During the great Braves run of the 1990s, one of the most visible faces and voices on the air in Atlanta was Jeff Hullinger.
The sports director at Channel 5 as well as having various radio roles, Hullinger covered the team from 1984-2002 and was always known for his live wit on TV as well as asking tough questions. While Hullinger had a good relationship with the Braves, he was never in the club’s back pocket and one of the best stories he broke came after the National League Championship Series win in 1992 when he and his cameraman followed around Deion Sanders in the clubhouse celebration and Prime Time dumped a bucket of ice water on the head of national TV analyst Tim McCarver. Hullinger got it all.
Now a weekday news and sports anchor at Channel 11, Hullinger said baseball fans in this town should ‘’hold on and savoir’’ the memories of the 1995 season and the entire decade, adding, “We’re never going to see that again. The Braves may win a world championship again in a few years, but times are different. It was very special back then.’’
Q: What do you remember about the beginning of the ’95 season?
A: There was a lot of rancor and animosity among those that loved baseball and even those who were causal fans because of the strike. Georgia has never been a friendly state to unions, and baseball players were getting paid a lot of money, and there were a lot of upset people going into that season, and the team didn't get off to a fast start.
Q: You refer to the team’s slow start, not taking over first place until July, but mention what you feel is a telling incident in mid-June at the Atlanta airport when the team had to evacuate a jet after smoke poured into the cabin.
A: I remember the team had to go down in the slides, and I think it was Jeff Blauser that said this is like the (Fred) McGriff situation (in 1993) when the stadium caught on fire and the team started playing great. He said fire and the Braves are a good omen. And 20 years ago at this time there was a lot of hand-wringing and concern. But looking back, this team had so much punch and power and pitching it was ridiculous to think they wouldn't win it all.
Q: What player do you think made the biggest impact on that team?
A: I remember them getting Marquis Grissom right before the season and getting rid of Tony Tarasco. Marquis brought a lot to the club on and off the field. He was a really good citizen and also solidified the leadoff and center-field spot.
