ATL - HOU position-by-position breakdown

[Diamond_Dog]

The World Series starts tomorrow.

Believe it or not, the 2021 World Series will not be the first time the Astros and Braves have met in October. It’s easy to forget now, but Houston spent the first 51 years of its baseball existence in the National League, playing the Braves in the regular season multiple times each year, more than 700 times total. When the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, the Astros were the third team to come visit. (They lost on a Henry Aaron walk-off, a pain so many others knew.)

From 1969-93, they inexplicably shared the NL West, preventing any playoff matchups, but then from 1997-2005, we saw five Astros/Braves NLDS battles. Atlanta won the first three, the Astros the last two, and then Houston was off to the American League in 2013.

This now creates a matchup between a team that’s been to the playoffs six times in seven years and an 88-win team that overcame the loss of its best young player to set up an unexpected, yet fascinating, pairing. Which side has the edge? We’ll go position by position.

https://www.mlb.com/news/braves-astros-position-by-position-world-series-breakdown?partnerId=zh-20211025-490409-mlb-1-A&qid=1026&utm_id=zh-20211025-490409-mlb-1-A&bt_ee=w0LNEMCx62KVrwvts5r1zKUv2VgNlujpIch2BUn9v6b6WWBod%2FasLUPDjWX8ACZ%2B&bt_ts=1635168883760

[underpants]

1. Albies is my favorite Brave.

I know everyone is focused on Rosario Freeman and Riley but Albies always seems to be on the spot.

Great story about Snitker the manager

https://www.democraticunderground.com/120485639

Atlanta Braves manger Brian Snitker is from Macon Illinois (pop. 1,200) that in 1971 was still living in a pre-Beatles America existence. The high school principle hires Lynn Sweet - in and out of college Army brat turned hippie-ish - from Chicago to teach English. Never coached baseball before. The team goes on an incredible run reaching the state high school championship.
They lost 4-2 to Waukegan High (4,250 students) with Snitker grounding out to end the game.

Sports Illustrated article by Chris’s Ballard author of the book “One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season”
https://vault.si.com/vault/2010/06/28/the-magical-season-of-the-macon-ironmen

[Diamond_Dog]

2. Thanks, Pants! Bookmarked for later. Looks good.

[underpants]

3. The SI article is long but really good.

[rownesheck]

4. I live in the Houston area,

but I'm going for Atlanta. You don't beat my beloved Sox and get away with it!

[Auggie]

5. I'll be rooting for Dusty Baker

I haven't a horse in this race. But you gotta dig Baker. And he's at the end of his career. Hope he manages a smart series.