Atlant Braves: 2013 Season Recap

As sports fanatics we go through various situations that put us through a number of emotions. I’ll give you three scenarios and you tell me which situation you would prefer as a fan.

#1: It is September of 2011 and the most anticipated month for baseball fans everywhere.  The leaves in Georgia are starting to change colors as fall approaches, but as the weather gets a little colder, the air doesn’t cease to remain electric. The Atlanta Braves rolled into the final month of the regular season with a 8 and a half game lead in the Wild Card race on September 6th, and still found a way to loose grip of their playoff hopes. After losing the last fives games of the regular season in a row, the St. Louis Cardinals found their way into the playoffs on the last day of baseball. The only somewhat positive note about the whole situation is that the Braves had company in Boston do the exact same thing. But as the Phillies hung on to win in the 13th inning of the final game, so did the overlying feeling that this game wasn’t their only chance to clinch. This pain however did not slip away as easily as the changing leaves, and did not settle out till spring was in the air once again.

 Braves dugout after season collapse. (InsideBaseball.com)

#2: Hot, sweaty, rowdy, and ticked off. The fans in Atlanta will never let go the infamous rule that killed all hope. The infield fly call in the NL Wildcard game of 2012 was easily one of the worst calls in MLB history.  However, before the game was even played the Braves were already down about their luck. The one year they finally have a stable lead in the Wildcard standings, they are forced to play a one game playoff against guess who? That’s right, the St. Louis Cardinals, and just as fate would soon intend, the game would head in favor of the opposition. After SS Andrelton Simmons popped up a ball into shallow Left field, the Cardinals defenders got mixed up on who was to catch the ball, and it dropped, giving the Braves a new life down three in the bottom of the 8th. But soon enough the roars of the crowd turned into menacing boo’s. The Umpire Crew came to the conclusion that the infield fly rule was in effect, giving the braves another out and slaughtering the momentum. Enraged the entire stadium lit up in a frenzy throwing trash onto the field to show their displeasure. After taking an hour, all the debris was picked up and the game resumed play. Although there was still a chance for the Braves to pull out a win, it was far from possible. Without the fire of your fan base and luck not on your side, the braves were not destined for the playoffs. So for the second year in a row, the Braves missed the playoffs, with the Cardinals taking their place. The pain from this loss however, wasn’t centralized at all. What made this L even worse, was the fact that one of the greatest third basemen of all time, Chipper Jones, was retiring after the seasons end. His ambitious nature made him a person who never seeks to settle, but the taste left in his mouth after this one was not something anyone would love to end on. Once again, the Braves would have to look towards April, and a new start.

 Braves crew picking up trash after terrible call. (MLB.com)

#3: After two years of pure disappointment changes needed to be made, and those changes fortunately occurred shortly afterward. The 2012-2013 offseason was a historic one for the boys of the South, and the money that the Braves franchise seemed to be saving up was finally used. After singing free agent BJ Upton to a 5 year $72.52 Million contract, the braves traded to get BJ’s brother Justin. It was one of the first times in MLB history that two brothers would play on the same team, and along with Jason Heyward, looked to have the most explosive outfield in the entire league. Although Atlanta needed to fill the holes in their offense with big bats, there was an even bigger hole that needed to be filled. Who was going to replace future Hall of Famer Larry “Chipper” Jones. Well that was taken care of by the Upton trade. Chris Johnson, the 3rd former 3rd basemen for Arizona, was soon to become a vital part of the Braves offense. But enough of the offseason, where is the good stuff? Well the Braves would start off the season as intended, big bats shooting the team to a great start with Justin Upton leading the way with 12 Homeruns in the Month of April. The season would go on and the Braves would soon face more ups and downs. After cooling off a little in June, the end of July and early August were promising times for the Braves. Their 14 game win streak was among one of the best in the last decade and gave them a Giant lead in the NL East in which even they couldn’t lose grip of. More time would pass and once again the leaves were changing colors. The playoffs crept around the corner and the Braves finally clinched that long lost NL East title. So, happy ending right? No, the season was all but over in the mindset of Atlanta fans, but fate had something else in mind. In Georgia it is sometimes very hard to highlight positive playoff experiences from its professional sports teams. That thought would soon remain true as the Braves were set up to play the red hot Los Angeles Dodgers and were also soon to feel the same disappointment of losing in the first round yet again. Clayton Kershaw stormed into Atlanta, striking out 12 Braves through 7 hard pitched innings and forcing fans to question if home field was even an advantage anymore. Surprisingly enough Atlanta would soon battle back and make it a legit series, sending the NLDS to a game 4 back in LA. It was a low scoring game and the braves had a 2-1 lead with two outs and two on in the 8th. But as fate would soon have it, Juan Uribe blasted a two-strike pitch far over the Left Field fence, sending the ball and the Braves hopes of the second round, out of the park.

Justin (left) and BJ (right) Upton after huge signing in offseason. (Ajc.com)

Now you tell me which situation do you really think is best? This past season was easily their best season in years and a successful one all around. The Braves improved immensely as a ball club and brought a new life to a city that hasn’t been relevant in over a decade. As dedicated fans we are here for our teams through thick and thin, but it seems the closer we get to a championship, the more dismal the downfall is. Many people have given up on Atlanta teams claiming another title, but I am here to remind all that there is a bright future, and that nothing lasts forever. When recapping this past season many fans forget that the Braves were missing three of there top starters: Tim Hudson, Brandon Beachy, and Paul Maholm, along with their 7th and 8th inning dangerous duo, Eric O’flaherty and Johnny Venters. Just a little food for thought. The leaves may have already changed and the weather already gotten colder, but once again Braves fans find themselves looking to Spring, where the road to the ring begins. All that’s left to do now is wait for the return of Braves Country and Chop on.

By, Shea Harman