Atlanta Braves: The Duality of Dansby Swanson

OFF THE FIELD:  As Advertised and More

The home town kid came back and is playing for the storied big league club.  Seriously, there’s movie material here.  It’s the type of thing that a rebuilding franchise needed to help fans deal with a lackluster product on the field, to see one of their own out there helping the cause.

The Atlanta Braves have historically struggled with an apathetic fan base, even during their days of dominance in the 1990s, in part because of the very nature of the city itself.  Anyone who lives here knows that very few people are FROM here, so naturally, a city full of transplants brings their fandom with them, rather than adopt the local team.

Swanson was an answer to that and took on the mantle with pride.  From taking out a piece in the Players Tribune about coming home to his “All Things Loyal” (ATL for short) clothing line, he was a kid who was not only from the city he plays in but proud of it too.

In a city of transplants, in a transient game, it resonated with fans.  It strengthens the fabric of the fanbase itself and has yielded results for a team that needed a face for the new guard.

There, Dansby delivered.

So Who is Dansby Swanson? 

He’s a player that is reaching the crossroads of being able to match his on-field performance with his value outside the lines.  You won’t find his contributions on the spreadsheets as much as in the stands, but if fans can continue to grant their patience, and he can, in fact, reconcile those two phases…

Lookout.  You’ve got a star on your hands.