R.I.P. Atlanta Braves Dynasty 1991-2005
| 14
|
by user Manny Stiles
Today was 9/11, 5 years later. I don't want to focus too much on remembering the past since there's people alive today that can use our attention. There's also nothing we can do about the past but rememeber it and possibly change the way we feel about it, and more importantly learn ways to keep from repeating our mistakes. But in an odd way, today is also a day to remember not the just the Land of the Free but also the Rule of the Braves!
Way back when, I was an Atlanta Braves fan. Dale Murphy was the best athlete in baseball, winning back to back MVPs, Bob Horner was mashing, Terry Forster was battling with David Letterman, Joe Torre was an underachieving manager and TBS was still a genuine novelty.
Some people may differ on the definition of "Dynasty". The term gets thrown around pretty easily. I just don't think there are as many true sports dynasties as some would like to have you believe. I always believed dynasties needed to bridge generations. Three, FOUR or even FIVE! years of dominance was never a dynasty in my book. A "Dynasty" needs to AT LEAST run longer than the TV show Dynasty did! (That's NINE years for those too young to remember), enough time to bridge generations. Fourteen straight non-strike seasons exactly fulfills that definition, friends.
Today with a benign loss to the Cubs, the Braves dynasty came to a quiet, solemn end. The magic number for elimination quietly met its' own (I hate that we still use this term, as there was really more than one) "Ground Zero". Atlanta fans, who have been relatively docile and apathetic for years towards their town's crown jewel, may not even have noticed. How long has it been since a Braves home game sold out? Is it REALLY possible to get SICK of winning? I guess the people of Atlanta are focused on the Falcons' slim chances or the upcoming Hawks and Thrashers seasons.
Now you probably have grown weary of the Braves, the Tomahawk chop and their seeming invincibility. Today, I mourn the loss of a Goliath. Even among Goliaths, Atlanta was the David of Goliaths.
Atlants never won with the huge payrolls. Even though the former owner Ted Turner could afford to give away a billion dollars (yes an actual BILLION dollars, Dr. Evil) to the United Nations charity fund, he never extended the payroll to the Yankees, Red Sox or even the Dodgers level. The Braves won the old fashioned way, excellent coaching, solid pitching, patchwork bullpens, defense and timely contributions from all players on the roster.
In 1990, the Braves finished in last place, the 7th year in a row they were under .500. In the previous 19 seasons they finished more than 2 games above .500 TWO times. Then the impossible happened. they went from WORST to FIRST in their division only to lose the World Series in seven games to the Minnesota Twins (who ALSO went from worst to first).
In 1991, the run of FOURTEEN straight seasons in the playoffs began. Say what you want about them only winning one World Series, you are only making a fool of your own baseball knowledge. NO team has ever made a run like that. ESPECIALLY in division play!!! Even more ESPECIALLY, a team that was as historically bad as the LOWLY Braves.
During their run they won over 100 games SIX times, EIGHT times over .600 winning percentage and only ONCE won less than 90 games... WOW!
R.I.P. Atlanta Braves playoff run 1991-2005
In remembrance, I give you a mere partial list of who the Braves won their divisions with: (They were NEVER the Wild Card team!!!)
The Guys that were there for the WHOLE run
- Outcast/retread manager Bobby Cox
- Outcast/retread general manager John Schuerholz
- Pitching Coach wunderkind/A.D.D. posterchild Leo Mazzone
- John Smoltz
The other contributors (sorry if I missed you)
- Sid Bream
- Terry Pendleton
- Mark Lemke
- David Justice
- Francisco Cabrera
- Deion Sanders
- Lonnie Smith
- Steve Avery
- Tom Glavine
- Kent Mercker
- Mike Stanton
- Ron Gant
- Greg Olson
- Javy Lopez
- Otis Nixon
- Fred McGriff
- Chipper Jones
- Greg Maddux
- Rafael Belliard
- Mark Wohlers
- Ryan Klesko
- Roberto kelly
- Jeff Blauser
- Marquis Grissom
- Jermaine Dye
- Dwight Smith
- Andruw Jones
- Tony Graffanino
- Denny Neagle
- Brad Clontz
- Pedro Borbon
- Kenny Lofton
- Michael Tucker
- Randall Simon
- Keith Lockhart
- Kevin Millwood
- Andres Galarraga
- Walt Weiss
- Ozzie Guillen
- Dennis Martinez
- Mike Remlinger
- John Rocker
- Terry Mulholland
- Brian Hunter
- Bret Boone
- Eddie Perez
- Brian Jordan
- Reggie Sanders
- Rafael Furcal
- Quilvio Veras
- Bobby Bonilla
- Wally Joyner
- B.J. Surhoff
- John Burkett
- Rico Brogna
- Marcus Giles
- Ken Caminiti
- Julio Franco
- Steve Karsay
- Jason Marquis
- Vinny Castilla
- Gary Sheffield
- Damian Moss
- Robert Fick
- Matt Franco
- Mike Hampton
- Russ Ortiz
- Johnny Estrada
- Adam LaRoche
- J D Drew
- Wilson Betemit
- John Thomson
- Jaret Wright
- Paul Byrd
- Jeff Francoeur
- Tim Hudson
- Horacio Ramirez
- Danny Kolb
Look at that list, very few names you would fear individually, yet they did it YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR... In other words, what they did was NOTHING short of truly, very remarkable!
They did it with smoke, mirrors, duct tape and band-aids.
Teams they BEAT in the Postseason
- 1991 Pittsburgh Pirates
- 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates
- 1995 Colorado Rockies
- 1995 Cincinnati Reds
- 1995 Cleveland Indians
- 1996 Los Angeles Dodgers
- 1996 St. Louis Cardinals
- 1997 Houston Astros
- 1998 Chicago Cubs
- 1999 Houston Astros
- 1999 New York Mets
- 2001 Houston Astros
SIX times they were knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual World Champions. They were only swept out of postseason play TWICE in 24 series. Now matter how you slice it, now matter how much you point out their shortcomings and postseason letdowns, STILL impressive!!!
I will miss rooting against them and now can focus my energies on rooting down the next biggest Goliath - the bloated payroll of the New York Yankees! (Especialy because they bookended Donnie Baseball's career with 'bought' W.S. rings)
R.I.P. Atlanta Braves, it was fun, even though I won't, I'll still miss you (definitely won't miss the chop) in October!!! (Now maybe they can change their unis and begin a new era of mediocrity)
Date
Mon 09/11/06, 8:29 pm EST
