Top five Braves relievers, according to beat-writer Mark Bowman's analytical take:
1. Craig Kimbrel 2010-2014 recorded MLB best 185 saves between 2011-2014. Second best was 137. Converted 90.7% of his save opportunities.
2. Mike Remlinger 1999-2002 & 2006 ranked second among all relievers with a 82.6% strand rate during that period.
3. Gene Garber (above) 1978-1987 ranks third in Braves history with 141 saves. Franchise record 557 relief appearance may never be broken. Second highest is 388.
4. Eric O’Flaherty 2009-2013 & 2016-2017 ranked 4th during that period with a 86.2% strand rate. His 0.980 ERA in 2011 was the first in sub 1.000 ERA in MLB history.
5. Greg McMichael 1993-1996 & 2000 finished second for the 1993 NL ROY. Perhaps the most reliable Braves reliever in the early to mid-1990’s.
HM Jonny Venters 2010-2012 & 2018-2019 had a 205 ERA+ (over 100 is above average in 171 innings over the 2010 & 2011 seasons. That’s pitching in every other game.
HM: Peter Moylan 2006-2012, 2015 & 2018 ranks 3rd in Braves history with 356 relief appearances.
HM: Ernie Johnson (below) 1950-1958 tallied the 5th most relief innings 428-2/3 in Braves history.
HM: Rick Camp.1976-1985 complied 548-2/3 relief innings.
HM: Mark Wohlers
HM: John Smoltz.2001-2004 recorded 154 saves. His 91.1% success rate is second in MLB history behind Eric Gagne’s 91.7%.
No Cecil Upshaw or Hoyt Wilhelm. Or Billy Wagner either. He was only with the team for a short while, but helped with the development of every young reliever on the staff. Well respected, but all of Bowman’s rankings have been STRICTLY statistical. Don’t you hate guys like that? He even ranked Glavine ahead of Warren Shahn.
HOYT WILHELM [SABR Bio] the Hall of Fame pitcher pitched in more than 20 seasons in the majors and won ERA crowns in the only two seasons he qualified Although each of those ERA titles was won in a different league - ERA champ in 1952 for NYG (Rookie season) and 1959 for BAL, wearing the black and orange of each franchise. At the plate he collected five extra-base hits in his entire career, 80% of them in his first two campaigns – a HR in his first year (in his first at bat!), then two doubles and a triple in his sophomore season. He was the only future Hall of Famer to go an entire season (min 20 AB) in the AL without collecting a hit. In 1965 w/ CHW Wilhelm went to the plate 22 times. He only got on base 4 times, twice via walks and twice on errors. Meanwhile, over in the senior circuit, in 1957, Sandy Koufax had gone hitless for a season in which he had over 20 ABs. He went 0-26, reaching base only once on an error.
R.I.P. former Braves outfielder Oscar Brown, who I clearly remember from the early 70’s. Had several of his baseball cards. Below left with Ralph Garr and Hank Aaron. Gonna be several additions to the bricks outside Truist Park.
With the NBA starting up in Orlando, I hear the teams that didn’t make the cut may get together with nearby teams to work out and scrimmage, perhaps like the old Las Vegas summer league. Probably more for the younger players and maybe not the high-priced vets. Maybe the Hawks will play against Charlotte. We’ll see.
See where Michael Jordan was in some sort of salt water fishing tournament. He was on a big boat. Didn’t look like he wasn’t the one doing the actual fishing. Then his boat landed a huge 450+ pound mackerel. Maybe it was a marlin. Not sure if MJ gets the credit or not. You know back when my Cub Scout pack went fishing, some boys had rods and reels and I just had a stick with a line tied to it. I was the only one to catch a fish. The other boys wanted to use my pole. But to this day I lay claim to the title of 1968 Cub Scout Pack 34 fishing tournament champions.
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