European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday october 9. 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 25national league playoffs should chop Down bucs 9-3 against baseball s Best Down the stretch 21-year-old left hander Steve Avery has become chief of braves staff. Game 1 on an seb to radio 1 .  by Ben Walker a baseball writer the Pittsburgh pirates go into the no playoffs with experience. The atlanta1 braves enter with excitement. That a neat but neither ingredient is a deciding Factor in the postseason. Instead As we All know it mostly comes Down to pitching. And this year Atlanta a pitchers Are better. That is part of the reason the braves beat Pittsburgh in nine of 12 games. The pirates have spent the entire year preparing for the playoffs. They be been in first place since april 27 and have the Best record in baseball at 98-64. Pittsburgh and its fans believe experience is on its Side. But last years loss to Cincinnati compounded by big slumps by Barry Bonds Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke Isnit bound to help. No one meanwhile expected the braves to be Here. Instead Atlanta became the Only team in history to rebound from the worst record in the majors one year to first place the next. All the excitement that the chanting and Tomahawk chopping fans created in Atlanta almost obscured just How Well the braves played in winning their stretch Duel from the los Angeles dodgers. For anyone who Hasni to begun believing its time to Start. A look at How the playoffs shape up first base Atlanta Sid Bream a played six seasons for Pittsburgh before joining Atlanta As a free agent. Hit .500 in the playoffs last year for the pirates. Has batted Only .186 in 30 games since coming Back from surgery on his right knee. Below average Power 11 hrs for the position. Used to be a brutal fielder has improved. Pittsburgh Orlando Merced a began season in minors batting cleanup. Won Job As Breames replacement hitting Lead off with a .373 on base percentage. Like most pirates hits better against right handers a All 10 of his Home runs came against them. Went 5 for 10 this season against John Smoltz. Edge  base Atlanta Jeff Treadway a hit .320, but made Only three starts in last three weeks because of sore right hand. Rarely fans. Pittsburgh Jose Lind a acrobatic Able to jump Over players even if they re standing up. No errors at Home since july 22, handling More than 200 chances. Edge  Atlanta Rafael Belliard a a Reserve with Pittsburgh last season did not get into playoffs. Batted .249, but hit .391 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Pittsburgh Jay Bell a strange combination of slugging and sacrificing. First player with at least 15 blasts and 30 bunts since Johnny Logan in 1956. Made 24 errors to Belliard s 18. Edge  base Atlanta Terry Pendleton a map candidate. A Leader on the Field and off. Led league with .319 average plus 22 Home runs and 86 Bis. Two time Gold Glove Winner. Led braves with 10 Bis along with .341 average against Pittsburgh. Went 3 for 8 with 4 Bis is. John Smiley. Pittsburgh Steve Buechele a acquired in August from Texas to solidify infield. Still set Al record for third baseman with .991 Fielding percentage this year. Hit .246 with 19 Bis for pirates. Edge Pendleton. Catcher Atlanta Greg Olson a an All Star last year lost Job at Start of season. Played every Day in the stretch and slowed a Little. Average . Hit .241, but batted .373 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Was 5 for 13 this season against Doug Drabek Zane Smith and Smiley. Pittsburgh Don Slaught Mike Laval Liere a Slaught plays against left handed pitchers Lavalliere starts against eighties. Slaught threw out 37 percent of Bas steal ers. Hit .429 in september. Was just 1 for 16 against Atlanta. Lavalliere hit .300 with five Bis is. The braves. Much better defensively than Slaught. Edge  Field Atlanta Lonnie Smith a took Over after Otis Nixon was suspended and hit .262 As the full time replacement. Really scary fielder. Won world series with Philadelphia in 1980, St. Louis in 1982 and Kansas City in 1985 career .299 hitter in postseason. Batted .462 with five walks against Pittsburgh going 6 for 10 against Drabek Smith and Smiley. Pittsburgh Barry Bonds a possibly in line for second straight map but what about the playoffs managed Only three singles in 18 at bats with just one rib against Cincinnati last october. This season hit .292 with 25 Home runs and a career High 116 Bis. Was 43 for 56 in steal attempts and Safe on All eight tries against Atlanta. Drew 105 walks 25 intentional. Had 13 Outfield assists. Was 0 for 6 against Steve Avery. Edge  Field Atlanta Ron Gant a joined Willie Mays and Bobby Bonds As the Only players to hit 30 Home runs 32 and steal 30 bases 34 in two straight seasons. Had 105 Bis too. Hit three homers with eight Bis against Pittsburgh. Was just 1 for 7 is. Drabek. Despite the big numbers is a below average hitter .251, 104 strikeouts and As a converted second baseman often needs to use Speed to outrun mistakes. Pittsburgh Andy Van Slyke a left handers especially Atlanta a lefties kill him. Hit below .200 against lefties Over .300 against right handers. Batted Only .154 against the braves going 1 for 13 against Glavine Avery and Charlie Lei Brandt. Is .152 career hitter in postseason. Excellent Range dives on turf and has eight Outfield assists. Edge  Field Atlanta David Justice a became starter when Dale Murphy was traded last year. Was leading league with 51 Bis when sidelined with strained Back in late june. Batted .275 with 21 homers and 87 Bis with lots of line drives and Long drives. Hit Only .188 against Pittsburgh and was 0 for 8 against Drabek Smith and Smiley. Nine Outfield assists. Pittsburgh Bobby Bonilla a like Bonds looking to atone for last year s playoffs when he was 4 for 21 with one rib. Hit .302 with 18 homers league leading 44 doubles and 100 Bis. Was 3 for 5 against Avery. Eight Outfield assists. Has talked about filing for free Agency this Winter and leaving Pittsburgh. Edge  pitchers Atlanta Tom Glavine 2 Steve Avery 18-8john Smoltz 14-13 and Charlie Leibrandt 15-13. A Glavine Avery and Smoltz each beat Pittsburgh twice this season although Only the 21-year-old Avery was impressive. Glavine 2.55 Era started the All Star game while Smoltz went 12-2 after the break. Avery was braves Best starter in the stretch. Leibrandt could pitch if Atlanta wants even another left hander to face Pittsburgh he is 1-4 in postseason although has pitched better than that. Pittsburgh Doug Drabek 15-14zane Smith 16-10john Smiley 20-8. Drabek last years by Young Winner at 22-6, started this season at 2-7. Was 1-2 with 4.71 Era against Atlanta. Started twice against Cincinnati in the playoffs and fetched Well both times. Smith lost twice in ast years playoffs and was clubbed 0-2, 9.00 Era by the braves this season. Smiley won his last seven decisions and did Well 2-1, 2.95 Era is. Atlanta. Edge  Atlanta Alejandro Pena Mike Stanton Mark Wohlers Kent Mercker. A Pena has been Atlanta a Saviour. And Saver. Is 11 for 11 in save chances with an 0.51 Era since the braves stole him from the mets in late August. Pirate hitters arc 2 for 19 against him this year. Stanton the late in Ning lefty allowed 16 of 57 inherited runners to score. Mercker became Atlanta a fifth starter in the stretch and combined on a no hitter with Wohlers a talented Rookie and Pena. Pittsburgh Bill Landrum Stan Belinda Bob Patterson Bob Kipper Randy Tomlin. A very Streaky with no dominant closer. Converted 51 of 66 save chances. All of these Guys can be great then Grue some. Against Atlanta its mostly grisly. Landrum whose 17 saves were one More than Belinda got had a 10.80 Era in three games is. The braves. Overall has been successful on 84 percent of save of Eort unifies in three years with Pittsburgh. Belinda had a 10.39 Era in four games against Atlanta Hurt by Home runs by Bream Mark Lemke and Francisco Cabrera. Allowed 13 of 38 inherited runners to score. Patterson 6.00 Era was t much better. Edge  Atlanta a rookies Keith Mitchell .318 and Brian Hunter 50 Bis Are Good. Lemke led the team with nine Pinch nits in 27 at Bals. Jeff Blauser who backs up Belliard drove in 54 runs. Solid reserves. Pittsburgh a Lloyd Mcclendon rums Glavine 6 for a two Home runs Lour walks this season lie hit Psi against Atlanta and tied Gary Rcd us with a team High six Bis is. The braves. Like Mcclendon Redus 17 stolen bases 5 Lor 5 is. Atlanta plays All Over Gary Var Slio. Cecil Espy and Curtis Wilkerson Are All line backups. Edge pirates