What it Means to Be a Braves Fan

On June 30, the Braves were 4 1/2 games behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East. After play today concluded the month of July, they're 5 games in first. That's an incredible one month swing. If they remain in first, it would mark the 14th year in a row that they've won their division. (Skipping the strike year of course, when nobody won anything.)

There are a lot of Braves fans who have never known anything but success. Many people jumped on the bandwagon in the early to mid 90s. Some of us have been suffering since the 60s--when the Braves fielded one of the worst teams ever put together. Come to think of it, that pretty much describes the 70s and 80s too! Aside from the incredible (and still underrated somehow) Hank Aaron, there just wasn't much to like if you were a Braves fan. But I grew up with the transistor radio stuck in my ear, listening to Ernie Johnson try to find something good to say about a team that every year seemed to be going nowhere fast.

Earlier this year, when we were back East on the kids' senior trip, we went to the Braves-Red Sox game at Fenway Park. (Hey, the adults have to have some fun too--or least the Dad!) Sure, the Braves lost, but it was still a lot of fun to see a game in "my" team's old home town.

Being a Braves fan to me means never forgetting the awful teams--and enjoying every day of the great ones.