The End of an Era in Atlanta

It was a golden age for Atlanta:  14 consecutive division titles, 5 National League pennants, 1 World Series victory.  From the improbable turnaround from obscurity in 1991 to the final playoff meltdown in the 2005 Division Series, the Braves were royalty in the baseball realm and were consequently perpetual targets, adding even more mystique to one of the most impressive runs in the history of sports.  This was an era that saw the rise of the Chop Shop and the red foam tomahawk, the now defunct Homer the Brave, and the Ted.  It featured the emergence of Atlanta legends like Pendleton, Justice, Lemke, and the Jones boys, and the heyday of the big 3; Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz.  There were improbable heroes and memorable moments, ranging from the combined no-hitter from the Mercker/Wohlers/Pena trio in ’91 to Sid Bream, the slowest man in baseball, scoring from 2nd on a single by third string catcher Francisco Cabrera to send the Braves to the World Series in ’92.  There were many notable achievements, including 1 rookie of the year, 2 no-hitters, 1 batting title, 2 strikeout titles, 2 league MVPs and 6 Cy Young awards.  Conversely, there are the moments that are painful for every faithful fan to recount; none more so than Kirby Puckett’s ’91 homer that propelled the Twins to the championship or Jim Leyritz’s game-tying homerun in the ’96 series; except perhaps the 18th inning shot in the 2005 division series by the Astros’ Chris Burke.

There is hope in Atlanta, however, after the Braves’ heartbreaking demise this season. After exacting a small measure of revenge against the Astros by dashing their playoff hopes in the final series, the Braves are ready to rebuild and begin a new streak of division dominance.  With promising young talent in such players as Jeff Franceour, Kelly Johnson, Brian McCann and Chuck James, bolstered by the veteran leadership of the Joneses, Smoltz, and the ever-steady Bobby Cox, the Braves are primed for just such a run.  Cox is arguably one of the best managers in history, and is largely responsible for the Braves turnaround.  Consider this:  Cox won 100 games 6 times with the Braves since `91.  The last time the Braves franchise won 100 games before then?  1898.

Despite the consistently good coaching, veteran leadership and budding talent, 83 losses this season mean there are obviously gaping holes in the Braves’ lineup, not the least of which being the oft-maligned bullpen.  So the question remains: what can the Braves fix?  With nearly half the team payroll tied up with 3 players (Chipper, Andruw, Smoltz) can the Braves hope to find enough talent to fill all the gaps?  Enter one of the best GM’s in the business of baseball, John Schuerholz.  Schuerholz has filled gaps in years past with stretched budgets and will attempt to pull the proverbial rabbit from his hat again this offseason.  He has already taken steps in the right direction by resigning the only consistent performer from the bullpen in Bob Wickman.  As many a naysayer has already pointed out however, Wickman is likely on the downside of his career and his future as closer is anything but certain.  There are some young arms waiting to be cultivated in prospects such as Anthony Lerew, and there are others that have made an appearance in the big leagues but perhaps were not ready for a long term stint (Davies, Devine).  

The Braves may be forced to trade one of their high pay players, most likely Andruw Jones, for some relief pitching and/or a true leadoff hitter.  Failing that, Schuerholz will have to try his hand at the free agent market with his limited resources to fill the most glaring gaps. For all their flaws this season, the true weaknesses are few in number. The most telling is the team’s inconsistency and strike out rate on offense. Marcus Giles, who hit leadoff for most of the season, struck out 104 times in only 141 games, a rate much too high for a successful start to most games. However, Edgar Renteria, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Brian McCann and even Jeff Franceour met or exceeded expectations this season as far as individual statistics are concerned. Yet the team missed a chemistry that is necessary to win close games at this the highest level of competition. Bobby Cox has already taken action on this front, announcing that the coaching staff will be undergoing some significant changes in the offseason. Only time will tell however if the Braves will be able to regain their old form that lured so many of us to the stands.  For now, this loyal Atlanta fan can only watch Brave-less October baseball for the first time in 15 years and eulogize these last few wonderful seasons, always keeping a hopeful eye forward for many successful campaigns to come.