The words came from Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos during a weekend interview with MLB.com.
Said Anthopoulos of his desire to develop a certain “vibe” in the clubhouse: “Sometimes I wonder if I overdo it. I walk away from really talented players all the time. I still try to balance that. I don’t know that I’m ever going to find the right blend, but my default is always to go with the high-character good guys.”
It is not a recipe embraced by everyone. Some pro sports teams go for talent first, last and only. And if the chemistry isn’t there, they’ll keep buying and selling players until it is.
Philosophy aside, some teams – such as the New York Yankees outfit that rolled into Atlanta on Monday for the start of a brief two-game series against the Bravos – have that kind of bank account. And it’s often worked for the Pinstripers, though not so much lately, since the Yanks haven’t won it all since 2009.
But the Braves Way has also worked pretty well the past 30 seasons, or ever since then-GM John Schuerholz and former manager Bobby Cox won 14 straight division titles between 1991 and 2005, reached five World Series over that span and won it all in 1995.