Atlanta Braves History: Ted Turner Suspended for Tampering

Ted Turner quickly became known throughout baseball for his hands-on approach to ownership with the Atlanta Braves. On this day in 1977, Turner was suspended by Major League Baseball for tampering with Gary Matthews during free agency.

When Ted Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976, the franchise was far removed from their glory days. They had not made the playoffs since 1969, typically languishing towards the bottom of the National League West. Turner, however, demanded a quick turnaround and was not willing to be patient while the Braves developed players. While not quite George Steinbrenner, he went through three General Managers in that first season, and he put himself into the midst of the team’s decisions.

Naturally, Turner freely spent money on free agents, looking to turn the fortunes of the team around. He did so with Andy Messersmith, and then with Gary Matthews, in the early days of free agency, hoping to find the needed pieces to get the Braves back into the playoffs. Matthews, however, came with a cost beyond any monetary amount.

Prior to Matthews officially become a free agent, Turner began to court the outfielder, attempting to induce him to head to Atlanta. Those efforts worked, as he signed a five year, $1.2 Million contract with the Braves. However, Turner was also fined and suspended for tampering, being banned for a year.

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Naturally, Turner appealed his suspension, and did succeed in getting it reduced. However, he was not done battling the powers that be in baseball that year, as he earned the ire of National League president Chub Feeney after attempting to manage the team during the season.

For his part, Matthews proved to be a solid addition. He had a respectable .283/.362/.438 batting line in 1977, hitting 17 homers and stealing 22 bases. Matthews would earn his only career All-Star nod n 1979 with the Braves, when he produced a career best .304/.363/.502 batting line with 27 homers and 18 steals. Then, following the 1980 campaign, he was sent to the Phillies for Bob Walk.

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Ted Turner was looking to change the fortunes of the Atlanta Braves almost immediately when he purchased the team. Instead, he found himself quickly on the bad side of Major League Baseball.