Atlanta Braves: Throwback Thursday
By Jeff Schafer
October 28, 1995: Tom Glavine stood tall on the mound in game 6 of the 1995 World Series looking inferior to no one. He would be facing one of the best lineups in maybe baseball’s history versus the Cleveland Indians. Glavine would be staring at competitors such as Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Eddie Murray and Kenny Lofton. But with the Atlanta Braves lineup not backing down, the series would end on this night.
Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Both starting pitchers, Glavine for the Braves and Dennis Martinez for the Indians, threw respectable in the early innings. Martinez went 4.2 innings only giving up four hits but his five walks made manager Mike Hargrove make a move to the bullpen. Inserting left-handed pitcher Jim Poole, who would go on to have a disappointing night.
Glavine would last longer then his counterpart, pitching 8 shut up innings with only letting one hit from catcher Tony Pena in the 6th inning, be between him another zero on his stat line. The 6th inning was the only semi scare the Indians would place on the Braves during this night. Pena would lead off with a single, then with a foul bunt try from pitcher Poole and a field’s choice off the bat of Lofton getting Pena out at second, the Indians would have 2 outs and now have Lofton on 1st base. With Vizquel at the plate, Lofton would steal 2nd base and the Indians would have their only runner of the night in scoring position. With one ball and two strikes, Vizquel would hit a foul popfly to 1st base ending the only threat of the night for the Indians.
The Indians would head back out on the field in the 6th inning with lefty Jim Poole still on the mound. Poole specialized in getting out left-handed hitters and already got out Fred McGriff to end the 5th inning. Walking to the plate came another left-handed hitter, David Justice. Poole went head to head versus Justice in game 2 of the World Series with Justice hitting a long fly ball to right field but caught. Now, in game 6 in the 6th inning, Justice would take foot inside the batters box for the second and last time in his career versus Jim Poole. Justice took what he learned earlier in their battle and belted a deep fly ball to right field for a homerun giving the Braves a 1-0 lead and ruining the night of Poole.
Still clinging to a 1-0 lead, Glavine continued his success striking out eight batters while only walking three and pitched through the 8th inning but gave way to closer Mark Wohlers for the 9th. In their last hope to save the series, the Indians would send Kenny Lofton, Paul Sorrento and Carlos Baerga to the plate. Lofton would hit a soft fly ball behind 3rd base that would be run down by shortstop Rafael Belliard, one out. Next, Sorrento would hit a ball about 10 feet away from the warning track but caught by Marquis Grissom, two outs. Then Baerga, on the first pitch he sees from Wohlers, hits a fly ball to left-center that would be caught again by Grissom, three outs.
The Atlanta Braves would defeat the Cleveland Indians 4 games to 2 in the 1995 World Series. David Justice was the hero of the night with being the only one to touch home plate the entire night. Though the Braves had multiple major contributors, Tom Glavine would win the MVP of the World Series. This championship would be first and only championship for the Braves…well maybe until 2013.
Watch the final 3 outs of the 1995 World Series