Suns owner Peter Bragan Jr. steps down as general manager

[Tacachale]

Peter Bragan Jr. is stepping aside as general manager of the Jacksonville Suns, but will remain as owner and president of the minor league baseball team.

Assistant general manager Chris Peters will be promoted to the role of general manager, Bragan said Wednesday in a news conference inside the Suns clubhouse.

"I'm not retiring, but I turn 60 this year and it's time to slow down and maybe do a little traveling," said Bragan, who along with his father, Peter Bragan Sr., has run the Suns organization for the past 26 years. "We've got what I feel is the best front-office staff in minor league baseball, and Chris has shown in his four years with the team that he's capable of handling the job of general manager.

More at jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/sports/baseball/2011-10-20/story/suns-owner-peter-bragan-jr-steps-down-general-manager#ixzz1bKhkbCTS

I wish Bragan the best, but I think this might be good news for our push to get a AAA team in Jacksonville. The Bragans have been very reluctant to move in that direction.

[fieldafm]

The Bragans still own the team.

Frankly, AAA baseball is not needed(We actually had AAA baseball in Jax once).  It's very expensive and the Suns have been smashing attendance records ever since the new ballpark got built.  We've actually seen better baseball players come through here with a AA designation... AAA is full of washouts and never-will-bes.  There are by an large more older players in AAA.  We would have never have seen guys like Mike Stanton and Matt Kemp if we were a AAA club.  Hell, ARod went from Jax to the majors when the Suns were the Mariners affiliate. 

[Tacachale]

The Bragans still own the team.

Frankly, AAA baseball is not needed(We actually had AAA baseball in Jax once).  It's very expensive and the Suns have been smashing attendance records ever since the new ballpark got built.  We've actually seen better baseball players come through here with a AA designation... AAA is full of washouts and never-will-bes.  There are by an large more older players in AAA.  We would have never have seen guys like Mike Stanton and Matt Kemp if we were a AAA club.  Hell, ARod went from Jax to the majors when the Suns were the Mariners affiliate.

The Bragans still do own the franchise, but this may be evidence that they're more willing to sell than they (or at least Pete Bragan Sr.) historically have been.

The Suns set AA attendance records because they're in a AAA-sized city and play in a AAA-quality facility they don't have to pay extra for. Additionally, it's such a good park that the experience sells itself, meaning the Suns can continue to set those records even with a pretty lackluster marketing campaign. They got a pretty sweet deal, and they know it. That's not to knock the team or the Bragans - they've done great things over the last several decades - but we built a AAA ball park, it's time to see some AAA baseball in it.

At any rate, I'd hope the Suns name continues, regardless of who owns it or what level they play at.