Trying to make the majors on his merits

PEARL, Miss. – The general manager of the Atlanta Braves knows all about the plucky second baseman down at Double-A Mississippi.

He should – it’s his son.

Jonathan Schuerholz, the Mississippi Braves’ 24-year-old infielder with the most famous name on the team, is trying to establish his own identity in an organization overseen by his father, Atlanta general manager John Schuerholz.

And he’s doing his part to make the Schuerholzes the first father-son GM-player combination on the same major league team.

“I’ve been dealing with it for 24 years now, so it hasn’t been anything too strenuous,” the younger Schuerholz said. “You put guys around you just like the Braves do, and they treat me just like another individual, just another player.”

After three seasons in the low minors, the second baseman is two steps from Turner Field. Yet both Schuerholzes insist the player won’t catch any breaks just because he’s the boss’ son.

“All the pressure that I have is the pressure I put on myself, and that’s the day-in, day-out type of stuff,” Jonathan Schuerholz said.

Through 18 games with Mississippi, he was hitting .242 with no home runs and one RBI – sometimes through taunts of “Daddy’s boy” during road trips.

“Players understand that they have to produce. They have to do the job, and that’s how they get promoted, and that’s how they succeed,” John Schuerholz said. “Jonathan understands that as well as I do. It’s not a problem.”

The Braves wanted the younger Schuerholz so much, they drafted him twice.

He was taken in the 37th round of the 1999 amateur draft, but opted to play at Auburn. Three years later, he was picked in the eighth round.

At the time, Braves scouts insisted it didn’t matter what his last name was – only that he was a true middle infielder who hit better than .300 against Southeastern Conference pitching.

John Schuerholz said he left the decision to draft his son up to the scouting staff, and the player said his old man made sure the Braves’ draft plans were kept secret.

“I didn’t expect to go (then),” he said. “(I) called my dad, said ‘Am I drafted?’ and he said ‘Yep.’ “

He spent most of 2002 at rookie-league Danville, but also played two games for Class A Macon.

He spent 2003 with Class A Rome – where he had his best season, hitting .251 – and played last year with Myrtle Beach before his promotion to Double-A.

The elder Schuerholz was in attendance for his son’s first home game in Double-A. The GM threw out a ceremonial first pitch, then watched the game from a luxury box.