226 5 RJ Warner Brew Crew Fan Re: Confessions of an Atlanta Braves hater 4/30/06, 4:17am (Last Edited: 4/30/06, 4:24am) Amazing post. I thought i was about the only person who remembers players like Gant and Sid Bream. I also am 29 and have had the braves winning pretty much all of my life. After seeing the braves get swept by the brewers for the first time ever, I actually expect the mets to win. Their team is amazing. But i have to root for the braves. A team like this, without the stars of the yankees, but still winning has never been seen. The mets win with Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz. Not the yankee lineup consisting of Mantle, and the rest of the amizing hitters of baseball history. Justice, Gant, even Brian Jordan were really good players, but it was Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, who won all of those seasons. You want to know the reason the braves only one ONCE in those years. Two reasons. One is, as you said, there was always one team that was bigger and better, but that was because Maddux, and i love him, wasnt a postseaon pitcher. On espn radio, MLB radio, etc, lately they have been talking about Pedro for the hall even with his small win total because of his winning percent, and for maybe shilling because of his post season, etc. When asked who they would take in ONE game,all of the three talking took Pedro, but there has to be an asterisk. If its a regular season game for the last 15 years, I take maddux. Post Season, i take, probably the best post season pitcher (possibly of all time) John Smoltz. If maddux could have been stronger, we would be talking about the five time world series winner braves. tony EDIT. I would think that a team of Bonds, Bonilla, Drabek, Smiley, Van Slyke, Neagle, Alou, et al, should have done better before that too. Bonds and Bonilla were about he best 1, 2 punch in baseball and Drabek, Smiley were studly that time frame too, i believe. There was even talk that Van Slyke was the best player on the team. I THINK he was given a contract bigger than bonds, and that is why bonds moved on (it was said Bonds was snubbed for Van Slyke because he is black and Van Slyke is white.... geesh, how times have changed, huh). [Brew Crew Fan from Richland Center/WI] Replies: