The Atlanta Braves players are pointing fingers and trying to figure out how they lost in the post season despite the best record in the National League. Again.

"It's been frustrating the whole time watching this thing," said Braves infielder Mark DeRosa, who has been home in Mableton, watching every game since Atlanta was eliminated by the Cubs in the division series.

"It's frustrating, but Florida is a team that's always played us tough, so I've got a lot of respect for them. They've got guys stepping up, doing what it takes. Like the Anaheim Angels last year, their whole lineup is just flowing, clicking at the right time . . ."

"We're not built at that time of the year to win it all," said Braves closer John Smoltz, who had elbow surgery Oct. 7.

After seeing late-season pickups Kenny Lofton, Randall Simon and Aramis Ramirez help beat the Braves, Smoltz has seen the Marlins get boosts from additions Jeff Conine and Ugueth Urbina, not to mention Miguel Cabrera, who was in Double-A four months ago.

"If teams couldn't make a [personnel] move after spring training, how many championships would we have?" Smoltz said. "Every team we face has retooled its whole team to beat somebody."

The Braves had the most powerful lineup in Atlanta history, only the second NL team with six players to hit at least 20 homers, and the second in league history with five players who scored at least 100 runs.

But overshadowed by that was a 17-25 record in one-run games, a fact that manager Bobby Cox downplayed whenever it was brought up during the season.

The Braves' failures in those games was an indication of their lineup's major flaw.

"We're a different type of team," Fick said. "Our three-hitter is not bunting anybody over. That lineup [Florida] has is good because there's no egos. Derrek Lee will bunt in the four-hole.

"Would you rather have a team like that, or would you rather have a team where your hands are tied sometimes? The home runs are good and the RBIs are good, but you really need to have guys who get on base, who are taking pitches, working counts."

Said Smoltz, "Seriously, what can Bobby do with this lineup? You can't hit-and-run, you can't steal. What buttons do you want him to push when the team's constructed the way it is? When you're doing what you've got to do, it looks powerful, it looks great. But when you're not, it looks ugly. There's nothing in between."

DeRosa added, "There are not many situational hitters in our lineup. I'd venture to say there are none. That's no fault of the guys who are hitting. Marcus Giles, you can't be asking him to bunt; he's one of our best hitters."

"It's a great, powerful lineup, but in the postseason if you're not hitting the ball out of the park, you're not going to score runs."

Smoltz said he was upset that so few Braves, particularly position players, stuck around to answer questions after the Game 5 loss to Chicago.

"People have this smoke-screen, fake idea of what's going on with this team," said Smoltz, who also questioned the passion of some Braves, without being specific. "That's why it's hard. . . . It would be hard for me to explain, from my point of view without looking like I'm dogging guys . . .

"Simple fact is, the Florida Marlins put the ball in play in many situations that create pressure on the other teams. . . . Nobody gives up. They faced two hot pitchers, and the second time around they made adjustments they needed to make. We just didn't.

"And we didn't do it on the pitching end either, or on the defensive end. When you look at going to five games, scratching and clawing to put ourselves in Game 5 at home. . . . In my opinion, we battled and gave up a few runs, but didn't do anything to put pressure on the other team, like have an 11-pitch at-bat.

"To [the Marlins'] credit, I've seen Conine shorten up and go the other way, seen Pudge [Ivan Rodriguez] go to left, right, center . . . That's the team everybody knew was the scary team to play."