It's difficult to continue supporting the Braves these days. It's one thing for the team to decline in the natural order of things; it's another to watch the team get rid of anybody that gets a raise, just to meet some arbitrary budget levels that theoretically facilitate the sale of the team. And oh yeah, Time Warner didn't want to sell the team to an actual owner, who might want to spend money on the team because he cares about winning; they'd rather sell it to another anonymous media group because they can avoid paying taxes since it's just a "stock transfer." It's hard to be a fan when it's so obvious that the entire organization views itself as part of a business portfolio. (I know that's the way all pro teams are, but with the Braves it's become impossible to maintain the willing suspension of disbelief a fan needs.)
I knew the Braves were in trouble when Ted Turner merged his company into the Time Warner empire. I had no idea just bad it was going to get, though. It's not even that LaRoche, et al. are particularly great players; it's just that you know the only reason these moves are being made are for payroll. They have nothing to do with baseball.