<small>[ July 11, 2006, 01:14 PM: Message edited by: HRKing74 ]</small>

What's the deal with the Braves? Swept by the Marlins?...

Not so long back I remember Bobby Cox saying how he liked playing the Marlins to give the Braves a chance to advance their standing...

I guess not anymore..

Go Marlins!!

[ June 16, 2006, 04:46 AM: Message edited by: climber30 ]

It's over for the Braves. Finally.

It's a long season and the Mets have a history of collapse! The Braves can come back!

(If I tell myself that enough, maybe I'll start to believe it.)

[ June 16, 2006, 12:50 PM: Message edited by: Gaga4Gaby ]

The Braves of other seasons could come back. These Braves, no chance. In fact, even if either Pedro Martinez or Billy Wagner break down, I think the Mets would still hang on.

Keep in mind that even last season, the Braves pitching staff wasn't great (if I remember correctly, they had the fewest strikeouts of any team) and this year, they're worse. The two Jones boys can't carry the team on their shoulders alone, no matter how impressive those shoulders are.

~Adam

[ July 11, 2006, 01:14 PM: Message edited by: HRKing74 ]

I thought there was a discussion of this somewhere, but I could be wrong.

The Braves are having their second "Faith Day" of the season -- after Sunday's game they'll have a religious presentation. The anti-gay group Focus on the Family sponsored the first one but the Braves have barred them from Sunday's event, possibly because of the anti-gay messages on their website.

No 'Faith' for the 'Focus' group

[ August 11, 2006, 08:44 PM: Message edited by: FireCharlieManuelNow ]

FCMN....I saw this in another website with some more detail....apparently they were handing out flyers with anti-gay content in it...... Faith night??

Brav-o (pardon the pun) to the Atlanta Braves for barring 'Focus on the Family' from 'Faith Night'. Most of the few teams I follow are in the AL, but I see the Braves are in desparate need of some 'divine intervention' to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in something like ten years, so perhaps 'Faith Night' should emphasize that rather than any anti-gay messsages. wink

Perhaps the action by the Braves has something to do with wishing to avoid any lingering perceptions of homophobia from the infamous John Rocker incident (was that really seven years ago already?) and to a lesser degree from comments by John Smoltz (though he still plays for Atlanta).

It caught my attention when I saw Braves' RP Chris Reitsma named in the article linked by JIP (sorry Joe, I'm from the old school and can't get used to this FCMN thing). This is because I know that Reitsma grew up in Calgary and still lives here in the off-season. Anyway, Reitsma is a devout Christian himself (Dutch Reformed, I'm guessing by the name) and is scheduled to speak at 'Faith Night' but it appears he was not aware of the anti-gay history of 'Focus on the Family', and I haven't uncovered any anti-gay quotes by him.

I recall reading that the Colorado Rockies have a strong Christian element on their team and it wouldn't surprise me if they have held a 'Faith Night' as well this season.

No need to apologize. I anxiously await being able to get rid of the new name.

I think that's the discussion I was trying to recall earlier.

LOL! The Braves need to get a serious win streak going to get anywhere and time is running out. They have a lot of teams to climb over and I just don't see it happening. Their implosion was sudden and swift though. I wonder if there will be alot of changes coming up next season.

Anthony

It's now official. The Mets' win last night--6-4 over the Marlins--eliminates the Braves in the NL East race. Atlanta had been the NL East for 14 consecutive years.

~Adam

They won 14 straight TITLES -- that is, no one won the East in 1994.

Now as soon as they're elim'd from the wild card, all the Brave fans can put their Georgia Bulldog stuff on. (Oh wait; they have!)

Shame to see them fall like that. I like some of the guys on the team, but it was the pitching that did them in because they've got a great and potent offense. I think it'll be awhile before they win another division title, which some team members have admitted. While the Mets will be the team to beat next season, I look for the Marlins to be very competative.

Anthony

While the 14 straight titles is amazing, what is more amazing is that they only had 1 World Series title---1 less than the Florida Marlins during that same stretch.

Also, at the beginning of that streak they were in the NL West. After 1993 the Braves were realigned into the East.

An amazing streak indeed. Though I have difficulty not recognizing the '94 Expos as being division champs. 11 years in a row is still a great accomplishment.

I'd say for the past four or five seasons we've declared them dead and still they'd be on top when all is said and done.