Some reminders of good times and good vibes for the Braves

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a day ago

Overreaction.
Is it something you are prone to do? If a door slams unexpectedly do you jump out of your chair and let out a scream, or do you go about your business, unfazed?
The 2025 Atlanta Braves season has been one long, ongoing, overreaction. No one could have predicted the roller-coaster path that started at the end of March and has continues on through mid-June.
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With a day off before the Colorado Rockies come into town, we all wonder - and none of us know - how the season when end up when October rolls around. It truly feels like every option is on the table from the most disappointing season since the team moved to Atlanta to a comeback story of epic proportions. Maybe they just split the difference and end up a middle-of-the-road team, missing the playoffs, but with hopes of a better 2026.
Is it too early to overreact?
At 29-38, 14.5 games out of first place in the National League East and nine games out of the last Wild Card spot, it is hard to argue that it isn't.
It is exhausting to think about and talk about and write about.
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Let's not. Let's talk about other things, happier things. Things like regular season games that had a big moments.
What we need are some good times Braves vibes. Moments that remind you why you are a fan, were a fan, wanted to be a fan.
We need smiles and positivity.
So that is what we all shall get!
(Note: These videos from MLB.com's site and won't be available if you are reading this on Apple News. Open it in a browser for your viewing pleasure.)
I had been thinking about this game a lot recently, and for good reason. If you missed it - like I did - it was 15 years ago last month with Brooks Conrad hit his legendary grand slam to cap a seven-run rally by the Braves against the Reds.
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Or how about this one: It is hard to believe this was more than a decade ago - a legendary home run - a walk-off job from Chipper Jones to beat the Phillies. It was also the last home run of his Hall of Fame career. Another made-for-TV moment that still brings chills.
More recently - four years ago to be exact - pitcher Huascar Ynoa hit a grand slam with an absolute blast to center field. It seems like forever ago that pitchers were hitting - and moments like this were fun to watch.
Go back to June 12, 1988. Astros' pitcher Mike Scott - a dominant starting pitcher for several years in the 1980's had no hit the Braves through 8.2 innings when Ken Oberkfell hit a solid single to right field to break-up the no hitter. I was watching that game on grainy TV on a Sunday afternoon and I still remember the excitement. You can see the hit itself here. It wasn't a Braves win, but in 1988, you took anything you could get.
Bouncing back to the '10's, Andrelton Simmons seemingly produced a highlight worthy defensive play every series, and this one from 2014 was no different. Admittedly, I lost about 10 minutes getting lost in videos of him making play after play that were absolutely amazing.
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This one is a little random, but Deion Sanders hit a bomb in 1992 to give the Braves the lead against the Cubs. An impressive shot for NFL Hall of Famer and one of the more notorious Braves player from the early '90s.
It was 25 years ago that Andres Gallaraga returned to the Braves after missing the prior season because of cancer. And on Opening Day 2000, the 'Big Cat' delivered an emotional blast in his return to Atlanta's lineup.
In 1997, shortstop Rafael Belliard hit his second career home run - 10 years after his first. If you are too young to remember 'Raffy' he was basically Nick Allen with less pop. Let that sink in for a second. You can watch it here.
We can't talk about good-time vibes without Jason Heyward's Opening Day home run in 2010 against the Cubs. Being in the stadium for that one, that might be the loudest I'd ever heard Turner Field during a regular season game.
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Going back to 1993, Ron Gant hit a wall-bouncing walk-off home run off of Rob Dibble that was the first of three consecutive walk-off wins for Atlanta in mid-September. The fact that it came off Dibble - who was one of the more disliked relievers of the era - made it that much sweeter of a blast.
In 2005, Julio Franco was 46 years old and a member of the 'Baby Braves' team when he set the MLB record for the oldest player to hit a grand slam, with a pinch-hit job against the Marlins. Talk about a true legend. (And yes, if you include his career in Japan and South Korea, he has a compelling case as a Hall of Famer. Search Battery Power for an article about that a few years ago.)
While I could do this all night, here's just a couple more for your viewing pleasure.
Back in 2018, Charlie Culberson was becoming a cult hero with his hometown Braves team, when he hit this walk-off job in a season where the Braves somewhat unexpectedly made the playoffs.
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There is only one way we can end this - 40 years ago this July 4th - when the late Rick Camp hit one of the most unexpected home runs in Braves history.
'Holy cow! Oh my goodness! I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Rick Camp! Rick Camp!' John Sterling exclaimed with complete and utter shock. Always good to hear ol' Ernie Johnson, Sr., too.
I hope watching these good vibes moments brought a smile to your face.
Now maybe we can channel all that positivity toward the next four months of the 2025 season and hope that Braves end up bring more smiles to our faces that they have so far this year.
Overreaction?
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Nah, just shake it off stay positive, Braves fans.
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