Being out of playoff hunt new to many Braves, old story for two veterans
ATLANTA -- The most difficult day of this season, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez admitted, has yet to come.
Win, lose, skid or streak, there's always tomorrow. But it is the absolute finality of the seasons' end -- which, for the Braves, who enter this weekend's series against the Phillies having already been eliminated from the National League East and wild-card races -- which is tough to swallow.
"It's a different feeling," Gonzalez said. "I don't like it. Hopefully we don't get very many more years like this. ... It's the worst feeling in the world and it will be on Sunday. You kind of prepare yourself because Sunday is the last day and no matter how we are going -- losing or winning five in a row -- you've always got tomorrow. On Sunday, there is no more tomorrow. That's all we got. For me, that takes a little while to get past that."
That's a new situation for Gonzalez since he took over the Braves in 2011, with these marking the first non-meaningful games he had managed.
His first season, Atlanta was in the thick of the postseason hunt, only to fall one game behind he Cardinals in the Wild-Card race. Then, in 2012, the Braves lost to St. Louis in the one-game playoff, and last season, they won the National League East by 10 games before suffering a first-round exit at the hands of the Dodgers.
"When you're in the playoffs, you're always thinking 'There's tomorrow ... tomorrow ... tomorrow," Gonzalez said.
He isn't alone in being on the outside looking in for the first time.
First baseman Freddie Freeman, right fielder Jason Heyward, closer Craig Kimbrel and starting pitcher Mike Minor all made their major-league debuts in 2010, when the Braves earned the wild card before falling to the Giants in four games. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons ('12), starting pitcher Julio Teheran ('13) and Evan Gattis ('13) and Alex Wood ('13) all played their rookie seasons amid playoff chases.
Said Gonzalez of this alternate ending, "It's not a good feeling."
But they've at least been to the postseason before. For a pair of Atlanta veterans, this season was a continuation of careers that have never experienced the postseason.
Aaron Harang, who went a surprising 11-12 with a 3.60 ERA in his first season with the Braves and is tied for fourth in the NL with 24 quality starts, has yet to reach the playoffs in a 13-year career that has also included stints with the Reds, A's, Mets, Dodgers, Padres and Mariners.
The same for outfielder/catcher Ryan Doumit, who spent seven years with the Pirates -- but left two years before they were a wild-card team -- and in his two seasons with the Twins, they finished fifth ('12) and fourth ('13) in the American League Central.
The postseason gets underway Tuesday, but Gonzalez says he won't watch much, at least not right away.
He'll tune-in for an inning here or there, but doesn't truly start paying attention until the League Championship Series.
"Sometimes you just want to get away," Gonzalez said. "I'll TiVo it if there's a good matchup ... it's hard. It's hard to watch."
