Game 27 means just as much as game 162!

Yeah Jason, We all feel the same way!

So today is a new day for us Braves fans.  It had been two days now since the Braves finalized the 2nd largest September collapse in MLB history.  We knew we could never catch the Phillies for the division crown, but we had a lead in the wild card race of 8 1/2 games over the Cardinals.  We felt that we could match up well with the other division winners in a playoff series and then take our chances with the Phillies for a chance to go to the World Series.  Then September started.  We started playing some very bad baseball and our lead shrunk to scary levels.  We were still up 3 with 5 to play however so all hope was not lost.  Until we lost our last 5 games and were given permission to clean out the lockers.  So what happened?  Was our team that bad?  Was our Manager and idiot?  Are we cursed?  I don't think so.  I think we just had some bad luck.

Injuries to our top two pitchers did not help.  JJ and Hanson went down and our starting rotation was reduced to just pretty good instead of stellar.  Our $15 million dollar man named D. Lowe pitched like a $15 dollar man this year.  That hurt.  Our free agent 2nd baseman hit .180 for the first half of the year. (He was the team MVP in the second half often carrying the team on his back, but a few more hits in the first part of the season would have won us a few games)  Our Mr. Everything prospect and All-star rookie from the previous year, Jason Heyward, forgot how to play the game and batted a mere .220 with 14 home runs.  Our steady Eddie left fielder/3rd baseman, Martin Prado came back down to earth and had a bad year.  Our Silver Slugger catcher, Brian McCann decided to forget how to hit in the last month.  Chipper just keeps getting older even though he is still pretty effective at the plate when he can play.  Our new Manager made some mistakes, but he is not the one who has to hit, catch and throw the ball.  In short, we just did not play up to our potential.  If all of the guys just play to the numbers on the back of their baseball card, then we are a 95-100 game winner and look good going into the playoffs.  Just not meant to be this year I guess!

I could get lost in my misery but there is one thing that keeps me going.  The Red Sox lost a bigger September lead than the Braves.  They blew a 9 game lead in the wild card that allowed Tampa Bay into the playoffs on the last day of the season.  My good friend The Downeast Duckhunter, who happens to be a Sox fan, was reduced to pulling for the Yankees on the last day.  How bad is that????

So now the off season begins and the Braves have some work to do.  We all know what needs to happen but it is going to be hard to accomplish.  We have to move some unproductive players with higher salaries in order for us to get better.  It should be fun to watch!

Go Braves......next year!