European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 7, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Braves Clinch it by Tim Layden new Day Atlanta at 5 23 on a saturday afternoon a time customarily reserved in these parts for College football games or family outings a Fly Ball dropped into the Glove of David Justice and the Atlanta braves rushed to form a silly pulsing Thicket in the Small Green Patch of grass Between the Pitcher s Mound and first base at Fulton county stadium. A 5-2 win Over the Houston astros was secure the braves eighth consecutive win in the 161st game of the season. A title was nearly won. A stadium a and a people a unaccustomed to such achievement by its baseball team quivered with approval. Then there was a pause As an image appeared on the monolithic television screen above the Centerfield Fence. The braves who led the los Angeles dodgers by one game before the afternoon s play would be champions of the no West Only if the san Francisco giants also beat the dodgers. The fans 44,994 of them clapped rhythmically and did their Tomahawk Deal. The players stood still. In the pregnant pause they thought of what had so nearly been done. From last place with 97 losses to first with 94 victories and counting. Justice the then idol outfielder recalled the summer of 1987, when Greenville . Won a double a title with Many of these same players As teen agers. A i just knew we could do this on the major league level a he said. A standing there we were All reminded of that. Look How far we be come Greg Olson the Catcher worn close to exhaustion through the braves stretch run remembered eight years in the minor leagues. A a in a just Happy to be a major league Catcher Quot he said. A thinking about it i was actually citing during the eighth and ninth  Terry Pendleton the Stout Stone faced third baseman who brought with him front St. Louis a knowledge of what pleasure Success can bring looked to his wife and children behind the first base dugout. A a they be made everything All right at Home for me a he said. A and that a a big part of this. Its got to be right at  they waited. 5 245 25an image of dodger manager Tommy la Sorda on the big screen 50 feet High. Boos. 5 26. Now Darryl Strawberry a face. Louder Boos. 5 27a ground Ball and a title clinched. The braves streamed toward their dugout. Many throwing their hats into the seals As they ran Down the Steps toward a the clubhouse. They would later take the obligatory curtain Calls for a populace gone wild Over their Success. Not since 1982 had the braves won a division title. They had finished fifth or last for six consecutive years without winning More than 72 games. Now they will play for a a Conant beginning wednesday in Pitts urge. A this was so unexpected Quot said general manager John schuerhol/., who came to Atlanta Only a year ago. A nobody sex the stars and stripes october 7,1991 Page 28 Atlanta Catcher Greg Olson and Pitcher John Smoltz celebrate braves Victory. Petted  _ Center fielder Ron Gant who hit his 32nd Home run in the fifth inning and who has been with the braves for parts of five seasons said a i m one of the Guys in this room who s been through the Good and the had. This is the Best of the Good. We Shook up the  what they did More correctly was play truly remarkable baseball for the final week and a half of the season. They trailed the dodgers by two games with nine to play and eight to play for that matter and had to play the first six of those nine on the Road while the dodgers played at Home. The braves won All six thrice coming from behind. A the biggest thing a said first basemen Sid Bream a is that we decided if we had to win eight or nine in a Row then we had the Talent Here to do  the braves made this weekends climactic series meaningful with that winning Streak and when the dodgers lost at Home to the san Diego padres wednesday night to leave the teams in a tic the advantage shifted dramatically to the braves. And much to their credit they did precisely what was expected to the Young Over their Heads astros they drilled them in two consecutive games while the dodgers were crumbling in san Francisco. A i think in a going to Call every player on the giants. Individually Quot Gant said. After Steve Avery pitched superbly carrying a no hitter into the seventh Friday night John Smoltz was nearly As Fine saturday. Smoltz 14-13 Overall and 12-2 since the All Star break pitched a Complete game giving up eight hits and walking not a single Batter. Dodgers shut out at stick from wire reports san Francisco a the dodgers dream of a Pennant died saturday at candlestick Park. Los Angeles lost for the second time in less than 20 hours and was eliminated from the no West race with a 4-0 loss to the san Francisco giants. The amazing Atlanta braves clinched the division with a 5-2 Victory Over visiting Houston. The dodgers were ousted from the race by their most bitter rivals when they were handcuffed by Trevor Wilson a two hitter. Matt Williams added two rib to Back Wilson a first shutout of the season enabling the fourth place giants to derail the dodgers. It was the second time in the last decade the giants Trevor Wilson played spoilers to los Angeles on the final weekend. In 1982, Joe Morgan ripped a Homer to end the dodgers divisional Hopes. The braves also won the division that year. The dodgers and giants had been bitter rivals in new York until they moved to California together after the 1957 season. The rivalry has continued on the West coast. San Francisco was also inspired saturday by former teammate Dave Dravecky who was honoured in an emotional pregame ceremony for his Brave Battle against cancer which Cost him his Arm. Los Angeles bats fell silent before a combination of Wilson a pitching and excellent defense. Third baseman Williams robbed Mike Sharperson of a hit with a whirling backhand Stop in the first and then Wilson speared a Mike Morgan line drive to Lead off the third. Wilson 13-11, walked one and fanned six As he retired 20 of the last 21 batters. Loser Morgan pitched seven innings giving up four hits and two earned runs. Inside sports Florida slate rocks Syracuse a Page 21 huskies walk Over Arizona a Page 22 Whitaker retains title Page 25 Gant continues to Roll Page 27 in other major league games i from wire reports Minnesota a Scott Erickson joined Detroit a Bill Gullickson As the Only american league 20-game winners As the twins slopped the Blue jays 3-1 in the metronome. The win snapped Juan Guzman s ill game winning Streak. At Anaheim California left hander Jim Abbott won his 18th decision As the Angels stopped Kansas City 5-1. In other Al. Games Oakland pounded Host Texas 12-5 Baltimore won its next to last game at memorial stadium with a 7-3 decision Over Detroit Milwaukee dumped Boston 13-4 at Fenway Seattle blanked Chicago 10-0 at the kingdom and visiting Cleveland nipped new York 7-5 in 12 innings. In the National league san Diego a Dann Bilardello drove in three runs and Tim Teufel two As the padres rapped out 17 hits in beating the reeling reds 10-7 at riverfront stadium. Bilardello who like Teufel had three hits got his first career triple in the padres four run rally that broke a 5-5 tie in the fourth. Hal Morris slipped in his bid for the National league batting title by finishing 1 for 5 for a .314 average. Morris holds the third spot in the batting race behind the Atlanta braves Terry Pendleton at .319 and the padres Tony Gwynn at .317. In other no action Philadelphia shut out new York 1-0 Al Home Chicago took a pair from St. Louis 3-2 and 7-5 at Wrig Ley and Pittsburgh nipped Montreal 4-3 at three Rivers