WORST-TO-FIRST - 1991 Atlanta Braves

Baseball Digest, Oct, 2001 by Jack Wilkinson

1991 Was A Magical Season For The Atlanta Braves

Ten years have passed since club won its first N.L. pennant after finishing with the majors' most inferior record the year before

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, THE worst-to-first of times. It was 1991. Even now, 10 years later and a decade of excellence hence, it remains the most remarkable season the Atlanta Braves have ever had. And ever will.

"It was like your wedding night," broadcaster Skip Caray said. "It's the first time, and everything's great."

"We captured a city," John Smoltz said. "It was hysterical, kind of like Elvis was back."

"It's the booster rocket for a great--so far--10-year run," general manager John Schuerholz said.

"It's my most satisfying season," said Terry Pendleton, the stumpy third baseman who left St. Louis and became the hot cornerstone of Schuerholz's grand rebuilding scheme, the Braves' leader and the National League MVP and batting champion.

"You won't find many situations where you ask players what their favorite year was, and you have a choice between winning a World Series and another year," said Tom Glavine, who along with Smoltz are the only '91 Braves still with the club. "It's a tossup here. 1995 was the ultimate, but had we won the World Series in '91, there'd be no way to top that."

This from the guy who beat Cleveland in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series, to give Atlanta its only world championship. While '95 was triumphant, '91 is timeless.

"1991 is second, but not by much," said Glavine. "Second separated by one game. One more win and '91 is a hands-down winner."

One for the ring finger, too. "Sometimes I wear my '95 ring, but this one I wear more," Rafael Belliard said, extending the hand with his '91 ring. "This one is my favorite one."

As a shortstop with the Braves from 1991-1998, Belliard won seven rings signifying various championships. These days, as a minor league fielding instructor in the organization, he keeps his '95 World Series ring in a safe-deposit box. Instead, he prefers to wear his '91 N.L. champion ring.

"This one is very beautiful. The "A", and the colors," he said, holding up the ring with an "A" of diamonds inlaid in a red stone. "1995 is very special. In '95, my dream came true. Everybody's dream is to have a World Series ring. But in '91, we started everything."

"As far as just fun, nothing compares to '91," said Steve Avery, then 21.

Yes. Fun. And wasn't that part of the essence of '91? Such unexpected fun, such delirium and joy. And with the ultimate (if politically incorrect) rallying point and cry, the tomahawk chop. Remember? Red foam tomahawks and chops and chants. A parade fit for returning war heroes, not World Series runners-up. Rally caps and closing the gap on the Dodgers ("Beat L.A!") so swiftly, Tommy Lasorda flung his postgame pasta on the floor.

It was a bicoastal, late-night pennant race that mesmerized Atlanta and kept us awake till all hours, till the Dodgers score came in from the coast. It captivated the entire Southeast, too.

On Tuesday night, October 1, in the last week of the regular season, the Braves (one game behind L.A.) fell behind Jose Rijo and the Reds 6-0 in Cincinnati. Slowly, they rallied. In the ninth inning, a doctor in Greenville, South Carolina, was watching at home on TV when David Justice hit a dramatic two-run homer off Rob Dibble to complete a miraculous 7-6 comeback.

The good doctor was a bit excited. A few minutes later, two police officers knocked on his front door, the blue lights of their patrol car flashing outside. Seems the doctor jumped up and shouted, "Get out! Get out! Get out!" when Justice hit the ball. His wife was sleeping upstairs, awoke to her husband's screams, thought there was an intruder in the house and dialed 911.

"Now, it's almost a write-off when (the Braves) win the division," said Mark Lemke, the second baseman who hit .417 in the '91 World Series. "But back then, it was a great accomplishment, and one of the greatest displays of affection by fans you'll ever see."

But then, it was all so unexpected. Even to those in baseball. The previous winter, when Schuerholz left Kansas City to become the Braves' general manager, Al Rosen--then the Giants' GM and a close friend--phoned and asked, "John, have you lost your mind? And do you realize it's the worst playing field in professional baseball?"

The Braves had finished last for three straight years and hadn't had a winning season since 1983. No matter. Schuerholz improved the infield in every respect. He brought along groundskeeper Ed Mangan from Kansas City and signed three veteran free agents who had been on winning teams to play behind a young rotation: Pendleton, Belliard and first baseman Sid Bream. He also traded for center fielder Otis Nixon a week before the season opener.

By then, Pendleton had already approached Schuerholz at the batting cage one day midway through spring training and whispered, "From what I can see, I think we're going to have a lot of fun this season."