It’s October 28, 1995. We’re at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Braves reliever Mark Wohlers has retired Cleveland’s first two batters of the ninth inning in a brutally tense 1-0 sport. If he can get previous Cleveland’s Carlos Baerga, the Braves will hoist their first championship after three World Collection appearances in 5 years, and 29 (typically lengthy) seasons in Atlanta. However Baerga can tie this sport with one swing of the bat, maintain hope alive for his group’s dream season, and assist town of Cleveland finish a championship drought 31 years operating.
This World Collection has been a match-up of the depressing: Cleveland embodied baseball irrelevance for over 40 years, whereas Atlanta’s terrible and empty many years of professional baseball had the distinction of a nationwide broadcast. Then the 90s hit, and Cleveland constructed baseball’s greatest offense, whereas Atlanta’s beginning pitching dominated the game. One franchise had an opportunity to finish many years of distress. The opposite one? Nicely, possibly that metropolis would win a Tremendous Bowl?
To know how painful – and proud – these two struggling franchises, cities, and fan bases are, we have to rewind.
