| 2002 Atlanta Braves | ||
|---|---|---|
| National League East Champions | ||
| League | National League | |
| Division | East | |
| Ballpark | Turner Field | |
| City | Atlanta | |
| Record | 101–59 (.631) | |
| Divisional place | 1st | |
| Owners | AOL Time Warner | |
| General managers | John Schuerholz | |
| Managers | Bobby Cox | |
| Television | TBS Superstation Turner South (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) Fox Sports South (Tom Paciorek, Bob Rathbun) | |
| Radio | WSB (AM) (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) WWWE (Marcelo Godoy, Jose Manuel Flores) | |
| ||
The 2002 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 37th season in Atlanta and 132nd overall. The Braves won their eighth consecutive division title, finishing 19 games ahead of the second-place Montreal Expos. The Braves lost the 2002 Divisional Series to the eventual NL Champion San Francisco Giants, 3 games to 2. This would be the first of four consecutive NLDS losses in as many years, and the first of three consecutive years to do so by losing the deciding Game 5 at Turner Field.
2002 marked the final year that pitchers Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz played on the same team ending the reign of what has been considered by many the greatest pitching trio of all-time. All three would be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame a decade later. Smoltz set the Braves' single season record for saves (55). Chipper Jones moved to the outfield in left field to allow for Vinny Castilla to be signed and added to the lineup at third base. Julio Franco became a regular player in the second stint of his Major League career and Gary Sheffield was acquired to the Braves in 2002, playing at right field.