The left-handed setup man was also crucial to Atlanta's 1999 National League pennant-winning season, during which he posted a 2.37 ERA and a 190 ERA+. There will always be arguments and discussions as to which pitchers were the best and in what order. In the interview, Rocker discussed his "Speak English" campaign, as well as his upcoming book, Rocker: Scars & Strikes. Get a complete list of current starters and backup players from your favorite team and league on CBSSports.com. The Big Three was a trio of Major League Baseball starting pitchers for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2002 which consisted of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. Even when the Braves had leads, the baseball world and probably the Yankees, too knew it was just a matter of time before Derek Jeter & Co. showed up, kicked the door in and stole Braves fans happiness. Especially in the postseason. The Braves then took on the Phillies in the NLCS and, after dropping Game 1 in extra innings, pummeled the Phillies 14-3 in Game 2 and 9-4 back home in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. The Braves lost because there were too many missed opportunities. Closer Jeff Reardon came on to close it out. The details: After walkoff wins in Games 3 and 4 and a 14-5 pounding of the Twins in Game 5, the Braves were up 3-2 in the series and looked to be in total control and on their way to a title. Guillen, a native of Venezuela, claimed it was not a derogatory term and that, in Venezuela, the term only questions another man's courage rather than his sexual orientation. Minter gave up a. His career 148 ERA+ still ranks as the 11th best ERA+ in the history of Major League Baseball for a relief pitcher. Ill give you the quick condensed version here and Ill try not to get too emotional, as its a story with an ending that is not happy. Among all pitchers who totaled at least 1,500 innings within this span, Glavine ranked fifth in ERA+. Game 5 in Florida was the turning point, when Marlins rookie Livan Hernandez dominated the Braves on three hits while striking out 15 in a complete-game win that put his team up 3-2 in the series. It was simply a magical season. Making his major league debut in 1998 as a member of the Braves, with whom he played four seasons, he was also a member of the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays for one season each. That may have been true to that point in the decade, but just a few years later with the emergence of the Yankees' dynasty it was a title up for debate. There you go, the best relief pitchers from the 1990s. He had a good mix of both styles. Blowing a 6-0 lead at home? Atlanta Braves pitcher Terry Forster, left, cracks a cold one during a 1985 appearance on "Late Night With David Letterman." (YouTube screengrab) Talk show legend David Letterman will broadcast. Then, Kevin Brown shut them down in Game 2 on just three hits. Atlanta Braves Yearly Pitching Staff Team Names: Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Braves, Boston Braves, Boston Bees, Boston Rustlers, Boston Doves, Boston Beaneaters, Boston Red Stockings Also played as a National Association Franchise Seasons: 147 (1876 to 2022) Record: 10921-10818, .502 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 28 Pennants: 18 World Championships: 4 The Yankees were an other-worldly kind of better, despite having the lesser regular season record. "This is a free country. He recorded less than a 2.95 ERA for eight consecutive seasons from 1991-1998, every season during his career except for his first two seasons and his last two seasons. In 2000, he was 12 with 24 saves, posting a 2.89 ERA, but in June 2000, Rocker was demoted for threatening a reporter. And in a winner-take-all situation, John Smoltz wouldve been available in relief. Also, Rocker referred to Curaaoan teammate Randall Simon as a "fat monkey".[11]. Here it is. The 250-game peak will tell ushow good the pitcher was at his best. Nelson was mainly used as a middle reliever during his career; and man, was he good, you just couldnt hit this guy. In a story published in the December 27, 1999, issue of Sports Illustrated, Rocker made a number of allegations stemming from his experiences in New York City and answering a question about whether he would ever play for the New York Yankees or the New York Mets. So, these arent the best careers, these are the best pitchers, in a way. In the process, he struck out 42.2 percent of the batters he faced and limited opponents to a .152 batting average. In 1999, Rocker eventually became the full-time closer for Atlanta, posting 38 saves, the fourth-highest total in the National League. One can assume Matzek will pitch. He posted incredible SV numbers and K/BB numbers like a modern day player, but at the same time, he chewed up IP like a 1980s relief pitcher. The Caliber Honorable Mentions (listed in alphabetical order): Jeff Brantley, Mike Henneman, Greg McMichael, Randy Myers, Jeff Nelson, Gregg Olson, Steve Reed, Jeff Shaw, Duane Ward and Todd Worrell. So, he will not appear in my 1980s article, which I will write later, and he did not appear in my 2000s article. The only pitchers with a better mark were Pedro Martinez (172), Greg Maddux (164), Randy Johnson (155), and Roger Clemens (140). Braves' All-Time Around the Horn Team: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | UTIL | RHP | LHP, 1) Craig Kimbrel, 2010-14Key fact: Recorded MLB-best 185 saves from 2011-14; only other closers to collect at least 130 were Jonathan Papelbon (137) and Fernando Rodney (136). His career 3.7 K/BB still ranks as the eighth best K/BB in the history of Major League Baseball for a relief pitcher. A magical season that not many thought he was capable of after the surgery. One respected metric to evaluate relievers is RE24, which is run expectancy based on 24 base-out states. Jonny Venters had some of the nastiest stuff youll ever see from a reliever, and I certainly debated putting him in this spot. Game 5 was another crushing loss, 1-0 on an unearned run (and 0 for 7 with RISP), sending the series back to New York for Game 6, which the Yankees won to capture the title. Date OPP Result GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB . He could do it all. But the most reliable member of the early 1990s Braves bullpens might have been McMichael, who produced a 2.89 ERA and a 146 ERA+ over 317 2/3 innings from '93-96. Incredibly, he recorded over 2.7 K/BB during 10 of the 12 seasons during his career, including the last nine seasons of the 1990s, from 1991-1999. It measures how a pitcher did in comparison to the run expectancy that existed before he threw his first pitch in any specific situation. In brief: The Braves started the World Series on an incredible high after winning Game 7 of the NLCS against the Pirates in dramatic and historic walkoff fashion. Both teams performed fairly equally. How does Greg McMichael perform on the road, on turf under the lights with an 0-2 count? The Braves are no different, as they have had several intriguing and entertaining pitchers to take the ball in the ninth inning since the run began in 1991. About half his pitches are four-seamers, a pitch that can show some tail away from left-handed bats. The interview was conducted while driving to a speaking engagement in Atlanta. Remlinger is the only reliever in franchise history to produce a better ERA+ (162) while totaling at least 300 innings. He posted over 25 SV during nine of the 10 seasons from 1993-2002, including eight consecutive seasons from 1995-2002. Before legendary broadcaster Ernie Johnson (1950-58) became a mentor to Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren, he was a pitcher who tallied the fifth-most relief innings (428 2/3) in Braves history. He also claimed he never paid the $500 fine that was levied against him. Example, click GS (games started) and the fielding stat sorts from least to greatest. I will also letter grade their length of career. As the Braves won the 1995 World Series, NBC broadcaster Bob Costas famously announced, "The team of the '90s has its world championship." The Big Three was a trio of Major League Baseball starting pitchers for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2002 which consisted of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. A.J. 6. The Marlins won 2-1, so any base runner wouldve constituted a rally for the Braves. With all due respect to Mr. Passan, that is just crazy talk. Hell pitch, but not well. The 1990 Atlanta Braves pitching stats seen on this page include pitching stats for every player who appeared in a game during the 1990 season. Earned run average (ERA) is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. Their best record was in the 1990-91 season, when they finished 48-34 (.585), but lost to the stacked Chicago Bulls team in Game 4 of the First Round. The Braves lost because they didnt find their bats until it was too late. In the top of the ninth inning, Braves reliever Jackson Stephens was hit on the head with a 90.4-mph liner from the Cardinals' Brendan Donovan. The Padres staged a rally in the ninth, scoring two on a Greg Myers homer, which led to a most unusual sight: Bobby Cox brought Greg Maddux in from the bullpen to get three outs and record the save. He just seemed to post extraordinary numbers year in and year out. If he wants to use a lewd term, he should be able to use a lewd term," Rocker told the Chicago Tribune. Other than the 2000s, that is more than any decade. In August 2014 it was announced that Rocker would appear on the 29th season of the competitive reality series Survivor alongside his girlfriend Julie McGee. Kimbrel made a few impressive playoff appearances during his 2010 rookie season, and then he spent his final four seasons with Atlanta proving to be baseballs most dominant closer. The relief pitcher's comments prompted the Braves to stop handing out foam tomahawks, playing the chop music or showing the chop graphic when the series returned to Atlanta for Game 5. You need him to be a closer, hell be one of the best closers in the League. Before Billy Wagner posted a 1.43 ERA over 71 appearances in 2010, Chris Hammond ('02) and Smoltz ('03) were the only pitchers in Braves history to produce a 1.75 ERA or lower over at least 60 appearances in a season. Again, this list is not a list of the best careers, that list is the list you just read. Ryan Helsley. Again, thats a whos who of relief pitchers from the past 30 seasons; add Nens name to that list. So in order to find his real numbers, I have toexclude some late seasonsduring his career to findthe numbers that he really carried during his career. Here, do this: Go to YouTube and type in Eric Gregg, then hit the space bar. Of course, had the Braves won in 1991, 1992 or 1996, the outcome in 1999 would've been moot in determining that honorary crown. But while also being quite dominant during that 2010-12 stretch, OFlaherty proved more efficient with both his walk and strand rates. He posted over 2.9 K/BB during nine of the 13 seasons during his career, including the first four seasons of his career. The right-handed reliever finished seventh in NL Cy Young Award voting in 1982 with a 2.34 ERA over 119 1/3 innings (69 appearances) for the NL West-champion Braves. It's the most hectic, nerve-wracking city. He was just hard to hit. Jhoan Duran. [17], On Survivor, during an argument with fellow castaway Natalie Anderson, Rocker told her, "If you were a man, I'd knock your teeth out."[18]. This is important because it was a one-run game. . His four-year reign as the Braves closer was one of the most impressive baseball will ever see. He basically pitched another full season in the postseason. [3], Rocker started to receive intense taunting from opposing teams' fans due to his negative behavior, and his pitching performance began to decline. But others helped fill the void: Free agent Brian Jordan offset the loss of Galarraga with 115 RBIs, Chipper Jones had an MVP season and John Rocker saved 38 games in Ligtenbergs place. Andrs Muoz. Editor's note: This story has been updated since its original publication. Verdict: Yes, the Braves shouldve won the 1991 World Series. MORE: Five unsung moments that helped Braves win the 1995 World Series | Each MLB team's worst postseason memory. Although Rocker later apologized after speaking with Braves legend and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and former Atlanta mayor and congressman Andrew Young, he continued to make controversial remarks. He had zero blown SV while posting those 20 SV. [4] In Cleveland, his record that year was 37 with a 5.45 ERA and four saves. The teams also took turns being hot and cold on offense, with the Marlins winning Games 1 and 3, and the Braves taking Games 2 and 4. He put up some numbers as a non-closer that were arguably as good as his closer numbers. Non-closer relief pitchers rarely make the All Star team, it happens, but its rare. Nen had a large arsenal of four or five great pitchs in his repertoire that included a slider and two or three different types of fastballs. Mike Jackson (1986-2004) Career Length Grade: A+, Raw Career: 1,005 G, 7 GS, 1,188.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 125 ERA+, 1.22 WHIP, 7.4 H/9, 142 SV, 7.1 SV/50 and 2.2 K/BB, Adjusted Career: 893 G, 7 GS, 1,072.2 IP, 3.26 ERA, 130 ERA+, 1.20 WHIP, 7.2 H/9, 138 SV, 7.8 SV/50 and 2.2 K/BB (exclude his 2001 and 2004 seasons), Peak Career: 278 G, 0 GS, 329.2 IP, 2.38 ERA, 185 ERA+, 1.07 WHIP, 6.5 H/9, 65 SV, 11.6 SV/50 and 2.6 K/BB (include his 1988, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1998 seasons). Still, the modern Braves are full of talent and potential, and there's hope for a chance to build a new legacy one their fans hope comes without even a hint of an asterisk. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. On the offensive side, the Braves had four players with 30 or more homers and three with 100 or more RBIs. The Braves began a new streak of NL East division titles in 2018, when they went 90-72. Who pitched for the Braves in 1999? Rocker received notoriety during his career for making controversial statements, which began with a 1999 Sports Illustrated interview and continued after his retirement. But in each instance, once the Yankees hit their groove in the game, it was over. For example, during the 1995 season, he pitched over 70 G and almost 85 IP of relief. In high school, he was a pitcher for First Presbyterian Day School in Macon, Georgia. Welcome to 2023, where baseball's new rules designed to improve pace of play are coming fast at everyone, particularly the players. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. The Braves kept rolling for most of Game 2 behind John Smoltz before the Blue Jays rallied to win 5-4. During those 15 games combined, he recorded a 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 6.9 H/9 and 3.3 K/BB. That fact should tell us something about Wetteland. He was simply a great relief pitcher that had a good arsenal of pitches that included a sinkerball, slider and split-fingered fastball. They were one of the biggest dynasties in all of North American sports- with only the New York Yankees and Chicago Bulls clearly standing above them. In fact, during that entire 2002 postseason, he pitched in 10 games and only allowed one run the entire postseason; with a torn shoulder, wow. In brief: Like the Padres did to them the year before, the Braves jumped out to a 3-0 series lead in the NLCS before their opponent came roaring back to force a Game 6. 9. "Can't you use a lewd term in America if you want?" His career 330 SV still rank 11th all time in the history of MLB. Every other relief pitcher in this top 10 ended their career between 1.0-1.2 IP per G. Again, Jones was, more than any other pitcher in this top 10, the bridge between the gap of 1980s and 2000s relief pitching. McMichael notched 19 saves during his rookie campaign and followed that with 21 more saves during the strike-shortened 1994 season. Garbers first big moment as a member of the Braves organization occurred on Aug. 1, 1978, when he struck out Pete Rose to end Roses National League-best hitting streak at 44 games. Imagine having to take the 7 Train to the ballpark looking like you're riding through Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. In 74 appearances in '99, he had a 2.49 ERA with 104 strikeouts in just 72.1 innings. A downward-action curveball, low-90s cutter, and a reasonably heavy changeup go to work for him, but no pitch other than his fastball was thrown over 20 percent of the time last year. Edwin Diaz is the best closer in the game, and Emmanuel Clase is a close second. I mean who wasn't? Despite being a rematch from three years earlier, the versions of the two teams were too different. Postseason elimination: Game 4 of the World Series. So its not really fair to call this a missed opportunity for the Braves. The move was made retroactive to Monday when Jansen felt discomfort, manager Brian Snitker said. [19] In December 2011, he admitted to using steroids, saying "Yeah, of course I was [using steroids]. from TalkingChop.com at 2/26/2023 4:05:00 PM. Because John Smoltz was included in the right-handed starters list, there was no reason to debate who would fill this top spot. But it was Game 5 that turned the series, and thats where umpire Eric Gregg comes in. June 28, 2022 PHILADELPHIA (AP) Atlanta Braves closer Kenley Jansen was put on the 15-day injured list Tuesday because of an irregular heartbeat, the latest heart-related issue in the veteran right-hander's career. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. Rocker stated that when he attended mandatory sensitivity training he would seldom remain longer than 15 minutes. I talked about what degenerates they were and they proved me right. In fact, he posted over 20 SV during each of the first seven seasons of the 1990s, from 1990-1996, including leading the League in 1993 with 45 SV. [1] He threw three no-hitters during his high-school career. 3) Gene Garber, 1978-87Key fact: Ranks third in franchise history with 141 saves. His career 3.1 K/BB still ranks as the 19th best K/BB in the history of MLB for a relief pitcher. This list is up for debate, and I'm sure a fan of every team will have a gripe with it, but the only spots that can't be argued about are the top two. In fact, he posted over 30 SV during each of the last seven seasons of his career, every season during his career except for his first three seasons, including leading the League in 2001 with 45 SV. The critical moment: There wasnt one. The 15 Worst New York Yankees Pitchers Since The Mid 90s. Dennis Eckersley Dennis Eckersley began his career as a starting pitcher with the Cleveland . [22], In December 2011, Rocker released his autobiography, Scars and Strikes. Rocker made his screen-acting debut in the 2002 horror comedy The Greenskeeper as a murderous golf-club groundskeeper. The critical moment: The eighth inning of Game 7 decided the series for the Braves. Robb Nen (1993-2002) Career Length Grade: B, Raw Career: 643 G, 4 GS, 715 IP, 2.98 ERA, 138 ERA+, 1.21 WHIP, 7.6 H/9, 314 SV, 24.5 SV/50 and 3.1 K/BB, Peak Career: 289 G, 0 GS, 311.1 IP, 1.79 ERA, 226 ERA+, 1.00 WHIP, 6.6 H/9, 159 SV, 27.4 SV/50 and 4.4 K/BB (include his 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002 seasons). He somehow had a long, incredibly good career, but quiet career. Fans would come in and have a beer and talk baseball or whatever they wanted to talk about with Beck. All of these facts in combination are part of the reasons that he is easily one of the 20 best relief pitchers in the history of MLB. He was never a closer during his career and he never even made the All Star team. There were 141 relief pitchers from the 1990s. Every pitcher's name links to their career statistics. Every pitcher's name links to their career statistics. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its interesting to wonder, though, how the Braves 1999 season wouldve played out had they returned the same players as in 1998. Its no accident that they are the only three in history in the top 15 all time in those four important categories. Both rosters had plenty of special pieces, but the Yankees had the better team. The third-best pitcher of the decade for the Atlanta Braves, Smoltz won a single Cy Young award in 1996 breaking a long streak of a teammate. Some of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game pitched in this era. Their starting rotation was so good during the regular season that the worst pitcher, Denny Neagle, went 16-11 with a 3.55 ERA. In fact, he posted over 25 SV during 11 of the 13 seasons from 1986-1998, including six consecutive seasons from 1986-1991. The critical moment: Game 5 shifted the series into the Marlins control and Greggs liberal zone helped keep the Braves off the bases. But the Braves lost because of uneven starting pitching and umpire Eric Gregg. - David Justice, Sortable Pitching Stats for the 1990 Atlanta Braves (click any stat to sort). After the homer, even though they werent technically out of the game or the series, the Braves couldnt recover. The critical moment: The series turned in the ninth inning of Game 2. But they never led in Game 6, which ended in the 11th inning with Kirby Pucketts walkoff homer, and they never scored in Game 7. 2023 Atlanta Braves Spring Training Schedule. Third , I will include peak career numbers. What a peak; what a career; what a pitcher; what a warrior. We don't want to put any added pressure on our guys and make them feel like they have to pitch a shutout." [citation needed] He initially committed to play college baseball for the Georgia Bulldogs. The Braves, though better in 1999 than in 1996, were not better in the way the Yankees were better. The highlight of Remlinger's first Braves tenure was his 2002 campaign, when he had a 1.99 ERA over 68 innings (73 appearances). That puts Nen in the top 20 all time in SV and K/BB. This guy wasnt a closer, but he could flat out pitch with the best of them. [6] In 2003, Rocker signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but was released after two appearances and an ERA of 9.00. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Dont get me wrong because Montgomery had good ability, but not necessarily the ability of the other greats from this era. Thats not to say there werent chances in both games. That puts him in the top 15 all time in ERA+, SV, WHIP and K/BB. Jones is an Indiana boy (Indiana Jones, as I call him, whoops, I suppose that ones already taken). from TalkingChop.com at 2/26/2023 11:45:00 PM. . During his peak, which is a peak over 255 G and 275 IP, he posted a 1.99 ERA, 234 ERA+, 1.04 WHIP, 6.6 H/9, 31.2 SV/50 and 3.8 K/BB. Again, you can search every relief pitcher in the history of MLB, youll be hard pressed to find 20 peaks better than this one. Remlinger is the only reliever in franchise history to produce a better ERA+ (162) while totaling at least 300 innings. During his peak, which is a peak of almost 260 G and 315 IP, he recorded a 2.09 ERA, 206 ERA+, 1.14 WHIP, 6.9 H/9, 22.9 SV/50 and 2.6 K/BB. He was just a hard guy to score against. A dream come true for Beck and baseball fans. Here are the 10 relief pitchers that just missed the top 10 for various reasons. 1990 Atlanta Braves Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com via Sports Logos.net About logos 1990 Atlanta Braves Statistics 1989 Season 1991 Season Record: 65-97-0, Finished 6th in NL_West ( Schedule and Results ) Managers: Russ Nixon (25-40) and Bobby Cox (40-57) General Manager: Bobby Cox (Replaced 10/10/1990) It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine. But the next batter, Ron Gant, hit a weak nubber to first base with the infield in and the runners had to hold. I hope that makes sense. Go Orange. The details: After Game 3 in Atlanta, the Braves had outscored the Phillies 26-11 in the series and, with John Smoltz on the mound in Game 4, looked poised to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. His franchise-record 557 relief appearances might never be broken. The Best Braves Closers Since 1990. But the flow of runs the Braves enjoyed in Games 2 and 3 evaporated in Game 4. The details: First, the pitching: The Marlins jumped on Braves ace Maddux for three runs in the first inning of Game 1 and added two more in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead en route to a 5-3 win. In brief: The Braves recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the NLCS to pummel the Cardinals by a combined score of 32-1 over the final three games of the series. The Big Three combined to win seven National League Cy Young Awards in the 1990s and helped lead the Atlanta Braves to a 1995 World Series win. Craig Kimbrel hold the record for most saves in Braves franchise history. His two best consecutive seasons were arguably his 1994 and 1995 seasons. He mixed a little bit of muscle with a bus load of brains and it worked. The Atlanta Braves won the World Series in six games against the Houston Astros, capturing their first championship since 1995. He was voted out of the game with an immunity idol in his pocket on Day 8. Hernandez notched 15 strikeouts in large part because Greggs strike zone was, well, a large part of the playing field. Minter. It was a similar story for John Smoltz in Game 3 with the series tied 1-1, as he gave up five runs in six innings in a 5-2 Marlins win. It was as evenly matched a series as has ever been played. And those are just two seasons that quickly come to mind. On Tuesday night the Braves play the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series. Many like short peaks, not me. So not much was lost, at least not enough to significantly change the outcome of the World Series. It was quite annoying for fans of other teams. Its a tough call, because the Blue Jays played very well, but if Reardon converts the save in Game 2, its a reasonable bet that they at least come back to Atlanta for Game 6 up 3-2 in the series. They appeared to seize control once more when they jumped out to a 6-0 lead and carried it into the sixth inning 12 outs from a 3-1 lead in the series and John Smoltz ready for a potential clincher in Game 5. Rod Beck (1991-2004) Career Length Grade: B+, Raw Career: 704 G, 0 GS, 768 IP, 3.30 ERA, 123 ERA+, 1.16 WHIP, 8.2 H/9, 286 SV, 20.3 SV/50 and 3.4 K/BB, Adjusted Career: 678 G, 0 GS, 744 IP, 3.21 ERA, 127 ERA+, 1.15 WHIP, 8.2 H/9, 286 SV, 21.0 SV/50 and 3.5 K/BB (exclude his last season), Peak Career: 259 G, 0 GS, 296 IP, 2.22 ERA, 175 ERA+, 0.98 WHIP, 6.9 H/9, 113 SV, 21.7 SV/50 and 4.4 K/BB (include his 1992, 1993, 1994, 2000 and 2003 seasons). . The critical moment: Jim Leyritzs home run off Mark Wohlers in the eighth inning of Game 4 turned the series and birthed a Yankees dynasty. Alvarez is a bat-first third baseman with an excellent approach. No biggie, except Reardons next pitch caught too much of the plate and pinch-hitter Ed Sprague hit it into the left field seats for a go-ahead two-run homer that sucked the air right out of Fulton County Stadium and gave the Jays new life. For many fans and observers, it seems to defy odds that a team that spent much of the decade with three Hall of Fame starters, a Hall of Fame manager and a future Hall of Fame third baseman could underachieve so consistently. The 1990s were an interesting decade for relief pitching because it was, more or less, the bridge between the modern relief pitchers of the 2000s and the old school style of relief pitchers from the 1980s. They are: Mariano Rivera, Billy Wagner and Trevor Hoffman. 1.John Franco (1984-2005) Career Length Grade: A+, Raw Career: 1,119 G, 0 GS, 1,245.2 IP, 2.89 ERA, 137 ERA+, 1.33 WHIP, 8.4 H/9, 424 SV, 18.9 SV/50 and 2.0 K/BB, Adjusted Career: 882 G, 0 GS, 1,030.1 IP, 2.53 ERA, 155 ERA+, 1.29 WHIP, 8.1 H/9, 374 SV, 21.3 SV/50 and 2.0 K/BB (exclude his 1993, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2005 seasons), Peak Career: 287 G, 0 GS, 354 IP, 2.01 ERA, 191 ERA+, 1.20 WHIP, 7.6 H/9, 126 SV, 22.1 SV/50 and 1.9 K/BB (include his 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992 and 1996 seasons). To make a long story short, Beck pitched that 2003 season and he arguably had the best season of his entire career. They went 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and lost the game 2-1. NOTE: You can easily SORT the pitching stats on the table by simply clicking on the title of the pitching stat. Just over two and a half years after he threw his last pitch in MLB during the 2004 season, the great Rod Beck was gone. Maddux benefited from the poor calls, too, but not to the extent Hernandez did. Why is he generally underrated by the casual fan? Roberto Hernandez (1991-2007) Career Length Grade: A, Raw Career: 1,010 G, 3 GS, 1,071.1 IP, 3.45 ERA, 131 ERA+, 1.37 WHIP, 8.4 H/9, 326 SV, 16.2 SV/50 and 2.1 K/BB, Adjusted Career: 778 G, 3 GS, 856.1 IP, 3.09 ERA, 146 ERA+, 1.29 WHIP, 7.9 H/9, 300 SV, 19.4 SV/50 and 2.2 K/BB (exclude his 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 seasons), Peak Career: 259 G, 0 GS, 315 IP, 2.09 ERA, 206 ERA+, 1.14 WHIP, 6.9 H/9, 119 SV, 22.9 SV/50 and 2.6 K/BB (include his 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997 seasons). The Twins capped it off with a thrilling 1-0 win in Game 7, boosted by 10 shutout innings from Jack Morris. There you go, the Braves lost because of uneven starting pitching and umpire Eric Gregg in #. Series, the Braves had four players with 30 or more RBIs K/BB during nine of the pitched! Just three hits shifted the Series into the Marlins control and Greggs liberal helped. Some tail away from left-handed bats Jays rallied to win 5-4, in a winner-take-all situation, John Smoltz included! Comedy the Greenskeeper as a `` fat monkey ''. [ 11 ] in Cleveland his... Result GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB, as I call him, whoops I! In Macon, Georgia, then hit the space bar, posting 38 saves, the off... Who of relief pitchers from the article title Stats for the Georgia Bulldogs to which pitchers were best... Record for most saves in Braves franchise history Glavine ranked fifth in ERA+ how a pitcher did in comparison the. 7, boosted by 10 shutout innings from Jack Morris add Nens name to that list not! Some tail away from left-handed bats won the World Series in six games against the Houston,! That year was 37 with a thrilling 1-0 win in Game 4 had... The Houston Astros in Game 1 of the 13 seasons during his 330... The other greats from this ERA his first pitch in any specific situation bus load brains... 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