1995 Atlanta Braves

[Crash Course]

where do they rank in terms of the greatest teams of all-time?

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Hmm ...

Well, they were 10 games worse than the '95 Indians. They won the World Series in six games; five of the games were decided by one run.

I believe that Bobby Cox is the fourth or fifth greatest manager of all time, and he made the difference. The team itself wouldn't rank in the top 10 all-time.

[BravesWin!]

In a strike shortened season, I don't think its fair to say that the Indians having a better record is really a fair statement.

And then to say that the fact that the Braves WS victory doesn't count as much because of all the one run games just doesn't make any sense. Now I also realize that the Braves circa 1995 probably are not one of the 10 greatest teams of all time. But I would like to think they are in the top 20. They really were a dominating ballclub that year. Maddux won the 2nd of his back to back unanimous Cy Young awards, it had 4 20 HR guys, again in a strike shortened year, and a rock solid bullpen with McMichael and Borbon to get Right's and Lefty's respectively in the 7th and 8th, and Wohlers to shut the door in the 9th. Top 10, maybe not. But I would hope top 20/

[Crash Course]

FWIW, in a strat-o-matic contest of "all the great teams" (thru 2002, IIRC) they won the grand prize.

[RascalJones]

In a strike shortened season, I don't think its fair to say that the Indians having a better record is really a fair statement.

I'm not sure what's meant here. Saying the Indians had a better record was a statement of fact, how is that not a fair statement?


And then to say that the fact that the Braves WS victory doesn't count as much because of all the one run games just doesn't make any sense.


I don't think he said that at all. He gave Bobby Cox props for helping that team to win. The truth is that the Indians were sorely lacking playoff/WS experience and the Braves had a significant edge in that department and had a playoff-seasoned manager. It was a hard-fought, well-played World Series. Personally, I'm not bitter about the Tribe losing that WS. Just, don't get me started on 1997.


Now I also realize that the Braves circa 1995 probably are not one of the 10 greatest teams of all time. But I would like to think they are in the top 20. They really were a dominating ballclub that year. Maddux won the 2nd of his back to back unanimous Cy Young awards, it had 4 20 HR guys, again in a strike shortened year, and a rock solid bullpen with McMichael and Borbon to get Right's and Lefty's respectively in the 7th and 8th, and Wohlers to shut the door in the 9th. Top 10, maybe not. But I would hope top 20.

Sounds like you agree with Ytowh, what's the issue?

[Deep Blue]

Kind of depends on how you want to isolate a team that has a succession of great years. Are the '36 - '39 Yankees 1 team, or 4 ? How about the '75-'76 Reds ?

Personally I don't have this Braves team in my top 20 at all. An excellent, maybe even great team. But not even the best team that year. In my opinion.

[mgoettsche]

I don't think that Braves team was even their best team during their amazing pennant run.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

I'm just saying that if you try to divorce the success of a team from the talent of their manager, you get into a sticky situation.

IMO, Bobby Cox made his teams better than another manager might have. We'll never know.

Then you have Cholly Manuel, who was successful in that he won 90 games in his first two seasons as a manager. Likely, he will not manage again.

I would not compare Cholly Manuel to Gene Mauch, but he sure has a better W-L record.

Cox is a great manager, perhaps the greatest since Weaver or Stengel. He made his teams better than the talent suggests they would be. Again -- we'll really can't know, because his "talent" might not be so "talented" had they worked for a different manager.

The '39 Yanks are my standard for great teams. Joe McCarthy is my standard for great managers.

[KCBOOMER]

Heck, the Yanks alone have 20 teams better than the '95 Braves.

[RascalJones]

rumor has it that CM is next in line if Bowa gets the axe. you know, bring in Jim Thome's good ol' boy buddy.