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Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Astros least of playoff worries
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In all the discussion about the Braves having the potentially formidable task of facing starting rotation-rich Houston (if the Astros win the wild card) in the first round of the playoffs, what has been largely overlooked is another, perhaps even more ominous possibility.
St. Louis.
Yes, the Cardinals, the team with the best record in the NL by a wide margin, the team hungry to take the final step after getting trounced in the World Series last season by the Red Sox. The team with Cy Young candidate Chris Carpenter and, at least in my opinion, clear MVP frontrunner Albert Pujols. The team with arguably the best, most die-hard fans in baseball.
The reason we haven’t spent a lot of time discussing the possibility of the Braves facing the Cardinals in the first round is simple: It appeared the Braves would start to distance themselves from the rest of the NL East by now, once they got five games ahead a few weeks back. But it didn’t happen.
The Braves went 6-6 on their last homestand, when everyone thought they’d beat up on NL West teams. And at the same time, Florida, Philly and even the Mets all started playing better. Much better. And the Nationals didn’t fade, the way many assumed they would down the stretch.
The result is, the Braves have a month of crucial games against almost exclusively NL East teams coming up. Plenty of time for another NL East team to catch them and pass them, if the Braves keep muddling along at .500 on the road and, lately, .500 at home.
And if the Braves finish second in the NL East and win the wild card, they’d have to face the team with the best record in the NL, the Cardinals. And the Cards would obviously have home-field advantage (not that having home-field advantage in the postseason has meant much good for the Braves in recent years anyway).
There’s also an even uglier option. One that seems unspeakable among Braves fans: Two teams could pass Atlanta. Then the Braves wouldn’t have to worry about a first-round opponent; there wouldn’t be one.
Personally, I still think the Braves will hold on and clinch this thing. But they can’t be comfortable looking behind them and seeing all those other NL East teams sitting right there, nipping at their heels.
Your thoughts?
