Atlanta Braves: The new titans of tragedy

As another Atlanta Braves season ends suddenly, we take a look at past postseason tragedies that have become part of the team’s culture of coming up short.

This was going to be the year for the Atlanta Braves.  A dynamic lineup, a pitching rotation full of budding stars, and a fired-up fan base.

The wind was at their backs as they hosted the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that just barely fended off the surging Milwaukee Brewers to keep their Divisional Series berth.  The first four games of this series were well-played baseball games, and then, as well-publicized, the wheels not only came off, they burst into flames and rolled down I-75 into rush hour traffic.

When the dust cleared, they had surrendered a historically bad inning (10 runs) and still had two outs to get.  

For Braves fans, disappointment in the postseason isn’t a new concept.  In fact, it has become such a significant part of the team’s recent history, that many are floating the “cursed” idea.

Usually, the “C” word is reserved for teams who have created a sort of mystique around their teams, thanks to a pattern of both the bizarre and the tragic seeming that always seems to surface when the games matter most.

The situations are so outlandish, the circumstances so poetic that fans lose the ability to rationalize what is happening, and begin to invoke the power of the supernatural.

Sound familiar?  You must be an Atlanta Braves fan.  Let’s take a look at some of the moments that have led to the Atlanta faithful to think that their team is doomed to a life of hope and despair, in that order.