Baseball Prospectus 1996
And in 1993, the Braves were buried behind the Giants at mid-season, but went 54-17 down the stretch, swept the Rockies in the season's final weekend, and sent San Francisco home along with their 102 wins. They fell to the Phillies in the NLCS that year, but forgotten is the line drive that Mickey Morandini smashed off of Greg Maddux's leg early in Game 6; Maddux was unable to pitch at his usual standards for the rest of the game, and for the first time, the National League was represented by 25 members of the Hell's Angels in the World Series.
Are the Braves simply to be labeled chokers because Lonnie Smith, whose running skills were so legendary that he earned the nickname "Skates", made a questionable running play in 1991? Or because Nixon wasn't a half-step faster on his way to first base in 1992? Or because Maddux couldn't get out of the way of Morandini's line drive in 1993?
One of the greatest appeals of baseball is its long, winding season, with so many turns and divvies along the way. In a game where the Mariners have more off-days than the Seahawks have games to play, the season becomes too long and too detailed to digest fully, and we look for shortcuts to package our memory of it. In October, when all but the greatest individual games of the regular season have been forgotten, all that remains is the final standings, and we assume, for the sake of simplicity, that the best teams in baseball were the ones who finished in first place.
We assume that the breaks have evened out in the long run, that timely gusts of wind, borderline umpiring calls, and pebbles in the infield dirt have affected all teams equally. In the regular season, these assumptions are quite valid, but in the crucible of the World Series, seven games is never enough to separate baseball's two best teams from each other. And when nearly 70% of the games are decided by a single run, as they have been in the Braves' last three trips to the Series, the intangible, uncontrollable factors of the game take on such significance that it would be cruel and unfair to condemn a team for falling an out late and a baserunner short of victory.
Anyway, the Braves put an end to their detractors' cries with an eloquence that only comes from an 11-3 postseason, capped off with a crisp, precise victory over the best regular-season team of the last 40 years.
And if the Indians fall short of a World Championship next year, the same cries may be heard in Cleveland.
RAFAEL BELLIARD 1962 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ATL 354 89 6 2 1 22 3 1 .251 .295 .288 .207 73 26 1992 ATL 287 66 5 1 1 16 0 1 .230 .271 .265 .183 52 16 1993 ATL 79 18 5 0 0 4 0 0 .228 .265 .291 .192 15 5 1994 ATL 120 30 5 1 0 2 0 2 .250 .262 .308 .193 23 8 1995 ATL 179 40 1 0 0 6 2 2 .223 .249 .229 .155 28 7 1996 PRJ 131 27 2 0 0 5 1 2 .206 .235 .221 .140 18 4If Bill Veeck were alive and owned the Braves, I wonder if he'd send Belliard up there one day with a plastic bat, a la Eddie Gaedel. I wonder if anyone would notice.
JEFF BLAUSER 1966 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ATL 353 92 13 3 11 54 5 5 .261 .359 .408 .268 95 49 1992 ATL 349 100 20 3 17 49 5 5 .287 .374 .507 .298 104 62 1993 ATL 599 185 26 2 13 85 17 6 .309 .395 .424 .292 175 97 1994 ATL 379 100 17 3 6 38 1 3 .264 .331 .372 .247 94 43 1995 ATL 429 91 15 2 10 56 8 5 .212 .303 .326 .222 95 40 1996 PRJ 464 120 23 2 14 55 7 4 .259 .337 .407 .262 121 61Has gone from a good-hit, no-field shortstop to a good-field, no-hit one in record time. He better find his hitting stroke again if he doesn't want to become a good-lord, no-job player soon.
FRANCISCO CABRERA 1967 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 RIC 119 30 4 1 6 7 0 1 .252 .294 .454 .254 30 15 1991 ATL 95 23 6 0 4 6 1 1 .242 .287 .432 .247 23 11 1992 RIC 302 79 7 1 7 14 0 0 .262 .294 .361 .231 70 29 1993 ATL 83 20 2 0 4 8 0 0 .241 .308 .410 .249 21 10 1995 RIC 105 24 3 0 1 5 0 1 .229 .264 .286 .186 20 6 1996 PRJ 282 69 9 1 8 13 0 0 .245 .278 .369 .226 64 26Stan Belinda finished 1995 as the Red Sox' top set-up man. Cabrera finished the season with the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks. Fate's a funny thing, but it doesn't last forever.
JERMAINE DYE 1974 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1994 MCN 518 138 17 1 11 24 12 6 .266 .299 .367 .236 123 52 1995 GRN 403 105 16 2 12 22 4 5 .261 .299 .400 .242 98 44Was ranked by Baseball America as the #3 prospect in the Braves system. The guys at Baseball America must think that plate discipline involves knowing the difference between the shrimp fork and the salad fork. Still, at 22 he's shown power and the ability to hit for average. Impressed onlookers in the Arizona Fall League.
ED GIOVANOLA 1969 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 DUR 307 65 3 0 5 41 10 6 .212 .305 .270 .205 63 24 1992 GRN 275 69 2 0 5 26 3 1 .251 .316 .313 .225 62 25 1993 GRN 384 92 12 3 4 69 5 4 .240 .355 .318 .242 93 43 1994 GRN 85 19 4 1 3 9 1 0 .224 .298 .400 .244 21 10 1994 RIC 345 92 9 1 5 26 6 3 .267 .318 .342 .236 81 35 1995 RIC 331 105 15 2 3 51 8 5 .317 .408 .402 .291 96 53 1996 PRJ 382 104 18 2 6 46 7 5 .272 .350 .377 .259 99 48Has one major league hit, and more rings than Ernie Banks. Could replace Belliard on the Braves' bench next year, but I doubt he'll get enough playing time to reach some of Banks' other numbers.
ANTHONY GRAFFAGNINO 1972 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 MCN 414 87 6 2 8 35 5 3 .210 .272 .292 .196 81 28 1993 DUR 462 106 14 2 9 35 17 7 .229 .284 .327 .218 101 40 1994 GRN 446 123 18 1 7 45 20 5 .276 .342 .368 .259 115 56 1995 RIC 182 35 3 0 4 13 2 2 .192 .246 .275 .174 32 9 1996 PRJ 422 97 17 1 11 37 16 7 .230 .292 .353 .230 97 42A year ago, Graffagnino looked like one of the better second base prospects in the game, and a good bet to unseat Mark Lemke in Atlanta. Of course, a year ago O.J. was still in jail. Still young enough to come back strong if he regains his health.
KEVIN GRIJAK 1971 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 MCN 162 38 6 0 4 10 2 0 .235 .279 .346 .221 36 14 1993 MCN 395 96 13 2 5 23 5 3 .243 .285 .324 .215 85 32 1994 DUR 68 24 5 0 5 9 1 1 .353 .429 .647 .351 24 16 1994 GRN 350 87 11 1 9 18 2 2 .249 .285 .363 .227 79 32 1995 GRN 73 29 2 0 2 6 0 1 .397 .443 .507 .330 24 14 1995 RIC 315 94 11 3 11 23 2 2 .298 .346 .457 .279 88 46 1996 PRJ 501 135 17 2 20 38 2 2 .269 .321 .431 .262 131 65Was a monster at Greenville, and maintained some offensive value after his promotion to Richmond, but let's face it: this isn't the right organization to be a first base prospect in. If he were a Twin, he'd be a front-runner for the job.
MARQUIS GRISSOM 1967 CF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MON 575 175 26 8 8 34 76 16 .304 .343 .419 .283 163 89 1992 MON 657 191 39 5 18 46 78 12 .291 .337 .447 .288 189 106 1993 MON 632 192 22 2 18 53 56 11 .304 .358 .430 .287 182 100 1994 MON 471 135 19 3 10 41 41 6 .287 .344 .403 .276 130 69 1995 ATL 548 142 18 3 10 46 30 9 .259 .316 .358 .246 135 62 1996 PRJ 606 175 29 4 16 47 44 7 .289 .340 .429 .280 170 91Such a huge drop in performance from a guy who was formerly Mr. Consistency is a real cause for concern. The Braves may one day regret signing him to a long-term deal. Hit just .229 after All-Star Break.
The Braves still intend to use Grissom in the lead-off spot, but even if he returns to the .340-.350 OBP range he reached in his best years, the Braves should continue to score fewer runs than they're capable of, due to the lack of baserunners in front of their devastating power core.
DAMON HOLLINS 1974 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1994 DUR 487 114 14 1 12 32 9 5 .234 .281 .341 .219 107 42 1995 GRN 467 106 17 2 13 37 5 4 .227 .284 .355 .223 104 43The Braves have a bunch of Grade B outfield prospects coming up, but none of them have any plate discipline. A year from now Andruw Jones should pass all of them. Hollins' best chane of making big bucks is to change his last name to Johnny and hope someone gets confused.
TYLER HOUSTON 1971 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MCN 363 71 7 1 6 23 4 1 .196 .244 .270 .174 63 18 1992 DUR 407 77 9 1 4 13 3 3 .189 .214 .246 .142 58 13 1993 GRN 260 63 9 1 3 9 4 2 .242 .268 .319 .207 54 19 1993 RIC 36 5 2 1 0 1 0 0 .139 .162 .250 .102 4 1 1994 RIC 313 71 9 2 3 13 3 2 .227 .258 .297 .192 60 20 1995 RIC 354 90 8 2 10 16 4 4 .254 .286 .373 .230 81 34 1996 PRJ 361 92 11 1 11 23 3 3 .255 .299 .382 .239 86 38A first-round pick in 1988. Even the Braves make mistakes. While his offense has improved substantially over the last two years, he's been moved from catcher to first base, where he has absolutely no value.
CHIPPER JONES 1972 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MCN 490 137 13 4 11 44 17 7 .280 .339 .390 .260 128 62 1992 DUR 270 63 10 1 3 23 7 5 .233 .294 .311 .214 58 22 1992 GRN 269 91 13 6 9 10 11 1 .338 .362 .532 .311 84 48 1993 RIC 538 166 22 6 11 52 22 6 .309 .369 .433 .287 154 83 1995 ATL 521 139 20 3 20 71 8 4 .267 .355 .432 .275 143 76 1996 PRJ 633 187 34 5 29 61 13 5 .295 .357 .502 .296 187 107These players today, they're too soft. Can't come back from an injury the way they used to. To look at his 1993 and 1995 seasons, you'd never think he missed a year to injury. His average dropped and he lost a little speed, but his power and walks were up significantly, a promising sign. The Braves should consider moving him back to shortstop if Blauser doesn't start hitting again. Jones compares favorably to Cal Ripken at this point in his career, and Ripken made the third base-to-shortstop transition quite well, I'd say.
DAVE JUSTICE 1966 RF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ATL 398 111 20 1 22 64 8 6 .279 .379 .500 .299 119 71 1992 ATL 494 139 19 4 26 83 2 4 .281 .385 .494 .300 148 88 1993 ATL 587 162 18 4 35 78 3 5 .276 .361 .499 .292 171 99 1994 ATL 351 112 14 2 17 69 3 4 .319 .431 .516 .324 114 73 1995 ATL 409 104 14 2 22 71 4 2 .254 .365 .460 .285 116 66 1996 PRJ 462 121 15 0 26 80 3 4 .262 .371 .463 .287 133 76His homer off Jim Poole in Game Six made insurance providers in Georgia pretty happy. Had the worst year of his career, a year most OFs would kill for.
RYAN KLESKO 1971 LF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 GRN 432 117 13 1 14 60 12 11 .271 .360 .403 .266 115 60 1992 RIC 422 103 15 2 14 36 3 4 .244 .303 .389 .240 101 46 1993 RIC 346 92 9 1 17 42 4 2 .266 .345 .445 .275 95 51 1994 ATL 244 70 11 3 16 26 1 0 .287 .356 .553 .305 75 45 1995 ATL 327 103 23 2 20 45 5 4 .315 .398 .581 .325 106 69 1996 PRJ 484 149 28 2 40 63 6 4 .308 .388 .622 .331 160 107McGriff's long-term deal means Klesko has to start playing left better than Kevin Reimer did. If Cox lets him play every day - and he certainly deserves the chance - he could start hitting 35-40 homers regularly for the next ten years.
If he was an Indian, he'd be signed through the year 2000. With options for 2001 and 2002.
BRIAN KOWITZ 1970 RF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 DUR 327 70 7 3 3 13 10 5 .214 .244 .281 .183 60 19 1991 GRN 114 24 2 0 3 8 1 3 .211 .262 .307 .191 22 7 1992 DUR 390 100 7 3 5 33 14 7 .256 .314 .328 .231 90 38 1992 GRN 57 14 4 0 0 5 1 2 .246 .306 .316 .214 12 5 1993 GRN 448 105 12 3 4 49 10 6 .234 .310 .301 .218 98 39 1993 RIC 45 11 1 2 0 5 1 0 .244 .320 .356 .244 11 5 1994 RIC 467 133 21 4 6 36 19 7 .285 .336 .385 .259 121 58 1995 RIC 361 99 12 3 2 38 11 6 .274 .343 .341 .247 89 41 1996 PRJ 422 119 18 3 5 30 9 5 .282 .330 .374 .252 106 49The Braves may think everything is fine in centerfield with Grissom tied up for four years, but let's not forget that they were so desperate early in 1995 that they led this guy off for a few games. The scary thing is that Kowitz's OBP for the year was significantly higher than Grissom's.
MARK LEMKE 1966 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ATL 270 64 11 2 2 28 1 2 .237 .309 .315 .219 59 23 1992 ATL 433 108 6 4 8 53 0 3 .249 .331 .337 .236 102 44 1993 ATL 495 126 17 2 6 64 1 2 .255 .340 .333 .240 119 52 1994 ATL 349 105 7 1 3 38 0 3 .301 .370 .352 .258 90 42 1995 ATL 397 101 14 4 4 43 2 2 .254 .327 .340 .237 94 41 1996 PRJ 363 91 13 2 4 40 2 2 .251 .325 .331 .234 85 36A sign of some hubris on the part of the Braves is the fact that they are completely satisfied with Lemke as their second baseman. Most teams would be looking for someone who could provide more offensive punch than the Lemmer can provide. The Braves have so much faith in their pitching that they can send Rafael Belliard out there to start against the Cleveland Indians, and expect to win. And do.
JAVIER LOPEZ 1971 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 DUR 389 82 8 1 8 13 6 2 .211 .236 .298 .184 72 22 1992 GRN 447 138 18 1 15 22 6 2 .309 .341 .454 .279 125 64 1993 RIC 379 111 17 1 12 11 2 5 .293 .313 .438 .259 98 47 1994 ATL 276 70 8 1 11 17 0 2 .254 .297 .409 .244 67 30 1995 ATL 331 105 11 3 12 13 0 1 .317 .343 .477 .284 94 49 1996 PRJ 492 148 19 2 21 28 0 0 .301 .338 .476 .283 139 73With such a predominantly left-handed lineup, the Braves see more than their share of southpaws. The right-handed Lopez figures to be one of the guys to take advantage of this, but for his career he's hit .254 vs LHP, but .304 vs RHP. The Braves need Lopez to hitter better against LHPs to make opposing managers pay when they bring in lefty relievers vs. McGriff, Justice, and Klesko.
MARTY MALLOY 1973 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 MCN 383 90 11 1 2 24 11 4 .235 .280 .285 .202 77 27 1994 DUR 431 93 9 1 3 39 12 7 .216 .281 .262 .191 82 28 1995 GRN 461 114 14 2 7 33 9 7 .247 .298 .332 .222 102 41
PABLO MARTINEZ 1969 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CSC 453 97 10 3 2 24 16 9 .214 .254 .263 .180 81 25 1992 HDS 422 73 5 2 1 29 9 5 .173 .226 .201 .127 54 10 1993 WIC 131 32 3 1 1 10 6 3 .244 .298 .305 .218 29 11 1993 LVG 243 43 1 0 2 14 5 1 .177 .222 .206 .129 31 6 1994 SLU 178 36 2 0 2 11 5 4 .202 .249 .247 .167 30 8 1994 BIN 49 8 2 1 0 4 0 1 .163 .226 .245 .141 7 2 1994 NOR 81 12 0 0 0 3 1 1 .148 .179 .148 **** -7 -1 1995 GRN 463 105 16 2 4 30 10 7 .227 .274 .296 .199 92 32 1995 RIC 49 11 2 1 0 1 1 1 .224 .240 .306 .186 9 3Has played for eight different minor league teams in the past three years. There's a good reason for that.
FRED MCGRIFF 1964 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SDP 543 165 21 1 33 107 4 1 .304 .418 .529 .324 176 113 1992 SDP 538 163 28 3 41 100 8 5 .303 .412 .595 .333 179 122 1993 SDP 303 85 11 1 16 42 4 3 .281 .368 .482 .291 88 51 1993 ATL 256 81 15 1 18 34 1 0 .316 .397 .594 .331 85 55 1994 ATL 423 138 23 1 31 50 8 3 .326 .397 .605 .333 141 92 1995 ATL 525 148 21 1 25 63 3 6 .282 .359 .469 .283 149 82 1996 PRJ 522 143 25 1 28 70 2 3 .274 .360 .487 .290 151 86A disappointing season for one of the most consistent players of our generation. He's 32, so this may represent the beginning of a decline phase for the Crime Dog. Of course, the Braves bet $20 million that it isn't, and I tend to agree. Will probably hit 450-500 HR; has 60% of a Hall of Fame career already, and should have no problem with the other 40%.
BOBBY MOORE 1966 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 OMA 498 114 8 2 1 27 33 11 .229 .269 .259 .195 97 33 1992 RIC 318 75 8 2 1 18 13 5 .236 .277 .283 .202 64 23 1994 MEM 98 21 3 1 1 7 1 1 .214 .267 .296 .194 19 6 1994 RIC 216 74 5 2 3 15 9 5 .343 .385 .426 .289 62 33 1995 RIC 335 85 12 2 3 25 9 5 .254 .306 .328 .227 76 31Atlanta traded Rico Rossy to Kansas City for Moore four years ago, which tells you that some GMs have entirely too much time on their hands.
MIKE MORDECAI 1968 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 DUR 403 88 11 1 3 25 16 9 .218 .264 .273 .189 76 25 1992 GRN 227 56 10 1 3 25 8 3 .247 .321 .339 .238 54 24 1992 RIC 118 27 1 0 1 5 0 3 .229 .260 .263 .169 20 6 1993 RIC 205 51 6 1 1 13 9 2 .249 .294 .302 .219 45 18 1994 RIC 383 102 15 1 11 30 13 6 .266 .320 .397 .254 97 47 1995 ATL 75 21 5 0 3 8 0 0 .280 .349 .467 .282 21 11 1996 PRJ 191 50 7 1 3 16 15 5 .262 .319 .356 .249 47 22Someone who was in the right place at the right time, and made the most of his opportunity. The line between Mike Mordecai, career minor leaguer and Mike Mordecai, career major-league backup infielder is very, very thin. He looks like he crossed it this year.
JOSE MUNOZ 1968 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SAN 123 35 5 1 0 8 3 1 .285 .328 .341 .243 30 13 1991 ABQ 372 97 10 2 1 13 11 6 .261 .286 .306 .212 79 29 1992 ABQ 437 115 14 2 3 16 5 3 .263 .289 .325 .218 95 36 1993 ABQ 416 90 11 2 1 22 4 2 .216 .256 .260 .175 73 21 1994 PAW 516 119 10 1 4 43 11 9 .231 .290 .277 .199 103 36 1995 RIC 531 151 14 3 3 49 8 7 .284 .345 .339 .245 130 58The Mark Lemke of Triple A. One is enough, thank you.
RAMON NUNEZ 1973 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 MCN 383 89 9 2 5 24 3 3 .232 .278 .305 .203 78 28 1994 DUR 454 106 12 1 8 27 4 5 .233 .277 .317 .206 94 34 1995 DUR 55 20 2 0 4 7 0 0 .364 .435 .618 .353 19 13 1995 GRN 240 59 9 1 7 12 1 1 .246 .282 .379 .230 55 23His performance in Durham is testimoy to the concept of small sample size.
KEVIN O'CONNOR 1969 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MCN 325 67 7 1 1 31 13 5 .206 .275 .243 .185 60 19 1991 DUR 81 14 0 0 2 5 1 2 .173 .221 .247 .142 12 3 1992 DUR 447 104 8 1 4 36 19 10 .233 .290 .282 .206 92 34 1993 GRN 357 57 9 1 5 52 13 6 .160 .267 .232 .172 62 19 1994 GRN 475 116 11 1 3 29 16 7 .244 .288 .291 .208 99 36 1995 RIC 208 46 1 2 4 24 13 3 .221 .302 .303 .224 47 20
JOSE OLMEDA 1968 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MCN 316 75 9 3 3 23 15 4 .237 .289 .313 .220 70 28 1991 GRN 177 34 6 1 3 11 7 2 .192 .239 .288 .186 33 11 1992 DUR 92 20 3 1 1 10 4 2 .217 .294 .304 .215 20 8 1992 GRN 347 80 16 2 3 34 10 4 .231 .299 .314 .220 76 31 1993 GRN 447 109 20 2 6 23 11 5 .244 .281 .338 .220 98 39 1994 RIC 389 84 14 4 3 25 15 3 .216 .263 .296 .201 78 28 1995 GRN 108 25 2 1 3 6 1 0 .231 .272 .352 .220 24 9 1995 RIC 245 62 9 2 1 14 2 1 .253 .293 .318 .217 53 20If this is the guy they named the Coliseum in Oakland for, he's worth taking a look at. Otherwise, forget him.
ALDO PECORILLI 1971 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 SAV 530 135 12 2 11 55 9 6 .255 .325 .347 .239 127 56 1994 STP 515 134 13 1 18 46 10 6 .260 .321 .394 .251 129 61 1995 GRN 263 91 11 2 5 19 3 5 .346 .390 .460 .295 78 42 1995 RIC 130 34 3 0 5 18 0 0 .262 .351 .400 .265 34 17 1996 PRJ 454 127 20 0 15 45 2 3 .280 .345 .423 .269 122 62There must have been something funny in the water in Greenville, because both Grijak and Pecorilli played way over their heads their last year. He's not a bad hitter, but he needs to find his way around the Klesko-McGriff Detour on his way to Atlanta. He's right-handed, so he may be able to find a spot as a bench warmer..uh..player.
EDDIE PEREZ 1968 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1988 BUR 188 34 3 0 3 7 0 0 .181 .210 .245 .137 26 5 1989 SUM 414 77 8 1 4 24 0 3 .186 .231 .239 .144 60 13 1990 SUM 127 19 2 1 2 9 0 0 .150 .206 .228 .121 15 3 1990 DUR 93 19 0 0 2 0 0 0 .204 .204 .269 .149 14 3 1991 DUR 280 64 5 1 6 9 0 1 .229 .253 .318 .196 55 18 1992 GRN 279 61 8 0 6 21 3 2 .219 .273 .312 .204 57 21 1993 GRN 83 25 2 0 5 1 1 0 .301 .310 .506 .282 23 12 1994 RIC 389 96 10 1 7 14 1 1 .247 .273 .332 .211 82 30 1995 RIC 328 87 10 1 5 11 1 2 .265 .289 .348 .223 73 29Decent backup catchers can last forever, or almost as long as left-handed relievers. Unfortunately, this has no bearing on Perez' situation.
LUIS POLONIA 1965 LF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CAL 613 197 24 8 3 51 66 26 .321 .373 .401 .282 173 93 1992 CAL 577 170 16 5 2 43 55 19 .295 .344 .350 .258 149 72 1993 CAL 571 153 11 6 1 44 65 21 .268 .320 .313 .241 138 63 1994 NYY 348 112 13 5 1 33 26 14 .322 .381 .397 .279 97 51 1995 ATL 53 14 6 0 0 3 3 0 .264 .304 .377 .252 13 6 1995 NYY 236 63 6 2 2 22 13 5 .267 .329 .335 .243 57 26 1996 PRJ 266 72 15 3 0 20 22 14 .271 .322 .350 .241 64 30As they did with Mike Devereaux, the Braves turned a mediocre starting player into a valuable bench player. Polonia has no power and doesn't walk much, but he can hit for a decent average and has speed, giving him a role as a left-handed pinch-hitter/pinch-runner. Of course, Klesko's presence in left field meant that he could also be used as a defensive replacement, a term rarely used around Polonia in the past.
DARREN REED 1966 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 WPB 41 10 1 0 2 1 0 0 .244 .262 .415 .234 10 4 1992 MIN 33 6 3 0 0 2 0 0 .182 .229 .273 .163 5 1 1992 MON 81 15 3 0 5 7 0 0 .185 .250 .407 .223 18 8 1994 BUF 39 10 1 0 2 1 0 0 .256 .275 .436 .246 10 4 1995 RIC 138 37 5 0 4 11 0 0 .268 .322 .391 .251 35 16
HECTOR ROA 1969 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MCN 124 32 3 0 2 5 1 1 .258 .287 .331 .217 27 10 1991 MIA 287 55 4 3 2 10 9 5 .192 .219 .247 .153 44 11 1992 DUR 380 92 16 3 5 11 9 3 .242 .263 .339 .214 81 31 1993 GRN 444 94 16 2 5 19 5 4 .212 .244 .291 .182 81 25 1994 DUR 125 28 3 0 2 4 2 2 .224 .248 .296 .186 23 7 1994 GRN 146 35 3 1 4 3 2 2 .240 .255 .356 .212 31 12 1995 RIC 121 31 2 0 2 3 0 1 .256 .274 .322 .207 25 9
GARY SCOTT 1969 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 IOW 233 46 8 1 3 15 1 4 .197 .246 .279 .172 40 12 1991 CHC 80 14 3 0 1 13 0 1 .175 .290 .250 .182 15 5 1992 IOW 354 90 15 1 9 32 3 1 .254 .316 .379 .245 87 40 1992 CHC 97 17 3 0 2 5 0 1 .175 .216 .268 .150 15 4 1993 IND 282 55 8 1 2 19 2 1 .195 .246 .252 .165 46 13 1993 POR 185 47 5 2 1 21 2 1 .254 .330 .319 .233 43 18 1994 PHX 412 100 14 1 6 29 4 5 .243 .293 .325 .216 89 34 1995 PHX 213 50 10 1 4 23 2 2 .235 .309 .347 .230 49 21 1995 RIC 88 13 1 0 0 9 0 1 .148 .227 .159 .066 6 0It must be depressing to reach the peak of your career at the age of 21.
DWIGHT SMITH 1964 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CHC 168 40 7 2 3 12 2 3 .238 .289 .357 .223 38 15 1992 CHC 220 65 11 3 4 15 10 7 .295 .340 .427 .267 59 30 1993 CHC 309 93 15 4 10 25 9 6 .301 .353 .472 .285 88 48 1994 BAL 73 22 2 1 2 4 0 1 .301 .338 .438 .267 20 10 1994 CAL 121 32 4 1 4 5 2 3 .264 .294 .413 .242 29 13 1995 ATL 130 33 8 2 2 13 0 3 .254 .322 .392 .243 32 15If he called Coors Field home, he could challenge VanderWal's new record for pinch-hits in a season. The kind of player managers love to see on their bench in the 8th inning, waiting to use them in a crucial at-bat against the other team's closer. It's a tough job, and doesn't earn nearly enough respect.
ROBERT SMITH 1974 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 MCN 389 77 8 3 3 13 6 4 .198 .224 .257 .157 61 15 1994 DUR 479 108 14 1 6 30 12 5 .225 .271 .296 .201 96 34 1995 GRN 445 107 16 2 11 33 10 4 .240 .293 .360 .231 103 44Chipper's not exactly quaking in his boots. A decent prospect, but still a couple of years away. The Braves love his defense, which is good, because he may need to move to shortstop to break into this lineup.
PEDRO SWANN 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 DUR 183 51 4 1 3 14 5 6 .279 .330 .361 .241 44 20 1993 GRN 155 41 6 1 2 7 2 1 .265 .296 .355 .231 36 15 1994 GRN 434 112 14 1 9 41 12 5 .258 .322 .357 .243 106 48 1995 GRN 340 100 15 2 8 38 12 7 .294 .365 .421 .277 94 50 1995 RIC 38 8 0 0 0 1 0 2 .211 .231 .211 .111 4 1Hmmm. A .280 hitter with some power, a little speed, walks a fair amount. Not the most unique set of talents. With Atlanta's crowded outfield situation, he's unlikely to get a shot.
JEROME WALTON 1966 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CHC 272 63 13 1 5 19 7 3 .232 .282 .342 .221 60 24 1992 IOW 27 8 1 1 0 4 1 1 .296 .387 .407 .277 7 4 1992 CHC 56 8 0 2 0 9 1 2 .143 .262 .214 .148 8 2 1993 VAN 173 48 8 1 1 13 4 3 .277 .328 .353 .242 42 19 1994 CIN 68 21 3 0 1 4 1 3 .309 .347 .397 .253 17 8 1995 CIN 162 49 12 1 7 17 11 8 .302 .369 .519 .296 48 29 1996 PRJ 198 54 7 2 5 20 13 8 .273 .339 .404 .262 52 27Re-united with Dwight Smith after all these years. After years of trying, and failing, to live up to the expectations after his rookie season, Walton rediscovered himself as a fourth outfielder. The Braves signed him to be just that, and he should continue to find success in that role.
MIKE WARNER 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 MCN 188 46 5 1 1 25 10 2 .245 .333 .298 .236 44 19 1993 DUR 268 70 9 2 3 39 19 7 .261 .355 .343 .257 69 34 1994 DUR 323 90 13 4 7 38 17 7 .279 .355 .409 .272 88 46 1994 GRN 56 17 4 0 1 8 2 0 .304 .391 .429 .296 17 9 1995 GRN 176 37 6 0 1 40 9 3 .210 .356 .261 .232 41 18 1995 RIC 99 20 2 1 2 9 1 2 .202 .269 .303 .193 19 7 1996 PRJ 364 102 18 3 4 41 15 9 .280 .353 .379 .262 95 47A year ago, he looked like the next Brett Butler. Now he's just trying to hit better than Rhett Butler. He needs to get his career back on track, or he may be gone with the...you know.
JUAN WILLIAMS 1973 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MCN 359 66 8 1 1 23 5 5 .184 .233 .220 .139 50 11 1992 MCN 240 49 7 1 2 16 8 3 .204 .254 .267 .182 44 14 1993 DUR 406 75 8 1 6 28 8 6 .185 .237 .254 .162 66 18 1994 DUR 399 74 8 1 9 41 6 6 .185 .261 .278 .183 73 24 1995 GRN 192 57 8 2 11 15 4 2 .297 .348 .531 .298 57 33 1995 RIC 132 35 4 0 4 16 1 2 .265 .345 .386 .255 34 16 1996 PRJ 549 149 19 2 17 72 4 4 .271 .356 .406 .268 147 75Whatever Pecorilli and Grijak were sipping at, he was drinking straight. I'm skeptical, but deserves to be watched carefully next year.
STEVE AVERY 1970 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ATL 209.0 213 94 27 69 150 4.05 11 12 9.17 2.97 6.46 1992 ATL 233.3 240 103 21 78 147 3.97 13 13 9.26 3.01 5.67 1993 ATL 219.7 240 87 17 51 136 3.56 13 11 9.83 2.09 5.57 1994 ATL 151.0 131 66 16 57 126 3.93 9 8 7.81 3.40 7.51 1995 ATL 172.0 173 85 23 54 140 4.45 8 11 9.05 2.83 7.33Two years ago, he was coming into his own as the best left-handed starter in the game. Today he's a bit of an enigma, and some might argue his days as an effective starter are over. Of course, he doesn't turn 26 until after Opening Day, he was terrific in the postseason, and his peripheral numbers are still excellent. A Cy Young Award is probably not in his future, but 15 wins and a 3.30 ERA may be for 1996.
STEVE BEDROSIAN 1958 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 MIN 76.0 79 42 12 35 51 4.97 3 5 9.36 4.14 6.04 1993 ATL 49.0 38 12 5 16 36 2.20 4 1 6.98 2.94 6.61 1994 ATL 45.7 42 18 4 19 45 3.55 3 2 8.28 3.74 8.87 1995 ATL 28.0 42 20 5 12 22 6.43 1 2 13.50 3.86 7.07Retired, for the second time. His first time around, he was just 33, still an effective pitcher, but was dealing with personal tragedy with the leukemia affecting his son Cody [is that right?]. He came back, gave the Braves' bullpen a boost with two excellent seasons in middle relief, then retired gracefully after it became apparent that he had lost it. If only all players retired with such class.
DIRK BLAIR 1969 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 MCN 60.0 85 34 6 11 39 5.10 3 4 12.75 1.65 5.85 1993 DUR 73.3 98 42 11 22 48 5.15 3 5 12.03 2.70 5.89 1994 GRN 79.7 110 45 9 24 51 5.08 3 6 12.43 2.71 5.76 1995 GRN 57.7 79 31 8 11 32 4.84 2 4 12.33 1.72 4.99There has never been a ballplayer named Dirk in the major leagues. That appears unlikely to change.
PEDRO BORBON 1968 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 DUR 81.7 109 53 5 36 57 5.84 3 6 12.01 3.97 6.28 1991 GRN 27.3 26 14 3 11 18 4.61 1 2 8.56 3.62 5.93 1992 GRN 87.7 100 55 11 51 69 5.65 3 7 10.27 5.24 7.08 1993 RIC 72.7 73 37 8 46 83 4.58 3 5 9.04 5.70 10.28 1994 RIC 76.3 73 30 4 44 75 3.54 4 4 8.61 5.19 8.84 1995 ATL 31.7 31 11 2 17 33 3.13 2 2 8.81 4.83 9.38Borbon was virtually unhittable to start the season, boosting him into the role of top lefty out of the pen. With five dominant starters, Wohlers, and McMichael on the staff, Borbon soon became the *only* lefty needed in the pen, spelling Mike Stanton's demise by mid-season.
JOE BOROWSKI 1971 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 KNE 71.3 78 37 8 49 50 4.67 3 5 9.84 6.18 6.31 1992 FRD 71.3 86 48 6 61 62 6.06 2 6 10.85 7.70 7.82 1993 FRD 54.3 77 39 6 47 49 6.46 2 4 12.75 7.79 8.12 1993 BOW 16.3 14 5 0 12 14 2.76 1 1 7.71 6.61 7.71 1994 BOW 60.7 62 22 3 31 59 3.26 4 3 9.20 4.60 8.75 1995 BOW 20.0 18 10 4 7 27 4.50 1 1 8.10 3.15 12.15 1995 ROC 32.7 33 16 4 20 29 4.41 2 2 9.09 5.51 7.99Acquired in the Kent Mercker trade. Borowski has played second fiddle to Armando Benitez among the Orioles' minor league relievers, but he's a fine pitcher in his own right. His control has improved tremendously the last two seasons, but the Braves aren't exactly in desperate need of pitching at the moment, so he'll probably head back to AAA for more seasoning.
BRAD CLONTZ 1971 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 MCN 21.0 22 18 7 12 12 7.71 0 2 9.43 5.14 5.14 1993 DUR 67.7 86 42 8 33 55 5.59 3 5 11.44 4.39 7.32 1994 GRN 42.7 37 17 8 13 42 3.59 3 2 7.80 2.74 8.86 1994 RIC 24.3 22 7 1 9 19 2.59 2 1 8.14 3.33 7.03 1995 ATL 68.3 75 27 5 23 55 3.56 4 4 9.88 3.03 7.24Clontz began the season as the closer; not surprisingly, he lost that job early on. Still, he finished with a promising season for a rookie. A sidearmer, he gave up a .344 average to LHBs, but held RHBs to a .228 average. His ability to get right- handers out should keep him in good standing in the Braves' pen.
MIKE D'ANDREA 1970 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 MCN 120.3 170 94 27 64 102 7.03 3 10 12.71 4.79 7.63 1994 DUR 144.0 208 98 24 54 100 6.12 5 11 13.00 3.38 6.25 1995 GRN 92.0 120 66 8 60 51 6.46 3 7 11.74 5.87 4.99Well, at least he doesn't lose sleep thinking that, if he were in another organization, he could make it to the majors.
ROGER ETHERIDGE 1972 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 CWV 38.7 48 45 10 42 18 10.47 1 3 11.17 9.78 4.19 1994 CWV 51.0 79 42 10 34 28 7.41 1 5 13.94 6.00 4.94 1994 MCN 29.0 50 22 4 10 13 6.83 1 2 15.52 3.10 4.03 1994 DUR 60.0 54 18 2 17 27 2.70 5 2 8.10 2.55 4.05 1995 GRN 93.7 133 73 15 58 39 7.01 2 8 12.78 5.57 3.75Melissa has a better chance of taking the field in Atlanta any time soon.
CHAD FOX 1971 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 CWV 117.3 164 120 20 117 52 9.20 2 11 12.58 8.97 3.99 1994 WNS 144.3 139 85 24 109 101 5.30 6 10 8.67 6.80 6.30 1995 CHT 73.7 81 47 3 57 46 5.74 3 5 9.90 6.96 5.62
TOM GLAVINE 1966 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ATL 244.7 227 88 23 72 210 3.24 16 11 8.35 2.65 7.72 1992 ATL 224.7 219 88 10 77 146 3.53 14 11 8.77 3.08 5.85 1993 ATL 235.0 266 99 16 101 131 3.79 14 12 10.19 3.87 5.02 1994 ATL 164.3 179 70 10 73 145 3.83 9 9 9.80 4.00 7.94 1995 ATL 197.3 191 70 9 68 126 3.19 13 9 8.71 3.10 5.75One of the most cerebral players in the game. He lacks a single dominant pitch, doesn't have great control, gives up a hit an inning, doesn't hold runners on particularly well, and has always had trouble getting out left-handed hitters, a very unusual trait for a southpaw. With all that, he's been one of baseball's best starters throughout the decade.
Glavine's the kind of player who could pitch into his 40's relying on nothing more than savvy and guile. Some might argue he already is.
TOM HARRISON 1972 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1995 DUR 35.3 26 7 1 15 20 1.78 3 1 6.62 3.82 5.09 1995 GRN 83.0 97 52 14 30 48 5.64 3 6 10.52 3.25 5.20 1995 RIC 39.3 38 18 3 23 15 4.12 2 2 8.69 5.26 3.43You have to be impressed with any player who pitches at three different levels (A, AA, AAA) in one season, especially one who made his professional debut in 1995. It's unlikely he'll get a chance to pitch much for the Braves next year, but he certainly deserves to be watched - especially if Jason Schmidt falters in the rotation early on.
MIKE HOSTETLER 1970 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 DUR 79.7 98 35 4 22 64 3.95 5 4 11.07 2.49 7.23 1992 GRN 74.7 105 55 18 29 50 6.63 2 6 12.66 3.50 6.03 1993 GRN 126.0 140 54 14 39 86 3.86 7 7 10.00 2.79 6.14 1993 RIC 45.3 52 27 6 20 32 5.36 2 3 10.32 3.97 6.35 1994 RIC 22.0 29 15 4 10 12 6.14 1 1 11.86 4.09 4.91 1995 GRN 152.3 203 104 34 50 78 6.14 5 12 11.99 2.95 4.61Missed most of 1994 with arm trouble, and spent 1995 trying to regain his old form. Highly regarded within the organization, but he still has a long way to go before he becomes more prospect than project.
JERRY KOLLER 1972 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 MCN 121.0 133 59 20 33 75 4.39 6 7 9.89 2.45 5.58 1993 DUR 141.7 204 113 33 61 71 7.18 4 12 12.96 3.88 4.51 1994 GRN 111.3 128 71 15 51 49 5.74 4 8 10.35 4.12 3.96 1995 GRN 138.0 183 89 23 41 70 5.80 5 10 11.93 2.67 4.57Not many players draw the koller against Jerry.
GREG MADDUX 1966 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CHC 261.3 245 107 24 69 213 3.68 16 13 8.44 2.38 7.34 1992 CHC 266.7 227 76 11 77 226 2.57 21 9 7.66 2.60 7.63 1993 ATL 263.0 254 92 17 60 213 3.15 18 11 8.69 2.05 7.29 1994 ATL 201.0 155 41 4 33 161 1.84 18 4 6.94 1.48 7.21 1995 ATL 208.0 155 37 8 23 179 1.60 20 3 6.71 1.00 7.75Maddux's 1994 or 1995 seasons are not, individually, unique; Gooden in 1985, Guidry in 1978, and Gibson in 1968 all had comparable seasons. But taken together, the past two seasons for Maddux represent a level of dominance that baseball hasn't seen in over half a century. Koufax's best two-year stretch, when adjusted for the hitters' hell of Dodger Stadium in the mid-60's, doesn't compare to Maddux. The last pitcher to come close was probably Lefty Grove in 1930-31, and Maddux probably overmatches him too.
Calling Maddux the best pitcher in the game today is insulting to him; calling him the best of our generation is hardly news. It's time we start lumping him with the all-time greats - Young, Mathewson, Johnson, Grove, Seaver - and by the end of his career, Maddux could be looking down on all of them.
DARRELL MAY 1972 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 MCN 94.3 113 46 14 22 73 4.39 5 5 10.78 2.10 6.96 1993 DUR 46.7 56 24 6 20 33 4.63 2 3 10.80 3.86 6.36 1994 DUR 68.0 95 35 5 18 55 4.63 3 5 12.57 2.38 7.28 1994 GRN 58.7 73 30 7 21 36 4.60 3 4 11.20 3.22 5.52 1995 GRN 87.0 90 46 23 22 66 4.76 4 6 9.31 2.28 6.83 1995 RIC 47.3 60 22 2 19 39 4.18 2 3 11.41 3.61 7.42One of the biggest sleepers in the organization. He's probably the Braves' best left-handed prospect - he's a lot more polished than Terrell Wade - and if he can claim the fifth starter spot this year, he could surprise a lot of people.
GREG MCMICHAEL 1967 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 DUR 70.0 109 45 6 29 59 5.79 3 5 14.01 3.73 7.59 1992 GRN 43.0 51 22 5 16 46 4.60 2 3 10.67 3.35 9.63 1992 RIC 86.0 95 51 7 37 78 5.34 4 6 9.94 3.87 8.16 1993 ATL 90.0 77 24 3 32 96 2.40 7 3 7.70 3.20 9.60 1994 ATL 58.3 68 27 1 20 49 4.17 3 3 10.49 3.09 7.56 1995 ATL 79.7 67 25 8 33 73 2.82 6 3 7.57 3.73 8.25One of the most underrated relievers in the game. His best pitch is his changeup, and pitchers who rely on changing speeds rarely get the respect they deserve. As dominant as Mark Wohlers has become, the performance McMichael gives the Braves in a set-up role is almost as important.
ROD NICHOLS 1965 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CLE 135.7 139 47 6 27 85 3.12 9 6 9.22 1.79 5.64 1992 CSP 50.7 63 33 10 14 35 5.86 2 4 11.19 2.49 6.22 1992 CLE 103.7 117 50 14 29 66 4.34 6 6 10.16 2.52 5.73 1993 ABQ 118.7 127 59 19 52 69 4.47 6 7 9.63 3.94 5.23 1994 OMA 135.7 169 90 24 53 90 5.97 5 10 11.21 3.52 5.97 1995 RIC 54.0 61 20 5 8 53 3.33 4 2 10.17 1.33 8.83Excellent control, but not much else. Has bounced around the major leagues, finding occasional success, but you wouldn't want to bet on him finding it again.
DALE POLLEY 1966 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 RIC 61.3 76 27 2 28 36 3.96 4 3 11.15 4.11 5.28 1992 RIC 52.7 60 21 1 26 38 3.59 3 3 10.25 4.44 6.49 1993 GRN 56.0 48 31 13 23 54 4.98 2 4 7.71 3.70 8.68 1993 RIC 17.0 22 9 1 12 12 4.76 1 1 11.65 6.35 6.35 1995 RIC 59.7 58 17 2 23 56 2.56 5 2 8.75 3.47 8.45Has been in the Braves' organization since 1987, used as a starter for a couple of years before being moved to the bullpen. He was on the verge of making it to the majors before injuries cost him all of 1994. Came back better than ever last year, and could help the Braves as the second left-hander in the pen. He's 30 years old, which might spell his doom, but it's not unheard of for a reliever to make his debut at that age. Tim Fortugno and Billy Taylor are recent examples.
MIKE POTTS 1971 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 MCN 85.0 92 73 14 60 48 7.73 2 7 9.74 6.35 5.08 1992 DUR 117.3 120 90 11 87 90 6.90 3 10 9.20 6.67 6.90 1993 GRN 130.0 144 83 11 97 94 5.75 5 9 9.97 6.72 6.51 1994 RIC 81.3 82 41 4 46 60 4.54 4 5 9.07 5.09 6.64 1995 RIC 68.3 89 37 4 42 49 4.87 3 5 11.72 5.53 6.45He's left-handed and has good stuff, so you never know. He's certainly way too wild at this point to be successful in the major leagues.
JASON SCHMIDT 1973 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 MCN 20.3 37 21 3 23 21 9.30 0 2 16.38 10.18 9.30 1993 DUR 103.3 157 85 20 60 77 7.40 2 9 13.67 5.23 6.71 1994 GRN 129.3 160 76 15 66 114 5.29 5 9 11.13 4.59 7.93 1995 RIC 109.0 109 44 3 55 89 3.63 7 5 9.00 4.54 7.35 1995 ATL 24.7 29 16 3 18 19 5.84 1 2 10.58 6.57 6.93The job of fifth starter is his to lose. His numbers have consistently improved as he has ascended the minor league ladder, and he's only 23. His control is the only thing standing between him and a successful major league career.
JOHN SMOLTZ 1967 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ATL 228.0 233 107 22 81 162 4.22 12 13 9.20 3.20 6.39 1992 ATL 246.0 229 97 25 87 244 3.55 15 12 8.38 3.18 8.93 1993 ATL 240.3 233 112 28 110 226 4.19 13 14 8.73 4.12 8.46 1994 ATL 134.0 124 64 15 50 117 4.30 7 8 8.33 3.36 7.86 1995 ATL 191.3 174 70 15 74 192 3.29 13 8 8.18 3.48 9.03Has long been considered a disappointment in Atlanta, in large part because his won-loss records have always been something like 14-12 despite good ERAs. In fairness to Smoltz, the Braves' offense has scored fewer runs for him than they have for either Avery or Glavine.
He seems to have cleared a hurdle last year; he posted one of the lowest ERAs of his career, and his 12-7 record silenced critics who claimed he was just a .500 pitcher. He doesn't turn 29 until May, and his best years may still be ahead of him.
TOM THOBE 1970 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 MCN 61.0 98 36 1 17 36 5.31 3 4 14.46 2.51 5.31 1994 GRN 58.7 67 26 4 32 45 3.99 4 3 10.28 4.91 6.90 1995 RIC 83.7 73 30 3 30 53 3.23 5 4 7.85 3.23 5.70He's left-handed, so he'll probably duke it out with Polley for a spot in the Braves' pen. Thobe probably has the upper hand, simply because he's four years younger.
TERRELL WADE 1973 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 MCN 73.0 83 31 3 42 79 3.82 4 4 10.23 5.18 9.74 1993 DUR 29.3 33 17 5 22 33 5.22 1 2 10.12 6.75 10.12 1993 GRN 38.7 36 21 7 32 33 4.89 2 2 8.38 7.45 7.68 1994 GRN 97.7 102 58 12 69 91 5.34 4 7 9.40 6.36 8.39 1994 RIC 22.7 25 10 1 16 24 3.97 2 1 9.93 6.35 9.53 1995 RIC 133.3 152 79 14 72 116 5.33 5 10 10.26 4.86 7.83Wade exploded onto the scene by dominating the low minors in 1993. He has spent the last two years working on his control, with less success than the Braves would like to see. He's still quite young, and if the Braves are patient with him, he could still pay large dividends. A move to the bullpen may be in his future.
MARK WOHLERS 1970 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 GRN 30.0 11 4 2 14 35 1.20 3 0 3.30 4.20 10.50 1991 RIC 24.3 26 9 1 11 21 3.33 2 1 9.62 4.07 7.77 1991 ATL 19.7 20 9 1 14 14 4.12 1 1 9.15 6.41 6.41 1992 RIC 32.3 34 16 5 19 30 4.45 2 2 9.46 5.29 8.35 1992 ATL 35.3 31 12 1 15 19 3.06 3 1 7.90 3.82 4.84 1993 RIC 28.0 22 7 0 12 34 2.25 2 1 7.07 3.86 10.93 1993 ATL 47.7 41 26 4 24 49 4.91 2 3 7.74 4.53 9.25 1994 ATL 50.7 53 32 2 34 60 5.68 2 4 9.41 6.04 10.66 1995 ATL 63.7 54 15 2 25 89 2.12 5 2 7.63 3.53 12.58In the Guinness Book of World Records, the fastest pitch ever recorded is purported to be one thrown by Nolan Ryan in the 1970s, timed at 100.9 mph. That's a joke; Wohlers can *average* 101 on the radar gun for an inning. He struck out over one- third of the batters he faced last year, a feat accomplished by only three other pitchers in the history of the game (min: 30 IP): Tom Henke in 1987, Rob Dibble 4 times from 1989 to 1992, and Randy Johnson last year.
BRAD WOODALL 1969 YEAR TEAM IP H ER R BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 DUR 39.3 38 16 6 13 37 3.66 2 2 8.69 2.97 8.47 1992 GRN 37.3 35 23 3 20 39 5.54 1 3 8.44 4.82 9.40 1993 DUR 28.0 26 14 4 7 19 4.50 1 2 8.36 2.25 6.11 1993 GRN 50.0 47 26 2 27 31 4.68 3 3 8.46 4.86 5.58 1993 RIC 55.0 61 29 7 18 40 4.75 2 4 9.98 2.95 6.55 1994 RIC 177.3 177 64 16 51 126 3.25 12 8 8.98 2.59 6.39 1995 RIC 62.0 77 40 7 19 41 5.81 2 5 11.18 2.76 5.95 1995 ATL 10.0 14 9 1 8 5 8.10 0 1 12.60 7.20 4.50Had a breakthrough season in 1994, but regressed massively last year, with injuries playing a major role. Being a pitching prospect in the Braves system is like Newt Gingrich fawning over the Presidency: the only way you're getting the job is if the people ahead of you drop dead. Woodall needs a change of scenery if he doesn't want to spend the next few years riding buses and hoarding his meal money away.