Contemporary GMs have challenges and opportunities undreamt of by those old school '50s GMs who played poker, drank whisky, thought statistics other than batting average were the preserve of Communists, and most importantly, had no conception of free agency or a player draft. John Schuerholz has won titles with two franchises (Royals and Braves) and presided over the most amazing run of division championships in sport - from 1991 to 2005 (with the exception of the strike year, 1994, when they would've made the playoffs anyway). From about 2000 on the Braves' payroll constraints have been increasing, and yet they remain competitive. Schuerholz has shown an uncanny knack for dealing away overhyped prospects for solid talent and thereby winning trades, going back to Melvin Nieves for Fred McGriff to Brian Jordan for Gary Sheffield and continuing with the recent acquisition of Rafael Soriano for Horacio Ramirez. He even has shown an eye for the overlooked contributor, thrown away by their previous employers - Matt Diaz, Jorge Sosa, Jaret Wright, and so on.
But is there any evidence against JS as the greatest? Stay tuned...
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