Braves-Mets rivalry
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The rivalry between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets of Major League Baseball's National League East is a rivalry that features the last two winners of the Eastern division.
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[edit] 1969 NLCS
The Braves-Mets rivalry has roots that trace all the way back to the 1969 NLCS, when the upstart Mets, led by Tom Seaver, would defeat Hank Aaron and the Braves in a three game sweep en route to their first World Series Championship. The rivalry didn't pick up real steam until the late 1990s though when the Mets and Braves both became members of the National League East Division.
[edit] 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s
The rivalry was basically nonexistent in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, and did not take form until the late 1990s. This is mostly because the Mets and Braves each played in different divisions and did not field quality teams at the same time. The Mets were a good team in the early 1970s while the Braves never made the playoffs in that decade. In the early 1980s, the Braves fielded strong teams while the Mets went through a rebuilding period. By the mid 1980s the Mets were one of the most powerful teams in baseball, while the Braves were mediocre. When the 1990s hit, the Mets would fall on hard times while the Braves would start a run of 14 straight division titles in 1991. It wasn't until the invention of the wild card and the three division alignment in 1994 (where the Mets and Braves were placed in the same division), that the rivalry began to take its current form.
[edit] 1998
The Braves had been the dominant team of the National League throughout the 1990s, while the Mets were perennial doormats. This changed in 1998 as the Mets would start competing with the Braves for the division, and contend for the National League Wild Card. Despite this success, the Mets couldn't claim victory over the Braves, especially at Turner Field in Atlanta. Significant late season losses to the Braves, including a season ending sweep in Atlanta (when the Mets only needed to win one game to win the Wild Card) kept the Mets out of the playoffs and gave the Braves another division title.
[edit] The 1999 NLCS & John Rocker
Both teams played solid baseball in 1999. The Mets still had problems beating the Braves in the regular season and almost missed the playoffs altogether due to late season losses in Atlanta. The Braves, led by John Rocker, Greg Maddux, and Chipper Jones ended up winning the division.. Jones, whose real first name is Larry, would have to endure “LARRY” chants by Shea Stadium crowds as he revealed to Sports Illustrated that he hated his real first name. He and enraged the Mets and their fans after saying "Now all the Mets fans can go home and put on their Yankees stuff" after defeating them late in the season at Turner Feild. Hotheaded Braves relief pitcher John Rocker was also quoted as saying he hated the Mets, and "How many times do we have to beat them before their fans will shut up?"
After a season long battle for first place, both teams made the playoffs, the Braves winning their 8th straight division title and the Mets won a one game playoff over the Cincinnati Reds for the 1999 Wild Card. The Braves defeated the Houston Astros, and the Mets defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS that year setting up what would become a classic NLCS.
The Braves would win the first three contests of the NLCS, basically shutting down the New York Mets explosive line-up. During the series Rocker continually insulted the Mets and their fans and was greeted with a barrage of insults and thrown objects (including batteries) at Shea. With the Mets down in the series 3-0, Mets first baseman John Olerud would keep get revenge on Rocker as he hit a crucial two-run single to give the Mets the lead off the closer. As Rocker walked off the mound he was seen giving a sarcastic wahoo to the New York fans, while trash talking with the fans behind the Braves dugout.
Game 5 would be a classic, as it was a 15-inning that lasted over five hours. The game began shortly after 4 p.m. with Greg Maddux pitching for Atlanta and Masato Yoshii starting for New York. The game would continue on well into the night, accompanied by a steady rainfall which would not delay the game. In the bottom of the 15th, after a back and forth affair that included a player being thrown out at the plate for Atlanta, Mets third baseman Robin Ventura hit a walk-off grand slam, which is commonly referred by Mets fans as the "Grand Single" for a come from behind victory. Since Ventura only made it no further than first base due to being mobbed by his teammates the hit would officially go down in the books as a walk off single.
The series returned to Turner Field in Atlanta, a place that had been a house of horrors for the Mets since it opened for baseball in 1997. Game Six was just as close as the previous five games. The Braves were staked to a quick 6-0, battering Mets ace Al Leiter. However, the Mets staged a comeback, highlighted by a game tying home run byMike Piazza off John Smoltz. After blowing a lead in the 9th and 10th inning, the Mets saw their season come to an end whenKenny Rogers walked Andruw Jones with the bases loaded and the Braves won the National League Pennant.
After the season, Rocker made disparaging remarks about New Yorkers in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Many of his complaints involved riding the 7 train of the New York City Subway (which services the Mets home field, Shea Stadium). He said he would never play in New York to avoid having to sit next to single Hispanic mothers and homosexuals with purple hair. The comments resulted in an ultimate hatred for Rocker that reached across the whole city. The NYPD had to patrol the stands and bleachers during further visits by the Braves to Shea Stadium and Mets officials put up giant pieces plywood between the outfield bleachers and the visiting bullpen to keep fans from heckling and abusing Rocker.
[edit] The 2000 and 2001 Seasons
During another season-long struggle between the two teams for the division title, the rivalry came to a climax on fireworks night at Shea Stadium on June 30, 2000. Trailing the Braves 8-1 in the 8th inning, the Mets staged a furious rally in the bottom half of the inning. The rally was capped by a Mike Piazza line drive homerun off the Mets retired numbers in left field, winning the game in front of a capacity crowd.
All signs pointed to a rematch in the 2000 NLCS, as the Braves won their ninth straight division title and the Mets once again captured the National League Wild Card. However, the Braves lost in the Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, while the Mets defeated the San Francisco Giants en route to the NLCS and World Series.
The Mets started the 2001 season very slowly, but after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Mets saw themselves back in the race for the National League East crown after the Braves' 14-game lead in the division eroded to as little as three games. In fact, the first professional sporting event in New York City after the attacks was a game on September 21 between the Mets and the Braves. In a moment that transcended the rivalry, Mets and Braves players embraced each other on the field during pregame ceremonies remembering the victims of the attacks. The Mets came from behind to win the game 3-2 on an emotional home run by Mike Piazza. Piazza later stated that the home run was one of the proudest moments of his career. With a chance to sweep and tie the Braves for the division lead, the Mets then went into Atlanta the next weekend for a three game series. However, after losing the first game, they saw the season virtually end on September 29, 2001, as they blew a 5-1 ninth inning lead. In that inning, relievers Armando Benitez and John Franco struggled to record an out and Franco ultimatley gave up a game winning grand slam to Brian Jordan.
The rivalry after 2001 became more insignificant as the Mets fielded very uncompetitive teams in the early part of the decade, and the Braves continued their winning ways, capped off in 2005 as they won their 14th straight division championship.
After the 2003 season the Mets signed long time Braves pitching staple Tom Glavine to anchor their starting rotation, in a move that started to fuel the fire of the series again.
[edit] Present Day
In 2006 the Mets finally became the dominant team in the rivalry. After sarcastic remarks were made by Braves players Jeff Francoeur and Adam LaRoche concerning an early Mets lead in the division, Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez won his 200th career game against them at Shea. The Mets went on to run away with the division and swept a late July series in Atlanta. It was the Mets first sweep of more than three games against the Braves since 1985, and their first sweep ever in Turner Field. On September 12, 2006 the Mets 6-4 win over the Florida Marlins mathematically eliminated the Braves from winning the NL East, finally ending the Braves' streak of consecutive division titles at 14. The Mets officially won the division on September 18, ending a significant era of dominance by the Braves. The Mets also won the season series against the Braves for the first time since 1996.
[edit] Quick Facts
- The Braves hold an all-time series lead of 322-273 over the Mets as of September 25, 2006.
- Each team has beaten the other team in the NLCS with the Mets sweeping the Braves in 1969, and the Braves defeating the Mets four games to two in 1999.
- Since the Mets joined the National League in 1962 they have won two World Series titles (1969 and 1986), four National League Pennants (1969, 1973, 1986, and 2000), and five division titles (1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, and 2006). Since 1962 the Braves have won one World Series title (1995), five National League Pennants (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999), and 16 division titles (1969, 1982, 1991-1993, 1995-2005).
- The Mets and Braves played a memorable game on Thursday July 4, 1985 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. After a back and forth tustle throughout the game, the score was tied at 8 at the end of nine. The game would not end though until 10 innings later as the Mets led by first baseman Keith Hernandez, who hit for the cycle would defeat the Braves in a wild 16-13 victory. The game also happened to be the Braves Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza, and even though it was all ready the wee hours of Friday morning in Atlanta, the Braves decided to shoot off the explosives for the fans that stayed throughout the game. The fireworks though frightened many local Atlanta residences, as they feared bombs were being exploded in their neighborhoods. Coincidentally the Mets would sweep that series of four games. It would be their last sweep of three or more games against Atlanta until 2006.
- Going into the final five games of the 1998 season all the Mets had to do was one of those five to win the National League Wild Card. After losing to the Montreal Expos at Shea Stadium, the Mets then proceeded to get swept at Turner Field by the Braves, thwarting their push for their first post season birth since 1988. The Mets were 0-6 at Turner Field in 1998.
- Game Five of the 1999 NLCS is known to Mets fans as the "Grand Single" game, when Mets third baseman Robin Ventura ended the game with a walk-off grand slam. Ventura though never made it past second base as his teammates mobbed him, for extending the series to a Game Six in Atlanta.
- Game Six of the 1999 NLCS concluded what was a memorable series as Mets pitcher Kenny Rogers walked in the pennant winning run for the Braves.
- On June 30, 2000 the Mets trailed the Braves 8-1 at Shea Stadium in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Mets though fought back with a 10 run two out eighth inning rally to take an 11-8 lead. The rally was capped by Mike Piazza's three run home run to give the Mets the lead.
- On June 23, 2001 the Mets and Braves played to an epic game at Shea Stadium. The Mets had tied the game at 3 on a home run by Desi Relaford. The game would stay tied at 3 until the top of the 11th inning when the Braves struck for six runs - all earned and all off pitcher Rick White - for the 9-3 extra inning win.
- With a 10-6 win at Turner Field on July 30, 2006 the Mets completed a three game sweep of the Braves. This marked their first sweep of the Braves of three or more games since 1985, and their first ever sweep at Turner Field.
