For that era's Braves, the playoffs were just an extension of the regular season; they knew in Spring Training that they'd be playing in October. For their opponents though, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete for a championship. The enthusiasm gap was always evident.
And thus ends the 2002 Braves season. What a sensational bullpen they had in 2002. Had they won the World Series they would have been known as the greatest bullpen in MLB history (that title belongs to the 1990 Reds) Smoltz full time closer with 55 saves. Chris Hammand with an ERA of 0.95 Mike Remlinger with an ERA of 1.99 Darren Holmes with an ERA of 1.81 Kerry Lighternberg with an ERA of 2.97 Tim Spooneybarger with an ERA of 2.63 Even all their starting pitchers had great seasons Maddux with an ERA of 2.62 Glavine with an ERA of 2.96 Millwood with an ERA of 3.24 Damian Moss with an ERA of 3.42
Barry Bonds was looking to shed the ghosts of playoffs past, as he hit .196 with 1 home run and 6 RBIs in 97 playoff at-bats prior to 2002, and had been 0-for-5 in playoff series. He and the Giants (95-66, winning the Wild Card by 3 1/2 games over LA) look to change all that against the steady Atlanta Braves, 101-61 and NL East winners for the 11th straight time. In Game 1 at Atlanta, Bonds' supporting cast shined. Benito Santiago had three hits and two RBIs while J.T. Snow drove in 2 runs himself. And behind seven solid innings from Russ Ortiz, the Giants took the opener, 8-5. Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla went back-to-back in the 2nd inning off Rueter, as the Braves evened the series at 1 with a 7-3 win. One bright spot for the Giants was Barry Bonds homering off John Smoltz in the 9th inning. Is this the swing that helps get Barry out of his funk? Well, in Game 3 at Pac Bell Park, Bonds did go yard off Maddux in the 6th. Trouble was, it came after the Braves scored five in the top half (Castilla's two-run single and a three-run shot by Keith Lockhart), and Atlanta won again 10-2. One more loss, and its' Bon(ds) Voyage for the Giants and Barry once again. In Game 4, Livan Hernandez--12-16 on the season but a 5-0 playoff record--pitched into the ninth inning. The Giants roughed up Tom Glavine for seven runs in three innings, capped by a Rich Aurilia three-run blast. San Francisco won, 8-3, to send the series to Atlanta for a sudden death fifth game. Bonds would hit another blast, this time off Millwood in the 4th inning. He would go two for three and score two of the Giants' three runs. Russ Ortiz and four others made it stand up, as the Giants upset the favored Braves, 3-1, and take the series in five. Barry would hit .286 in the series with three home runs. And now, the Giants will get their chance at a pennant. Next stop: St. Louis for the NLCS against the Cardinals.
Not a surprise it was the Giants and Cardinals, two of the hotter NL teams after the strike threat was averted. BIG surprise, though, in the two AL Series. The Twins getting by the best young arms of Oakland, and the Angels knocking off the king kong of baseball--the Yankees.
Things ill always remember about this NLDS: 1- Tom Glavine pitching like garbage in game 1 and game 4, after his great 2002 regular season. 2- Bonds finally being amazing in the postseason, and finally being able to beat Atlanta, after three consecutive heartbreaks in 1991 NLCS, 1992 NLCS, 1993 NL West race. 3- Gary Sheffield hitting into a horrible Double-play to end game 1 at 2:26 and Chipper Jones hitting into a horrible double play in game 5 to end the series at 15:05. 4- Chipper Jones not coming through in the clutch in the fifth inning with the bases loaded in game 5 at 13:15 5 - Gary Sheffield went 1-16 in these 5 games 6- Empty seats in game 1 and game 2 and game 5 in Turner Field. But hey, its an October day game during the week, so people are working and in school. Plus, from what ive heard and read, Turner Field is not the best area to travel to at night. And Braves fans have gotten "bored" with all the success dating back to 1991. With that said, I would have expected to see Turner Field full since the Giants are a popular team, so maybe Giants fans could have filled the stadium.
Game 1 czcams.com/video/kwT7vXQHKd0/video.html Game 2 czcams.com/video/tbbVk0YvocE/video.html Game 3 czcams.com/video/K8PvXrbcjpQ/video.html Game 4 czcams.com/video/Q6vYyeSMJZ8/video.html Game 5 czcams.com/video/Ky7J_Vf9etI/video.html
Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux are now free agents. Maddux will re-sign with the Braves on a one-year-deal. 2003 will be Maddux final season with the Braves. Glavine came close to signing with the rising Phillies in the offseason, but in the end he decided to sign with the Braves rivals = The Mets. Kevin Millwood will get traded to the Phillies in the offseason
The braves win 101 games and have rows of sections empty in game 1 of the playoffs 😅 Atlanta is a horrible sports city .. another braves 1st round flop 😅
The final ride for one of baseball’s iconic pitching trios: Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz
Barry Bonds *FINALLY* got his revenge on the Braves
For that era's Braves, the playoffs were just an extension of the regular season; they knew in Spring Training that they'd be playing in October. For their opponents though, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete for a championship. The enthusiasm gap was always evident.
And thus ends the 2002 Braves season. What a sensational bullpen they had in 2002. Had they won the World Series they would have been known as the greatest bullpen in MLB history (that title belongs to the 1990 Reds)
Smoltz full time closer with 55 saves.
Chris Hammand with an ERA of 0.95
Mike Remlinger with an ERA of 1.99
Darren Holmes with an ERA of 1.81
Kerry Lighternberg with an ERA of 2.97
Tim Spooneybarger with an ERA of 2.63
Even all their starting pitchers had great seasons
Maddux with an ERA of 2.62
Glavine with an ERA of 2.96
Millwood with an ERA of 3.24
Damian Moss with an ERA of 3.42
The Giants' first postseason series win since 1989.
The year Will Clark destroyed Cubs pitching
And it was also against Maddux as well
Barry Bonds was looking to shed the ghosts of playoffs past, as he hit .196 with 1 home run and 6 RBIs in 97 playoff at-bats prior to 2002, and had been 0-for-5 in playoff series. He and the Giants (95-66, winning the Wild Card by 3 1/2 games over LA) look to change all that against the steady Atlanta Braves, 101-61 and NL East winners for the 11th straight time.
In Game 1 at Atlanta, Bonds' supporting cast shined. Benito Santiago had three hits and two RBIs while J.T. Snow drove in 2 runs himself. And behind seven solid innings from Russ Ortiz, the Giants took the opener, 8-5.
Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla went back-to-back in the 2nd inning off Rueter, as the Braves evened the series at 1 with a 7-3 win. One bright spot for the Giants was Barry Bonds homering off John Smoltz in the 9th inning. Is this the swing that helps get Barry out of his funk? Well, in Game 3 at Pac Bell Park, Bonds did go yard off Maddux in the 6th. Trouble was, it came after the Braves scored five in the top half (Castilla's two-run single and a three-run shot by Keith Lockhart), and Atlanta won again 10-2. One more loss, and its' Bon(ds) Voyage for the Giants and Barry once again.
In Game 4, Livan Hernandez--12-16 on the season but a 5-0 playoff record--pitched into the ninth inning. The Giants roughed up Tom Glavine for seven runs in three innings, capped by a Rich Aurilia three-run blast. San Francisco won, 8-3, to send the series to Atlanta for a sudden death fifth game.
Bonds would hit another blast, this time off Millwood in the 4th inning. He would go two for three and score two of the Giants' three runs. Russ Ortiz and four others made it stand up, as the Giants upset the favored Braves, 3-1, and take the series in five.
Barry would hit .286 in the series with three home runs. And now, the Giants will get their chance at a pennant. Next stop: St. Louis for the NLCS against the Cardinals.
Cards vs Giants in a rematch of the 1987 NLCS
Tom Glavine, Gary Sheffield, and Chipper Jones = the MVP of this NLDS
Dusty Baker wins his first playoff series as manager
2002: the October of homefield disadvantage
Not a surprise it was the Giants and Cardinals, two of the hotter NL teams after the strike threat was averted. BIG surprise, though, in the two AL Series. The Twins getting by the best young arms of Oakland, and the Angels knocking off the king kong of baseball--the Yankees.
The start of Atlanta’s near two decade postseason series win drought
The team without homefield advantage went 4 for 4 in the LDS
I smell a trend
Things ill always remember about this NLDS:
1- Tom Glavine pitching like garbage in game 1 and game 4, after his great 2002 regular season.
2- Bonds finally being amazing in the postseason, and finally being able to beat Atlanta, after three consecutive heartbreaks in 1991 NLCS, 1992 NLCS, 1993 NL West race.
3- Gary Sheffield hitting into a horrible Double-play to end game 1 at 2:26 and Chipper Jones hitting into a horrible double play in game 5 to end the series at 15:05.
4- Chipper Jones not coming through in the clutch in the fifth inning with the bases loaded in game 5 at 13:15
5 - Gary Sheffield went 1-16 in these 5 games
6- Empty seats in game 1 and game 2 and game 5 in Turner Field. But hey, its an October day game during the week, so people are working and in school. Plus, from what ive heard and read, Turner Field is not the best area to travel to at night. And Braves fans have gotten "bored" with all the success dating back to 1991. With that said, I would have expected to see Turner Field full since the Giants are a popular team, so maybe Giants fans could have filled the stadium.
A far cry from the Braves playoff crowds of 2021
Giants the last playoff victory until 2010 which also against the Braves
not true
they beat the cardinals in the nlcs the next series
Game 1
czcams.com/video/kwT7vXQHKd0/video.html
Game 2
czcams.com/video/tbbVk0YvocE/video.html
Game 3
czcams.com/video/K8PvXrbcjpQ/video.html
Game 4
czcams.com/video/Q6vYyeSMJZ8/video.html
Game 5
czcams.com/video/Ky7J_Vf9etI/video.html
Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux are now free agents.
Maddux will re-sign with the Braves on a one-year-deal. 2003 will be Maddux final season with the Braves.
Glavine came close to signing with the rising Phillies in the offseason, but in the end he decided to sign with the Braves rivals = The Mets.
Kevin Millwood will get traded to the Phillies in the offseason
The end of an era for one of baseball’s most iconic pitching staffs
Glavine would return to the Braves in 2008
Barry Bonds finally has a Postseason Series Win and it comes against the team that knocked his Pirates out in two Game 7's in 91 and 92.
Go SF Giants!
The braves win 101 games and have rows of sections empty in game 1 of the playoffs 😅 Atlanta is a horrible sports city .. another braves 1st round flop 😅