In the Name of TBS: Comparing Braves’ players to WCW Wrestlers
The Atlanta Braves and World Championship Wrestling were once sister companies under Turner Broadcasting. How do Ted Turner’s favorite toys still link up today?
Atlanta Braves Baseball and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) have always been closely related.
In the 90’s they were brother and sister on TBS Superstation. They were both owned by Turner Broadcasting and broadcast on Turner they were.
Many WCW fans are also Braves fans as a result of our Superstation indoctrination.
Baseball players and wrestlers are more similar than you may have thought.
In Major League Baseball, you have a bunch of grown men playing a game for a living. In professional wrestling, you have a bunch of grown men pretending to fight each other in their underwear — I’m jealous either way.
The Braves and WCW made up two of the highest rated programs across Turner broadcasting in the 90’s.
In honor of offseason fun, and to take a break from breaking down free agent signings, prognosticating on future roster moves, and projecting imaginary trades, we shall now take a look at ways the Braves’ roster is similar to WCW.
Brian Snitker/Jimmy Hart
Snit manages winners. He was the 2018 Manager of the Year and led the Braves to two consecutive division titles (and counting).
He manages big-time talent with big-time personalities such as Ronald Acuna Jr. and Josh Donaldson.
Jimmy Hart managed winners. Hart was named Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Manager of the year in 1987 and 1994. Hart managed the biggest names in wrestling, including “the Immortal” Hulk Hogan.
Jimmy Hart managed his guys to championship gold and I have a feeling that Snit is going to do the same for the Braves.
Tyler Flowers is like La Parka
La Parka came to WCW as a part of the Mexican influx, bringing lucha libre style wrestling to the American audience.
La Parka watched as his peers were catapulted past him to stardom, like Rey Mysterio, Konnan, and Eddie Guerrero.
And La Parka watched his peers fly right past him the same way Tyler Flowers watches baseballs fly past him when he’s catching.
Brian McCann is Ray Traylor (formerly the Big Boss Man)
Outside of the fact that Brian McCann looks like the Big Boss Man, there are a lot of similarities. Ray Traylor brought an intensity level that can only be matched by Brian McCann’s intensity.
If Ray Traylor and Brian McCann were to get into a staring contest, lightning would probably strike the ground next to them and plates of mashed potatoes and gravy would fall from the sky.
Brian McCann is from Athens, GA and played 2019 in Cobb County, GA.
Ray Traylor is from Marietta, GA and was billed from Cobb County, GA.
Ray Traylor left WWE (WWF at the time) and found himself in WCW in 1993.
In WCW he had a brief run with the notorious group of cool-bad guys, the NWO. The NWO was a group of rebels, unafraid of doing whatever it took to win, including cheating.
Brian McCann left the Braves to play for the villainous group of bad guys with the New York Yankees. Eventually, McCann found himself in Houston, where they also cheated to win.
The Big Boss Man weighed 330 pounds and always protected his plate.
You are not allowed to touch Brian McCann’s plate…Carlos Gomez.
Ray Traylor’s contract with WCW expired in 1998 and he finally found himself back home in WWF, the place that made him a star.
Likewise, Brian McCann’s contract with the Astros expired in 2018 and he found himself back home in Atlanta, playing one final season for the Atlanta Braves.
Ray Traylor was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Brian McCann is likely to be the next inductee into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame.
Rey Mysterio/Luke Jackson
Mysterio stood only 5’6” and weighed 175lbs, yet his innovative, high-flying aerial maneuvers could take down the biggest beasts wrestling had to offer.
After a string of victories over much larger opponents, Mysterio earned the moniker of “Giant Killer.”
Jackson stood only 5-11, 150lbs (in high school) but he could still take down the biggest bats with his wicked slider (which he used to punch out 13.1 batters per nine innings).
He tried to steal Tim Lincecum’s delivery when he was younger because he was about the same size as the Diminutive Dominator.
Despite being known as a cruiser-weight and show-opener, Mysterio would go on to headline WrestleMania and would win three World Heavyweight Championships in WWE.
Jackson was a middle relief guy who steadily improved his game to the point that he was thrust into the main event role as the Braves’ closer in 2019. He led the Braves in saves last season with 18.
As a luchador, the mask is a very important part of the character Mysterio portrayed. Over the years many people tried to steal his mask from him.
Over the course of last season, Luke Jackson’s hair continued to grow all over his head and face, as a result, many people began suggesting that he start wearing a mask.
Tony Schiavone/Tony Schiavone
Tony Schiavone was the lead announcer for WCW during the mid-to-late ’90s. Tony Schiavone called the radio play-by-play for the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett until he resigned earlier this year to focus on doing his podcast from his basement because he doesn’t have to wear pants.
He also has assumed announcing duties with upstart wrestling promotion, AEW. He makes up approximately 1/10 of their play-by-play team.
Here’s how WCW-Tony compares to the Braves-Tony.
Tony Schiavone was the voice of the WCW and they went out of business in 2001.
While in WCW Schiavone played himself in a movie called Ready to Rumble, the movie cost $12 million to make and only brought in about $6 million at the box office, many blame Tony Schiavone for the loss.
How do his failures as a professional personality translate to the baseball version of Tony Schiavone? Glad you asked, Schiavone was the voice of a Minor League Baseball team and now the MLB is considering contracting its Minor League system… you do that math.
I’m only kidding. I love Tony Schiavone with all my heart and found him to be a perfect fit in this comparison article, considering he worked for both organizations. Check out his podcast here.
Alex Anthopoulos is Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff led WCW and professional wrestling to new heights in the late ’90s. WCW was losing money until Bischoff took the reins and led WCW to a $30 million profit in 1998.
Heading into 1999, Turner projected WCW to earn $500 million in revenue.
Similarly, Anthopoulos took the reins of Braves organization that was operating at a loss. In 2018 they brought in a record $442 million in revenue.
After taking over a sinking ship, Bischoff led the WCW to 83 straight weeks as the number one wrestling show on television, supplanting the mighty WWF. Eric Bischoff took control of the company and made some splashy free agent moves acquiring Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash.
Anthopoulos was hired in 2018 and quickly went to work putting together a roster that has earned the Braves two consecutive division titles. He has made some splashy free agent acquisitions in his brief time, including Josh Donaldson, Will Smith, Cole Hamels, and Dallas Keuchel.
Nick Markakis/Bret Hart
Nick Markakis isn’t the most flashy, he doesn’t hit a ton of homers, and he doesn’t draw a ton of attention to himself with silly antics. He goes out and hits .280-300, draws a ton of walks, and makes the plays he is supposed to. In this way, he is the Bret Hart of the Atlanta Braves.
Bret Hart was known as the “Excellence of Execution.” The late-90’s was a time for huge personalities in wrestling and a part of what drew the crowd in was the trash-talking, the ability to be a compelling and entertaining speaker on the microphone. Bret Hart will tell you, talking was not his strong suit. Although he did once provide a very entertaining speech in Pittsburgh in which he called the United States a giant toilet bowl. He added that
“if you were going to give the country an enema, you’d stick the hose right here in Pittsburgh!”
@KCutt215 Ha! Truth is I hated saying that "enema" line
— Bret Hart (@BretHart) April 19, 2012
Outside of that, his skill remained between the bells. He was perhaps the most technically-skilled wrestler of all time. He was a fundamentally sound, pro’s pro – just like Nick Markakis.
Ron Washigton is Arn Anderson
Ron Washington is one of the most valuable members on the Braves’ rosters. The Braves have a great group of defenders and there is no doubt that Ron Washington’s persistence is a huge key. If you haven’t seen some of the Fox Sports videos on social media of Wash working on details with the infielders, then you must check it out.
Arn Anderson is an unsung hero of professional wrestling. A vital member of one of the greatest stables of all time, the Four Horsemen. However, Anderson’s character was always in the shadow of Ric Flair. Anderson always did what was best for the company.
Once upon a time, Anderson was on vacation and WCW called him in a bind, and he drove hundreds of miles to make it to the show, leaving his family at the hotel. After injuries derailed his in-ring career, he stayed on staff to help wrestlers put their matches together and coach them to improve their craft. Anderson was a guy that helped bring those around him up, and that’s what Wash does for the Braves.
Josh Donaldson is Hulk Hogan
Josh Donaldson wasn’t just the bringer of rain in Atlanta, he had a gold-worthy glove on him at third. As one of the announcers called after a magnificent play,
“Bringer of rain? More like the Bringer of D!”
That may be my favorite quote of the year.
Donaldson brought different energy – a need to win. He wasn’t afraid to mix it up if he felt it necessary.
Remember when Joe Musgrove clipped him on an inside pitch? Donaldson tossed the bat and gave Musgrove the look. He then shared some words with him, presumably along the lines of “What are you looking at, brother?”
The catcher stepped between them and that was the moment Donaldson “hulked up.”
Donaldson summoned the strength of the 24-inch pythons and chucked the poor catcher across the field like Kevin Nash lawn-darting Rey Mysterio (video below).
Essentially the two of them were arguing over who was looking at whom. It was quite silly, just as silly as grown men pretend-fighting on pay per view. That’s why we loved it.
Hulk Hogan was the biggest name in professional wrestling, Hogan was pro-wrestling. The Hulkster was the first pro-wrestler to make the cover of Sports Illustrated. When he signed with WCW it took them to the next level, much the same way that Donaldson took the Braves to another level.
Donaldson’s bat is as powerful as Hulk Hogan’s mighty leg drop, or even his feared back-rake and eye-pokes of justice. JD brought legit star-power to the Braves, he was our Hulk Hogan last season.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is Ric Flair
Ronald Acuna Jr. is flashy, hilarious, irreverent, and one of the best at what he does. Sound like anyone? WOOOO!
Flair is a 16-time World Champion and on the Mount Rushmore of wrestling greats. He was a rule-breaking, ultra-flamboyant personality that also happened to be one of the best in the business when he stepped in the ring.
Acuna has a ton of personality and it adds to why we love him and sometimes get frustrated with him.
There’s no denying that he’s one of the best in the game when it comes to skill between the lines. Acuna is our “Nature Boy.”
The Mets and the Dungeon of Doom
Kevin Sullivan in The Dungeon of Doom: WCW Saturday Night, June 17, 1995 https://t.co/4aCTGQa1rl via @wwe
— Seth Carter (@CarterFamilyIns) December 5, 2019
Bear with me here. The Mets are like the Dungeon of Doom, they think they are big-time players and a real threat to the Hulk Hogans of the world.
In reality, nobody really considers them to be anything more than a nuisance, or merely someone for the good wrestlers to beat.
The Mets are as irrelevant as the Dungeon of Doom.
The 2020 Braves and Bill Goldberg
Goldberg was an undefeated powerhouse that steamrolled everyone in his way until he defeated Hulk Hogan to become the first-ever undefeated World’s Heavyweight Champion.
Bill Goldberg was a home-grown Georgia boy, playing college for the Bulldogs and in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons.
When Goldberg won the World Championship from Hulk Hogan, he did in the Georgia Dome.
The 2020 Braves hope to roll through the competition similar to the way Goldberg speared and jack-hammered his way through 173 grown men in spandex en-route to a World Series Championship in 2020.
Next. Pros and Cons of Cole Hamels. dark
Do you have any comparisons you would like to add? Let us know in the comments below!