Jimcs50
10-08-2005, 09:08 AM
Oct. 8, 2005, 1:15AM
Rivalry built on respect, not hatred
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Not a single dirty slide. Nary a bean ball. The next punch thrown will be the first.
About the closest thing to a fistfight came last year when John Smoltz crashed a postgame celebration to hug Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.
Such is life in the most polite, respectful and — OK, we'll admit it — boring rivalry in all of sports.
The Astros and Atlanta Braves will play their 18th postseason game against one another tonight at Minute Maid Park.
Only the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have played more often the past decade. And in all that time, in all those games with so much riding on the outcome, there never has been a cross word, raised hand or slip of the tongue.
Only baseball.
Smoltz: Astros classy
"The players they have, the class they're built around, is the reason you see such honest respect for each other," Smoltz said.
Minute Maid Park will be packed and loud today as the teams play Game 3 of their best-of-five National League Division Series.
Yet there won't be many boos. Probably none.
This series isn't like that. Fans see what the players see. They see two organizations with similar values. They see players who are easy to root for.
"These are two rock-solid organizations with a healthy respect for the game," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said.
When Tim Purpura was named general manager of the Astros last year, he telephoned Schuerholz regularly.
Braves a model franchise
He had specific issues to ask him about, but he also had a larger mission. He wanted to create an organization as professional and as successful as the one Schuerholz has built with Bobby Cox in Atlanta.
Who would boo Cox? He's on the short list of the greatest managers in history. He's one of those guys most players would love to play for.
Maybe the Braves and Astros are too nice.
Maybe that's why the networks typically stick them in the worst time slot.
How about the way television kept showing those dejected Boston fans in the stands at Fenway Park? They focused so much attention on those dejected poets and songwriters that it was easy to forget there'd been a winner.
Are those poor people still sitting in those box seats weeping for their Sawx? Send them doughnuts and coffee. Tell them spring training is only four months away. :lol
There won't be many crowd shots after the Astros and Braves finish this series. In Atlanta and Houston, they'll watch the game, cheer for their teams and then get on with their lives.
There's not likely to be a single book or movie deal come out of the series. It's sport as sport. What a concept.
"I think there's a mutual respect between the two teams," Lance Berkman said. "They're a class group of guys. They do things the right way. Whenever an organization like that has success, you don't begrudge them that."
There also has been no monkey business.
"For 10 years, the Braves had (Greg) Maddux, Smoltz and (Tom) Glavine," Bagwell said. "Those guys didn't throw at people's heads. You didn't have dirty slides. There just was never a big altercation."
One other factor might be the way Atlanta has dominated the series. The first three times the teams met — in 1997, 1999 and 2001 — the Braves went 9-1 against the Astros.
The Astros never got close enough to winning to even work up many hard feelings for the Braves.
Last season, the Astros won a five-game series — the first time they had advanced out of the opening round of the playoffs. Moments after it ended, Smoltz and Schuerholz took the long walk down the hallway at Turner Field to congratulate the Astros.
"Part of it is the general nature of baseball now," Bagwell said. "I don't think people hate each other anymore. Even Red Sox-Yankees is not about the players hating each other. People change teams so much. They tend to get to know each other."
Like Astros reliever Russ Springer. He was with the Astros when they made their first playoff appearance of the Bagwell-Biggio era in 1997.
He pitched for the Braves when the two teams met in 1999. Now he's back with the Astros. Hard to hold a grudge against players you know and like.
"It didn't used to be like that," Bagwell said. "We used to fight with the Reds almost every game.
"That started with (Rob) Dibble throwing at guys' heads. You don't have many deals like that anymore."
So today as you cheer for the Astros, don't even try to boo the Braves. Because you can't make yourself do it. Maybe the best you can do is work up a healthy appreciation for the franchise the Astros would most like to be like.
"Just because we respect one another doesn't make the competition any less fierce," Purpura said. "This is about winning a baseball game. It's not about spending a pleasant October day with a bunch of friends."
But it's not like spending a pleasant October day with Bobby Valentine and Larry Bowa, either.
Rivalry built on respect, not hatred
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Not a single dirty slide. Nary a bean ball. The next punch thrown will be the first.
About the closest thing to a fistfight came last year when John Smoltz crashed a postgame celebration to hug Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.
Such is life in the most polite, respectful and — OK, we'll admit it — boring rivalry in all of sports.
The Astros and Atlanta Braves will play their 18th postseason game against one another tonight at Minute Maid Park.
Only the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have played more often the past decade. And in all that time, in all those games with so much riding on the outcome, there never has been a cross word, raised hand or slip of the tongue.
Only baseball.
Smoltz: Astros classy
"The players they have, the class they're built around, is the reason you see such honest respect for each other," Smoltz said.
Minute Maid Park will be packed and loud today as the teams play Game 3 of their best-of-five National League Division Series.
Yet there won't be many boos. Probably none.
This series isn't like that. Fans see what the players see. They see two organizations with similar values. They see players who are easy to root for.
"These are two rock-solid organizations with a healthy respect for the game," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said.
When Tim Purpura was named general manager of the Astros last year, he telephoned Schuerholz regularly.
Braves a model franchise
He had specific issues to ask him about, but he also had a larger mission. He wanted to create an organization as professional and as successful as the one Schuerholz has built with Bobby Cox in Atlanta.
Who would boo Cox? He's on the short list of the greatest managers in history. He's one of those guys most players would love to play for.
Maybe the Braves and Astros are too nice.
Maybe that's why the networks typically stick them in the worst time slot.
How about the way television kept showing those dejected Boston fans in the stands at Fenway Park? They focused so much attention on those dejected poets and songwriters that it was easy to forget there'd been a winner.
Are those poor people still sitting in those box seats weeping for their Sawx? Send them doughnuts and coffee. Tell them spring training is only four months away. :lol
There won't be many crowd shots after the Astros and Braves finish this series. In Atlanta and Houston, they'll watch the game, cheer for their teams and then get on with their lives.
There's not likely to be a single book or movie deal come out of the series. It's sport as sport. What a concept.
"I think there's a mutual respect between the two teams," Lance Berkman said. "They're a class group of guys. They do things the right way. Whenever an organization like that has success, you don't begrudge them that."
There also has been no monkey business.
"For 10 years, the Braves had (Greg) Maddux, Smoltz and (Tom) Glavine," Bagwell said. "Those guys didn't throw at people's heads. You didn't have dirty slides. There just was never a big altercation."
One other factor might be the way Atlanta has dominated the series. The first three times the teams met — in 1997, 1999 and 2001 — the Braves went 9-1 against the Astros.
The Astros never got close enough to winning to even work up many hard feelings for the Braves.
Last season, the Astros won a five-game series — the first time they had advanced out of the opening round of the playoffs. Moments after it ended, Smoltz and Schuerholz took the long walk down the hallway at Turner Field to congratulate the Astros.
"Part of it is the general nature of baseball now," Bagwell said. "I don't think people hate each other anymore. Even Red Sox-Yankees is not about the players hating each other. People change teams so much. They tend to get to know each other."
Like Astros reliever Russ Springer. He was with the Astros when they made their first playoff appearance of the Bagwell-Biggio era in 1997.
He pitched for the Braves when the two teams met in 1999. Now he's back with the Astros. Hard to hold a grudge against players you know and like.
"It didn't used to be like that," Bagwell said. "We used to fight with the Reds almost every game.
"That started with (Rob) Dibble throwing at guys' heads. You don't have many deals like that anymore."
So today as you cheer for the Astros, don't even try to boo the Braves. Because you can't make yourself do it. Maybe the best you can do is work up a healthy appreciation for the franchise the Astros would most like to be like.
"Just because we respect one another doesn't make the competition any less fierce," Purpura said. "This is about winning a baseball game. It's not about spending a pleasant October day with a bunch of friends."
But it's not like spending a pleasant October day with Bobby Valentine and Larry Bowa, either.