Not Dead Yet.

The Braves had fallen so far behind the pace in the race for MLB's playoffs that they were basically left for dead, but now they're refusing to go quietly into that good night. Atlanta has strung together five wins and are currently trying for a sixth against the struggling Milwuakee Brewers. The announcers repeatedly stated that the Braves are out of it until the 7th, when they finally acknowledged the mathematical possibility of their making the playoffs.

To be fair, I should give credit where credit is due: this comeback of sorts would not have been possible if it weren't for the Mets spectacular swoon from their comfortable perch atop the N.L. East. Ironically, the Braves are now closer to their division crown than they are the Wild Card. The remainder of the schedule isn't too hard for Atlanta, but they'll need help if they're to attach a storybook ending to this trying season.

I guess the morale of this story is, in the immortal words of baseball's all-time quote machine Yogi Berra, "it ain't over till it's over". I had been optimistic to the point of flying in the face of reason this year, but even I have to admit that I tuned out after the Braves failed to capitalize during their head-to-head meetings with the teams ahead of them in the East. I've been preaching the gospel of the 2008 Atlanta Braves ever since, but now I find myself putting that down and ripping up the premature obituary that I had printed for this year's edition... and so should you.