Braves' Smoltz Savors '91 Season

John Smoltz calls 1991 the greatest year of his life, both athletically and personally.
The 23-year-old right-hander pitched in the pennant-clinching victory over the Houston Astros and the seventh game of the National League championship series as the Atlanta Braves drove toward the World Series. And to top it off, two months ago, his wife gave birth to their first child.
Yet, as happy as Smoltz has been lately, one question gnaws at him as he and his teammates look forward to beginning spring training later this month in West Palm Beach, Fla.: What would happen if he pitched as well during the entire 1992 season as he did in the second half of 1991?
Smoltz almost lost his spot in the starting rotation, as he won only two of his 13 decisions in the first half of the season. But following the All-Star break, he was a different pitcher. He went 12-2 with a 2.62 earned run average to help Atlanta to a 94-68 record, an improvement of 29 victories over 1990.
With the help of a personal psychologist to help his mental approach, Smoltz didn’t lose a decision after Aug. 15. He recorded the two clinching victories for the Braves in the pennant race and pitched well enough to win the seventh game of the World Series. Smoltz left a scoreless game in the eighth inning, and Minnesota’s Jack Morris beat the Braves 1-0 to give the Twins the world championship.
In the past two seasons, Smoltz is 5-24 in the first half of the season and 23-4 in the second. This tale of two seasons in something Smoltz would like to put behind him.
“I wonder what could happen if I put together two second halves in the same season,” he said. “But very few guys do that because it’s so tough to do. It’s a 36-game season. The reason I believe it’s so tough to be dominant all year is you go through 18 games in the first half of the season and 18 games in the second half, so you’re realistically starting all over after the All-Star game. This year, I’m not setting any major goals as far as numbers. I just want to retain the same focus all year.”
Whenever the subject of the Braves’ 1991 season comes up, the word miracle isn’t far behind. But everything didn’t fall neatly into place as Atlanta made its trip to the World Series. The Braves endured injuries to David Justice and Sid Bream and lost lead-off man Otis Nixon to a drug suspension during the final stretch.
Yet, the one constant was pitching. In addition to Smoltz’s 14-13 record, Cy Young winner Tom Glavine was 20-11, 20-year-old Steve Avery won 18 games, and Charlie Leibrandt won 15.
The Braves hope to find a fifth starter this spring, and it is expected to be either Pete Smith, Armando Reynoso or Mike Bielecki, a winter acquisition from the Chicago Cubs.
“We believe we have the core of personnel in place to be a contender at the very least,” said Atlanta manager Bobby Cox. “We think we have a pitching staff that compares favorably with any in the game. (The starters) went virtually all of 1991 without missing a turn. That took some luck, sure, but it also reflects their top-flight conditioning and work ethic.
“Maybe they can’t do it again, but I think they can put up similar numbers.”
Smoltz agrees with Cox. But he expects Braves’ pitching to be better than it was in 1991.
“I think it can be better,” he said. “We’ve got the best five starters in the game. The bullpen is solid. We’ve become one of the best-run teams in baseball, and it’s taken us a long time to get to this point.
“We’ve got the maturity, experience and some awesome talent coming back. To my knowledge, nobody else will have that.”
The Braves acquired Smoltz from the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 12, 1987. He was called up from Triple A-Richmond the following season. Since coming to the major leagues, Smoltz has compiled a 42-29 record.
Smoltz’s best year got even better last week. He agreed to a one-year contract with the Braves to avoid arbitration. Smoltz was asking for $1.75 million, but signed for $1.525 million.
“It’s really been a different kind of off-season than it’s been in the past,” Smoltz said. “It’s been the greatest year of my life so far. When we won the division, I thought that was the best thing that could happen to me. Then, we won the pennant, and I thought that was.
“I thought the game after we won those World Series games in Atlanta. Then, my son was born, and that beat everything.”