Braves are done..see ya in 07

Okay, it's become time for fans of the Atlanta Braves to go ahead and write the obituary for this 2006 team. I'm going to. Until we were swept by the Mets in the last double header, I held out hope the Braves would make a run at the Wild Card but this season has proved anything but the Braves ability to string together more than 3 wins on a regular basis. As it stands now, the Braves are a pathetic 66-73, 21 games behind the Mets and 7 games behind Wild Card leading San Diego Padres.

I have written off the Braves for this year, thus I have turned full attention to my other team the Dallas Cowboys. I'm sure I'll watch some of the playoffs and probably most of the World Series but it will be with little emotion. I won't even have the option of pulling for my adopted second team the Boston Red Sox. My buddy JET is in the same boat as me having pulled for the Sox then Braves. What a terrible baseball season it's been for me.

It's been 15 years since I've felt the pain and anguish of sitting thru a Braves losing season. The last time it happened I was a Sophomore in High School. I remember going to a game in the mid season of 91 and everyone around me was doing some chop chant and I had no idea what it was, I would later realize it became the Braves rally cry, the Tomahawk Chop.

So, not all is lost though. This losing season maybe a wake up call to the Braves organization and most importantly the Braves fans. We've all become too complacent as a fan thinking the Braves would always play in the World Series. Fans in Hotlanta haven't been really vocal since that magical season of 91', the year of the worst to first. Just remember back then to how special that season was. Who would've thunk that 14 years later they continue to win its division.

Well welcome to 2006, which will forever be remembered for the year the Mets ended the Braves record division streak and I can say they deserved it. Top to bottom they have the most feared, most dangerous lineup that's probably ever been assembled in the National League.

Well now it's time we start looking forward to 2007 and to try and regain the division title. We have Mike Hampton coming back to a rotation the will feature Smoltzie, Huddy, Chuck James, Ramirez or Kyle Davies. I'd say that's a pretty strong rotation if healthy not to mention the possibity of Tommy Glavine returning. Then you add in a healthy Chipper Jones, a much improved Francoeur, Martin Prado at second and leadoff. Now I'm sure the "homey up stairs", as John Smoltz put it when referring to John Schuerholz, will make some big adjustments when it comes to the bullpen. Now I'd almost guarantee you that closer Bob Wickman will return, after that its a toss up.

Here's to the remainder of 2006 and to a new beginning in 2007.