They said it couldn't be done, but manager Bobby Cox proved the critics wrong one more time. Capturing their astounding 14th straight division crown, the Atlanta Braves once again defied the odds last season.
When their veteran rotation was decimated by injuries to Mike Hampton and Tim Hudson, the Atlanta Braves had to plug in youngsters Kyle Davies and Jorge Sosa, and both came up huge. The Atlanta Braves' outfield suffered a similar fate, but instead of understandingly imploding, the Atlanta Braves roared to what proved to be an insurmountable lead in the National League East. When it was over, the Atlanta Braves had used 18 different rookies in their cobbled together lineup, and had found a few gems in outfielders Jeff Francoeur and Ryan Langerhans, catcher Brian McCann and pitchers Davies and Blaine Boyer.
Despite the youth movement, the Atlanta Braves would not have been in the position to make the postseason without their longstanding stars John Smoltz, Chipper and Andruw Jones. Smoltz made a remarkable transition back to a starting role (14 wins), and Andruw Jones put together a season (NL-best 51 HR, 128 RBIs, Gold Glove) that brought him within a few votes of the NL MVP.
Once again paired up with the Houston Astros in the playoffs, the Atlanta Braves were unable to overcome Houston in an 18-inning marathon Game 4 loss in the NLCS, the longest postseason game in baseball history.
Watch the Atlanta Braves in person, get your Atlanta Braves tickets now to see the Atlanta Braves in action!