Five years after being hit with a “lifetime” ban by major league baseballold brave chief executive John Coppolella was reinstated by the commissioner’s office from his “permanently ineligible” list.
Two major league sources said Athleticism of Coppolella’s reinstatement in recent days. Then, on Sunday evening, Coppolella and the commissioner’s office upheld the decision, which was made by commissioner Rob Manfred.
It was Manfred who suspended Coppolella in November 2017, following what the commissioner then said was an extended period in which the Braves “bent international signing rules from 2015 to 2017”.
Ask by Athleticism If the league could explain why Coppolella’s actions and words over the past five years caused MLB to reconsider and reinstate him, a spokesperson provided this statement from the league:
We can confirm that Mr. Coppolella has been reinstated, given the more than five years he has been on the ineligible list, the contrition he has expressed and the other actions he has taken in response to this matter. .
Coppolella, now 44, was suspended by MLB just over a month after stepping down as general manager, the day after the Braves’ final game of the 2017 season. His departure was described by the Braves at the time as being due to “a violation of Major League Baseball rules regarding the international player market”.
Contacted this weekend by AthleticismCoppolella chose to respond with a written statement of apology, after declining an interview request:
“I would like to thank Commissioner Manfred for accepting my request to be removed from the ineligible list. I am deeply grateful to so many people who have been involved in this process, including (Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs and Operations) Bryan Seeley and (Senior Vice President of Investigations and Assistant General Counsel) Moira Weinberg of Major League Baseball.
“I deeply regret and accept responsibility for my actions. I would like to once again apologize to the Atlanta Braves organization, Major League Baseball, its fans, and especially my family and friends. my friends, I am grateful for this decision and will strive every day to honor this opportunity.
Despite the ruling, it’s unclear whether the reinstatement will serve as a springboard for Coppolella’s return to baseball. As Pete Rose has testified, the majority of those who end up on the permanent ineligible list will never work in MLB again.
But others have had the opportunity for a second chance – none are more famous than the old one Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who was suspended for life in 1990 by then commissioner Fay Vincent, but allowed to return to the team three years later.
More recently, two of baseball’s most prominent managers, AJ Hinch and Alex Cora, found jobs immediately after returning from suspensions for their roles in the Astro’s sign-stealing scandal of 2017-18. Of course, these suspensions were only for one year. But they still serve as an example of baseball people deemed employed following a controversial comment.
It’s not immediately clear how wary other teams may be of hiring Coppolella. And Coppolella didn’t say in his statement whether he had any interest in returning to his front-office career, which began the week after graduating from Notre Dame in 2000. He spent seven seasons working for the Yankees in scouting and baseball operations, then joined the Braves in 2006 and returned as general manager in October 2014.
He was replaced in Atlanta by Alex Anthopoulos, who led the Braves to five straight National League East first-place finishes and a World Series parade, in 2021. However, their 2021 championship roster was filled with a number of star players who were drafted or acquired during Coppolella’s time at the front office in Atlanta: Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, austin riley, Max fried, Dansby Swanson and others.
Nonetheless, that work was obviously overshadowed by how Coppolella’s Braves career ended. In the 2017 statement announcing Coppolella’s lifetime ban, Manfred said the club reported signing bonuses for a number of international players that were well below the actual amounts agreed. As a result, the Braves were forced to release 12 of those players and were hit with additional restrictions on international signings for the next two years.
Three weeks after his suspension, Coppolella told ESPN.com he was “embarrassed” by his actions and, in a lengthy email, issued an apology similar to the one he provided over the weekend to Athleticism.
“To those in the baseball industry, including employees of the Braves and other organizations who feel that I have been disrespectful or dishonest, I apologize,” Coppolella said in his 2017 statement. of the Commissioner, who has spent many overtime hours coping with such an unfortunate situation, please accept my apologies. To the Braves fans and those in the front office who have supported me throughout my tenure as GM, know that I understand and accept your anger and frustration. To my family, who have stood by me through this ordeal, I love you so much and am sorry for the pain my actions have caused you.
“I learned the lesson of a lifetime, as my mistakes cost me my dream job and my future in the game I love. I hope other people, regardless of profession, will use this as a cautionary tale when they make their own business decisions.I have been dishonored and humiliated, and I will strive for the rest of my life to live honorably so that this is not my defining moment.
Coppolella has not worked in the sport in any capacity since his suspension. He is currently Head of Talent Acquisition for Capital Vacations, a South Carolina-based timeshare company.
He had previously spent several years as senior vice president of Diamond Resorts, a timeshare company located in Orlando, Florida. During his time off the game, he also earned an MBA in finance from the University of Florida and graduated in 2022 with “highest honors,” according to his own. LinkedIn page.
But is he now about to “graduate” from his banishment and return to this “game that I love”? It’s a mystery that will play out in the weeks and months to come.
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(Photo by John Coppolella in 2015: Alex Brandon/Associated Press)
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