Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone saw a lot of great games pitched during his tenure with the club but none better than Tom Glavine’s one-hit performance in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series, clinching Atlanta’s first world title with a 1-0 victory against the Cleveland Indians.
Against a lineup that included such great hitters as Eddie Murray, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and Carlos Baerga, Glavine pitched to 30 hitters over eight innings, giving up one hit and walking three. The hit didn’t come until the sixth as Indians catcher Tony Pena led the inning off with a single.
Glavine, the World Series MVP, tired in the eighth and in the ninth turned the ball over to closer Mark Wohlers, who got three quick outs to end the game in front of 51,875 fans losing their minds at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
Mazzone, now retired and having just finished his dream house on Lake Hartwell, said he was concerned going into the game because American League umpire Joe Brinkman was behind the plate
Q: AL umpires have always been known for calling fewer strikes than their counterparts in the National League. You even said before Game 6 this could be a problem.
A: It scared me to death. That concerned me the whole World Series. I really felt the AL umpires were going to squeeze my pitchers but (Mazzone laughing) Joe called the greatest game ever. I was told later on that the AL umpires really appreciated how our pitchers attacked the strike zone.
Q: Years after the game, Hall of Famer Eddie Murray and Cleveland’s first baseman in that series, told you something interesting about your club’s pitching.
A: Eddie told me he went into the clubhouse before the series started and told everyone that our pitchers would go strike one and not throw another strike in the at-bat. You are talking about one of the greatest switch-hitters of all time saying this, but he told me they just didn't listen.
Q: Why did you and manager Bobby Cox decide to take Glavine out after eight innings?
A: I remember Tommy coming into the dugout after the fifth inning and saying we needed to get just one run because they were not going to get any. That wasn't like Tommy to say something like that. But he told me after the eighth that he had nothing left. I asked him, 'Are you sure?'
Q: Wohlers made quick work of the ninth, getting Lofton, Paul Sorrento and Baerga.
A: Mark had a great season. The key was getting Kenny. We knew if Lofton got on he would steal second and third. But once he popped out we felt like we had it.
