The Braves
It takes an old guy like me, to remember the real Atlanta Braves. The Atlanta Braves of Pat Rockett, Biff Pocaroba, Brian Axelstein, Albert Hall, Bruuuuce Benidict, and others. The Atlanta Braves managed by Eddie Haas. The Braves in which the picture of the new broadcast team of Erine, Skip, and Pete shows them holding silverware like microphones.
The Braves played out The Atlanta-Fulton County Statdium, which until 1990, always smelled like beer. They had real classy uniforms for a while, then, in some early 70's drug trip, began outfitting their players in a uniform that can only be described as something Walt Disney might have thrown up. It got better in the 80's when they went to the modified softball player look until 1987 when they adopted the classic look they have now.
There was never anything about the Braves to like or dislike. Unlike the Chicago Cubs, people never wrote songs about how neat it was to be a misrable Braves fan. No, the Braves were just there.
In 1990, something began to happen. Dale Murphy was traded. Dale Murphy was the epitome of what a professional athlete should be. I mentioned at the time that if he wasn't a Morman, he'd make a great Baptist.
Then Bobby Cox took over as manager. He had come back to Atlanta after a time in Toronto and worked in the front office. But the managers he put in, Chuck Tanner and Russ Nixon, just did not have it.
After that season John Schuholtz was hired away from Kansas City. It is not a coincidence that the Royals have had only one winning season since then and the Braves have had only one losing season.
I remember 1991. We just want to win the Division! Just give us that. Then it was the National League. Just that. Please. Then it was the World Series.
Atlanta went nuts that year. There were t-shirt stands all over the place. We just had to buy a shirt that had the Braves National League Champions on it. It was like People magazine had named me "Sexiest Person Alive" and I had to buy up all of the magazines just to prove it to people.
During that time, my wife and I were pushing a baby stroller down Town Center Mall and pumped into Ralph Swearingin. Ralph had been our interim Minister a couple of times at the church we were at. He is a great guy with one major flaw: he's from Southern California and was a Dodgers fan. Of course I had to rag him about that. He said something I'll never forget. He said, "I always want my team to win the division, but I worry when they do,because it usually means that they won't be a good the next year".
Of course I knew what he meant. Enjoy it now because the Braves will probably stink next year.
Well, that year, the Braves defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team that was, let's face it, better top to bottom than the Braves, to go to the World Series to face the Minnesota Twins. The Braves took the Series to seven games, losing in the 11th inning. That's okay. We had our one shot. That's all we wanted. One time to see our players jump up and down in the middle of the diamond.One time to see our players interviewed in a champaign soaked locker room. One time we could tell all of those obnoxious New York, Philly and Cincy fans that the Braves were the best and don't start talking to me about what happened when Eisenhower was President.
15 years later, the baby in the stroller is close to getting his driver's license. Ralph is the excutive director of high school sports in the state of Georiga. Atlanta Fulton County Stadium is now a parking lot.
The excitement of going to the post-season was less the next year. Not as many t-shirt stands. Braves lost the World Series to Toronto in six games that year.
Finally won the World Series in 1995. Lost another one in 1996. Lost another one in 1999. Went as far of the National League Championship in 2001. Out early since then.
Sports radio talk shows featured callers and hosts saying the Braves were like the Buffalo Bills of baseball. Put downs from people who have never even been employees of the month.
This year, the Braves were not very good. Life an inner tube, once one hole was patched, another would leak. Players would be injured. Pitchers would pitch, um, not very well. It just never seemed like the Braves were all there.
It has been a great ride. One I never thought would happen in 1990
The Braves played out The Atlanta-Fulton County Statdium, which until 1990, always smelled like beer. They had real classy uniforms for a while, then, in some early 70's drug trip, began outfitting their players in a uniform that can only be described as something Walt Disney might have thrown up. It got better in the 80's when they went to the modified softball player look until 1987 when they adopted the classic look they have now.
There was never anything about the Braves to like or dislike. Unlike the Chicago Cubs, people never wrote songs about how neat it was to be a misrable Braves fan. No, the Braves were just there.
In 1990, something began to happen. Dale Murphy was traded. Dale Murphy was the epitome of what a professional athlete should be. I mentioned at the time that if he wasn't a Morman, he'd make a great Baptist.
Then Bobby Cox took over as manager. He had come back to Atlanta after a time in Toronto and worked in the front office. But the managers he put in, Chuck Tanner and Russ Nixon, just did not have it.
After that season John Schuholtz was hired away from Kansas City. It is not a coincidence that the Royals have had only one winning season since then and the Braves have had only one losing season.
I remember 1991. We just want to win the Division! Just give us that. Then it was the National League. Just that. Please. Then it was the World Series.
Atlanta went nuts that year. There were t-shirt stands all over the place. We just had to buy a shirt that had the Braves National League Champions on it. It was like People magazine had named me "Sexiest Person Alive" and I had to buy up all of the magazines just to prove it to people.
During that time, my wife and I were pushing a baby stroller down Town Center Mall and pumped into Ralph Swearingin. Ralph had been our interim Minister a couple of times at the church we were at. He is a great guy with one major flaw: he's from Southern California and was a Dodgers fan. Of course I had to rag him about that. He said something I'll never forget. He said, "I always want my team to win the division, but I worry when they do,because it usually means that they won't be a good the next year".
Of course I knew what he meant. Enjoy it now because the Braves will probably stink next year.
Well, that year, the Braves defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team that was, let's face it, better top to bottom than the Braves, to go to the World Series to face the Minnesota Twins. The Braves took the Series to seven games, losing in the 11th inning. That's okay. We had our one shot. That's all we wanted. One time to see our players jump up and down in the middle of the diamond.One time to see our players interviewed in a champaign soaked locker room. One time we could tell all of those obnoxious New York, Philly and Cincy fans that the Braves were the best and don't start talking to me about what happened when Eisenhower was President.
15 years later, the baby in the stroller is close to getting his driver's license. Ralph is the excutive director of high school sports in the state of Georiga. Atlanta Fulton County Stadium is now a parking lot.
The excitement of going to the post-season was less the next year. Not as many t-shirt stands. Braves lost the World Series to Toronto in six games that year.
Finally won the World Series in 1995. Lost another one in 1996. Lost another one in 1999. Went as far of the National League Championship in 2001. Out early since then.
Sports radio talk shows featured callers and hosts saying the Braves were like the Buffalo Bills of baseball. Put downs from people who have never even been employees of the month.
This year, the Braves were not very good. Life an inner tube, once one hole was patched, another would leak. Players would be injured. Pitchers would pitch, um, not very well. It just never seemed like the Braves were all there.
It has been a great ride. One I never thought would happen in 1990
posted by Alan Manis | 2:36 PM
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