AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > October > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBoston off to a familiar start
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Denver — There was this team, see. It fell behind 3-1 in its LCS. It won its next five games by the collective score of 48-2. Maybe you remember. I’ve never been able to forget.
That team: The 1996 Braves.
That was the team I likened to the ‘27 Yankees after Game 2 of the World Series. (Contrary to popular belief, I did not write that the ‘96 Braves were better than that legendary crew. I only dangled the possibility.) I called the Braves the greatest team of the post-free agency era. I hailed them as the new dynasty, the new standard of baseball excellence. I gushed like Tom Cruise on Oprah’s couch.
And then the Braves let me down. They didn’t win another blessed game. They blew the Series and gave inadvertent birth to a rather different dynasty. (The Yankees would be champs four times in five years.)
Now there’s this other team, see. It fell behind 3-1 in its LCS. It won its next five games by the collective score of 45-7. It’s taking batting practice as I type. I’d like to say the Boston Red Sox will blow their 2-0 Series lead and make other premature pundits look as silly as I looked back when, but I really can’t see it.
The Red Sox look too good. (Then again, so did you-know-who.) The Colorado Rockies look outclassed. (Then again, so did the 1996 Yankees, who actually sacrificed with the second batter of Game 3 — Derek Jeter, of all people — because Joe Torre just wanted his team to get a lead.) This Series doesn’t figure to return to Boston. (Then again, the Braves figured to send off Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, which was to be razed over the winter, with a champagne party.)
Maybe I’m the only guy in the world who sees the parallel because I’m the only guy in the world who ever invoked the ‘27 Yankees and the ‘96 Braves in the same silly sentence. (But I should note that I’m sitting next to Paul Bodi, who was the AJC sports editor on site in Yankee Stadium in 1996 and who works for MLB.com now, and he just said, “I didn’t argue with you, did I? I think we were all on the same page at the time.”)
I asked Jason Varitek, the Sox captain who attended Georgia Tech from 1990 through 1994, if he recalled the ‘96 Series. (Eleven years later, I’m still looking for commiseration.) He said he didn’t. “I just remember being in Atlanta during the worst-to-first year [1991]. At the start of it, we were able to go down and sit by the dugout. When we got back from playing summer ball, we couldn’t even get in the stadium.”
If you’re looking for the reason the surging Sox won’t crash as abjectly as the ‘96 Braves, it’s this: The Sox are too smart to let it happen. They won’t waste a 6-0 lead. (The Braves did in the infamous Game 4.) They won’t be undone on their best reliever’s third-best pitch. (Jim Leyritz hit a Mark Wohlers slider.) They won’t get flustered and hang their heads if adversity arrives. (The ‘96 Braves were dead after Game 4, which technically only tied the Series.)
“We can’t look at all that,” said Varitek, speaking of precedents distant and recent. “We’ve got to think about what’s gotten this team to where we are.”
Who are the Sox? They’re a team that runs deep counts and puts the ball in play, that has dominant starting pitching and a lockdown bullpen, that plays deft defense and pays attention to detail. They don’t look that dominant on paper, but on the field they’re a colossus.
Then again, the 1996 Braves were riding as high as any team ever had. In the span of five days, it all fell to pieces. Baseball’s a funny old game. If the Rockies win tonight, maybe this Series changes the way that one did.
Me, I’d love to see it. Even if it’s deferred by more than a decade, misery can always use a little company.
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves / MLB, Mark Bradley
Comments
By JM
October 26, 2007 9:32 PM | Link to this
‘96 stings way worse than any other year. I don’t think Bradley mentioned this, but we won the first two games IN New York. And just crushed them, too. That series was over. We were going back to Atlanta up 2-0, and it was supposed to just be a coronation. It makes me sick to think we let that one get away…
I don’t believe the Braves ever recovered from that. We had a swagger back then, but blowing that series took it away. If we win in ‘96, I’d venture to guess we would have won at least two more after that (probably ‘97 and ‘99).
By Me
October 26, 2007 9:43 PM | Link to this
It might be a completely different game in Colorado. You don’t have that abomination from Hell that is the DH there.
By NASCARfan
October 27, 2007 12:59 AM | Link to this
Mark Bradley, the 2007 Red Sox won’t choke like the 1996 Braves for one reason, and one reason only:
Bobby Cox, the most overrated manager in the history of Major League Baseball, isn’t sitting in their dugout.
THAT’s why the Red Sox won’t choke. Because their manager won’t be outmanaged in this series and let his supremely talented team lose to a far lesser talented one. Terry Francona is about to become a BETTER manager than Bobby the Boob with his second ring.
Who gives a crap about division titles? Losers care about division titles. Losers talk about doing their best when they lose. Winners actually win CHAMPIONSHIPS and the go home bang the prom queen. The Braves win a bunch of meaningless divisions and go home and play with themselves. And yes, I’m paraphrasing Sean Connery from The Rock.
By Chris
October 27, 2007 2:10 AM | Link to this
last sunday, they showed game 5 of that series on espn classic, and that moment when mark wohlers gave up that homer, i just feel sick
By Andy
October 27, 2007 2:19 AM | Link to this
Whoa who does this guy think he is??? Boston wins one championship in what 80 something years and automatically he thinks he is god here. I love the winners actually win CHAMPIONSHIPS line thats nice buddy. My question is what were you doing during those “curse” years, were you at home playing with yourself as you say? Yea so just shut it and don’t dis on Bobby Cox.
By NASCARfan
October 27, 2007 8:29 AM | Link to this
Andy, I’m not a Sox fan. I just state the truth. And I’m not “hating” on Bobby the Boob. Once again, just stating fact something Braves fans do everything they can to avoid as they fall over themselves to kiss the @$$ of a man who is an October choker.
By bevsouth
October 27, 2007 8:31 AM | Link to this
Nascaryou are a fool! Stick to auto racing.
By I'm a Sox Fan
October 27, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this
Dear Bitter People & Nascarfan,
The 2007 Red Sox are going to win the World Series because of exactly what your Mark Bradley so succinctly noted:
“They’re a team that runs deep counts and puts the ball in play, that has dominant starting pitching and a lockdown bullpen, that plays deft defense and pays attention to detail.”
By the way, I sincerely am glad to see Edgar Renteria doing well for the Braves. I really wish he had worked out in Boston.
By don
October 27, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this
The 1996 Braves choked and the franchise has never recovered from it.
By Chief Nokahoma
October 27, 2007 10:38 AM | Link to this
The Chief remembers 96 like it was yesterday. I live in NC now but grew up in Atlanta as a die hard Braves fan. I attended all three World Series games at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. A glorious time it was. Mark Bradley was not the only person expecting a coronation of the Braves to permanent throne of immortality. A friend of mine, a graphic artist by trade, and a rather good one at that, had drawn up a wonderful graphic for a shirt. The “Back to Back” Motife with imagines of Glavine, Mad-Dog and Smoltz would have sold millions. Never one for superstition my friend mistakenly showed me the graphic before game three. At the time, I had a cow! I couldn’t believe he would risk jinxing a World Series by showing me that graphic. Even last week on my visit to Atlanta to see the Yellow Jackets whip the boys from Army, I saw my old friend and we talked of this indiscretion.
I remember the article Mark wrote well and even thought about sending him an email this week to remind him that he might want to keep his mouth shut this year as the Boston fans are a lot less forgiving that Braves fans.
Unlike some idiots, most baseball fans understand that baseball is like life and that no one is going to win every game they play. Just like NASCAR drivers don’t win every race. Most of us are blessed that our work is not on display for public scrutiny like baseball players , managers, coaches and news paper reporters. Otherwise, people would really appreciate the old adage that folks living in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
I really enjoy a team that is competing for championships every year. Certainly, like others, we all would like to have more wins in October. Nevertheless, to simplify this for everyone - the sign of a good manager is having the middle of the lineup at bat with the game on the line in the ninth inning versus having a rely on a relief pitcher batting to keep your season alive. Go back and look at all the playoff series losses - the Cubs (Robert Fick - blowing the double play in game one that kept the inning alive and allowed Kerry Woods to hit the fluke double), Shef/Chipper/Javy up in the ninth of the deciding game and the tying run in scoring position. Go back and look - the other playoff series we lost all ended in similar ways - with our studs up to bat with the game on the line. A great manager manages so the game is decided by his best players. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. Just like NASCAR fan’s favorite racer doesn’t win every race - no baseball team wins every game.
I look forward to many more years of having Bobby Cox manage the Braves and reading Mark Bradley’s columns.
By tony
October 27, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
NASCAR, losers actually parphrase movie lines rather than coming up with their own original thoughts. They also antagonize people over the internet with childish rants hoping someone will pay attention to them. They also lash out angrily over the internet at people who accomplish things in the terrestrial world hoping beyond hope that no one will notice their own shortcomings.
By Edgar
October 27, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this
That was worse than the loss to the Twins in ‘91. Just to see them up 2-0 in the series and then blowing it by losing 4 straight was too much to take. The problem was middle relief. There was none. All those World Series loses could have been reversed with middle relief. The ‘95 Braves had that. With Brad Clontz and another pitcher we had at that time (I can’t recall his name) it kept our closer Wohlers from having to go more than one inning. Yeah, we also didn’t have David Justice in ‘96 either. He was injured. He was the piece that made the team whole. Now we have to wait another 5 to 10 years before another Braves team even gets close. We all said we would miss it in October when that ‘90’s team vanished.
By Phil
October 27, 2007 11:37 AM | Link to this
I think that the Rockies will turn this thing around and take the Series. I just heard the news that Ortiz is starting at 1B tonight, with Youkilis out of the lineup. The Ortiz-in-the-field issue is going to give Francona headaches over the next three games, and the musical chairs lineup mess with Youkilis, Ortiz, and Lowell will really upset the Red Sox chemistry. Look for some costly misplays and botched balls by Ortiz in Denver.
Rockies in six.
By Shamus Thacker
October 27, 2007 1:49 PM | Link to this
I think ‘96 was the year the music died for many Braves fans.
I’ve been an avid Braves fan since the early ’70s. Even when they’d lose a hundred/+ games, I’d be hysterically eager for spring training to begin.
The early ’80s were a blast, but the Brett Butler/Len Barker deal/disaster kind of screwed the whole thing up.
Then come the nineties! What a gift to Braves fans. We were bathed in the orgasmic euphoria of FINALLY KICKING AZZ against ALL teams Braves fans naturally hate!!
At first, a championship wasn’t THE most important thing. Losing to Minnesota was tough, but it didn’t discourage Braves fans one bit, even the fair weather ones. We saw, AT LEAST, two or three titles on the horizon, so why fret? Minnesota was our first time; we were just happy to be there.
Then Toronto, a very bitter pill. We were all hurt by it. By the time spring training ‘93 rolled round, championships were ALL that mattered to many. I’d even reached that point myself.
Nothing but more postseason disappointment till ‘95; we finally WON IT!! Gonna be year after year now!!
‘96 was gonna be the biggest thrill of all! We were ahead of the YANKEES, 2-0!!! DYNASTY, DYNASTY, DYNASTY!!! PURE, OVERFLOWING, JUBILATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOTHING could keep us from claiming our rightful throne; TEAM OF THE 90s, DYNASTY OF ALL DYNASTIES!! We alread had the damn banner hung!!
F-L-O-P
Never been the same, never will be…
By Corliss
October 27, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this
Ahhh, 1996. The year the Braves oficially jumped the shark. Yes, they went to the WS iin 1999 but did anybody really expect the Braves to put up a fight? 1996(sadly)was the last great team of the Braves’run.
By Coach (Lets Go Braves In 2008)
October 27, 2007 3:28 PM | Link to this
Speaking of the infamous game four. You do know that Mike Bielecki came into the game in the fifth inning , inheriting two base runners with nobody out. Three runs had already scored , the score was 6-3 Atlanta. Bielecki then proceeded to strike out the side , ending the top of the sixth. He then struck out the first two batters in the top of the seventh and got a routine flyball of the bat of Fielder to end the inning. Al in all , Bielecki struck out five straight batters and got a routine flyball. He was dominant for two innings , Period. So , I would just like to ask Bobby Cox one question , what the hell were you thinking when you pulled Bielecki for Wohlers to start the eighth inning knowing Wohlers was a one inning closer and Bielecki had been so effective for two innnings. This is an example of a manager trying to fix something that wasn’t broke and didn’t need fixing in the first place. I want to hear Bobby Cox explain away his brilliant brain fart.
By Rob Lyons
October 27, 2007 3:44 PM | Link to this
We need all the help we can get. We are in desperate need of golfers for a celebrity event on Nov. 15th & 16th at the Heritage Golf Club in Tucker. This is a benefit for the Atlanta Children’s Shelter. Confirmed celebrities participating include Dominique Wilkins, Brian McCann, Johnny Damon, local musicians Morgan Rose, Lajon Witherspoon and Vince Hornsby from Sevendust and many more.
The word has not spread fast enough and we need the media’s help getting out word that we need to fill 6-70 foursomes in 3 weeks. Please Help!
All the tournament information can be found at www.longestputt.com
Thanks!
By b4 dale went stale
October 27, 2007 7:40 PM | Link to this
The 1998 Atlanta Braves team was the best. From top to bottom, they had it all. Galarraga, Chipper, Klesko, Javy, and Andruw were big boppers in the lineup. The starting pitching was tremendous, with four starters winning at least 15 games and three of them were genuine #1 starters. The bullpen with Seanez and Ligtenburg weren’t that bad too.
Remember, this team won like 106 games and it seemed like every night they were blowing other teams away.
I thought this team was alot better than the 1996 one.