A fan’s perspective on the 2021 World Series Champion Atlanta Braves
After years of heartbreak, fans of the Atlanta Braves finally get to celebrate a World Series.
It has been a few days now since the Atlanta Braves won the biggest game they have ever won in my lifetime. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but maybe it will later this Fall.
This 2021 Braves team has been well documented here on this site and other sports media pages often:
- they won 88 games in the regular season
- they weren’t over .500 until the beginning of August
- they lost several key players throughout the year
- they had what might have been the greatest trade deadline success of all time
I myself expected the 2021 Braves to compete (and win) the World Series at the beginning of the season, but by mid-July, I would have been happy if we had a winning record. My, how things changed.
The entire city of Atlanta and Braves country throughout the world is celebrating. Just go to social media, and you will see countless videos of individuals cheering in excitement, crying tears of joy, and embracing their friends and family members of Braves country. The parade and stadium rally were epic.
As I mentioned, this was the biggest Braves victory I have witnessed with my own eyes. I imagine those reading this would probably share the same feelings.
I started watching Braves baseball when I was a teenager. I knew who the team was and knew of players like Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, and John Smoltz, but I did not grow up watching the team regularly on TBS like so many had the opportunity of doing. I missed the glory days of the 90’s teams that won several National League Pennants and the ’95 World Series.
After attending a game at Turner Field when I was 13, I was hooked. My favorite players in my first couple years of fanhood were Craig Kimbrel, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, and so many more.
Over the next couple of years, I saw all four of those players get traded to other teams for a variety of prospects and draft picks. I, like many others, was devastated. “Who am I supposed to root for now?” my young teenage mind was thinking.
During the rebuilding years, I began to learn about and appreciate the importance of a good farm system, top prospects, drafting, and smart free agency signings. Baseball became such an intriguing sport to me that I was constantly researching and digging deep into it.
Eventually, we began to see the fruits of the rebuild take effect in Atlanta. Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Austin Riley, Max Fried, Mike Soroka, and others have grown into All-Star caliber players, making spring and summers enjoyable times to be Braves fans.
On Tuesday, the rebuild that began at the end of 2014 finally paid off, with the Braves winning their first World Series in 26 years. We all hope this will lead to many more as more young players come up from the minor leagues, and regulars like Ronald and Mike will be back to 100% health to contribute.
In the meantime, celebrate this folks. This very well could be the most resilient Braves team you will ever see in your liftetime, a team that you will be telling your children and grandchildren about, as you share with them the highlights of an iconic season.
Next. The True Strength of the Playoffs. dark
Thank you, Atlanta Braves. We won’t be forgetting this anytime soon.