![]() That all changed in 2021 with a resilient and remarkable group taking down the powerful Houston Astros to claim the fourth World Series crown in franchise history and giving Braves fans a thrilling run they'll never forget. The big breakthroughs had been fleeting prior to the 2021 season, however, with their last NL Pennant in 1999 and last World Series title in 1995. Leave the questioning of election results to the losers.The Atlanta Braves are 2021 World Series Champions! The Atlanta Braves have been fixtures in the postseason in recent franchise history, with six playoff berths and four NL East titles in the last decade. Such a team has the award it craved, the one it unquestionably deserved, the one determined by score, not subjectivity. A team in which its most convincing Cy Young candidate may have been the bullpen as a whole, a team with a regular infield that averaged hitting 30 home runs each, a team whose greatest contributors in the playoffs were wearing someone else’s colors in June. That these Braves didn’t sniff one of the big awards is almost a badge of honor in itself, further proof of the collective and still surprising nature of their championship. Which leaves the MVP, the Cy Young, Manager and Exec of the Year often looking like consolation prizes, awarded to those who tried really hard but didn’t quite win out to the end, bless their hearts. And some years, like this year, the system seems more cockeyed than usual. So, yeah, not factoring in the postseason is a big flaw in the baseball awards process. And, deserved but unverified by a title, there was Freemen’s MVP prize a year ago. Snitker got his Manager of the year in 2018, when the Braves broke a four-year drought to return to the postseason, losing the division series in four games (Boston won it all then). When with the Blue Jays, Anthopoulos picked up an Exec of the Year prize in 2015, the year Kansas City won it all. In fact, six of the previous 10 World Series champs were unrepresented.Īnd the same system has benefitted the Braves. Last season – Freddie Freeman’s MVP year – the champion Dodgers claimed not a one. It’s not unusual that the eventual World Series champion gets shut out of these awards. If only that metric were applied, then Riley certainly would have been the subject of more serious consideration. Valuable in this context doesn’t necessarily mean essential to winning. None of the three National League MVP finalists – Harper, San Diego’s Fernando Tatis or Washington’s Juan Soto – advanced with their teams to the postseason. Alas, no, those two stood upon trembling shoulders and the Phillies finished 6-1/2 back of the Braves in the NL East. Although that award likely will go to another Giant, the same Gabe Kapler who was overmatched during his time in Philadelphia.Īnd, man, speaking of those Phillies, considering that they possess the NL MVP favorite, Bryce Harper, and Cy Young finalist, Zack Wheeler, they must have been world-beaters. If the baseball gods have a sense of humor, Shildt shall win. Louis’ Mike Shildt, got fired three weeks ago. While Brian Snitker was shut out of Manager of the Year consideration, one of the three finalists, St. He was the blackjack player drawing a 5 every single time this summer that he was dealt 16, which was often. To see more inspiring mid-course corrections, you have to reach all the way to the Apollo 13 mission. The Braves GM simply had a mid-season for the ages. Dodgers in five in their Division Series, and the Braves stormed to the World Series largely because of the maneuverings of GM Alex Anthopoulos. The prize was his before San Francisco lost to the L.A. The Exec of the Year has come and gone, awarded to San Francisco’s Farhan Zaidi for the Giants’ surprising 107 regular-season wins. ![]() Rather amazing that none of them showed up in at least a photo finish. We know at this point that no Brave is even among the three finalists for these accolades, voted on by various card-carrying baseball writers of America and tallied prematurely before the postseason begins. The major baseball awards – MVP, Manager of the Year, Cy Young – all will be rationed out in the next week as baseball tries to remain in the conversation long after it has left the room. ![]()
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