ATLANTA — There’s a problem with putting someone on a pedestal: Exposed on all sides, a hero to some can be seen as a traitor to others. Atlanta plans to install a statue of a Native American man atop a 110-foot column in its new Peace Park, where it will
Atlanta plans to install a statue of Chief Tomochici, a Native American man who welcomed the British to colonize Georgia in 1733, in Peace Park. But no one asked the Muscogee Nation. Their historians call the nearly naked statue historically inaccurate and disrespectful, and say it glorifies a man whom they blame for ushering in genocide.
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ATLANTA As the Braves won five National League pennants during the 1990s and 14 consecutive division titles from 1991-2005, they showcased the value of securing and developing quality homegrown talent.
Here is a list of the top five players drafted and developed by Atlanta:
1) Chipper Jones, 1990 (first overall)
While honoring Hank Aaron during a recent memorial service, Jones recalled learning that, as the Braves prepared for the 1990 Draft, Aaron told a group of the team’s scouts, “You better take the Jones boy.”
Whether it was their belief in Jones or Todd Van Poppel’s unwillingness to sign, Atlanta certainly made the right choice when it made Jones the top overall pick. Van Poppel, a hard-throwing high school pitcher from Texas, drew most of the hype leading up to the Draft. But Bobby Cox, Atlanta’s general manager at the time, and legendary scout Paul Snyder opted to take a chance on a switch-hitting shortstop from Florida.