Baseball can be a humbling game in more ways than one. As challenging as the sport it is, no player will ever be successful 100% of the time regardless of their level of talent. In addition to that, front offices are constantly under pressure with drafts, trades, signings, etc. to make their team the best it can possibly be.
With all of the aspects of Major League Baseball that rely on human decisions and performance, this can mean only one thing. No one is safe from some type of embarrassment. Let's take a look back on five of the most embarrassing moments in Atlanta Braves history.
1977 Losing Streak
The 1977 Atlanta Braves finished last place in the National League West division with a record of 61-101. While a 37% win percentage for an entire season is quite the embarrassment, Atlanta had a shockingly bad losing streak that contributed to their horrific season.
At one point in the 1977 season, the Braves dropped 17 consecutive games. While the streak included some close ballgames, most of Atlanta's losses during this stretch were by 3 runs or more. In 11 of these 17 losses, the Braves could not score more than three runs.
Mark Redman Experiement
Mark Redman was a left-handed starting pitcher who won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 2003 and made the All-Star Game with the Kansas City Royals in 2006. Atlanta saw something in Redman that made them think he would be a great addition to the starting rotation for the 2007 season, boy were they wrong.
He lasted only 6 games (21.2 innings) before the Braves cut the southpaw from the team. Redman went 0-4, posting an astronomical 11.63 ERA and surrendering 38 hits in that short amount of time. It is safe to say that this is one of the most embarrassing stints a player has ever had in the Atlanta Braves organization.
Braves trade Andrelton Simmons for nothing
We could go on for days about embarrassing trades and moves under the John Coppolella era but it is hard to forget the embarrassing move he made with the Los Angeles Angels. With Atlanta looking to rebuild the franchise, Coppolella cleaned house including then 25-year-old shortstop Andrelton Simmons.
Simmons seemed to be the type of player that the Braves could have easily built around and kept as a franchise shortstop (especially when you consider the fact he will go down as one of the greatest defensive players of all time). However, Simmons was dealt to the Angels in exchange for Erick Aybar, Sean Necomb, Chris Ellis and $2.5 million. What the Braves got in return for what they gave up in this trade was embarrassing.