1991 Atlanta Braves season

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1991  Atlanta Braves
National League champions
National League West champions
League National League
Division West
Ballpark Fulton County Stadium
City Atlanta
Record94–68 (.580)
Divisional place1st
Owners Ted Turner
General managers John Schuerholz
Managers Bobby Cox
Television WTBS
TBS Superstation
(Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton)
SportSouth
(Ernie Johnson)
Radio WSB
(Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Dave O'Brien)
  1990 Seasons 1992  

The 1991 Atlanta Braves season was the 26th in Atlanta and the 121st overall. They became the first team in the National League to go from last place one year to first place the next, doing so after remaining 9.5 games out of first at the All Star break. Coincidentally, the Braves' last-to-first feat was also accomplished by the 1991 Minnesota Twins, the team they would face in the 1991 World Series. The last Major League Baseball team to accomplish this was the 1890 Louisville Colonels of the American Association. The 1991 World Series, which the Braves ultimately lost, has been called the greatest World Series in history by ESPN.

Contents

Despite finishing last in the National League West in 1990, the Braves managed to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in 1991, clinching the division on the penultimate day of the regular season. [1] [2] This was the first of three consecutive division titles won by the Braves.

Offseason

Regular season

Opening Day starters

Season standings

NL West
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Atlanta Braves 9468.58048334635
Los Angeles Dodgers 9369.574154273942
San Diego Padres 8478.5191042394239
San Francisco Giants 7587.4631943383249
Cincinnati Reds 7488.4572039423546
Houston Astros 6597.4012937442853

Record vs. opponents


Sources:
TeamATLCHCCINHOULADMTLNYMPHIPITSDSFSTL
Atlanta 6–611–713–57–115–79–35–79–311–79–99–3
Chicago 6–64–89–32–1010–711–68–107–114–86–610–8
Cincinnati 7–118–49–96–126–65–79–32–108–1010–84–8
Houston 5–133–99–98–102–107–57–54–86–129–95–7
Los Angeles 11–710–212–610–85–77–57–57–510–88–106–6
Montreal 7–57–106–610–27–54–144–146–126–67–57–11
New York 3–96–117–55–75–714–411–76–127–56–67–11
Philadelphia 7-510–83–95–75–714–47–116–129–36–66–12
Pittsburgh 3–911–710–28–45–712–612–612–67–57–511–7
San Diego 7–118–410–812–68–106–65–73–95–711–79–3
San Francisco 9–96–68–109–910–85–76–66–65–77–114–8
St. Louis 3–98–108–47–56–611–711–712–67–113–98–4

Notable transactions

Notable events

Draft picks

Roster

1991 Atlanta Braves
Roster
PitchersCatchers

Infielders

OutfieldersManager

Coaches

Player stats

= Indicates team leader
= Indicates league leader

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases

PosPlayerGABRHAvg.HRRBISB
C Greg Olson 1334114699.2416441
1B Sid Bream 912653267.25311450
2B Jeff Treadway 1063064198.3203322
3B Terry Pendleton 15358694187.319228610
SS Rafael Belliard 1493533688.2490273
LF Lonnie Smith 1223535897.2757449
CF Ron Gant 154561101141.2513210534
RF David Justice 10939667109.27521878

[18]

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

PlayerGABRHAvg.HRRBISB
Otis Nixon 12440181119.29702672
Jeff Blauser 1293524991.25911545
Brian Hunter 972713268.25112500
Mark Lemke 1362693663.2342231
Mike Heath 49139429.2091120
Deion Sanders 541101621.19141311
Tommy Gregg 721071320.187142
Francisco Cabrera 4495723.2424231
Keith Mitchell 48661121.318233
Mike Bell 173044.133111
Jerry Willard 171413.214140
Danny Heep 141245.417030
Vinny Castilla 12511.200000
Damon Berryhill 1100.000000
Rico Rossy 5100.000000

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games played; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; BB = Bases on Balls

PlayerGIPWLERASOBB
Tom Glavine 34246.220112.5519269
Charlie Leibrandt 36229.215133.4912856
John Smoltz 36229.214133.8014877
Steve Avery 35210.11883.3813765
Pete Smith 1448.0135.062922
Armando Reynoso 623.1216.171010

[18]

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games played; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; BB = Bases on Balls

PlayerGIPWLSVERASOBB
Rick Mahler 1328.21105.651612

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games played; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; BB = Bases on Balls

PlayerGIPWLSVERASOBB
Juan Berenguer 4964.103172.245320
Mike Stanton 7478.05572.885421
Kent Mercker 5073.15362.586235
Marvin Freeman 3448.01013.003413
Jim Clancy 2434.22335.711714
Randy St. Claire 1928.20004.08309
Dan Petry 1024.10005.55914
Jeff Parrett 1821.11216.331412
Mark Wohlers 1719.23123.201313
Alejandro Peña 1519.120111.40133
Doug Sisk 1414.12105.0258
Tony Castillo 78.21107.2785
Mike Bielecki 21.20000.0032

National League Championship Series

Avery's amazing season continued with one of the greatest postseason performances of all time. He shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates for 16.2 innings over two games and accumulated two 1-0 wins. His performance earned him MVP honors for the 1991 NLCS.

Game 1

October 9: Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Team123456789RHE
Atlanta000000001151
Pittsburgh10200101X581
W: Doug Drabek (1-0)   L: Tom Glavine (0-1)   S: Bob Walk (1)
HR: ATL David Justice (1)  PIT Andy Van Slyke (1)
Pitchers: ATL Glavine (6), Wohlers (1), Stanton (1)  PIT Drabek (6), Walk (3)
Attendance: 57,347  Time: 2:51

Game 2

October 10: Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Team123456789RHE
Atlanta000001000180
Pittsburgh000000000060
W: Steve Avery (1-0)   L: Zane Smith (0-1)   S: Alejandro Peña (1)
HR: ATL None   PIT None
Pitchers: ATL Avery (813), Pena (2/3)  PIT Z. Smith (7), Mason (1), Belinda (1)
Attendance: 57,533  Time: 2:46

Game 3

October 12: Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta

Team123456789RHE
Pittsburgh1001001003102
Atlanta41100013X10110
W: John Smoltz (1-0)   L: John Smiley (0-1)   S: Alejandro Peña (2)
HR: PIT None  ATL Greg Olson (1), Ron Gant (1), Sid Bream (1)
Pitchers: PIT Smiley (2), Landrum (1), Patterson (2), Kipper (2), Rodriguez (1)  ATL Smoltz (613), Stanton (2/3), Wohlers (1/3), Pena (123)
Attendance: 50,905  Time: 3:21

Game 4

October 13: Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta

Team12345678910RHE
Pittsburgh01001000013111
Atlanta2000000000271
W: Stan Belinda (1-0)   L: Kent Mercker (0-1)   S: None
HR: PIT None  ATL None
Pitchers: PIT Tomlin (6), Walk (2), Belinda (2)  ATL Leibrant (623), Clancy (1/3), Stanton (2), Mercker (2/3), Wohlers (1/3)
Attendance: 51,109  Time: 3:43

Game 5

October 14: Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta

Team123456789RHE
Pittsburgh000010000162
Atlanta000000000091
W: Zane Smith (1-1)   L: Tom Glavine (0-2)   S: Roger Mason (1)
HR: PIT None  ATL None
Pitchers: PIT Z. Smith (723), Mason (113)  ATL Glavine (8), Pena (1)
Attendance: 51,109  Time: 2:51

Game 6

October 16: Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Team123456789RHE
Atlanta000000001170
Pittsburgh000000000040
W: Steve Avery (2-0)   L: Doug Drabek (1-1)   S: Alejandro Peña (3)
HR: ATL None  PIT None
Pitchers: ATL Avery (8), Pena (1)  PIT Drabek (9)
Attendance: 54,508  Time: 3:09

Game 7

October 17: Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Team123456789RHE
Atlanta300010000461
Pittsburgh000000000060
W: John Smoltz (2-0)   L: John Smiley (0-2)   S: None
HR: ATL Brian Hunter (1)  PIT None
Pitchers: ATL Smoltz (9)  PIT Smiley (2/3), Walk (413), Mason (2), Belinda (2)
Attendance: 46,932  Time: 3:04

World Series

Game 1

October 19, 1991, at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Team123456789RHE
Atlanta000001010261
Minnesota00103100X591
W: Jack Morris (1-0)   L: Charlie Leibrandt (0-1)  S: Rick Aguilera (1)
HR: MIN Greg Gagne (1), Kent Hrbek (1)

Game 2

October 20, 1991, at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Team123456789RHE
Atlanta010010000281
Minnesota20000001X341
W: Kevin Tapani (1-0)   L: Tom Glavine (0-1)  S: Rick Aguilera (2)
HR: MIN Chili Davis (1), Scott Leius (1)

Game 3

October 22, 1991, at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta

Team123456789101112RHE
Minnesota1000001200004101
Atlanta010120000001582
W: Jim Clancy (1-0)   L: Rick Aguilera (0-1)  
HR: MIN Chili Davis (2), Kirby Puckett (1)  ATL David Justice (1), Lonnie Smith (1)

Game 4

October 23, 1991, at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta

Team123456789RHE
Minnesota010000100270
Atlanta001000101380
W: Mike Stanton (1-0)   L: Mark Guthrie (0-1)  
HR: MIN Mike Pagliarulo (1)  ATL Terry Pendleton (1), Lonnie Smith (2)

Game 5

October 24, 1991, at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta

Team123456789RHE
Minnesota000003011571
Atlanta00041063X14171
W: Tom Glavine (1-1)   L: Kevin Tapani (1-1)  
HR: ATL David Justice (2), Lonnie Smith (3), Brian Hunter (1)

Game 6

October 26, 1991, at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Team1234567891011RHE
Atlanta00002010000391
Minnesota20001000001490
W: Rick Aguilera (1-1)   L: Charlie Leibrandt (0-2)  
HR: ATL Terry Pendleton (2)  MIN Kirby Puckett (2)

Game 7

October 27, 1991, at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Team12345678910RHE
Atlanta0000000000070
Minnesota00000000011100
W: Jack Morris (2-0)   L: Alejandro Peña (0-1)  

For the first time since 1962, a seventh game of the World Series ended with a 1-0 verdict. [19] It was also the second time in five that the home team won all seven games of a World Series.

Award winners

1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Team leaders

Farm system

LevelTeamLeagueManager
AAA Richmond Braves International League Phil Niekro
AA Greenville Braves Southern League Chris Chambliss
A Durham Bulls Carolina League Grady Little
A Macon Braves South Atlantic League Roy Majtyka
Rookie Pulaski Braves Appalachian League Randy Ingle
Rookie GCL Braves Gulf Coast League Jim Saul
Rookie Idaho Falls Braves Pioneer League Steve Curry

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Pulaski [20]

References

  1. Martinez, Michael (October 6, 1991). "For the Dodgers, 4 Days Gone Wrong". New York Times. p. S1.
  2. Chass, Murray (October 6, 1991). "Miracle Is Now Official: The Braves Win It!". New York Times. p. S1.
  3. Terry Pendleton at Baseball Reference
  4. Sid Bream at Baseball Reference
  5. Juan Berenguer at Baseball Reference
  6. Jerry Willard at Baseball Reference
  7. Deion Sanders at Baseball Reference
  8. Jim Vatcher at Baseball Reference
  9. Randy St. Claire at Baseball Reference
  10. 100 Things Braves Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die: Revised and Updated, Jack Wilkinson, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2019, ISBN 978-1-62937-694-3, p.172
  11. Otis Nixon at Baseball Reference
  12. 1 2 Danny Heep at Baseball Reference
  13. 1 2 Rick Mahler at Baseball Reference
  14. Alejandro Peña at Baseball Reference
  15. Damon Berryhill at Baseball Reference
  16. Mike Kelly at Baseball Reference
  17. Jason Schmidt at Baseball Reference
  18. 1 2 "1991 Atlanta Braves Statistics".
  19. Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.367, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN   978-0-451-22363-0
  20. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997

See also