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Braves name John Hart President of Baseball Operations

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Interim Atlanta Braves general manager John Hart will be named the team's new president of baseball operations, the organization announced Thursday.

Hart, 66, was named the Braves' interim GM when the team fired general manager Frank Wren last month. Previously, he was the team's senior advisor for baseball operations.

Hart was also the general manager of the Cleveland Indians for 10 years and Texas Rangers for four years. He eventually transitioned into a senior advisor with the Rangers, and the team appeared in two World Series during his tenure. 

Hart announced that manager Fredi Gonzalez will return next season and hired Roy Clark and Gordon Blakeley as special assistants to the GM.

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Yahoo Sports reported last month that the Braves offered the full-time general manager’s job to Hart, but he told them he needed time to think about it.

Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore and Braves assistant GM John Coppolella were reportedly the front-runners for the general manager position, but Royals owner David Glass said Moore will "absolutely" stay in Kansas City.

The Braves finished this season 79-83, 17 games behind the NL East division winners, the Washington Nationals. It was the team's first losing record in six years. Atlanta has not won a postseason series in 13 years.

- Scooby Axson