Braves 1993 Atlanta Braves Retrospective: The Last Pennant Race

[selmaborntidefan]

July 7, 1993
St. Louis Cardinals 3 (W: Magrane, 8-7; SV: L. Smith, 30)
Atlanta Braves 1 (L: Maddux, 7-8)
48-37
2nd place
8 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 8, 1993
St. Louis Cardinals 7 (W: Watson, 1-0)
Atlanta Braves 1 (L: Avery, 9-3)
48-38
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 9, 1993
Atlanta Braves 5 (W: Smoltz, 8-7)
Florida Marlins 1 (L: Bowen, 4-9)
49-38
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 10, 1993
Florida Marlins 5 (W: Armstrong, 6-9; SV: Harvey, 25)
Atlanta Braves 2 (L: Glavine, 10-4)
49-39
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 11, 1993
Atlanta Braves 6 (W: Maddux, 8-8; SV: Stanton, 23
Florida Marlins 3 (L: Hough, 4-10)
50-39
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 12, 1993
MLB All-Star Break
Travel day
Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD

STARTING LINEUPS

National League
1B - John Kruk (leading vote getter for NL)
2B - Ryne Sandberg
SS - Barry Larkin
3B - Gary Sheffield
RF - David Justice
CF - Marquis Grissom
LF - Barry Bonds
C - Darren Daulton
DH - Mark Grace
P- Terry Mulholland

American League
1B - John Olerud
2B - Roberto Alomar
SS - Cal Ripken Jr.
3B - Wade Boggs
RF - Joe Carter
CF - Ken Griffey, Jr.
LF - Kirby Puckett
C - Ivan Rodriguez
DH - Paul Molitor
P- Mark Langston

NOTABLE SNUBS
Every year we hear about it, it's as predictable as whining about which 66th best team in the country didn't get chosen for the NCAA basketball tournament: All-Star snubs.

The most notable NL snub is probably Lenny Dykstra, who is leading the league in runs scored and walks while second in doubles. And though he's slumped recently, Dykstra was hitting over .350 and in the top five when selections were made. But Dykstra along with Kevin Mitchell and Pittsburgh's Orlando Merced were passed over, in large part due to the representation requirement that got Bobby Bonilla chosen as the sole member of the New York Mets. Merced has the league's highest batting average of anyone not playing his home games in Colorado at .362. In the AL, Manager Cito Gaston is drawing the wrath of the hometown Baltimore fans for failing to pick Chris Hoiles and closer Gregg Olson. The fact seven Blue Jays are on the team isn't setting well, either, but that happens every year.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 13, 1993
American League 9 (W: McDowell, 1-0)
National League 3 (L: Burkett, 0-1)
NL Leads, 37-26-1

(Note: this article is linked here)


As much as the All-Star Game is a celebration of baseball’s history and a recognition of its current and future stars, it is also a celebration of place, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards played its role perfectly in 1993. The ballpark opened in 1992 as a reminder of classic ballparks of an earlier era, such as Ebbets Field, Shibe Park, and Wrigley Field. Just beyond the right-field fence sits the B&O Warehouse, built in 1899 and standing as the longest building on the East Coast (1,016 feet).1 The warehouse, transformed into shops, restaurants, and the offices of the Orioles, became the iconic symbol of baseball in downtown Baltimore.

The Home Run Derby was dominated by a pair of 23-year-old sluggers, Juan González and Ken Griffey Jr., as the American League easily won the team competition, 21-12. González won the individual title in a playoff and slugged the longest home run of the competition, 473 feet.2 But it was Griffey who will long be remembered as the first player to hit the warehouse on the fly, 465 feet away.3 “Before the event, he said his only chance to hit the warehouse would be if he were standing on second base and using a fungo bat.”4 Not true. SABR biographer Emily Hawks put it simply, “Ken Griffey Jr. possessed the sweetest swing there ever was.”5 The images of a backward-facing Mariners cap, a glistening earring, and a prodigious blast are assured of being lasting memories for many baseball fans. With that one swing, Griffey made the B&O Warehouse a co-star of the show! A baseball-shaped plaque marks the spot, simply stating: Seattle Mariners, Ken Griffey Jr., All Star Home Run Derby, July 12, 1993, 465’.

Starting pitching honors for this All-Star Game went to a pair of lefties, the Phillies’ Terry Mulholland (9-6, 2.72 ERA) for the National League and the Angels’ Mark Langston (9-3, 2.82 ERA) for the American League. For Mulholland, this was his first and only All-Star Game selection. In 1991 and 1992, he won 16 and 13 games, respectively, and led the National League with 12 complete games in 1992. First named an All-Star in 1987 as a Seattle Mariner, Langston was named to his third successive All-Star squad as a California Angels hurler.

It was the National League that got off to the quick start against Langston. With one out in the first inning, Gary Sheffield’s home run followed Barry Bonds’ double to right field for a 2-0 lead. Solo home runs by American Leaguers Kirby Puckett in the second inning and Roberto Alomar in the third inning knotted the score at 2-2.

The American League took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning, facing Giants hurler John Burkett (13-3, 3.28 ERA) who was well on his way to a major-league-leading 22 wins in 1993.6 Iván Rodriguez greeted Burkett with a double to left and advanced to third on a groundout. Successive singles by pinch-hitter Albert Belle and Griffey, sandwiched around an error, plated two runs. Burkett struck out Joe Carter but hit Cecil Fielder. When Kirby Puckett doubled to left, scoring Griffey, the American League led 5-2 and Burkett’s night was finished in favor of Steve Avery, who retired Cal Ripken on a groundout.7

The National League did score one run in the top of the sixth inning to narrow the deficit to two runs. Bonds doubled to right, advanced to third on Gary Sheffield’s single to left, and scored on Barry Larkin’s sacrifice fly. However, their offensive response over the final three innings was limited to two hits.

Meanwhile, the American League added to its margin in the sixth inning, sealing the fate of the National League, all with two outs and aided by some shoddy play. With Avery still on the mound, Carlos Baerga reached base on shortstop Jeff Blauser’s error and advanced to second on a walk to Albert Belle. A double by Devon White, scoring Baerga, ended Avery’s night in favor of John Smoltz. Smoltz proceeded to wild-pitch Belle home before walking Juan González. Smoltz also wild-pitched White home before retiring Cecil Fielder on a flyball to left to end the inning. Three unearned runs and an 8-3 lead for the American League. They added one more rather meaningless run in the seventh inning against the Giants’ first-time All-Star hurler Rod Beck. Greg Vaughn opened with a single to left. With two outs, Terry Steinbach doubled to right-center, scoring Vaughn and completing the scoring for the night in the American League’s convincing 9-3 win.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 14, 1993
MLB All-Star Break
Travel day

SECOND HALF OF SEASON WILL ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS

Technically, since we are near the 90-game mark, we are already into the season's second half, but we are left with questions from the first half that will provide us answers as we head towards the last (potential) pennant race(s) the game will ever see. The addition of the wildcard next year will end this (almost) annual ritual, and we will be the worse for it.

1) Can the Braves come back and win it?

This has to be the number one question as the most common musing around the sport is, "What's wrong with the Atlanta Braves?" Technically not much, although their offense needs another power bat.

The Braves sit right now firmly entrenched at nine games behind the San Francisco Giants with a record of 50-39. That is two games behind last year's pace and three games ahead of the pace of 1991, both years that ended with Atlanta pennant wins. But in neither of those years were they dealing with a team that has looked as good as the San Francisco Giants, who have 59 wins (Los Angeles had 51 two years ago and the Reds had 53). In both years, the Braves suddenly played lights out baseball in the second half while the other teams both had 7-game losing streaks that enabled Atlanta to catch them. But there's a problem this year that didn't exist in those two seasons: the addition of two expansion teams both increases the likelihood of avoiding a long losing streak while simultaneously making it more difficult to catch a leader because you are playing six fewer games against each opponent. In the past, the NL West played 12 games against the East and 18 games against each other, but the addition of the Marlins and Rockies had moved the NL to the "balanced schedule", where you play your own division 13 times and the other (still) 12. Avoiding five head-to-head games helps the leader and hurts the pursuer, and the Braves have concluded their season series with the Florida Marlins by the narrow margin of 7-5. Both teams have had their way with the Colorado Rockies, and the Giants are currently 4-2 against the Marlins with six games remaining in late August.

You never say never, and some of Atlanta's starting pitchers, most notably Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, have records that belie how well they've pitched. Smoltz lost two 1-0 complete games in April and a 2-1 game to Pedro Martinez and the Expos on June 18. His 8-7 record should be about 11-3. And Greg Maddux - who failed to make this year's All-Star team - has an 8--8 record despite being second in the league in strikeouts and fourth in ERA (2.83). Fans who look simply at the record and not how that record was obtained think they're pitching horrible when, in fact, they are two of the best pitchers in the game. The Giants will - probably - hit a skid somewhere. Key for Atlanta is they are going to have to get another bat for the lineup because their current one isn't cutting it, and they will have to beat the Giants head-to-head in order to make up ground. The teams play six games across the final week of August and into September.

The Braves have the worst batting average in the NL, and they're 11th in runs scored. It has been a trying year for their offense.

2) Will the Philadelphia Phillies hold on?
The Philadelphia Phillies, who finished last in 1992, are in front, but can they hold it? The Phillies', of course, authored one of the most famous collapses in baseball history in 1964, when they blew a 6 1/2 game lead with only 12 remaining. Their pitching staff is Curt Schilling and a few guys having career years. They have a beer league softball mentality, including Lenny Dykstra, but they are having fun and winning. The question remains whether or not they can have fun if they are suddenly not in first place.

And while nobody wants to say it, their bullpen is a vulnerability. Mitch Williams might have 23 saves, but he's a disaster waiting to happen. He blew a 4-run lead in the 9th to the Cubs (April 18) by giving up a three-run homer, but since he got the win, nobody cares. He blew a save two days later against the Padres, but Philly again won. On April 30 - with a 2-run lead over LA - he loaded the bases with nobody out but got the save when he allowed "only" one run. Spotted a two-run lead against the Expos on May 22, he gave up 3 runs and blew yet another save. Four days later, he blew a three-run lead and got the loss when he gave up four runs to the Mets. But Philly has tried to use other members of their bullpen - with even more disastrous results.

Get a better closer - or lose, Philly.

3) Will the San Diego Padres trade Fred McGriff - and who gets him?

Just one year ago, the San Diego Padres were within shouting distance of the Atlanta Braves in the NL West. Now, they've packed it in, unloading players left and right in the worst fire sale since Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over the lantern and sent Chicago into a tizzy. Last year they had three long ball threats: Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff, and Darrin Jackson. Jackson and Sheffield are gone, and McGriff is expected to be unloaded before the trade deadline. But where will the Crime Dog, the most consistent home run hitter in baseball the last five years, wind up?

The early favorite is, in fact, the Atlanta Braves, but it comes with a problem: the Braves are simply not going to give up Chipper Jones, their shortstop of the future, to get McGriff. Ryan Klesko is another name rumored in the McGriff trade but whether the Braves would risk that move is debatable. And there's another problem: is Fred McGriff good enough by himself to close the gap the Braves find themselves behind when they won't play enough games against the Giants alone to catch them? Two other clubs, the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles are rumored to be in pursuit of McGriff. You almost figure this has to be a rumor started to drum up prospects in the case of the Reds, who have a .300 hitting first baseman in Hal Morris and zero chance of winning the division this year. Baltimore makes more sense than Cincinnati, because he'd replace David Segui and the O's are only 1.5 games behind first-place Toronto. Speaking of which....

4) Can the Blue Jays finish first in the East again? Can they win the World Series again?

Toronto is attempting to win 3 straight division titles, something that has become more common in recent years with Oakland (1988-90) and Pittsburgh (1990-92). But they play in the most balanced division in baseball with - theoretically - all 7 teams still in the race and five of them within 3 games of each other. And even if they win the division, can the Blue Jays win the World Series again, something that hasn't been done since the Yankees of 1977-78?

Yes, they can finish first in the East.
And if they can get lucky enough to not face the Braves in the World Series, they can repeat there, too.

5) Will baseball reach a Collective Bargaining Agreement and avoid a strike in 1994?

No. The owners are setting the stage for the strike by running off the commissioner and replacing him with an owner, chutzpah usually reserved for Washington DC, who doesn't even have a team right now. They've set this in motion to cause a strike, blame the players for going on strike, and trying to win again at the free agency game that they feel has cost them millions.

Enjoy this season, it may be the last.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 15, 1993
Atlanta Braves 4 (W: Glavine, 11-4)
Pittsburgh Pirates 0 (L: Tomlin, 2-6)
51-39
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 16, 1993
Atlanta Braves 3 (W: Maddux, 9-8; SV: Stanton, 24)
Pittsburgh Pirates 2 (L: Cooke, 5-5)
52-39
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 17, 1993
Pittsburgh Pirates 4 (W: Wagner, 5-6; SV: Belinda, 18)
Atlanta Braves 3 (L: Smoltz, 8-8)
52-40
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 18, 1993
Atlanta Braves 2 (W: Avery,10-3; SV: Stanton, 25)
Pittsburgh Pirates 0 (L: Z. Smith, 0-4)
53-40
2nd place
8 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 19, 1993
St. Louis Cardinals 4 (W: Osborne, 9-3: SV: L. Smith, 33)
Atlanta Braves 0 (LP. Smith, 3-8)
53-41
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 20, 1993
Atlanta Braves 8 (W: Wohlers, 4-0; SV: Stanton, 26)
St. Louis Cardinals 5 (L: Cormier, 5-6)
54-41
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 21, 1993
Atlanta Braves 14 (W: Maddux, 10-8)
St. Louis Cardinals 2 (L: Magrane, 8-8)
55-41
2nd place
9 games behind

BRAVES UNLEASH NEW OFFENSE IN 5 HOMER BARRAGE;
KILE IMPROVES TO 11-1

Maybe it was as simple as just adding one more powerful bat to the lineup. Fred McGriff joined the Atlanta Braves yesterday with an unforgettable debut, as the stadium caught fire and delayed the start of the game and then McGriff, the only hitter in major league history to lead both leagues in home runs, drilled a game-tying home run in an 8-5 Braves win. Tonight, McGriff was the fulcrum in a five-homer, 18-hit barrage that included two bombs off the bat of "The Crime Dog" himself and a grand slam off the bat off part-time player and 1992 hero Francisco Cabrera as the Braves rode the pitching of Greg Maddux and the newfound offense to a 14-2 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals. Terry Pendleton and Ron Gant also homered for Atlanta. Yesterday, the Braves had the worst batting average in the National League. A little more than 24 hours after McGriff's arrival, the Braves have ripped out 29 hits and 7 home runs in only 16 innings at bat and produced 22 runs. It is exactly what the Braves will need if they are to have any hope of making up a 9-game deficit to the San Francisco Giants.

The other problem for the Braves is not exactly cooperating. The Giants overcame an early 3-0 deficit to the Montreal Expos and prevailed, 4-3, to maintain baseball's best record as well as the nine game margin over revived Atlanta. Kirt Manwaring's successful suicide squeeze bunt scored Mark Carreon from third with what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the 7th. Tommy Greene scattered six hits over 8 1/3 innings while the Phillies took advantage of Orel Hershiser's wildness (6 walks, 3 wild pitches) in a 7-0 shutout of the Dodgers. Houston's Darryl Kile improved to 11-1 with his 9th straight win in a 5-3 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kile, who entered 1993 with a 12-21 record and rated behind new acquisitions Doug Drabek and Greg Swindell has thus far been the ace of the Astros staff. Jose Guzman allowed two hits in 7 innings, and a double by Rick Wilkins keyed a three-run 8th inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds, 4-1. A two-run shot by Eddie Murray and Doc Gooden's seven hits allowed over seven innings lifted the Mets to a 5-3 win over the San Diego Padres.

The five-team race in the AL East will likely shrink in size, but Baltimore blew a golden opportunity tonight. Leading the Kansas City Royals, 5-4, with KC runners on 1st and 2nd, the Orioles summoned lights out closer Gregg Olson to get four outs. He moved both runners ahead with a wild pitch and then gave up a two-run single to Hubie Brooks. Saved from himself in the bottom of the 8th when David Segui's homer tied it at six, Olson gave up two more runs in the 9th to allow the Royals to escape with an 8-6 win. Olson had converted 17 straight saves before he floundered. Jay Buhner marked the fifth anniversary of his trade from the Yankees to the Mariners by going 5-for-5 for the first time in his career, including a homer, a double, and three RBIs as Seattle thumped his old club, the Yankees, 10-3. Jeff Reboulet singled three times and Dave Winfield doubled as the Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers, 7-2. The Twins set a major league record by going 94 straight games without a pitcher throwing a complete game, a streak ended tonight by Kevin Tapani.
Scott Hemond's first major league homer and five RBIs lifted Oakland to a 7-2 win over Cleveland and ended both a five-game losing streak for the Athletics and a four-game winning streak for the Indians.
Roger Clemens scattered six hits and struck out seven as the Red Sox won their sixth straight game in a 4-1 win over California. Leading 2-0, Jack Morris was struck on a finger on his pitching hand by a batted ball and left too soon to get the decision, but Al Leiter came on and gave up just two hits in five innings as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-1.

The Seattle Mariners released Pete O'Brien.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 22, 1993
Pittsburgh Pirates 8 (W: Minor, 6-3)
Atlanta Braves 7 (L: Howell, 1-3)
55-42
2nd place
10 games behind

BRAVES BLOW 3-RUN LEAD IN 9TH, LOSE
10 GAMES OUT WITH 65 TO GO

A bullpen collapse by the Atlanta Braves saw Pittsburgh score 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th at Three Rivers Stadium and turn a 7-4 deficit into an 8-7 win that leaves the Braves ten games out of first place with 65 remaining in the last season of baseball pennant races. The Braves will soon face a ticking clock of time if they hope to win their third straight division title and after the game, the team showed less confidence in themselves and their ability to pull this off than has been seen in the clubhouse in more than two years. Needing just to get 3 outs and having a 3-run advantage, neither Mike Stanton (26 of 29 in save opportunities) nor Jay Howell could seal the deal. The defeat was so crushing that ESPN "Baseball Tonight" analyst Dave Campbell said that he honestly did not believe the Braves could catch the Giants.

The collapse wasted a pretty good pitching performance (again!) by John Smoltz. The flame thrower struck out six Pirates and left in the 7th with a 5-4 lead. Greg McMichael and Mark Wohlers added three more strikeouts to the ledger, and newcomer Fred McGriff ignited a 9th pair of insurance runs by doubling to center and then scoring on a single by the guy he replaced, pinch-hitter Sid Bream. With a 7-4 lead and Stanton on the mound, the game looked in the bag for Atlanta. But the bag had a big hole in it.

Former Brave Lonnie Smith drew a walk and moved to third on a single by Carlos Garcia. Jay Bell bounced into a fielder's choice out that forced Garcia at second and scored Smith to cut the gap to 7-5. When Jim Leyland opted to send Lloyd McClendon as a pinch-hitter, the Braves countered with Howell. But Howell found immediate trouble when he walked McClendon. Jeff King flew out to right for the second out, leaving the Braves one out from the win. But Dave Clark singled, scoring Bell, and Kevin Young's double to right chased both McClendon and Clark home to give Pittsburgh a sizzling 8-7 win and the Braves an excruciating loss. When the Giants beat Philly, 4-1, in a battle of division leaders, the Braves fell to ten games behind for the first time this year.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 23, 1993
Atlanta Braves 6 (W: Avery, 11-3)
Pittsburgh Pirates 2 (L: Belinda, 3-1)
55-42
2nd place
9 games behind

Nine months ago, the Atlanta Braves rallied in the 9th inning against reliever Stan Belinda to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates and advance to the World Series. Tonight, they performed a similar feat - also against Belinda - that may have been necessary for them simply to maintain hope of returning to the World Series. With the score tied at 0 entering the 9th, the Braves' new look offense erupted for six runs, the last three coming on a home run from David Justice after the Pirates walked the hot new slugger Fred McGriff in hopes of ending the inning down by only three. Trailing 6-0, the Pirates took the measure against reliever Mark Wohlers by loading the bases with nobody out. Wohlers traded two runs for two outs and retired Don Slaught on a grounder to give the Braves a 6-2 win. When the Phillies scored an unearned run on an error in the 14th, they beat the Giants, 2-1, and gave the Braves one game up in the standings, though still a wide nine games behind San Francisco. Pete Smith takes the mound tomorrow night for the Braves against former Atlanta starter Bob Walk.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 24, 1993
Atlanta Braves 11 (W: Bedrosian, 1-2)
Pittsburgh Pirates 6 (L: Walk, 10-8)
57-42
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 25, 1993
Atlanta Braves 13 (Glavine: 12-4)
Pittsburgh Pirates 1 (L: Tomlin, 3-7)
58-42
2nd place
9 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 26, 1993
Atlanta Braves 12 (W: Maddux, 11-8
Colorado Rockies 7 (L: Leskanic, 1-4)
59-42
2nd place
8 games behind