Thanks for the Memories

As many people know, me and my family are long time Atlanta Braves fans. My mom is the biggest fan of us all-- I used to grow up having to watch every single game-- if we weren't home she would tape the games-- and that included their rough years. Anyway, for as long as I personally can remember Bobby Cox has been the manager of the team and well, tonight he coached his last game. It is silly but I found myself wiping away tears as he saluted the crowd and waved one last good bye to them. I called my mom, knowing she was feeling even worse, and she was. She was crying. Anyway, being Atlanta Braves fans is not easy. For the last 15 or more years they have been pretty good in fact. But in all that time they have only one a World Series once-- 1995. If it weren't for teams like those pesky Yankees-- who I hate almost as much as I love the Braves-- we might have done it a few more times (and yes, I said we-- almost like I am one of them-- but who doesn't say we for their team, huh?) I have many memories of the Braves. We have travelled to see them play in many ballparks as well as to Atlanta-- where my mom threw down her tomahawk chop with tears rolling down her face-- she was in heaven. One of my greatest memories is when the Braves beat the Pirates to go to the first of a few World Series'. I remember sitting in the family room with my sister Kelli and Ed, and my little sister Brooke was at our table with her friends coloring. My mom and dad were watching in their bedroom and the Braves were losing but had started to make a comeback-- when they started making the comeback my dad came into the family room telling us that nobody should move-- that whatever we were doing was good luck and wouldn't you know it a few plays later a no-namer-pinch hitter steps up to the plate for the Braves and hits a base hit that ushers in a close play at home with Sid Bream sliding at the plate to score the winning run! We all went nuts-- my mom and dad run in-- we are all jumping and screaming, hugging, high-fiving-- Brooke's friends that are sleeping over are plugging their ears laughing at what a weird family we have-- but it is still one of the best memories I have. I love those times. And so I am sad to see a little piece of these memories go. Hopefully we can find someone new to fill his shoes but it will never be the same-- much like when the Jazz lost John Stockton and Karl Malone. (Another team that brings back many amazing memories-- but we'll save those for another entry.)