Francisco Cabrera game
Encyclopedia
The 1992 National League Championship Series Game 7, played on October 14, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
in Atlanta, was the last game of the 1992 National League Championship Series
between the Atlanta Braves
and Pittsburgh Pirates
. Atlanta's dramatic three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth won the game and the National League
pennant for the Braves. As of 2011, this game marked the last time that the Pirates had a winning season (as well as their last appearance in the playoffs).
one year after their dramatic
seven-game loss to the Minnesota Twins. Atlanta featured largely the same lineup
that had won the 1991 pennant, but they still fell into a tie for last place, seven games behind the Giants
, by the end of May. However, Atlanta went 19-6 in June and 16-9 in July and pulled away from the rest of the NL West
by winning 15 of their first 18 games in August.
The Pirates were in the NLCS
for the third year in a row after losing to the eventual World Series champion Cincinnati Reds
in 1990
and the Braves in 1991
. It was also the third of four straight NLCS appearances by either the Pirates or their in-state rival
s, the Philadelphia Phillies
.
The Pirates lost slugging right fielder Bobby Bonilla
to free agency after the 1991 season, replacing him with speedster Alex Cole
. Ace pitcher John Smiley was traded to the Minnesota Twins. Despite the departure of Smiley and Bonilla, Pittsburgh charged out to a seven-game lead by late June, suffered through an 11–15 July that allowed the Montreal Expos
to tie them for the lead by the end of the month, then won eleven straight in early August before pulling away from the Expos in September to earn its third straight NL East title, becoming the first team to win 3 straight NL East titles since the Phillies from 1976 to 1978. Future home run champion Barry Bonds
won his second MVP Award and led the Pirates with 34 home runs and 103 RBI.
Pressure beyond the moment made it imperative for the Pirates to break through and win the pennant in 1992. Financial demands had already resulted in losing Smiley and Bonilla, and the departure of pending free agents Bonds (left fielder) and Doug Drabek
(starting pitcher) loomed. 1992 appeared to be the last chance for Pittsburgh to win with its current core of players.
dominated the Pirates in Game 1 and Atlanta won 5-1. The Braves knocked Danny Jackson
out of Game 2 in the second inning and went on to win 13-5. Rookie Tim Wakefield
, who'd made his big league debut on July 31 and made thirteen starts for the Pirates, threw a complete game to win Game 3 for the Pirates by a 3-2 score. In Game 4, the Braves chased Pirate ace Doug Drabek
from the game in the fifth and won 6-4.
Atlanta now led three games to one. No team had lost a series that they led three games to once since the St. Louis Cardinals blew the 1985 World Series
against the Kansas City Royals
, and it had only happened once in League Championship Series play when those same Royals came from behind to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays
, who were led by Bobby Cox at the time. However, Steve Avery's
disastrous Game 5 start ( of an inning pitched, 4 ER) led to a 7-1 Pittsburgh victory in Game 5, and the Pirates won Game 6 behind another complete game effort from Wakefield, which featured a Bonds home run in an 8 run Pittsburgh second inning against Tom Glavine
. (Bonds had doubled in game 5, breaking his post season no extra base hit slump dating back to the 1990 NLCS).
faced off against John Smoltz
. Cole led off the top of the first with a walk and scored on a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, 320-pound home plate umpire John McSherry
, feeling ill, called time and left the stadium. Randy Marsh
moved from first base to home plate. Three and a half years later, seven pitches into Cincinnati
's 1996 Opening Day
matchup against Montreal
, McSherry collapsed and died of a heart attack on the field.
In the bottom of the third Atlanta catcher Damon Berryhill
led off with a double but was stranded. In the fifth José Lind
of the Pirates doubled with one out but was stranded. Pittsburgh struck for its second run in the sixth inning, when Jay Bell
led off with a double and Andy Van Slyke
singled to bring him home. In the bottom of that same inning the Braves wasted a golden opportunity. Mark Lemke
led off with a single, then Jeff Treadway
, pinch-hitting for Smoltz, followed with another single. Otis Nixon's
bunt single loaded the bases with nobody out. However, Jeff Blauser's
line drive went straight to Pirate third baseman Jeff King
, who caught it and doubled Lemke off of third base. Terry Pendleton
lined out to left to end the threat, and the score remained Pittsburgh 2, Atlanta 0.
Both teams wasted further scoring chances in the seventh. For the Pirates in the top of the inning, Mike Lavalliere's
leadoff single was followed by an intentional walk and an unintentional walk, bringing Van Slyke to the plate with the bases loaded and two out. Steve Avery
entered the game in relief and retired Van Slyke on a fly ball to center. In the bottom of the seventh Sid Bream
doubled with one out for Atlanta and Ron Gant
walked, but Berryhill and Lonnie Smith
each flied out and the inning was over. Neither team scored in the eighth and the Pirates stranded Lloyd McClendon
at second in the top of the ninth. Atlanta came to bat in the bottom of the ninth three outs from defeat, and the Pirates were three outs away from their first National League championship since winning the 1979 World Series
.
then hit a grounder to Jose Lind. Lind, who won a Gold Glove
at second base in 1992 and committed only six errors during the season, booted the ball. Justice was safe at first on the error and Pendleton advanced to third. Drabek then walked Sid Bream to load the bases. Pirate manager Jim Leyland
then took Drabek out of the game after 129 pitches, and sent in reliever Stan Belinda
.
The next batter, Gant, flied out to Bonds in deep left. Pendleton tagged and came home to make the score 2-1, but Justice, the tying run, remained at second. Catcher Damon Berryhill
was next. On a 3-1 pitch that appeared to be a strike, Belinda walked Berryhill and the bases were again loaded. Braves manager Bobby Cox
sent up pinch-hitter Brian Hunter for light-hitting second baseman Rafael Belliard
. Hunter popped up for the second out. With pitcher Jeff Reardon
due up, Cox sent in another pinch-hitter, Francisco Cabrera.
Cabrera had hit a clutch home run in August 1991 to tie a game against the Cincinnati Reds, leading to the Braves eventual victory. However, in 1992 Cabrera, who played first base and catcher, was not called up from the minors until August 31 and batted only ten times for the Braves afterwards. He went to the plate wondering if he'd have to play second base in extra innings, Belliard having been just taken out of the game. Pendleton told Cabrera to "Hit the ball over the shortstop".. In the outfield, Andy Van Slyke asked Barry Bonds to play a little more shallow but Bonds ignored him.
Belinda threw a slider for ball one. The next pitch was a fastball for ball two. Belinda then threw a fastball over the plate that Cabrera hit very hard but foul into the left field seats. Ron Gant, watching from the dugout, said later that after that pitch he "knew [Cabrera] was going to do it."
Belinda threw another fastball, high, again over the plate. Cabrera hit the ball over the shortstop, as Pendleton instructed, and in front of Bonds in left for a base hit. Justice scored easily with the tying run, but Sid Bream represented the winning run coming from second base, and was known as an unusually slow runner. The ball was hit to Bonds' left, requiring left-handed Bonds to move left and throw across his body. Bonds' throw was high and about six feet up the first base line, forcing Lavalliere to field the throw and sweep his glove back to the plate. Bream beat the throw, just barely. The Braves won the game 3-2, and the pennant.
sat motionless in centerfield for several minutes after the game ended, while the Braves celebrated at home plate.
The Braves lost the 1992 World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays
in six games. 1992 was the second of five pennants for the Braves from 1991
to 1999
, but only one of those pennants was followed by a World Series victory, in . Francisco Cabrera went 0-1 in the 1992 Series. He played only one more season in the big leagues, accruing 91 plate appearances for the 1993 Braves
. He later managed the St. Louis Cardinals
' Dominican League
affiliate.
The Pirates never recovered from their loss to the Braves. Bonds and Drabek left via free agency, signing with the Giants
and Astros
, respectively. Bonds went on to set the all-time MLB home run
record with 762. The 1993 Pirates
went 75-87. It was the first of 19 consecutive losing seasons (through 2011
), an all-time record for major North American professional sports.
Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS marked the first time in MLB history that a team which was one out away from losing in a winner-take-all game of a playoff series instead won on the last pitch. The March 1993 issue of Baseball Digest
pronounced it the greatest baseball comeback ever, as did John Smoltz immediately after the game. A 2006 study by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
pronounced Cabrera's game-winning single the eighth-"clutchest" hit in MLB history. ESPN called the Pirates' defeat the eighth most painful in baseball history.
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...
in Atlanta, was the last game of the 1992 National League Championship Series
1992 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaA rather uneventful opening to what would prove to be a memorable series, Game 1 was an easy win for the Braves. Atlanta scored four early runs, highlighted by Jeff Blauser's fifth-inning homer, and coasted to...
between the Atlanta Braves
1992 Atlanta Braves season
The 1992 Atlanta Braves season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Braves finishing first in the National League West with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses, clinching their second straight division title....
and Pittsburgh Pirates
1992 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates season saw the Pirates finish first in the National League East with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses. It was the third consecutive division title for the team. The Pirates once again fell short in the postseason, losing a riveting seven-game National League...
. Atlanta's dramatic three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth won the game and the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant for the Braves. As of 2011, this game marked the last time that the Pirates had a winning season (as well as their last appearance in the playoffs).
The season
The Braves were attempting to return to the World Series1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
one year after their dramatic
1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
seven-game loss to the Minnesota Twins. Atlanta featured largely the same lineup
1991 Atlanta Braves season
In 1991, the Atlanta Braves became the first team in the National League to go from last place one year to first place the next. This feat was also accomplished by the 1991 Minnesota Twins...
that had won the 1991 pennant, but they still fell into a tie for last place, seven games behind the Giants
1992 San Francisco Giants season
The 1992 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in fifth place in the National League West with a record of 72 wins and 90 losses....
, by the end of May. However, Atlanta went 19-6 in June and 16-9 in July and pulled away from the rest of the NL West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
by winning 15 of their first 18 games in August.
The Pirates were in the NLCS
1992 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaA rather uneventful opening to what would prove to be a memorable series, Game 1 was an easy win for the Braves. Atlanta scored four early runs, highlighted by Jeff Blauser's fifth-inning homer, and coasted to...
for the third year in a row after losing to the eventual World Series champion Cincinnati Reds
1990 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1990 season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Reds winning the National League West, as well as the National League Championship Series in six games over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the World Series in a four-game sweep over the overwhelming favorite...
in 1990
1990 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 4, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioBob Walk was the starting pitcher for Pittsburgh and José Rijo was on the mound for the Reds. The Reds had two doubles in the bottom half of the first inning and scored three runs. This would prove to be the only runs they...
and the Braves in 1991
1991 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1991 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaThe Pirates proved they would be tough to eliminate early when they stifled the Braves offense behind 1990 Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek and won the first game 5–1...
. It was also the third of four straight NLCS appearances by either the Pirates or their in-state rival
Phillies–Pirates rivalry
The rivalry between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball was considered by some to be one of the best rivalries in the National League...
s, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
The Pirates lost slugging right fielder Bobby Bonilla
Bobby Bonilla
Roberto Martin Antonio "Bobby" Bonilla is a former player in Major League Baseball who played from 1986 to 2001. Known in his playing days as "Bobby Bo," Bonilla is of Puerto Rican descent.-Playing career:...
to free agency after the 1991 season, replacing him with speedster Alex Cole
Alex Cole
Alexander Cole Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1985 MLB amateur draft, Cole would make his Major League debut with the Cleveland Indians on July 27, 1990, and appear in his final game on May 22, 1996...
. Ace pitcher John Smiley was traded to the Minnesota Twins. Despite the departure of Smiley and Bonilla, Pittsburgh charged out to a seven-game lead by late June, suffered through an 11–15 July that allowed the Montreal Expos
1992 Montreal Expos season
-Offseason:* November 15, 1991: Gary Carter was selected off waivers by the Expos from the Los Angeles Dodgers.* November 18, 1991: Kenny Williams was released by the Expos.* November 25, 1991: Andrés Galarraga was traded by the Expos to the St...
to tie them for the lead by the end of the month, then won eleven straight in early August before pulling away from the Expos in September to earn its third straight NL East title, becoming the first team to win 3 straight NL East titles since the Phillies from 1976 to 1978. Future home run champion Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
won his second MVP Award and led the Pirates with 34 home runs and 103 RBI.
Pressure beyond the moment made it imperative for the Pirates to break through and win the pennant in 1992. Financial demands had already resulted in losing Smiley and Bonilla, and the departure of pending free agents Bonds (left fielder) and Doug Drabek
Doug Drabek
Douglas Dean Drabek is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990.-Early life:...
(starting pitcher) loomed. 1992 appeared to be the last chance for Pittsburgh to win with its current core of players.
The series
John SmoltzJohn Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
dominated the Pirates in Game 1 and Atlanta won 5-1. The Braves knocked Danny Jackson
Danny Jackson
Danny Lynn Jackson was a pitcher with a 15-year career from to . He played for the Kansas City Royals of the American League and the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, St...
out of Game 2 in the second inning and went on to win 13-5. Rookie Tim Wakefield
Tim Wakefield
Timothy Stephen Wakefield is an American professional baseball pitcher. Wakefield began pitching with the Red Sox in 1995, making him the longest-serving player currently on the team. Wakefield is also the oldest current active player in the majors, and one of two active knuckleballers, the other...
, who'd made his big league debut on July 31 and made thirteen starts for the Pirates, threw a complete game to win Game 3 for the Pirates by a 3-2 score. In Game 4, the Braves chased Pirate ace Doug Drabek
Doug Drabek
Douglas Dean Drabek is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990.-Early life:...
from the game in the fifth and won 6-4.
Atlanta now led three games to one. No team had lost a series that they led three games to once since the St. Louis Cardinals blew the 1985 World Series
1985 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...
against the Kansas City Royals
1985 Kansas City Royals season
The 1985 Kansas City Royals season ended with the Royals' first world championship win over their intrastate rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals won the Western Division of the American League for the second consecutive season and the sixth time in ten years...
, and it had only happened once in League Championship Series play when those same Royals came from behind to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays
1985 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season saw the Blue Jays finishing first in the American League East with a record of 99 wins and 62 losses. The win total of 99 is a franchise record, and the division title was the franchise's first....
, who were led by Bobby Cox at the time. However, Steve Avery's
Steve Avery
Steven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
disastrous Game 5 start ( of an inning pitched, 4 ER) led to a 7-1 Pittsburgh victory in Game 5, and the Pirates won Game 6 behind another complete game effort from Wakefield, which featured a Bonds home run in an 8 run Pittsburgh second inning against Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
. (Bonds had doubled in game 5, breaking his post season no extra base hit slump dating back to the 1990 NLCS).
The game
Pittsburgh ace Doug DrabekDoug Drabek
Douglas Dean Drabek is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990.-Early life:...
faced off against John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
. Cole led off the top of the first with a walk and scored on a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, 320-pound home plate umpire John McSherry
John McSherry
John Patrick McSherry was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1971 to 1996. Although McSherry originally wore uniform #9 when he entered the National League, he switched to #10 in 1979 when the league reorganized the umpires' numbers and he wore that...
, feeling ill, called time and left the stadium. Randy Marsh
Randy Marsh
Randall Gilbert Marsh is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1981 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000-2009. Marsh wore the uniform number 30...
moved from first base to home plate. Three and a half years later, seven pitches into Cincinnati
1996 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1996 season consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League Central.-Offseason:*December 7, 1995: Chris Sabo was signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Reds....
's 1996 Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
matchup against Montreal
1996 Montreal Expos season
-Offseason:*October 13, 1995: Butch Henry was selected off waivers by the Boston Red Sox from the Montreal Expos.*December 1, 1995: Wally Whitehurst was signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos....
, McSherry collapsed and died of a heart attack on the field.
In the bottom of the third Atlanta catcher Damon Berryhill
Damon Berryhill
Damon Scott Berryhill is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played ten seasons for the Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Red Sox, the Cincinnati Reds, and the San Francisco Giants from to . He threw right and was a switch hitter...
led off with a double but was stranded. In the fifth José Lind
José Lind
José Lind Salgado, nicknamed "Chico", is a former Major League Baseball player, and former manager of the Atlantic League's Bridgeport Bluefish. He is the cousin of Onix Concepcion, another MLB player. Primarily a second baseman, Lind was highly regarded for his defensive skills, winning a Gold...
of the Pirates doubled with one out but was stranded. Pittsburgh struck for its second run in the sixth inning, when Jay Bell
Jay Bell
Jay Stuart Bell is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and second baseman who played for the Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , Kansas City Royals , Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets .He played his high school baseball at J.M...
led off with a double and Andy Van Slyke
Andy Van Slyke
Andrew James Van Slyke is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder and former first base coach for the Detroit Tigers.-Career:...
singled to bring him home. In the bottom of that same inning the Braves wasted a golden opportunity. Mark Lemke
Mark Lemke
Mark Alan Lemke is a former Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "The Lemmer", he was a popular second baseman for the Atlanta Braves from to .-Biography:...
led off with a single, then Jeff Treadway
Jeff Treadway
Hugh Jeffery Treadway , is a former Major League Baseball player. He played nine seasons in the majors from 1987-1995. He was primarily a second baseman, but also played at other infield positions...
, pinch-hitting for Smoltz, followed with another single. Otis Nixon's
Otis Nixon
Otis Junior Nixon, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a center fielder and switch-hitter who played from 1983 to 1999...
bunt single loaded the bases with nobody out. However, Jeff Blauser's
Jeff Blauser
Jeffrey Michael Blauser is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He played for the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs from 1987 to 1999.-Career:...
line drive went straight to Pirate third baseman Jeff King
Jeff King (baseball)
Jeffrey Wayne King is a former professional baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals.-Career:...
, who caught it and doubled Lemke off of third base. Terry Pendleton
Terry Pendleton
Terry Lee Pendleton is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball, and a former hitting coach and current first base coach of the Atlanta Braves. He played primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, but he also spent time with the Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, and Kansas...
lined out to left to end the threat, and the score remained Pittsburgh 2, Atlanta 0.
Both teams wasted further scoring chances in the seventh. For the Pirates in the top of the inning, Mike Lavalliere's
Mike LaValliere
Michael Eugene "Mike" LaValliere , nicknamed Spanky, is a former catcher in Major League Baseball whose 11-year career included tenures in both the National and American Leagues...
leadoff single was followed by an intentional walk and an unintentional walk, bringing Van Slyke to the plate with the bases loaded and two out. Steve Avery
Steve Avery
Steven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
entered the game in relief and retired Van Slyke on a fly ball to center. In the bottom of the seventh Sid Bream
Sid Bream
Sidney Eugene "Sid" Bream is an American former Major League Baseball player. He played his entire 11-year career in the National League...
doubled with one out for Atlanta and Ron Gant
Ron Gant
Ronald Edwin "Ron" Gant is a former American Major League outfielder and second baseman earlier on who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds , St...
walked, but Berryhill and Lonnie Smith
Lonnie Smith
Lonnie Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies on September 2, 1978 and later played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles...
each flied out and the inning was over. Neither team scored in the eighth and the Pirates stranded Lloyd McClendon
Lloyd McClendon
Lloyd Glenn McClendon is a former professional baseball player and manager, currently serving as the hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers under Jim Leyland...
at second in the top of the ninth. Atlanta came to bat in the bottom of the ninth three outs from defeat, and the Pirates were three outs away from their first National League championship since winning the 1979 World Series
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
.
Bottom of the ninth
Pendleton, who hit .311 in 1992, led off with a double in the right field corner. It landed fair by two feet. David JusticeDavid Justice
David Christopher Justice is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , and Oakland Athletics .-Early life:David was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Robert and Nettie Justice...
then hit a grounder to Jose Lind. Lind, who won a Gold Glove
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
at second base in 1992 and committed only six errors during the season, booted the ball. Justice was safe at first on the error and Pendleton advanced to third. Drabek then walked Sid Bream to load the bases. Pirate manager Jim Leyland
Jim Leyland
James Richard "Jim" Leyland is a Major League Baseball manager, currently with the Detroit Tigers.He led the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship in 1997, and previously won three straight division titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
then took Drabek out of the game after 129 pitches, and sent in reliever Stan Belinda
Stan Belinda
Stanley Peter Belinda is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed relief pitcher who batted from the right side, Belinda is 6'3" tall and weighs 187 pounds. He pitched from a three-quarters arm slot and threw both a regular low-90's fastball and a split-fingered fastball...
.
The next batter, Gant, flied out to Bonds in deep left. Pendleton tagged and came home to make the score 2-1, but Justice, the tying run, remained at second. Catcher Damon Berryhill
Damon Berryhill
Damon Scott Berryhill is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played ten seasons for the Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Red Sox, the Cincinnati Reds, and the San Francisco Giants from to . He threw right and was a switch hitter...
was next. On a 3-1 pitch that appeared to be a strike, Belinda walked Berryhill and the bases were again loaded. Braves manager Bobby Cox
Bobby Cox
Robert Joseph "Bobby" Cox is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. He first led the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985. He later rejoined the Braves in 1985 as a general manager...
sent up pinch-hitter Brian Hunter for light-hitting second baseman Rafael Belliard
Rafael Belliard
Rafael Leonidas Belliard Matias is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He is currently the infield coach for the Detroit Tigers....
. Hunter popped up for the second out. With pitcher Jeff Reardon
Jeff Reardon
Jeffrey James Reardon , nicknamed "The Terminator" for his intimidating presence on the mound and 98 mph fastball, is a former professional baseball relief pitcher from 1979-1994 who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati...
due up, Cox sent in another pinch-hitter, Francisco Cabrera.
Cabrera had hit a clutch home run in August 1991 to tie a game against the Cincinnati Reds, leading to the Braves eventual victory. However, in 1992 Cabrera, who played first base and catcher, was not called up from the minors until August 31 and batted only ten times for the Braves afterwards. He went to the plate wondering if he'd have to play second base in extra innings, Belliard having been just taken out of the game. Pendleton told Cabrera to "Hit the ball over the shortstop".. In the outfield, Andy Van Slyke asked Barry Bonds to play a little more shallow but Bonds ignored him.
Belinda threw a slider for ball one. The next pitch was a fastball for ball two. Belinda then threw a fastball over the plate that Cabrera hit very hard but foul into the left field seats. Ron Gant, watching from the dugout, said later that after that pitch he "knew [Cabrera] was going to do it."
Belinda threw another fastball, high, again over the plate. Cabrera hit the ball over the shortstop, as Pendleton instructed, and in front of Bonds in left for a base hit. Justice scored easily with the tying run, but Sid Bream represented the winning run coming from second base, and was known as an unusually slow runner. The ball was hit to Bonds' left, requiring left-handed Bonds to move left and throw across his body. Bonds' throw was high and about six feet up the first base line, forcing Lavalliere to field the throw and sweep his glove back to the plate. Bream beat the throw, just barely. The Braves won the game 3-2, and the pennant.
Aftermath
Andy Van SlykeAndy Van Slyke
Andrew James Van Slyke is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder and former first base coach for the Detroit Tigers.-Career:...
sat motionless in centerfield for several minutes after the game ended, while the Braves celebrated at home plate.
The Braves lost the 1992 World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays
1992 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays played their 16th season in Major League Baseball. Toronto finished first in the American League East for the 4th time with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses, closing the season with an attendance record of 4,028,318...
in six games. 1992 was the second of five pennants for the Braves from 1991
1991 Atlanta Braves season
In 1991, the Atlanta Braves became the first team in the National League to go from last place one year to first place the next. This feat was also accomplished by the 1991 Minnesota Twins...
to 1999
1999 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:*November 10, 1998: Bret Boone was traded by the Cincinnati Reds with Mike Remlinger to the Atlanta Braves for Rob Bell, Denny Neagle, and Michael Tucker.*December 1, 1998: Otis Nixon was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves....
, but only one of those pennants was followed by a World Series victory, in . Francisco Cabrera went 0-1 in the 1992 Series. He played only one more season in the big leagues, accruing 91 plate appearances for the 1993 Braves
1993 Atlanta Braves season
The 1993 Atlanta Braves season saw the Braves finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In the waning weeks of the season, they engaged in a dramatic and exciting battle for the division title against the San Francisco Giants, who finished in second...
. He later managed the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' Dominican League
Dominican Summer Cardinals
The Dominican Summer Cardinals are a minor league baseball team in the Dominican Summer League. The team plays in the Santo Domingo North division and is affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals....
affiliate.
The Pirates never recovered from their loss to the Braves. Bonds and Drabek left via free agency, signing with the Giants
1993 San Francisco Giants season
The 1993 Giants season was their 111th in Major League Baseball and their 36th in San Francisco. In the offseason, Barry Bonds left the Pirates to sign a lucrative free agent contract worth a then-record $43.75 million over 6 years with the Giants, with whom his father spent the first 7 years of...
and Astros
1993 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 1993 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League West.-Offseason:* October 5, 1992: Denny Walling was released by the Astros....
, respectively. Bonds went on to set the all-time MLB home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
record with 762. The 1993 Pirates
1993 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates franchise entered the '93 season as the three-time defending National League East champions. In the offseason, Barry Bonds left the Pirates and signed with the San Francisco Giants...
went 75-87. It was the first of 19 consecutive losing seasons (through 2011
2011 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the Pirates' 125th season as a member of Major League Baseball and 130th season overall. The season was the first with manager Clint Hurdle, who was hired to replace the fired John Russell...
), an all-time record for major North American professional sports.
Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS marked the first time in MLB history that a team which was one out away from losing in a winner-take-all game of a playoff series instead won on the last pitch. The March 1993 issue of Baseball Digest
Baseball Digest
Baseball Digest is a baseball magazine resource, published in Evanston, Illinois by Lakeside Publishing Company. It is the oldest and longest-running baseball magazine in the United States....
pronounced it the greatest baseball comeback ever, as did John Smoltz immediately after the game. A 2006 study by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
pronounced Cabrera's game-winning single the eighth-"clutchest" hit in MLB history. ESPN called the Pirates' defeat the eighth most painful in baseball history.
External links
- Audio file of CBS Sports announcer Sean McDonough'sSean McDonoughSean McDonough is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN.-Early life and career:The son of Boston Globe sportswriter Will McDonough, Sean graduated from Syracuse University in 1984. It was in Syracuse where McDonough began his broadcasting career in 1982 as the play-by-play announcer...
call of Cabrera's single