BOSTON -- One of the more enjoyable benefits of writing “The Franchise: A Curated History of the Braves” was delving into old newspaper articles to learn more about key figures like Ted Turner and Bob Horner.
As some of you might know or remember, Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes might have been the only duo that butted heads more than Turner and Horner did during the late 1970s and early 1980s in Atlanta.
With Horner passing away this week, two weeks after the deaths of Turner and Bobby Cox, I’m reminded of the incredible candidness of the former owner.
After winning the 1978 NL Rookie of the Year Award, Horner threatened to sit out the 1979 season if his contract demands weren’t met. This led to many contentious conversations between then-Atlanta general manager Bill Lucas and Horner’s agent Bucky Woy.
Some Braves front office employees heard a heated telephone conversation between the two on May 1, 1979. Phil Niekro earned his 200th win in Pittsburgh that night. After watching the game and calling Niekro to offer congratulations, Lucas suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and died four days later.
When asked about Horner’s contract talks later that summer, Turner didn’t hide his feelings for Woy.
“I don’t want Bucky coming around my organization and killing anybody else,” Turner told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “In my opinion, Bucky Woy is guilty of manslaughter.”
Gems like this one from Turner make you yearn for the days when players, coaches, executives and owners weren’t so guarded with their responses. Too often, we get the company line.
With that being said, I do appreciate the brutal honesty we get from Chris Sale and Spencer Strider. I’ve said many times that Chipper Jones is the only player I’ve covered who has been more entertaining and insightful than Sale during postgame interviews.
