THE CURSE OF 1996

 1996 game 2 of the World Series in Yankee stadium- Braves fans probably remember this as the game Andruw Jones  introduced himself to the baseball world and the history books by becoming the youngest player ever to hit a home run in the world series. He hit 2 home runs matter fact en route to  a Braves blowout of the yankees. Sadly to say the Braves havent won a single world series game since. They went ahead 2 games to 0   on the Yankees in New York and on the flight back to Atlanta were already talking about a 2 peat and planning victory parade downtown. Hold up... The Yankees came to Atlanta and won 3 straight games and  the series ended in  6 games when the Yankees took care of business in New York. How could the Braves get so ahead of themselfs to blow this lead? 

 In all honesty this is the moment I really think the Braves organization changed. There was so many magical moments from 1991- 1995. The worst to 1st  season in 91 and losing game 7 in world series to Twins and of course Sid Breams slide in 1992.  Coming back from 7 games down to catch the Giants in 1993 and of course Winning the World Series in 1995. SO many great memories in those 5 years alone. But since 1996 it seems the Braves have never been the same. They made it back to the world series in 1999 only to get dominated and swept by the yankees. I actually went to the game 3 in Atlanta in 1996 I was so confident the Braves were going to go up 3 games to 0. We lost that 1st game I didnt panic. We lost game 4 I didnt panic. When we went  up 6-0in game 5 I went to bed happy thinking we would take a 3 games to 2 lead back to New York- I woke up the next morning shocked to see we lost 8-6.. WHAT HAPPENED?? it seems like the braves turn of events  fell off with the slider Mark Wohlers threw to Jim Lyritz.  Wohlers could never throw a strike again and the Braves havent come close to sniffing a World Series win since. I think back to 1996 alot- I was so confident in the Braves back then- it seems 1 way or another we always found a way to get it done ( '91,92,93 and 95). But since then the Braves havent been the same. I guess that happens when you whipp the yankees in the house that Ruth built and head back home up 2 games.

That game 5 loss blowing a 6 -0 lead I honestly believe is the turning point of the decline of the Braves. We went to 4 world series in 5 years but since then we have only been to one and got swept. Most teams dont recover from blowing a 6-0 lead in game 5 at home in the world series. Its crazy how one single game can change a fate of a franchise. Maybe you will disagree with me but  I honestly believe that game 5 loss has had affects on the Braves to this day. Your talking about winning in 1995 and being  up 2 games to none on the Yankees blowing them out in New York and coming home to Atlanta for the next 3 games- feeling confident as ever  thinking a dynasty is in the making- and then losing 4 straight games. I read  an article one time where John Smoltz said he thinks about that 1996 World Series loss  often and is still bothered by the blown lead.  Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Wohlers sticks to his guns and throws a fastball instead of a slider?? If  Braves win that game and go up 3-2 in the series you think they can manage to win 1 of the final 2 games in New York? Momentum is such a huge thing in sports. Sometimes when you get it you cant lose other times when you lose it you cant ever win again  and sad to say since 1996 I think  thats the Braves problem..Oh how I wish we could rewind the times and go back to game 5 world series in Atlanta ...Mark Wohlers where you  at?? :(

Chipper Jones 2011

What do you expect from Chipper Jones in 2011? I love and respect Chipper to the fullest but I will be honest. I  really dont expect him to stay healthy or be a major contributer to this team. Even if he stays healthy I think he would give us .270 average 15 home runs and maybe 56-70 rbis.. which isnt bad but from Chipper its not that good for a guy getting paid $12 million this year. I think the braves are making a big mistake by keeping him in the #3 hole.  Yes Chipper is  one of the smartest if  not the smartest hitter in all of baseball but be honest since 2008 has he impressed you at all?  I   could be tottally wrong about him but I think its time the Braves realize hes not what he used to be. Hes not a #3 hitter anymore- its time to put Heyward or Mccann or Uggla in that 3 spot- Chipper just doesnt produce enough to be in that sweet #3 spot anymore. There is no doubt that Chippers leadership is priceless on this team. But its come about where his leadership is worth more then his actual skills anymore. What other teams would keep a guy whose hitting .270 with 15 home runs in there 3 hole? Chipper needs to be moved down lower in the order. I pray that Iam wrong and chipper produces numbers closer to the .300 and 20 home runs with 85 rbis but his health and declining skills just dont make it realistic for me. I hope the Braves dont have too much love for Chipper and keep him in the #3 hole longer then he needs to be- and who knows if he will even stay healthy?  I will put my money on it right now that Martin Prado plays more games at third base this year for the braves then Chipper does.. What do you think??

INJURIES OF 2010 SEASON

Iam defiently dissappointed with how the braves season ended in 2010 but I mostly feel it was due to the  injuries. We lost Chipper Jones and Kris Medlin in the same week. In August when you lose your #3 hitter and #4 starter things arent going to be easy. Iam very proud of the Braves for making the playoffs- because they limped into it. I honestly believe if  the Braves were healthy heading into the playoffs  we would have went to the world series- Jair Jurrjens  got injuried early on and never got into a rhythm. Jason Heyward battled thru thumb  injury from June on. Chipper went down in August- but to me the injury no one talks about is Kris Medlen. He did a great job filling in for Jurrjens while he was injured. He showed signs of being a big part of the Braves rotation for many years to come. I really dont understand why Braves fans underscore the importance of his injury.

Medlen is not expected back this year until the latter part of the season and Im sure he will be rusty but he will be a big  help to this team- Hudson, Lowe, Hanson, Jurrjens, and Beachy/ Minor until Medlen comes back. The Braves Pitching will be loaded again this year. I Think back to last season and  see when Chipper went down with his acl tear this team truly missed  his leadership down the stretch. Hes not a guy thats going to produce great numbers anymore but the leadership he brings everyday is priceless and with alot of young guys in the lineup during the crucial stretch of the season it would have been huge to have Chipper playing everyday. I  was at the game Prado got hurt and honestly the day he got hurt the Braves playoff chances for success went out the window. Martin Prado is a gamer who was awesome last season for the Braves. It was tough to lose Chipper-  but when you lose Prado with it- its even worse. I knew things was going to be tough once Prado got injured. Lets remember the reason Brooks Conrad was playing in the playoffs was because of the injury to Prado. If Prados healthy you can forget about Conrad being in the lineup to make 3 errors in that heartbreaking game 3.

Things got worse in the playoffs- game 2 Billy Wagner went out with injury. I almost could have cried when he went down because I knew we were a wrap after his injury. No team in baseball can overcome  season ending injuries to both #3 hitters ( Chipper and Prado) and then lose there closer to injury in the playoffs- you will never win. I believe 100% if Billy Wagner doesnt get injured in playoffs   the braves win that series against the Giants. Him going down with injury forced Bobby Cox to go closer by committe after game 2 and you all know how I feel about Bobby Cox managing pitching changes in the playoffs.. Instead of  Wagner shutting things down in the 9th inning of game 3 it was Kimbrel, and Dunn - no disrespect to those two young guys but they dont compare to the level Billy Wagner pitched last year.

Looking back 2010 was a very special year for the braves- 1st playoffs in 5 years- most home wins in baseball, most comeback wins, most wins in last at bat. Heywards 1st at bat home run, Bobby Cox last season- but injuries were the name of the game for 2010. If we were healthy I think you would have seen the Braves make an extended run in the playoffs- but injuries happen- the braves did the best they could with what they had- and it wasnt enough. It sucks but thats how it is sometimes. I hope we can stay healthy in 2011 and build from the success of 2010.. Im ready.. are you?

BOBBY COX AFFECT

I Respect Bobby Cox to the fullest. He won many games for the Atlanta Braves and had 14 division titles, a wild card berth and World Series Championship - the only one ever in the city of Atlanta. But I have to be real with myself- in my opinion he was not the best postseason manager. If you look at some of his moves over the years he made some head scratchers. A huge reason why the  Yankees had great success in the  late 1990s was because Joe Torre  made great decisions in big situations in games. Of course they had Rivera which helps them alot. But the difference between the Braves only having 1 championship and the Yankees having 4 under Torre was Torre always seemed to  push the right buttoms when making a subsitution as far has hitting changes in the line up  or pinch hitters,and  he always seemed to make great decisions as far as the bullpen went. What relievers to bring up when and where. To me Bobby Cox in the playoffs sucked at that. Even this year game 3 of the 2010 divison round vs the Giants- the Braves were one strike away from winning the game and Cox takes out   Craig Kimbrel ( who is suppost to be the braves closer  in 2011) and brings in a lefty Mike Dunn who gives up a couple hits and blows the lead. I have nothing against Mike Dunn- but if Kimbrel is suppose to be your closer in waiting why the fuck do you pull him out of the game? I was at the game cursing Bobby Cox out in my head as I saw him make his way to the mound to remove Kimbrel and bring in Dunn- I had a bad feeling about the move even before Dunn threw his 1st pitch. Yeh Kimbrel did walk a batter and give up a hit but he wasnt scared, he wasnt caught up in the moment- I truly believe if Cox left Kimbrel in the game the Braves win that game. It was just a horrible decison to take Kimbrel out in that situation and those little moves right there are so huge in the playoffs. Bobby Cox never managed bullpen decisions well in the playoffs especially and thats a huge reason why I think the Braves only won one championship during there years  of dominating.

 Also why did he never encourage the braves to run more? he was a manager that always seemed to sit back and wait on the 3 run homer? That was ok when you had Justice, Mcgriff, Gant and Klesko and all those home run hitters but as the braves lineup slowly dwindled off why did Cox still try to wait for the big swing to win games? If you look at the teams who are winnin today in baseball they play the ABC part of baseball- GET THEM ON, GET THEM OVER AND GET THEM IN. I love that idea and it always blew my mind why the braves were never aggressive in stealing bases. Yeh Furcal stole some but it seems everytime the Braves braught up a guy who had speed or traded for one who had speed- they never used it. The Braves under Bobby Cox seemed to forget how to play small ball. and in the playoffs teams that can excute small ball mostl often win. In the playoffs you cant sit back and wait for the 3 run home run because most playoff games are pitching duels and good pitching isnt goin to give up big home runs alot. thats why alot of playoff scores are 4-3, 3-2, 2-1 type scores.. all 3 games the Braves lost in the 2010 playoffs to the Giants were one run games and low scoring affairs. Boy could we have used some speed and aggressive base stealers in games like those.

 I will miss seeing Bobby Cox at the games because I grew up to him managing the Braves so hes all I know- but in a way I think the braves will be ok without him because he made so many  bonehead choices over the years.I respect fully what Bobby Cox did and accomplished in his time in Atlanta and I will miss him but sometimes changes is good- I hope Freddi Gonzalez can manage pitching changes better and  is more agressive when it comes to manufactoring runs because nowdays thats whats winning championships takes..

THE PLAYOFFS GAME 3.. 10-10-10.. CONRAD!

Is it just me or does other braves fans still think about the Game 3 playoff game in Atlanta... I was so hype that game. I was actually blessed enough to be one of the 53,000 who had tickets for the game. The stadium was  hype, the fans was into the game. It was a low scoring game and the braves didnt get the fans into the game til Eric Hinske came up as a pinch hitter and hit the 2 run home run that gave us the lead. I have been to many many braves games in my life but that is the crazyest most hype I have ever seen Turner Field. I was goin f*ckin nuts at the stadium. That is a memory I often think about. Eric Hinske is the man. Instead of being the hero of that game 3 no one will give him the props he deserves because of Brooks Conrad. I try to be forgiving of Conrad. He had alot of big hits for us during the season- hes a  gamer he gives his all everytime he steps out on the field. But to committ 3 errors in a playoff game just kills me. I wanted to slap him in his face after we lost game 3. I kid you not I sat at the stadium for 45 minutes after the game just in shock.  We was one strike away from going up 2 games to 1 in the best of 5 series and we lost to be on verge of elimination. It was such a tought loss to get over. The toughest loss Ive ever had as a braves fan. I will try to cheer for Conrad next year but I promise you his 3 errors in that game 3 will always play in my head anytime I see his face. I pray for forgiveness but when I think back to how excited I was after we took the lead on Hinskes home run - to lose that game just leaves me speechless. I still have dreams about that game. I wish we could replay it.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE BRAVES IN 2011

I believe the Braves will be a good team in 2011. The pitching staff will be good just like last year as long as we stay healthy. The bullpen is young but has alot of talent I think we will be ok in that area. The defense concerns me- Chipper playing 3rd base seems to get worse defensively every year as his age is getting up there. Prado in Left field is a bit of a reach for me. He seems like a good athlete but I would rather him play the infield. Im not crazy about Dan Uggla defensively but I hope he will suprise me. Recalling last year our defense was a big reason why we didnt advance in the playoffs and GM Frank Wren didnt do much this offseason to shore up the defense so this is a major concern to me.Now I do believe the offense will be better- getting Dan Uggla is a big upgrade- gives the braves that big popper in the middle of the line up- thinking about - prado,heyward,uggla,mccann and chipper that gives me hope for this offense. I believe Jason Heyward will be a big contributor this year offensively. Im still a bit concerned about the health of his thumb but he seems good to go. The sky is the limit for this kid- I look for him to  have a great year. Im not expecting much out of Chipper Jones this year because since 2008 he hasnt given us much. I see him hitting  .270 with 15 home runs and 75 rbis if hes healthy. but who knows if he will be. if he gets hurt you put Prado @ 3rd base and the braves have to make a trade for an everyday left field in my opinion.
Im excited about the upcoming season- I dont believe the Braves can beat the phillies for the division but I do believe we will be very big players in the wild card. I cant wait to see what happens.