Claim: Special Scout Connie Ryan was named to finish out the string with only a handful of games left in the season; then for 1976, GM Eddie Robinson promised to hire a "firebrand" to replace the scholarly King.
Evidence: With only a handful of games left in the season, special scout Connie Ryan, a veteran former Braves' infielder and coach, was named to finish out the string, and the club performed even more poorly under Ryan, at 9–18. For 1976, GM Eddie Robinson promised to hire a "firebrand" to replace the scholarly King, and in October he selected Dave Bristol as the team's new skipper.