A Quick Moment to Thank the Atlanta Braves

I want to take this Monday afternoon to appreciate what the Braves achieved in the 2014 season. Now I know that they didn't make the playoffs, and I know that they fired the GM, but in my opinion, they had a great year, and I'll explain more down below.

Before the Braves took the field on opening day their pitching staff was decimated. Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy were out for the year with Tommy John surgery, and Mike Minor was not available for the first couple months of the season. That's 60% of their starting rotation out before opening day. That's devastating for a pitching staff and a team. Yet, the Braves fought on. They went 17-9 in April, and they looked like a great team. Then reality started to catch up. They went on to lose seven of their next eight, and became only four games above .500 in May. They had a better month of June pushing their record to 45-38. July was even better, and the Braves were looking towards a playoff run. They were 58-50 at the end of July, and had a really tough road trip. This is where the downhill journey starts. They went on to get swept in an 8 game road trip by the Dodgers, Padres, and Mariners. And then as you Braves fans remember it was chaos from then on.

Now let me take a look at the positive side. The Atlanta  Braves, the team that had lost 60% of their rotation in the spring, the team that had no hitter that hit over .300, was in contention for an N.L. East title until September. The team that essentially had a lineup with seven hitters due to the second straight dismal year from B.J. Upton. A team that had to release a second baseman that was signed to a 5 year $62 million dollar contract. A team that had a multitude of losing streaks. That team that had guys like Alex Wood, and Aaron Harang in their starting pitching staff. That team had the 5th lowest ERA in the major leagues. That team hung around in a division against the World Series favorites until mid September. That team was the 2014 Atlanta Braves, and they should walk out of that clubhouse with their head held high. They had an excellent 2014 season. Thank you Atlanta Braves!