2007 season to become Atlanta’s club president.
WHAT? I hope the best for him and this explanation of stepping down is true. Have always adored his work.
Is it just me, or do the Braves have a really large executive team at this point? They’ve got a Chairman, a HOF GM in a new role as “vice chairman,” a President of Baseball Operations who is also a former GM, a pair of Executive Vice Presidents, and then a GM. Is that typical of most teams at this point given how much the GM job has grown?
Well they are not the Dodgers, haha.
Dodgers are trying to put a team of stats nerds together so they can qualify for the math Olympics. Lol
The headline of this article COMPLETELY gives the wrong impression of what happened here. It leads you to believe Schuerholz has left the organization, which is NOT true. What it should say is “John Schuerholz Steps Down As Braves President, assumes role of Vice Chairman”.
14 straight NL East titles. That is so crazy to think about. Schuerholz deserves it. Enjoy.
Agreed, did a semi interview with him for my undergrad, top notch guy.
It should say “14 straight Division titles.” They weren’t in the east until the expansion year.
The Braves were actually in the NL West until 94.
At least he stayed long enough to make Atlanta terrible again kek
Really? The team is turning it around and has been rebuilt.
Braves are loaded with prospects, led by Swanson. I see them competing in ’17. In a division like the NL East, ’17 could be the year of any team, except the Phillies.
Hall of Fame
This is the second best news that you could possibly hear about the Braves. The only thing better would have been if Fredi Gonzalez were to have resigned or been fired. Schuerholz did a LOT for the Braves during that dominant 14 year run but as much as he helped us he also nourished an environment (along w/Bobby Cox) that accepted mediocrity. They were content with the division and never truly focused on the World Series. He was also equally responsible for the Frank Wren debacle. I’ve wanted him to step aside for several years now. It’s long past due