A question my mom asked me, that seems relevant to me now.
As I've posted before, I've been a Braves fan since 1983. I became a fan during Dale Murphy's heyday, and remained so through the long, losing years of the 80s, and then right through the fourteen straight division titles years. From 1991 until 2005, the Braves kept me on the edge of my seat every October, even if they didn't win the World Series more than once.
Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones. Who wouldn't want to watch guys like that every night? More than likely, they will one day soon have plaques in the Baseball Hall Of Fame.. as some of the greatest players to ever play the game. Two 300 game winners, the only guy with 200 wins, and 150 saves,. and a guy who played for 18 years, who finished with nearly 500 homers, and a 300 batting average.
One day,, I believe it was just before Glavine left the Braves in 2002,. my mom asked me "Mitch, will you still root for the Braves when all these guys retire?"
She knew how they were my favorite players. I used to love to watch Greg Maddux pitch a game, how he spent 20 years carving batters up with a fastball less than 90 mph, or how Glavine would tantalize with the changeup that was just outside all the time, or how Smoltz made the transformation from ace starter, to top notch closer, to ace starter again.. or how Chipper hit homer after homer, with 300 season after 300 season.
I watched how the awesome Bobby Cox won game after game, so often protecting his players, with his battles with umpires.
Now.. as I knew would happen.. all these guys have retired.. moving on.. awaiting their places in the Hall of Fame.
While I was watching the Mets play the Braves in Atlanta this weekend.. the names on the uniforms said "Braves", but somehow, it just didn't seem the same.., as when.., the Braves would play the Mets in the 90s and early 2000s., and.. Chipper would single handedly.. as he did in 1999, beat Mike Piazza's team with so many homers.. to regulate the Mets to the wild card.
Maybe it feels this way.. because.. the Braves were such a special team for a decade and a half, winning with the same players.. and the most vaunted rotations of Hall of Famers.
I will still watch the Braves when they play the Mets. I love to watch Tim Hudson pitch a game,. He might well end up in the Hall with another 50 or so wins. Brian McCann is a great player when healthy.. but yet..
It just doesn't seem as.. emotional.. as when I used to watch Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, and Chipper every night in the 90s and early 2000s. When they beat Cleveland in the 1995 WS, and lost to the Yankees in 1996, I was right there along with them, feeling their triumph and their pain. It seemed like.,. even though I had never met any of them.. team, and fan.,. had been through so much together.. for so many years.
Thoughts on this subject?
As I've posted before, I've been a Braves fan since 1983. I became a fan during Dale Murphy's heyday, and remained so through the long, losing years of the 80s, and then right through the fourteen straight division titles years. From 1991 until 2005, the Braves kept me on the edge of my seat every October, even if they didn't win the World Series more than once.
Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones. Who wouldn't want to watch guys like that every night? More than likely, they will one day soon have plaques in the Baseball Hall Of Fame.. as some of the greatest players to ever play the game. Two 300 game winners, the only guy with 200 wins, and 150 saves,. and a guy who played for 18 years, who finished with nearly 500 homers, and a 300 batting average.
One day,, I believe it was just before Glavine left the Braves in 2002,. my mom asked me "Mitch, will you still root for the Braves when all these guys retire?"
She knew how they were my favorite players. I used to love to watch Greg Maddux pitch a game, how he spent 20 years carving batters up with a fastball less than 90 mph, or how Glavine would tantalize with the changeup that was just outside all the time, or how Smoltz made the transformation from ace starter, to top notch closer, to ace starter again.. or how Chipper hit homer after homer, with 300 season after 300 season.
I watched how the awesome Bobby Cox won game after game, so often protecting his players, with his battles with umpires.
Now.. as I knew would happen.. all these guys have retired.. moving on.. awaiting their places in the Hall of Fame.
While I was watching the Mets play the Braves in Atlanta this weekend.. the names on the uniforms said "Braves", but somehow, it just didn't seem the same.., as when.., the Braves would play the Mets in the 90s and early 2000s., and.. Chipper would single handedly.. as he did in 1999, beat Mike Piazza's team with so many homers.. to regulate the Mets to the wild card.
Maybe it feels this way.. because.. the Braves were such a special team for a decade and a half, winning with the same players.. and the most vaunted rotations of Hall of Famers.
I will still watch the Braves when they play the Mets. I love to watch Tim Hudson pitch a game,. He might well end up in the Hall with another 50 or so wins. Brian McCann is a great player when healthy.. but yet..
It just doesn't seem as.. emotional.. as when I used to watch Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, and Chipper every night in the 90s and early 2000s. When they beat Cleveland in the 1995 WS, and lost to the Yankees in 1996, I was right there along with them, feeling their triumph and their pain. It seemed like.,. even though I had never met any of them.. team, and fan.,. had been through so much together.. for so many years.
Thoughts on this subject?
