Let's ask ourselves, though......how many "real" chokes did the Braves actually have?
1991 - no
1992 - no, Toronto was the better team
1993 - yes (Philly was 70-92 in 1992 and the only difference in 93 was they added Scott Rolen; in 94, they had a losing record with mostly the same team)
1996 - maybe (but given what happened next, this will not be recalled as a choke but as the beginning of the late 90s Yankee dynasty)
1997 - no (Florida went 8-4 against Atlanta and won 92 games, 2nd in the NL)
1998 - maybe (San Diego won 98 games that year and basically split the season with the Braves, 4-5....and given what Bochy later did with SF......)
1999 - no
2000 - lost to a team with the same record that was 4-3 against the Braves in the season)
2001 - no
2002 - yes
2003 - yes
2004 - maybe
2005 - yes to Houston, but they would not have won the World Series
So in a 14-year span, I'm willing to concede that FOUR times they failed to advance were flat out chokes while 3 more were debatable.
I think the mere fact they're debatable disqualifies them as chokes.
On the flip side....
1) Cox DID manage to become the first manager to blow a 3-1 series lead in the LCS in 1985 with Toronto (he came within a Francisco Cabrera hit of repeating this in the NL)
2) The Braves choked in 2011 when Cox was nowhere to be seen and looked awful last year in the playoffs, too.
Charlie Leibrandt might be the most hard luck post-season pitcher in history.
1979 LCS
not even yet a rookie with the Reds, he comes into a must win game trailing, 6-0. He balks, sending Willie Stargell to 3rd, but gets out of the inning.
1984 LCS
In another must win with KC, Charlie pitches phenomenally, giving up only 3 hits.....and losing, 1-0 on a 2nd inning manufactured run
1985 LCS
starts game one, gets shelled for 5 runs in the 2nd inning and KC loses
starts game four - pitches great into the 9th with a 1-0 lead, gives up a walk and double, Quiz comes in, and Leibrandt loses when Quiz fails
WINS game seven - he's only in there because KC's best pitcher, Saberhagen, takes a line drive off his pitching hand
1985 World Series
game 2 - leads 2-0 entering the ninth with a five-hitter....gives up four runs and loses
game 6 - gives up 4 hits, leaves trailing, 1-0, and then gets a no decision thanks in large part to Don Denkinger
1991 NLCS
game 4 - staked to a 2-0 lead in the first, gives them back thanks in large part to Charlie's failure to back up third on an overthrow; no decision, Braves lose, 3-2
1991 World Series
game 1- gives up 4 runs in 4 innings and gets the loss
game 6 - Puckett slams Leibrandt's fourth pitch for a game-winning HR
1992
game 5 - relieves Avery down, 5-0, and gives up a run in 1.2 innings, relieved by the forgettable Marvin Freeman with two men on
game 6 - pitches great after the Braves are down, 8-0, for three relief innings
1992 World Series
game 6 - finally makes an appearance and loses the damned ballgame
If you look over these, it didn't matter whether Charlie pitched great or awful.....he almost always was on the wrong side at the end.
