If Rocker wasn't lights-out, then your expectations for a lights-out closer are way too freaking high. And Smoltz was only a "solid closer?" He was a dominant closer. Didn't have anybody like Scot Shields? Greg McMichael's rookie year was better than any season Shields has had so far. Not only that, but he followed it up with a few other good seasons. Chris Hammond had an 0.95 ERA in 76 innings for the Braves in 2002. Remlinger had great years there. You saw everyone I listed earlier. They have routinely gotten great performances from their bullpen. It seems to me- and I admit that my memory is a little fuzzy as far as the Braves are concerned- but haven't the Braves almost always struggled to score runs in the post season. I seem to remember David Justice saying that the Braves valued nothing except starting pitching. They did occasionally struggle to score runs in the postseason, but it wasn't always against great pitching. For example, look at the 1998 NLCS. They got shut down by Sterling Hitchcock...twice. I don't think anyone would call Sterling Hitchcock a great pitcher. There's a big difference between having great pitching and getting a great performance or two by a mediocre pitcher in a 5- or 7-game series. Like the White Sox of last year in the WS.