I’ve had a few days now to reflect on this season, postseason, & try to fully grasp the notion that our Atlanta Braves are World Champions. Honestly, I’m not free from doubt that it’s fully sank in for me. I don’t know if it will until the ring ceremony, or the banner is hanging from Truist Park, or the Braves roll out on Opening Day with gold-trim uniforms (as World Series Champions do).
When I think about this season & this group of guys, I spend most of my time in awe of the obstacles that almost every player has had to overcome in recent memory.
AJ Minter was sent to the minor leagues earlier this season because he was performing so poorly with Atlanta. Joc wasn’t retained by the Dodgers because they saw him as nothing more than a platoon outfielder. Austin Riley has spent most of his MLB career struggling at the plate. Tyler Matzek was out of baseball completely due to the yips. Will Smith deleted his Twitter account because he was getting roasted so hard by people.
Every person on this team has been faced with a choice at some point of his career; pity party & blame others or overcome. They all overcame, and their efforts are paying off tenfold.
Brian Snitker has been in the Braves organization for over 40 years. He’s only been a big league manager since 2016. He’s endured the most professionally, out of anyone. He’s been up & down the Braves system, even going down from low positions multiple times; only to go back up & try again.
But then there’s Freddie Freeman. Mr. Braves. Known all around baseball as the very best part of the game. The most wholesome guy in sports. Never a cross word has he spoken. He’s never shown anybody up. He’s never taken the easy route. He doesn’t take a day off unless he’s forced to. He truly puts his family first, involving them in everything at the ballpark. All the while being the exemplary model of consistent greatness, sometimes to a fault.
He’s a five-time All-Star, 2020 National League MVP, All-MLB First Team 2020, All-MLB Second-Team 2019, 2018 Gold Glove Winner, two-time silver slugger, 2020 NL Hank Aaron Award recipient, he’s hit for the cycle TWICE, and he’s now a World Champion for the rest of his life.
Freddie could’ve left the Braves multiple times, but he chose Atlanta. He was here with Chipper. He was here for the entire rebuild. And he still chose Atlanta. He says he loves the way the organization does business. Him & Snitker both have said that it’s a people-first organization. They’re right. Look up and down the World Series roster & coaching staff. Every single player is a player that other players adore & root for. Every single coach is a “baseball lifer”, guys that love this game. Guys that could’ve retired years ago and no one would’ve blamed them. Ron Washington runs infielders through defensive drills every day like it’s the ticket to Heaven. He’s done that everywhere, he loves it; ask Marcus Semien who is responsible for his defense. Without hesitation, he’ll name the Braves 3rd Base Coach.
I’m every postseason interview, the theme was love. Because genuine love is the strongest emotion a person can have for another. If you love someone, there’s nothing within reason you wouldn’t do for them. If you love someone, you don’t want to let them down; because letting them down would be worse than letting yourself down. This Braves team wasn’t the best team in baseball, they weren’t even the best team in the postseason.
But no other team in baseball could meet or exceed their unrelenting competitiveness. And on that last night in Houston, they put a bow on it. An “88-win team” went through the best pitching staff in baseball & the best team in baseball on their way to NASA’s Texas Headquarters where they put a hurting on the hind ends of the best organization in the American League over the last five seasons. When Dansby Swanson slung that ball across the diamond to Freddie, the first baseman that stuck with us through thick & thin erupted with all of us in Braves Country.
For the first time in 26 years, the Atlanta Braves are World Series Champions.
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