It can't be classified a dynasty. Not with their Braves winning just one World Series. Still, for the past 13 seasons, John Schuerholz and Bobby Cox deserve to share a Hall of Fame plaque, engraved with "A Magnificent Body of Work."
Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Javy Lopez were Atlanta heroes for a long time. Baseball lovers figured it was forever. Gary Sheffield and Vinny Castilla excelled in brief Turner Field stays. Suddenly they all were gone.
Losing a wealth of talent can turn a contender into a catastrophe, like the Arizona Diamondbacks, celebrants in a World Series three years ago who are now a bumbling National League bottom-feeder.
Juggling major-league salaries, rosters, egos and rules is tricky stuff, but general manager Schuerholz and bench czar Cox are wizards. Schuerholz provides unsubsiding quality ingredients; Cox keeps cooking feasts.
This season was ultimate proof.
Atlanta was forecast to take a deadly NL East dive, an all-but-disarmed giant watching helplessly as Phillies, Marlins and maybe even Mets went flashing past. But we outsiders are good at underestimating Cox/Schuerholz artistry.
John Smoltz, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones were the only established Braves dandies left, but Schuerholz snagged J.D. Drew, an underachieving but gifted Georgian, from the Cardinals while stunningly filling holes with blokes named Johnny Estrada, John Thomson, Nick Green, Adam LaRoche, Jaret Wright, Mark DeRosa, Paul Byrd, Antonio Alfonseca and Marcus Giles.
Cox and Schuerholz have the toughness to make moves that are massively unpopular with the public. Glavine was an Atlanta darling, but the Braves refused to match overzealous Mets millions to keep the renowned pitcher. Since then, his record has dipped to 19-28. Atlanta also ditched Andres Galarraga and David Justice before they faded.
"They adhere to the old Branch Rickey theory that it's better to move a guy a year too early than a year too late," said Jack McKeon, manager of the reigning World Series champion Marlins.
We could call it lucky, but Schuerholz and Cox always produce. I don't know if, this time, their Braves will keep motoring in October, all the way to a startling World Series championship.
That would be a bulging bonus in what already has been the keeping afloat, against nasty odds, of a quite marvelous baseball ship ... when sinking had been so widely predicted.
Cooperstown is where Schuerholz/Cox should be headed.
SINGHING IN THE REIGN: When he spins an 8-iron to within 5 feet of a cup, Vijay Singh gets casual applause, not the thunder Tiger Woods would hear.
Singh is not embraced like sweet Freddy Couples or stately Davis Love or tempestuous John Daly or grinning Phil Mickelson.
People admire the methodical, even maniacal works of Vijay. His machinelike golf precision. His voluminous winning. Singh had sooner hit a million practice balls than take a penthouse cruise to Monte Carlo aboard the Queen Mary 2.
I think I feel what many in golf galleries feel. Singh makes himself a hard fellow to like. No personality trait to which we can hitch our wagon. It's not that Vijay is disliked. He's just hard to emotionally celebrate.
You can feel such passions around golf's grand, green theaters. Many were slow to cuddle up to Woods, but it became so in during his Slammin' 2000. Singh isn't apt to earn anything approaching such attachment. He can come closer, but I don't think Vijay cares enough about such side dishes.
He has some PGA Tour pals but I've never heard of the Singhs inviting another golfer over for dinner. How do they play board games at Vijay's beachfront castle with just three people: wife, son and No. 1?
Singh is suspicious. He can't comprehend why media and public want to know personal stuff.
Years ago, when he was poor, Singh was accused of cheating. It was never proven but the stigma clings to the 41-year-old like a lovebug on a windshield.
Vijay does have a sense of humor, but we're rarely allowed to see such human behavior from the dynamo who has won eight tournaments this season - four times as many as the tour runnersup - and is crushing Tiger's money record, headed for $10-million.
Wouldn't you like to see one of those old This Is Your Life episodes in which figures from Singh's past gather for a warm TV reunion ... bringing Vijay to tears ... loosening him up ... providing a level of personal security that would maybe allow the world's No. 1 golfer to be more appreciated as a man?
