The Top 25 Atlanta Braves Moments

I just got finished watching Sportsouth's airing of the Top 25 Moments in Atlanta Braves History and I have a few comments and/or objections. I'll try to keep the objections based on the moments themselves and not so much on Fred Hickman, who must seriously hate himself. On to the list!

25. Brian McCann's homer off of Roger Clemens in the 2005 NLDS - I don't argue with where this is placed on the list. I think its a great representation of all that is still right with baseball. It shows how someone full on andro and decadorabolin can still fail against someone on a diet of what appears to be Sweetwater 420 and Jack Link's.

24. Bobby Cox's record 132nd ejection - I love having a manager with such a positive manner and such an affable nature, who still finds ways to get thrown out of games more often than I change underwear.

23. Chipper Jones homering in 3 straight at bats in 2006 - I don't even know why this is on the list. It was a meaningless stat in a meaningless game and honestly, it was forgotten two days later. I would rather see Chipper Jones scoring digits in three consecutive visits to Hooters on the list.

22. Andruw Jones' 51st home run in 2001 - I understand it set a franchise record, but franchise records have no real meaning. Pop quiz, hot shot: Who is the Cincinnati Reds all-time saves leader? Danny Graves(!)

21. Dave Justice's game winning homer against the Reds in '91 - "It gave us confidence that we would make it to that postseason." - Ron Gant

20. Braves who have in All-Star games - Like Verne Troyer at the Subway, this one is also quite a reach.

19. Dale Murphy's back to back MVPs in '82 and '83 - It should not take long in the age of steroids for someone like Murphy, who didn't cuss, smoke, chew or drink to get into the Hall of Fame.

18. Braves pitchers won 6 Cy Young Awards in the 90's - That feat is so ridiculous it should be in the top 5, easily.

17. 19th inning July 4th marathon in '85 - This is simply known as the Rick Camp game. If anyone knows where I can buy a throwback Camp jersey, holla.

16. Gene Garber snaps Pete Rose's 44 game hit streak in '78 - Also, another huge stretch. Like Emmanuel Lewis trying to mount a horse.

15. Smoltz's NL record for saves in a season - It's amazing how seamlessly Smoltzie transitioned into a dominant closer. Also, it's amazing that he went back to the rotation, leaving are ninth innings up to Dan Kolb and Chris Reitsma.

14. Chipper Jones' 400th career homer in 2008 - More impressive is Chippers 400 Hooters girls.

13. Bobby Cox's 2000th career win - Managerial wins are an overblown statistic in general. The all time wins leader is Connie Mack and he had over 200 more losses than wins. The Lennie Wilkens of baseball.

12. Andruw Jones' 2 homers in the '96 World Series - He was 19(!) years old! What did you accomplish at 19? Probably not that.

11. Braves win 13 straight games to start the '82 season - Then went 76-73 the rest of the way.

10. Bob Horner's 4 homers in one game in '86 - Four homers in a game is mighty impressive. Sure, Willie Mays and Mike Schmidt did it. But so did Mike Cameron and Mark Whiten.

9. Phil Niekro's no-hitter in '73, Combination no-hitter in '91 and Kent Mercker no-hitter in '94 - I have a personal disdain for no-hitters. Much like hitting for the cycle, it's a nice little news item, but it is void of any significance by the next day.

8. John Smoltz's 3,000th strikeout - The 3,000 strikeout club is the cream of the pitching crop. This was the moment Smoltz solidified his HOF status.

7. Otis Nixon's catch - The most ridiculous catch I've ever seen. Better than Willie May's over he shoulder catch, better than The Catch from Montana to Dwight Clark, better than Deadliest Catch, better than the Coordinated Approach To Child Healthcare (CATCH) Program.

6. 14th consecutive division title in 2005 - Seeing all those banners in left field is still pretty mind blowing. Also, seeing that only one of them says "World Champions" on it is pretty mind blowing.

5. Braves clinch the NL West in August of '91 - This is monumental considering how inept the franchise had been up to this point. I'm still not sure why an Atlanta team was ever in the NL West.

4. The Stadium Fire in '93 - This is my favorite memory as a child. My grandad got me dugout seats for my birthday for this game right behind Ted Turner. Before the game a press box caught on fire. It was Fred McGriff's debut as a Brave. He homered, we beat the Cardinals 8-5, and it was the first time I had ever seen 3 in the morning on a weeknight.

3. Sid's Slide- The thing that amazes me about this is how much credit Sid Bream gets for making it to home plate and how little credit Francisco Carbrera gets for his clutch hit. It's always remembered as Sid Bream's slide and not Francisco Cabrera's hit.

2. Hank Aaron's home run record - Not only did he set the record, but he continues to display the grace and humility of a champion even when his record was broken by a damn dirty thief.

1. Braves World Championship in '95 - The defining moment of my childhood. That, and when I got a pair of moon shoes.