| Doug Benton. 20th October, 2005 - 6:02 am
 The Braves have enjoyed much success over the last 15 years, but they have also been dealt their fair share of crushing losses. The recent 18 inning affair in Houston ranks up there and so does the four World Series losses, but maybe their biggest loss took place late Wednesday night. At a time the Braves were hoping to celebrate a trip back to the World Series, they lost Leo Mazzone, the crafter of all the great pitching staffs Atlanta has had, to the Baltimore Orioles.
Mazzone has never received the respect he deserves because the baseball fan as a whole always said that Mazzone used pitching prodigies to make his way to the top. Yes, he honed the skills of guys like Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine so they could take there pitching from good to great, but he also took pitchers like Mike Hampton and John Burkett and turned them into reliable starters.
Mazzone will be sorely missed in Atlanta not only for his work as the pitching standpoint, but also the calming effect he put the organization in. He, along with Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz, have provided the Atlanta Braves with the stability necessary to have a winning franchise. Now the Braves will have to regroup and hopefully find a Mazzone disciple who can at least make the journey without Leo possible, all be it daunting.
However, it won’t be the pitching that will be most missed due to Leo’s absent, but his persona. No more will there be a rocking body sitting next to Bobby Cox or a man who you couldn’t tell if it was 2-1 or 7-2. Gone is Leo’s dry sense of humor that always seemed to put a different spin on the happenings of the season or the game.
So, here is a found good-bye to Leo Mazzone. Leo, you are a class act and I wish you nothing but good times in Baltimore. Even thought the Braves only won one World Series, you provided the Braves franchise with so many great memories that if Baltimore can only experience half of what we did in Atlanta, they will have renewed success. |
