Thank you Freddie Freeman for doing splits any gymnast would envy and saving 100 errors in the process. Your work on both sides of the plate this year was MVP worthy. Thank you Chris Johnson for being a bright spot in the line up even in the darkest of offensive woes. Simba, I don't know how you do it! You make all of Braves Country proud when other announcers speak of your defensive talent with envy. JHey! Thanks for fighting to recover as quickly as possible from your emergency appendectomy and after taking that fastball to the face. Thank you J Up for helping me not miss Martin Prado so desperately in the beginning of the season. To others' whose last name begins with a U, I don't know what makes hitters struggle but no one can question your heart's desire to play well. I appreciate your dedication to the game this season especially in the batting cage. El Oso Blanco, I freakin' love your raw doggin' teachable self. Don't ever change. You are an inspiration! Thanks to the bullpen for keeping us in the game time after time even when we were behind. All those comeback wins would never have been possible without you. Kimbrel, I don't have words big enough to describe what we all feel when those flames lick the screens at the Ted. I better stop there (insert your own opinion about Craig's absence last night). Alex Wood, David Hale, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, and Kris Medlen, look at you all grown up. O'Flaherty, Venters, Beachy and merciful heavens, Huddy...get well soon! We need you next season. B. Mac, don't go!!!!!!!!!!! To all of you...thank you for the sweat, sore muscles, time from family, missing birthdays, missing births all together, suffering jet lag, enduring smelly locker rooms,weariness of the road, hecklers, and respecting the game enough to endure the immaturity of Gomez and Harper.
David Carpenter, I hope you don't beat yourself up. Mama said there'd be days like this and besides, that Juan fella seems to be a pretty good hitter. Thank you Elliot Johnson and Constanza for giving me a hope filled 7th inning. It was fantastic! I really thought we'd pull it off.
Honestly, we just got beat. I'd put the 2013 Atlanta Braves at their best against any team in baseball. Making it through the playoffs, much less winning the World Series takes an entire season of tons of tiny things going perfectly. It's rare and miraculous. For the remainder of the postseason I'm going to have to pull for the Dodgers. My friend, and Dodger fan Matt Elliott is in a hospital bed battling Leukemia and dude needs something to pass the time and get excited about. Come on Dodgers! Win it for the cancer patient!
The Atlanta Braves were fun to watch all season and for that I thank you.
Well put Mrs. Jones. The ache and loss is real, painful and seemingly harder than previous playoff exits. These guys were so fun to watch and this was a great year to follow them(religiously, obsessively). I hate how it ended. I wish Carpenter had just thrown fastballs. Make them beat you with your best pitch the old adage goes. We could hang with any of the remaining teams but it just didn't go our way. Such a blow to the gut!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam! This loss was harder for me than the collapse and wild card playoff loss. Not sure why. Maybe just the nail in the coffin or so much potential. I'd feel better if Kimbrel had come in and given up a homer. Same result but we would have given it all we had.
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