1998 Atlanta Braves season

Few in

1998 Atlanta Braves
1998 NL East Champions
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record 106–56 (.654)
Divisional place 1st
Other information
Owner(s) Time Warner
General manager(s) John Schuerholz
Manager(s) Bobby Cox
Local television WTBS
TBS Superstation
(Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson)
Fox Sports South
(Ernie Johnson, Bob Rathbun)
Local radio WSB (AM)
(Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson)
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The 1998 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 33rd season in Atlanta. They went on to win their seventh consecutive division title, taking the National League East title by 18 games over the second place New York Mets.

The team featured six all stars: shortstop Walt Weiss and third baseman Chipper Jones were voted as starters, while first baseman Andrés Galarraga, catcher Javy Lopez, and pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux were selected as reserves. Jones and Lopez each hit over 30 home runs as Galaragga (acquired from Colorado) led the club in home runs and RBI. Galaragga finished as an MVP candidate.

The 1998 Braves beat the Chicago Cubs three games to none in the National League Division Series. In the next round Atlanta then lost to the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series four games to two. Despite winning two games after losing the first three, Atlanta's comeback bid came short by being eliminated in game 6. San Diego's winning over Atlanta was seen as one of the biggest upsets in postseason history.

This team has earned a few historic accolades. ESPN writer David Schoenfield lists them as one of the top teams in MLB history to not win a World Series[1]

ESPN columnist Jeff Merron also writes that the pitching staff of Maddux, Glavine, John Smoltz, Denny Neagle, and Kevin Millwood was the greatest of all time. Especially to not win a championship.[2] The quintet posted a cumulative 2.97 E.R.A. and amassed 88 wins (almost 18 wins per starter), equaling the win total of the 2nd place Mets. Glavine, the lone 20 game winner in the National League for that year, won the Cy Young Award.

Offseason

Regular season

Tom Glavine pitches in spring training, 1998. Chipper Jones plays third base in background.

Season standings

NL East W L Pct. GB Home Road
Atlanta Braves 106 56 0.654 — 56–25 50–31
New York Mets 88 74 0.543 18 47–34 41–40
Philadelphia Phillies 75 87 0.463 31 40–41 35–46
Montreal Expos 65 97 0.401 41 39–42 26–55
Florida Marlins 54 108 0.333 52 31–50 23–58

Record vs. opponents

1998 National League Records

Sources:

Team ARI ATL CHC CIN COL FLA HOU LAD MIL MON NYM PHI PIT SD SF STL AL
Arizona — 1–8 5–7 4–5 6–6 6–2 4–5 4–8 6–3 2–7 4–5 2–7 6–3 3–9 5–7 2–7 5–8
Atlanta 8–1 — 3–6 7–2 5–3 7–5 4–5 8–1 7–2 6–6 9–3 8–4 7–2 5–4 7–2 6–3 9–7
Chicago 7–5 6–3 — 6–5 7–2 7–2 4–7 4–5 6–6 7–2 4–5 3–6 8–3 5–4 7–3 4–7 5–8
Cincinnati 5–4 2–7 5–6 — 4–5 9–0 3–8 5–4 6–5 8–1 3–6 4–5 5–7 1–11 2–7 8–3 7-6
Colorado 6–6 3–5 2–7 5–4 — 6–3 6–5 6–6 4–7 7–2 3–6 5–4 5–4 5–7 7–5 3–6 4–8
Florida 2–6 5–7 2–7 0–9 3–6 — 3–6 4–5 0–9 5–7 5–7 6–6 3–6 4–5 0–9 4–5 8–8
Houston 5–4 5–4 7–4 8–3 5–6 6-3 — 3–6 9–2 7–2 5–4 7–2 9–2 5–4 6–3 5–7 10–4
Los Angeles 8–4 1–8 5–4 4–5 6–6 5–4 6–3 — 5–4 5–4 3–5 5–4 7–5 5–7 6–6 4–5 8–5
Milwaukee 3–6 2–7 6–6 5–6 7–4 9–0 2–9 4–5 — 6–3 1–8 4–5 6–5 3–6 5–4 3–8 8–6
Montreal 7–2 6–6 2–7 1–8 2–7 7–5 2–7 4–5 3–6 — 8–4 5–7 2–7 4–4 3–6 3–6 6–10
New York 5–4 3–9 5–4 6–3 6–3 7–5 4–5 5–3 8–1 4–8 — 8–4 4–5 4–5 4–5 6–3 9–7
Philadelphia 7-2 4–8 6–3 5–4 4–5 6–6 2–7 4–5 5–4 7–5 4–8 — 8–1 1–8 2–6 3–6 7–9
Pittsburgh 3–6 2–7 3–8 7–5 4–5 6–3 2–9 5–7 5–6 7–2 5–4 1–8 — 5–4 2–7 6–5 6–7
San Diego 9–3 4–5 4–5 11–1 7–5 5–4 4–5 7–5 6–3 4–4 5–4 8–1 4–5 — 8–4 6–3 6–7
San Francisco 7–5 2–7 3–7 7–2 5–7 9–0 3–6 6–6 4–5 6–3 5–4 6–2 7–2 4–8 — 7–5 8–5
St. Louis 7–2 3–6 7–4 3–8 6–3 5-4 7–5 5–4 8–3 6–3 3–6 6–3 5–6 3–6 5–7 — 4–9

Transactions

Roster

1998 Atlanta Braves
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders

Manager

Coaches

Player stats

Batting

Starting Players

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

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Javy Lopez 133 489 139 .284 34 107
Andres Galarraga 153 555 169 .305 44 121
Keith Lockhart 109 366 94 .257 9 37
Walt Weiss 96 347 97 .280 0 27
Chipper Jones 160 601 188 .313 34 107
Ryan Klesko 129 427 117 .274 18 70
Andruw Jones 159 582 158 .271 31 90
Michael Tucker 130 414 101 .244 13 46

Other batters

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI

Starting pitchers

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Greg Maddux 34 251.0 18 9 2.22 204
Tom Glavine 33 229.1 20 6 2.47 157
Denny Neagle 32 210.1 16 11 3.55 165
Kevin Millwood 31 174.1 17 8 4.08 163
John Smoltz 26 167.2 17 3 2.90 173

Other pitchers

Player G IP W L ERA
Relief pitchers
Player G W L SV ERA SO

National League Division Series

Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Cubs

Atlanta wins the series, 3-0

Game Home Score Visitor Score Date Series
1Atlanta7Chicago1September 301-0 (ATL)
2Atlanta2Chicago1October 12-0 (ATL)
3Chicago2Atlanta6October 33-0 (ATL)

National League Championship Series

Game 1

October 7: Turner Field in Atlanta

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
San Diego 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 7 0
Atlanta 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 8 3
WP: Trevor Hoffman (1-0)   LP: Kerry Ligtenberg (0-1)
Home runs:
SD: Ken Caminiti (1)
Atl: Andruw Jones (1)

Game 2

October 8: Turner Field in Atlanta

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
San Diego 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 11 0
Atlanta 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1
WP: Kevin Brown (1-0)   LP: Tom Glavine (0-1)

Game 3

October 10: Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Atlanta 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 2
San Diego 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 X 4 7 0
WP: Sterling Hitchcock (1-0)   LP: Greg Maddux (0-1)   Sv: Trevor Hoffman (1)

Game 4

October 11: Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Atlanta 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 0 0 8 12 0
San Diego 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 8 0
WP: Dennis Martínez (1-0)   LP: Joey Hamilton (0-1)
Home runs:
Atl: Javy López (1), Andrés Galarraga (1)
SD: Jim Leyritz (1)

Game 5

October 12: Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Atlanta 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 5 0 7 14 1
San Diego 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 6 10 1
WP: John Rocker (1-0)   LP: Kevin Brown (1-1)   Sv: Greg Maddux (1)
Home runs:
Atl: Michael Tucker (1)
SD: Ken Caminiti (2), John Vander Wal (1)

Game 6

October 14: Turner Field in Atlanta

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
San Diego 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 5 10 0
Atlanta 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
WP: Sterling Hitchcock (2-0)   LP: Tom Glavine (0-2)

Award winners

1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Farm system

Level Team League Manager
AAA Richmond Braves International League Jeff Cox
AA Greenville Braves Southern League Randy Ingle
A Danville 97s Carolina League Paul Runge
A Macon Braves South Atlantic League Brian Snitker
A-Short Season Eugene Emeralds Northwest League Jim Saul
Rookie Danville Braves Appalachian League Franklin Stubbs
Rookie GCL Braves Gulf Coast League Rick Albert

[9]

References

  1. ↑ http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/32354/greatest-teams-ever-the-almost-greats
  2. ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=list/greatestrotations
  3. ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/weisswa01.shtml
  4. ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/martide01.shtml
  5. ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/pridecu01.shtml
  6. ↑ Howard Battle Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  7. ↑ Alan Embree Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  8. ↑ Paul Byrd Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  9. ↑ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007
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