Remembering Ted Turner: The one night he took over as Atlanta Braves manager
For one night only in 1977, Ted Turner took over as the Braves manager for a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Atlanta lost a legend on Wednesday morning. Ted Turner, a media mogul and founder of CNN, died at the age of 87 with his family at his side. Among his numerous business ventures, Turner, an avid sports fan, owned the Atlanta Braves , the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Thrashers and World Championship Wrestling league.
And for one night only in 1977, he wasn’t just the owner of the Braves. He took over as the team’s manager for a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Turner had only purchased the Braves the year before in 1976 and it would be years until they became “America’s Team” with the TBS Superstation era.
But the 1977 season did not start off well. Just two months into the season, the Braves were on a 16-game losing streak. After they lost a doubleheader on May 10, Turner called then-manager Dave Bristol and told him to take a few days off.
But who would manage the Braves? Well, Turner himself. And later that night, he walked into the visitors dugout at Three Rivers Stadium - wearing the No.