I don't know how they did it, but the Braves took their division again. This is the 14th straight time. Over 162 games, Bobby Cox is the best manager in baseball. He gets the Braves to the post season every year, and then they fold in the playoffs or lose the World Series. Fourteen consecuitive division championships. Only one World Series win.
If you would have told me that Chipper Jones would go on the disabled list, that their starting catcher would go on the disabled list, that Hampton and Foster would go on the disabled list, that they would lose their backup catcher for the season, that the closer they signed couldn't pitch worth a damn, and that they would have to play 18 rookies over the course of the season, I would have expected them to finish in last place. Nope. They finished in first place again.
The Mets finished last. Tom Glavine finished the season with a losing record. Hey Glavine, are you sorry you left a first place club to pitch for a last place club? The Braves offered you almost as much as the Mets and you chose to play for a losing team. Fuck off, loser! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
How did the Braves do it? They stumbled out of the gate and then after the All Star Game, Andruw Jones became the player we've been expecting to see ever since he arrived in the big leagues. He put the team on his shoulders and carried it to a winning record. He had some help from some of those rookies, of which Jeff Francoeur was the most notable. Frenchie was heading for rookie of the year honors until he cooled off about three weeks ago.
Over the past few years, the Braves seem to get real hot after the All Star break and open up a big lead over their division rivals. Then they have an average September and fizzle in the playoffs. Will it happen again this year?
My buddy, Dax Montana thinks that Bobby Cox is a lousy manager because the Braves have only won one World Series in the past 14 years, but, it seems no matter what players he's given he always manages to win the division. How many managers can say that?
That being said, I don't think this is a very good team. I don't expect them to get into the World Series. I do expect the St. louis Cardinals to make it again this year and that's fine with me. Having grown up just outside of St. Louis, I'm a diehard Cardinals fan. If the Braves play the Redbirds in the post season, I have to root for the Cardinals.
So bring on the post-season!
Posted by denny at September 27, 2005 10:59 PM
Denny- Don't forget the GM, John Schuerholtz. The guy is amazing. If he gave Cox crap, what could Cox do? It all starts with the GM. Same thing in St. Louis with Walt Jocketty. The managers can only deal with the hand they're dealt...
Posted by: Rob Cooper on September 27, 2005 11:37 PMGo Pirates! Oh wait... :( Guess I gotta pull for the Mistakes by the Lake.
Posted by: mashby on September 27, 2005 11:40 PMBUT...remember the ex-Cubs factor. The team in the playoffs with the most ex-Cubs almost always loses. The Braves have Kyle Farnsworth and Todd Hollingsworth. Oh God, two "sworths"! And their first names have four letters in them! But, the Cards have Ray King, Mark Grudzielanek, and Julien Tavarez. Slight edge to Braves, based on ex-Cubs factor, 3 Cards to 2 Braves.
Posted by: Rob Cooper on September 27, 2005 11:54 PMI missed a great game tonight as Turner South cashed in on the market on all the remaining regular season games. Bobby gets the job done. Then it goes all to hell in the post season. I pray that this will be their year and they squish the birds into,..well,..And I do not buy into the ex Cubs factor. What an idiot.
Posted by: Teresa on September 28, 2005 12:03 AMFor the record, I don't think Bobby Cox is lousy...Yes, I do. He can't take the team to the next level. A Great manager would. Can you say Joe Torre? I'm sure we'll discuss this later.
Posted by: Dax Montana on September 28, 2005 01:54 AMhahaha? baseball? no, crickets where its at - england reclaimed the ashes this summer after a 16 year drought. australlia won the first match at lords convincingly, but england won the second. the third match, at old trafford, had it's third day rained off, and so forced a draw. the fourth match of the series was the most exciting. our first innings total was very high - about 350 - and the aussies had to follow on...hmmm, i forget the detail, but this all lead to a spiffing climax where england bowwled the aussies ohut for 125, with the last catch comin when tthee aussies only needed about 5 runs!
so, england were 2-1 up, with 1 to play. we only neeeded to draw the final match to regain the ashes, bu it wasnt't that easy. basically, it came down to the last day, where england just had to bat out the day to force a draw. we had 9 wickets in hand, but lost three in quick sucsession in the first hour. oh cripes. then, kevin pieterson came to thecrease. he took a nick firrst ball, and it carried to slip, wheree Warne juggled and dropped it. bwahahaha! he just dropped the aashes! pieterson went on tto make 150, and england were still there when bad light stopped play, forcing the draw we needed. how cool is that?
Posted by: matthew g on September 28, 2005 03:58 AMAtlanta always peaks too early and collapses in the playoffs. But you can't argue with 14 straight division championships.
Personally, I think Atlanta has something in the air that sucks the life out of their teams when it comes to BIG championships. Just look at the Hawks ans the Falcons.
Sometimes good, but NEVER good enough.
Posted by: Acidman on September 28, 2005 04:41 AMAnother Dean Smith, can't win the big games, the Braves should have at least 6 rings. I wish them luck, Cat
Posted by: Catfish on September 28, 2005 01:48 PMThe ex-Cubs factor is B.S.? Read about it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex-Cubs_Factor
Dax - Has Joe Torre taken the same team to the division championship 14 straight seasons? I said that Cox is the best manager in baseball over a 162 game season. He is not a good short series manager. Give Joe Torre this roster and see if he could have even taken the Braves into the playoffs. I don't think so. Also look at the players the Yankees get every year. If they don't win the World Series this year, Torre is gone.
Posted by: Denny on September 28, 2005 03:20 PMTeresa- Take this to the bank from an "idiot" who knows more about baseball sleeping that you'll ever know: The Braves will play the winner of the NL wildcard, most likely the Astros, 86-71 now, who will have a much better record than the NL West winner, most likely San Diego, who will be lucky to get above .500, and will play the Cardinals. So St. Louis will have a much easier route to the NLCS. If the Braves get by Houston, the Cards will sweep'em, or at worst win the series 4-1.
Posted by: Rob Cooper on September 28, 2005 08:37 PMmatthew:
"hahaha? baseball? no, crickets where its at"
Right. Any "sport" where you play A SINGLE GAME FOR A WEEK AND THE SCORE IS (or can be) STILL TIED... No, that's not a sport, that's bloody self-torture. :)
Posted by: Addison (the other one) on September 29, 2005 03:11 PM