WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: President Donald J. Trump plays catch with former New York Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera during the filming of an ESPN Opening Day for Major League Baseball spot on the South Lawn at the White House on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves have been involved in countless memorable moments away from the field over the years, but one of the organization’s latest public appearances produced an exchange that quickly drew attention well beyond baseball.
During a rally featuring President Donald Trump in Georgia, Braves manager Brian Snitker and chief executive officer Mike Plant were called on stage to personally praise him. And the ceremonial appearance involved several memorable comments from Trump as well as head-turning statements from the Braves’ representatives.
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After being called on stage, Braves former manager Brian Snitker welcomed the president while indicating that the rally’s audience was representative of the team’s fanbase.
“Welcome to Marietta. And as you can see Braves Country is a real thing. And you got a room full of Braves Country right here,” Snitker said during the rally, per a video shared by WXIA News. “Mike and I presented President Trump with one of our Fourth of July 250th anniversary jerseys that the team wore over that weekend. And I just wanted to tell President Trump that we’re going to be back in Washington D.C. in about a year from now and we’re going to give him another world championship jersey.”
Then Snitker stepped aside so that Plant could offer his own message, and the executive quickly one-upped the former manager’s praise with a comical invitation.
“Mr. President, I just want to say, when you’re done throwing four-seam fastballs for the United States of America, come back and do it for the Atlanta Braves,” Plant said, receiving a laugh from Trump and applause from the crowd.
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The rally showed that the admiration between Plant and Trump is mutual. In his own comments at the rally, the president praised Plant as the architect of a successful rebuilding effort in Atlanta, suggesting he should work for the floundering New York Mets as well.
“So, I like baseball,” Trump said during the event. “But this guy (Plant) has done such a great job. You know, the Mets have the highest salary in baseball, and they lose all the time. And I say, ‘Maybe we can steal this guy.’”
Trump seemed unaware that Plant’s role with the Braves isn’t particularly focused on the baseball operations or roster building. Rather than overseeing personnel, he primarily leads the club’s business and development efforts, including real estate projects such as The Battery Atlanta and the organization’s spring training complex.
But the exchange underscored how the Braves’ leadership is embracing the polarizing president. While Plant’s offer of a roster spot was facetious, it seems likely that he would embrace Trump in some kind of front office role with the team following his presidency.