Holy Sports

I'm not a statistician. And I'm particularly awful at remembering stats for athletes, whether the sport be baseball or basketball. I rely on Pops, C.D.H., or Boyfriend for knowledge that might be of interest to me. This year, though, I was aware of one prominent fact: The last time the Atlanta Braves won the World Series was also the last time the Government shutdown - 1995.

From the first pitch in April, the stars seems aligned for the Braves. This is the year. 

Until 12:56 am on Tuesday, October 8 when they weren't.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Braves were up 3-2. I felt hopeful. To force that Game 5 in Atlanta, where victory in the National League Division Series would be SO sweet, we needed to close out Game 4.  In the seventh, Louis Avilian (of the Braves) took the mound. The announcers told me he's held left handed batters to a 0.144 batting average. With two runners on, A.J. Ellis was up to bat. And from the announcers I learned he leads the league with 39 RBIs against left handed pitchers. The Braves prevailed, there; the Los Angeles Dodgers stranded those two runners.  At the end of the seventh, the Braves, still up by one, needed just six. more. outs. to solidify a fifth game. Then in the bottom on the eight, there stood David Carpenter, already having given up one hit to deep right field. My worry set in. I haven't been a fan since we acquired him from the Boston Red Sox, however, I try to treat all my Bravos as equals and put full faith in Carpenter. Then in the blink of an eye the 2013 Season was gone. Juan Uribe of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit a towering, two-run homer... and the Braves wouldn't come back in the top of the ninth.

Our Super Star closer - Craig Kimbrel - never even saw the mound.

The season was a particularly fun one. I got the see the Braves in action several time, including once at Turner Field. I finished only eight articles behind in my challenge to read as many articles as there were games this season. I learned how to keep score. And I'm not as depressed as I ended 2011 and 2012. I'm certainly disappointed. I really wanted, as any fan does, to see my Bravos play in the World Series.

Assuming Brian McCann doesn't ditch us for greener pastures, I should be a confident fan going into 2014 and beyond.