It's official--the announcement came yesterday that the state has added another minor league baseball team.
Gwinnett County will be the home to the Atlanta Braves' top minor league affiliate, as the Richmond Braves will leave Virginia following this season. The Gwinnett Braves will begin play in 2009.
Top Atlanta Braves officials had become frustrated the last few years with the lack of progress toward getting a new stadium in place in Richmond, to replace an aging facility that was in need of upgrade. Discussions began on the Gwinnett County possibilty last October.
Braves' executive vice president Mike Plant said Tuesday at the news conference that this was a move that needed to happen.
"This has been a long process. I didn't see any clarity to it...I didn't see any end in sight. Again, there are very few Triple-A markets that would really be available to us, and this was a pretty lucky coincidence".
Current Atlanta Braves rightfielder Jeff Francouer grew up in Gwinnett County and starred at Parkview High School in Lilburn. He said it's great for the area.
"This is such a good base for a community. I've lived here my whole life and you could put the Georgia Dome or Turner Field down here and I think it would do pretty good down here...with the support they get from the Gladiators to Georgia Force down here. So, I think it's gonna be a good thing".
With this move, Gwinnett County now will have three sports franchises. The G-Braves will join the Arena League football's Georgia Force, and the minor league hockey Gwinnett Gladiators.
The location of the Braves' top minor league club will be less than 40 miles from the big league team's home base at Turner Field. Braves' officials say this may very well change their thinking as to the process of calling up players from the minors to the majors.
Still to be built is a stadium for the Gwinnett ballclub. It will be constructed on a tract of land in Buford near the Mall of Georgia.
Gwinnett County will be the home to the Atlanta Braves' top minor league affiliate, as the Richmond Braves will leave Virginia following this season. The Gwinnett Braves will begin play in 2009.
Top Atlanta Braves officials had become frustrated the last few years with the lack of progress toward getting a new stadium in place in Richmond, to replace an aging facility that was in need of upgrade. Discussions began on the Gwinnett County possibilty last October.
Braves' executive vice president Mike Plant said Tuesday at the news conference that this was a move that needed to happen.
"This has been a long process. I didn't see any clarity to it...I didn't see any end in sight. Again, there are very few Triple-A markets that would really be available to us, and this was a pretty lucky coincidence".
Current Atlanta Braves rightfielder Jeff Francouer grew up in Gwinnett County and starred at Parkview High School in Lilburn. He said it's great for the area.
"This is such a good base for a community. I've lived here my whole life and you could put the Georgia Dome or Turner Field down here and I think it would do pretty good down here...with the support they get from the Gladiators to Georgia Force down here. So, I think it's gonna be a good thing".
With this move, Gwinnett County now will have three sports franchises. The G-Braves will join the Arena League football's Georgia Force, and the minor league hockey Gwinnett Gladiators.
The location of the Braves' top minor league club will be less than 40 miles from the big league team's home base at Turner Field. Braves' officials say this may very well change their thinking as to the process of calling up players from the minors to the majors.
Still to be built is a stadium for the Gwinnett ballclub. It will be constructed on a tract of land in Buford near the Mall of Georgia.
