Proud of the Braves

After 14 years the hometown baseball team has failed to win its division. The faces of the players have morphed from the early mix of unlikely retreads like Lonnie Smith, Sid Bream and Terry Pendleton to hopeful neophytes like McCann and Orr.
Both locally and nationally, for years, we have heard the drumbeat of fans and press, whining about unrealized potential. National commentators have additionally negatively commented on what they judged to be a complacent fan base.
To the later, I would offer that when it comes to baseball, southern fans are simply different than northern fans. Baseball is seen as serious and gentlemanly, whereas football gets the lion's share of fervency. That Atlanta fans are unlike those of Philadelphia or New York is a positive. Why should we aspire to be like the famously classless?
To the former I would offer that having won only one World Series is about right. Seldom, during the stretch, were the Braves the best team in baseball, they were always the best in their division. After Turner merged with that media giant, there many decisions which made clear that fiscal restraint was dominant over winning.
Examples:
Trade of David Justice to Cleveland, for that miserable bastard Kenny Lofton.
Allowing Terry Pendleton to leave via free agency.
Trade of Kevin Millwood to Philadelphia for a minor league catcher.
Allowing JD Drew to leave via free agency, to the Dodgers.
Allowing Tom Gavine to leave via free agency, to the Mets.
Leaving Fred McGriff unprotected in the expansion draft, selected by the Devil Rays.
Allowing Brett Boone to leave via free agency.
Allowing Gary Sheffield to leave via free agency, to the Yankees.
Allowing Greg Maddux to leave via free agency.
Allowing Jared Wright to leave via free agency, to the Yankees.
Allowing Kyle Farnsworth to leave via free agency, to the Yankees.
Allowing Raphael Furcal to leave via free agency, to the Dodgers.
More than anything the Braves seemed to have an aversion to paying for a strong closer. Admittedly a dicey proposal, but reliably unreliable for manager Bobby Cox. Stretches of closing strength came from the home grown men like Wohlers, Litenburg and Rocker and a couple of retreads. The results were always tenuous and short lived.
Reviewing the series.
Twins in 1991, one that the Braves probably should have won, Lonnie Smith's base running error Kent Herbek's lifting Ron Gant off first base come to mind. Easily the best set of World Series games I've ever watched. Game seven with Smoltz and Jack Morris was one for the ages. In four of the seven games the deciding run was scored in the ninth or later innings.
Blue Jays in 1992, Jays pitching too well and Joe Carter was a beast.
Cleveland in 1995, a scary team, lucky for us the manager, Mike Hargrove, was dumb as a stump.
Yankees in 1996, another good series, New York strategy to run up the pitch counts worked, Wohlers failed when Leyritz hit a 10th inning home run and it was all downhill from there.
Yankees in 1999, Braves were flat, got hammered.
What the Braves have had, is wonderfully consistent starting pitching, strong field management and above average defense. They have not been a juggernaut, with limitless resources for reloading. The Braves have built a strong franchise in a mid-level market. Future strong attendance should be assured by the fan base they have built over the last 15 years.