There are times in life, it seems, when nothing goes your way.
And that’s what happened to our Atlanta Braves.
Pitcher Max Fried comes down with the flu. A line drive hits Charlie Morton in his pitching elbow. In their two losses in Philadelphia, the Braves lose by a combined 13 runs.
As Dansby Swanson, the Braves shortstop, said: “They outplayed us, outhit us, outpitched us. They were better in this series.”
And just like that, a season that began with so much promise comes to a disappointing halt.
This time, the Braves become a footnote to someone else’s storybook run.
But let’s not forget how proud these Braves made us all season long:
Remember, our team had the best record in baseball from June 1 until the end of the regular season. They finished with 101 victories, the most for the franchise since 2003.
Remember, our Braves came back from a big hole in the National League East to overtake the New York Mets for a fifth, yes, fifth, consecutive division title.
Remember, they were defending their World Series title.
All in all, our Braves still had a very good season.
Sure, they flopped against the Phillies, but that’s how it goes sometimes.
More importantly, let’s not forget how this team brought our city together – through the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Regardless of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, political leanings, ITP or OTP, lifelong Atlantans or transplants, we were all Braves fans – celebrating with our home team when they won the World Series and cheering them on as they tried to do it again.
Therein lies the beauty of sports.
Through wars, great recessions, great depressions and terroristic attacks, our sports teams are always there to serve as a distraction from the difficulties of life.
“Sport,” Nelson Mandela once said, “has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair.”
As for the Braves, there’s always next year.
Even though Atlanta didn’t win it all – again – they made this region proud.
We’ll cherish the memories.
And we’re glad we were along for the ride.
The Editorial Board.
