End of an Era

When I first started watching baseball in the 1990s, it was the Atlanta Braves that I most often saw and it was the Braves that became my team. I used to flip on games while I did my homework after school. The Braves, playing mostly in Atlanta and on the East Coast, came on at 4:30 p.m. in California. I could watch the game in the afternoon, and I did.

I got to know those teams, for which a division title was a foregone conclusion but playoff wins were hard to come by. It feels like it's been years since the team was successful, and now that TBS gave up airing all the games, I don't get to see the Braves as much as I used to. Still, it's been nice to see that, in the last season for manager Bobby Cox, the Braves are once again in the playoff hunt.

Of course, this week the team got dealt a further blow when Chipper Jones injured his knee, ending his season. For Chipper, who contemplated retirement earlier this year because of the fall off in his productivity, it could be the end of the line. Which would make it the end of the line for an era in Braves baseball, an era that's seen my most favorite players leave the team and, for the most part, the game.

I thought I would look at my favorite five Braves, all of which made watching Atlanta so much fun when I was in junior high and high school.

5. Tom Glavine — One of the best pitchers on the team. I broke my heart when he went to the New York Mets but was even more devastating when he came back to Atlanta and fell apart. Still, I was glad to see the Braves retire his jersey, as they should, this last year.

4. Andruw Jones — One of my favorite Braves. He was a great outfielder, at times a powerful hitter, and part of the core of the Braves during their heyday. His skills seemed to fall off quickly, though. Two years in Los Angeles didn't help and now he's mostly an MLB after thought. But I'll never forget the times he shined in the Atlanta sun.

3. Greg Maddux — An incredible pitcher. It's just a waiting game for him to be in the Hall of Fame. He had great control, went through a stretch where he owned the Cy Young awards, and was the rock of the Braves' rotation. And he did it all without an over powering set of pitches. He was about control and technique, and we may never see anything like him again.

2. John Smoltz — My favorite of the Brave pitchers, and the most clutch in the post season. Smoltz was our hardest throwing pitcher and equally great as a closer and starter, a rare combination. I wish he had spent his whole career with the Braves.

1. Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones — Always my favorite player. I had a huge poster of Chipper and John Elway on the wall in dorm room in college. I don't have the poster up anymore, but I do still have it. I have always loved Chipper, and he's always been the rock in the Atlanta lineup. I was hopeful that with the Braves making one last run at the division title this would be one last chance for Chipper to shine. It doesn't appear to be in the cards, but I will never forget what he brought to the team or how exciting it was when he came up in big moments.