Friedman threw a surprise party at his home. He and his wife hired lifeguards for the pool, commissioned a grand cake, and surprised the guests of honor by decorating the home with Atlanta Braves bobblehead dolls.
"Their jaws dropped," Anthopoulos said. "It was amazing. No one had ever done anything like that for us."
Friedman and Anthopoulos could have exchanged the traditional party banter: How's the weather? How are the kids? Can I get you a drink?
The Braves, five years removed from their last winning record, entered the weekend atop the National League East.
"It's not a surprise when you look at the talent," Anthopoulos said.