The Atlanta Braves and My Love of Baseball

I’ve been an Atlanta Braves fan for too long: for 33 years. I’ve been through the Hammerin’ Hank seasons and decades of futility through the glory days of 1990s and early 2000s, to the recent seasons and now, the 2009 edition.

For the love of the game of baseball.

I worked for the Atlanta Braves at the then Atlanta Stadium during the summer of 1969, selling cokes, popcorn, ice cream, etc., at the age of 14. The Braves won their division that year but were swept by the Amazin’ Mets.

I’ve attended dozens, if not over a hundred, Braves games over the decades, including about ten at Turner Field.

In the late 1970s and in the 1980s at the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, a fan could buy the cheap general admission seats, then choose a lower level seat (but not behind the plate usually), carry in their own beer in milk jugs, and food in their pockets too.  A fan had all the stretching room in the world and didn’t have to wait for the 7th inning stretch.

The Braves won a division title in 1982, but fell short in post season again—to the Cardinals.

The agony of defeat and the thrill of victory.

Milo Hamilton, Ernie Johnson, Pete Van Wieren, Skip Carey, Chip Carey, and our other beloved announcers and commentators.  Even Larry Munson announced Braves’ games for a season or two.

I know that winning the 1995 World Series was the greatest moment of Atlanta sports history in addition to the Atlanta Braves’ history.

However, my personal favorite win, best memory, and greatest moment, came in 1992 in the NLCS.  You know it by heart.

Remember when Sid Bream was tackled by teammates after scoring the winning run in the 1992 NLCS?  That was fantastic, but the play and action leading up is my favorite moment in team history.

The legendary Skip Caray had the play-by-play:

"Plenty of room in right center. If he hits it there we can dance in the streets. Swung! Line drive left field! One run is in! Here comes Bream! Here's the throw to the plate! He issssssss...safe! Braves win! Braves win! Braves win! Braves win! Braves win!"

Francisco Cabrera has the winning hit but Sid Bream’s run and barely safe slide was almost a miracle with his badly sore knees.

Six surgeries in one knee and one for the other. His bad knees led to his retirement just two seasons later in 1994.

Remember, it was the then skinny Barry Bonds who made the errant throw and couldn’t throw the slow running Bream out. We know what happened next.

The play traumatized Bonds to the point they he decided he needed to get juiced up in order to throw players out and hit home runs.

Just joking. But we never really know the real truth of what changed Bonds. I detoured down a side street and getting off topic.

Back to our beloved Braves.

For the love of the game of baseball.

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