AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 26
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Respect from the new NL East champs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yesterday’s blog has become bogged down from the number of responses, not to mention poluted by a “couple” of sad little folks who don’t offer much in the way of baseball insight or discourse on any other enjoyable pursuit.
I can’t do much about the latter, other than tell the vast majority of you pleasant, intelligent folks to try and grin and bear it and stay with us. I don’t have time to ask that their IP addresses be blocked or whatever, and I’m a strong advocate of freedom of speech anyway.
But anyone who’d direct a profane post at the Carolina Lady … well, you’ve reached a new bottom floor in the house of humanity. Rather pitiful, really.
Anyway, with the new NL East champion Mets in town, and ESPN debuting its 30-minute show today about the 5 reasons that Bobby Cox can’t be blamed for the Braves winning only one World Series (I had nothing to do with the show, so don’t start on me either way), I thought I’d empty my notebook here of quotes I got from Mets players in recent weeks and today about the Braves and the run the Mets finally ended. Make of them what you may:
BILLY WAGNER:
“It’s unbelievable, to have the run that they’ve had for so long, to constantly be chased and to win. For [many of the] 14 years they were written off…
“Granted, the East over the last 4-5 years has not been strong. But the Braves were the one team that’s been consistent.
“They established that tradition, and that’s what every organization wants to achieve.
“Every year it was Atlanta. When I was in Philly, and before that when I was in Houston, when we knew we were going to play Atlanta in the playoffs. Every year we were gearing up to play Atlanta.”
“For me and some of the guys in here [Mets clubhouse] who’ve been tortured by the Braves, nothing would be better than to beat the Braves every time we play them.”…
WAGNER on COX: “Without a doubt, if Bobby Cox isn’t there, it’s hard to imagine they’d be where they are. His players come to the ballpark and play with a lot of intensity. They’re young now, but you still don’t want to play them.
“They play hard for nine innings. It’s like playing the Yankees _ you may win, but you’re worn out when it’s over. They play nine innings.”
TOM GLAVINE:
“It’s not going to be like beating any other team. It’ll come with a different sense of accomplishment because of what the Braves have done. Being able to win the division is one thing; doing it in a year when you can unseat the Braves, it adds a little bit more meaning.”
“It’s been a good year for us [Mets]. We put together a great team. Everyone’s played to the expectations that we had, and that’s the reason why we’re here.”
JULIO FRANCO:
“Of course. Who wouldn’t want to be part of something that magical? That’s a lot of division titles.”
“That’s a great accomplishment _ but it’s [over], unless you continue winning. Don’t get me wrong _ anybody would want to be part of it, and I was proud to be part of it.”
“I’m sure that [Braves] front office is going to work to fill the holes this winter.”
“This [Mets] team is pretty good. I guarantee you those guys in the [Mets] front office aren’t going to sit there and [rest on laurels].”
GM OMAR MINAYA:
“What they’ve done is more than impressive. If they were to give a Pulitzer Prize in baseball, Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz and that whole organization deserve the Pulitzer Prize.
“I’m a big admirer. I have a lot of respect for their front office and what they’ve done, as a baseball person…
“Whatever happens this year, they’re still a model. All baseball people see them as a model for success. There’s no doubt.
“I can tell you there’s not a baseball person, a baseball team, that does not view them as THE model for success. One year is not going to change that.
“There’s not enough positive words I can say about that gang, especially their manager, Bobby Cox, their players, John Schuerholz … if there were a Pulitzer Prise awarded in baseball, they would win in a landslide.”
MICHAEL TUCKER:
“You talk about 14 straight appearances in the playoffs, that in itself is tough to do. And you’re talking about winning your division every year…
“First, you have to have a good team for an extended period of time, and you have to be able to deal with injuries, health…. It’s mainly about consistency, about getting the job done. I don’t think ny team has gone to the playoffs more, even the Yankees, not that many times in a row.
“Fourteen division titles _ that’s incredible. They’ve never gone in as a wild card. They’re winning division titles every year.”
On COX’s impact: “It means a lot. Bobby keeps a consistent atmosphere. You go through a stretch where it doesn’t go too well, he never gets caught up in it. Go through a good stretch where you’re winning, it’s pretty much just, ‘Keep it going, keep an even keel, a straight line, don’t have big peaks and valleys.’”
And as an added bonus, here’s some stuff from Cubs first baseman DERREK LEE on the Braves’ run:
“It’s almost unbelievable. I don’t know if you’ll ever see that again. Just to be able to play that well that long, to be that consistent… It says a lot about their management, to put a team out there like that every year. And Bobby Cox, obviously, does an incredible job. They’ve had some good fortune, too, avoiding injuries, that kind of thing. But it’s just an incredible accomplishment.”
“[If they] go get another pitcher, and with an improved bullpen _ their lineup is fine _ they’ll be right back on top.”
OK, that’s it. Just wanted to share that stuff with you. The crowd is predictably small tonight. Hard to believe it’s a Braves-Mets series in late September, and there’s just an air of emptiness in the place.
I think I’ll go take advantage of no line at Skip & Pete’s BBQ.
Talk to you later.
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