Opening Day Roster:
To anyone who has followed baseball over the few decades, the Atlanta Braves are legendary - 14 consecutive division titles, 4 pennants, 1 World Series victory, hall of famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz and Chipper Jones, plenty of young stars and baseball's overall finest and most consistent organization for a quarter century - the very embodiment of excellence on the baseball diamond.
To anyone following baseball in 1978, the Atlanta Braves were simply terrible. Long forgotten was the fact that in 1969, they had actually won the very first National League Western Division title. Hank Aaron's record-breaking home run? Ancient history. No, the Braves stunk. They lost 90 or more games each year from 1975 through 1979 (101 in 1977), and had last place finishes from 1976 through 1979. Things were so bad that owner Ted Turner donned a uniform and managed a game himself in 1977 (they lost). They were, in a word, irrelevant. Not even the home town crowd was enamored with them - a popular slogan in Atlanta at the time was "Go Braves...and take the Falcons with you!". For 1978, rookie manager Bobby Cox (only 36 at the time) had a club that was committed to rebuilding through youth. The lineup and the rotation were awash with youngsters, with only a few veterans to provide a core of on-field and club-house leadership. Most prognosticators felt the Braves would be better in 1978. While they did improve their record (69-93) they still finished last, 26 games behind the Dodgers. On the up-side, knuckleballer Phil Niekro was still racking up wins, youngsters like Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Bruce Benedict and Glenn Hubbard had arrived, and by 1982 they would actually put it together enough to win the division again - before settling into another 8 years of stagnation.
Down on the farm, Steve Bedrosian played for the Rookie League's Kingsport Braves, and Rafael Ramirez was at AA Savannah.
Bobby Cox managed the Braves from 1978 through 1981, and returned again mid-way through 1990. Aiding Bobby in 1978 were Pete Ward at first, Tom Burgess at third, Cloyd Boyer with the pitchers and Chris Cannizzaro in the bullpen.
Tommy Boggs, SP:
Acquired from the Rangers with Adrian Devine and Eddie Miller as part of a massive 4-team deal, Tommy was happy to be in Atlanta if only because it meant he'd have a chance to pitch regulalry. He lost his first 3 starts, and ran up a 1-5 record and a 6.97 ERA before being sent to Richmond on May 30 in exchange for Craig Skok. He went 5-1 at AAA, and was recalled on July 18. On July 25, he threw a 4-hit shutout in Philly, but after losing his next 3 starts he was sent to the pen to stay in early August. His record at the end of the year stood at 2-8, with a 6.71 ERA.
Phil Niekro, SP:
Phil had been with the Braves since their days in Milwaukee, and at 39 his knuckler was still working. In 42 starts, he threw 22 completed games, 4 of which were shutouts. He ended the year with a record of 19-18 and an ERA of 2.88 (in 7 of his losses the Braves were shut out). His 248 strikeouts were the most on the team by a margin of more than 150. During the year he passed 2,000 career Ks and 180 wins. Extremely active with charity work in the Atlanta area, Phil realized the young team had nothing to lose and advised his mates to play every game as if it were their last.
Rick Camp, RP:
In 38 relief appearances, Rick posted an 0-4 record; over 4 spot starts in June and July, he was 2-0. He posted a cumulative 3.75 ERA which was was among the best on the club. His most memorable moment as a Brave came in 1985 - on July 4th, he hit a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the 18th inning against the Mets. The Braves eventually lost in 19 innings, 16-13. (1978 Topps)
Preston Hanna, SP:
After sporadic action in 1975, 1976 and 1977, Preston was with the big club for the entire year in 1978. Possessed of a sharp curve which induced a lot of swinging strikes, he began the year 6-1 with a 3.07 ERA by mid-June. He was plagued by inconsitency and elbow soreness the rest of the way, losing 3 straight starts in June and 8 straight starts in July and August. After two September appearances, he underwent elbow surgery and returned home to Florida to recover. In 28 starts, he went 7-13 (second-most wins on the club, which is saying something) with a 5.13 ERA.
Dick Ruthven, SP:
Dick made 13 starts, posting a record of 2-6, before demanding a trade. He had wanted a raise and a 2-year deal, but was locked in a personality conflict with Ted Turner. The Braves honored his request and on June 15, he was traded to the Phillies for Gene Garber.
Dave Campbell, RP:
A workhorse in the Braves' bullpen, Dave made 53 appearances (most on the club), closing out 35 games and earning 1 save and a 4-4 record. His final major league appearance came on October 1 in Cincinnati - he took the loss in a 15 inning marathon.
Jamie Easterly, RP:
Jamie made 37 relief appearances and 6 spot starts in 1978. He posted a record of 3-6 with 1 save. His ERA was 5.65 - bad, but still better than Adrian Devine and Tommy Boggs among the regular arms on the Braves' staff.
Mickey Mahler, RP:
Mickey started the season in the bullpen, and didn't allow a single earned run over his first 18 innings pitched. He replaced Tommy Boggs in the rotation at the end of May, and stayed there for remainder of the year. In all, he compiled a 4-11 record and a 4.68 ERA. His best performance was a 7-hit, 1-run complete game win against the Cardinals on June 12.
Eddie Solomon, RP:
Eddie (or Buddy, as he preferred to be called) began the year in the pen. Through early May, his ERA stood at 1.31, and at one point he worked 13 innings without giving up an earned run. Inserted into the rotation in mid-July, he won his first two starts, but he injured his right knee serving as a pinch-runner on July 28. Placed on the DL on the 29th, he returned on August 23. He wound up going 3-2 as a starter after joining the rotation, with a 3.40 ERA. After the season, Bobby Cox said his biggest mistake was not having Solomon in the rotation from the start.
Dale Murphy, C:
1978 was Dale's first full year in the majors, and it marked the season the Braves finally stopped trying to squeeze his 6'5" frame behing the plate with any regularity. He started 16 games there, mostly in the season's first half, but otherwise was the Braves' regular first baseman. He had a rough year making contact at the plate - he was hitting just .196 on June 23, and managed to raise that to only .226 by season's end (his 145 Ks broke Vince DiMaggio's 40-year old team record). When he managed to put bat on ball, though, it worked out well - his 79 RBI led the Braves and his 23 HR tied for the team lead.
Biff Pocoroba, C:
A promising young catcher, Biff entered 1978 as the Braves' starter, but was beset by injuries all year. At times he missed a number of games because of a finger blister on his throwing hand, a severely bruised collar bone courtesy of a foul tip, the flu and shoulder soreness. He had been throwing in pain for two years, and on August 15 the Braves were forced to shut him down for rotator cuff surgery. In limited action, he hit 6 HR, drove in 36 runs, and hit .242. He was named as a reserve to the NL All Star squad to replace the injured Johnny Bench.
Barry Bonnell, IF:
Barry came into 1978 as one of the Braves' top young players. Carried as an infielder, it was thought he might win the 3rd base job. His weak hitting wound up limiting him to reserve outfield duties for much of the year, including some action as a platoon option for Rowland Office in center. He was hitting just .191 as April turned to May, and managed to raise that to only .240 by the end of the year. Frustrated with his performance, he committed to play winter ball after the season, something he refused to do in 1977.
Rod Gilbreath, IF:
Rod, who gave up a chance to be the starting QB at Ole Miss to sign with Atlanta, began the season as the regular 3rd baseman. Once Bob Horner signed in July, he spent the rest of the year as a reserve infielder, but played 2nd regularly while Glenn Hubbard was on the DL in July and August.
Adrian Devine, CL:
In 1977, Adrian was one of the premier closers in the American League with the Rangers. With the Braves in 1978, he assumed the role of closer when the season began, and held it until Gene Garber was acquired in June. After Garber's arrival, Adrian joined the starting corps and, after losing his first start, ran off wins in three straight starts. His record as a starter stood at 3-2, with an ERA more than a run lower than it had been when he left the pen, when he was placed on the DL due to a strained elbow ligament on July 6. He was unable to return until September 1.
Joe Nolan, C:
Joe started the year as Biff Pocoroba's back-up, but after Pocoroba went on the DL in mid-August, he took over as the starting catcher for the rest of the year. On July 28 against the Expos, he hit two HR in the same game for the only time in his career - his solo shots were the difference in the Braves' 6-4 win. Late in his career, Joe was Rick Dempsey's back-up on the 1983 World Series champion Orioles.
Bob Beall, IF:
At age 30, this non-roster spring training invitee finally spent a full season in the majors in 1978. He was Dale Murphy's back-up at first, but was mostly used as a pinch-hitter. In the latter role, he performed very well. While he only batted .200 in the pinch, he had a .436 on-base percentage.
Darrell Chaney, IF:
An infield reserve, Darrell became part of a platoon with Pat Rockett at short once it became clear Rockett's bat was going to be a liability in 1978. Once Rockett was sent to Richmond in early July, and Jerry Royster shifted to short full time, Darrell returned to a pure reserve role. He had a streak of 32 games without committing an error.
Pat Rockett, IF:
Pat opened the year as the starting shortstop, but because he was hitting under .100 in late April he was forced into a platoon with Darrell Chaney. Still hitting only .141 in July, he was finally demoted to Richmond on the 10th. His final major league appearance came on July 8 against the Padres.
Jerry Royster, IF:
Jerry spent the first half of the year as the Braves' starting second baseman. He was moved to shortstop in early July when Glenn Hubbard was promoted from Richmond. He had a streak of 25 consecutive errorless games, and he led the team with 27 stolen bases. At the beginning of August he hurt his knee sliding; it wasn't severe enough to send him to the DL, but it did cause him to miss a few games, and it continued to trouble him off and on, particularly when he played on turf.
Brian Asselstine, OF:
Brian began the year as a outfield reserve, but he became the regular right fielder when Gary Matthews went to the DL im mid-April. He filled in so well, that Bobby Cox tried to find him a place to play every day even after Matthews came back on May 18. Brian was hitting .272 with 13 RBI and 2 HR when, on May 31 against the Reds, he jumped at the wall to try to snag a Mike Lum HR. He caught his cleats on the fence as he was coming down, broke his tibia and dislocated his ankle, and was out for the rest of the year.
Jeff Burroughs, OF:
In spring training, there was talk of the Braves' right fielder from 1977 moving to first base for 1978. However, when it was clear Dale Murphy had that spot, Burroughs moved instead to left field. He led the team with a .301 average (for much of the season, he was hitting well above .300 and a batting crown was within his reach), tied for the team lead with 23 HR, and was second on the team with 77 RBI. On August 28 against the Cubs, he had two HR and drove in 3 to key the Braves' 4-3 win.
Clarence Gaston, OF:
A reserve outfielder, Clarence's true contributions came as a pinch-hitter. In this role he hit .292 in 1976, .324 in 1977, and .321 in 1978 until being sold to the Pirates on September 22.
Gary Matthews, OF:
Gary signed as a free agent with the Braves prior to 1977, and immediately became a leader on the club and a positive influence on the youngsters. In 1978, the right fielder went down on April 14, suffering a separated shoulder diving for a Dusty Baker hit in Los Angeles. He returned from the DL on May 18, and still proceeded to have decent year - he hit 18 HR with 62 RBI and batted .285, second on the team to Jeff Burroughs.
Rowland Office, OF:
Nominally the Braves' starting center fielder, Rowland started 96 games there, often platooned with Barry Bonnell who batted against lefties. Even on days Bonnell started, Rowland was usually put in as a defensive replacement late in the game.
In-Season Moves:
Tom Paciorek, OF:
The veteran outfielder started the year in Richmond, but was brought up on April 15 when Gary Matthews was placed on the DL. He only made it into 5 games before being released on May 23, several days after Matthews returned to action. He was signed by the Mariners on May 31, and went on to have a productive career with them and the White Sox well into the 1980s.
Craig Skok, RP:
The former Boston and Texas prospect came up from Richmond on May 30 when Tommy Boggs was sent down. In 43 relief appearances, Craig earned 2 saves to go with a 3-2 record and 4.35 ERA.
Jerry Maddox, IF:
Jerry was summoned from Richmond on June 1 when Brian Asselstine was sent to the DL. He made his major league debut as a pinch-hitter (unsuccessfully) in Chicago on June 3, and got into another 6 games, gathering 3 hits and 1 RBI. His final major league appearance was on June 16 - he was used as a pinch-hitter (successfully) against the Pirates. He was shipped to Richmond on June 19, shortly after Bob Horner was activated.
Gene Garber, CL:
Gene was acquired from the Phillies for Dick Ruthven on June 15. He dominated hitters as the Braves' closer for the remainder of the year. In his first 22 appearances, he posted 16 saves, and in 43 total outings, he earned 22 saves, posted a 4-4 record, a 2.53 ERA (best of any Braves pitcher) and recorded 61 strikeouts over 78.1 innings, against only 13 walks.
Bob Horner, IF:
Selected by the Braves as the first pick overall in the free agent draft on June 6 from Arizona State, Bob signed on the 14th and was immediately added to the roster. He hit a home run in his first game and, despite his late start, he tied for the team lead with 23 HR and drove in 63 runs. After the season, he was named NL Rookie of the Year, becoming the first player to win that award and The Sporting News' College Player of the Year Award in the same year.
Larry McWilliams, SP:
Larry was brought up from Richmond on July 10. He made his major league debut on July 17 against the Mets - he pitched 7 shut-out innings and came away with the win. He got off to a 6-0 start, and finished 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA - arguably the best all-around performance by a Braves starter in 1978.
Glenn Hubbard, IF:
Glenn arrived from Richmond (where he was hitting .380) when Pat Rockett was sent down on July 10. He made his major league debut on the 14th against the Phillies, and singled in his first at-bat off Steve Carlton. He was the Braves' starting second baseman for the rest of the year, except for a stint on the DL from July 22 through August 23 due to a severely sprained left elbow.
Chico Ruiz, IF:
Chico was called up from Richmond on July 22 when Glenn Hubbard went on the DL. He made his major league debut on July 29 as a pinch-runner against the Expos. He was returned to Richmond on August 23 when Hubbard came off the DL, but was called back up when rosters expanded in September. In 18 games, he hit .283, and had 4 multiple-hit games.
Max Leon, RP:
Max, a regular in the Atlanta bullpen from 1973-1977, debuted in 1978 when he was brought up from Richmond on July 29 to take Eddie Solomon's place when Eddie went on the DL. He was returned to Richmond when Eddie was activated on August 23, but was recalled in September. His final major league appearance was on September 10 - he pitched 0.2 innings in relief of Jim Bouton against the Dodgers and was shelled (2BB, 3H, 4R).
Bruce Benedict, C:
Bruce was called up from Richmond when Biff Pocoroba went down for the year on August 15. He made his major league debut on August 18 in St. Louis, singled in his first at-bat, and saw action behind the plate in 22 games the rest of the way.
Jim Bouton, SP:
Out of baseball since 1970 (not counting a brief stint in the minors in 1975), Jim tried a comeback by throwing in the White Sox' minor league system in 1977. He paid his own way to a spring try-out witht he Braves in 1978, and was eventually signed in May of 1978. He worked at AA Savannah before being called to the big club in September. He started 5 games, posting a record of 1-3 - not bad, all things considered. His final major league appearance came on the 29th in Cincinnati - he only lasted 3 innings, got hit hard, and took the loss.
Rob Belloir, IF:
After three previous seasons being up and down with the Braves, Rob was called back up in September of 1978. He saw his final major league action on September 29 in Cincinnati - as a defensive replacement for Rod Gilbreath at 3rd, he doubled in his final major league at-bat.
Frank LaCorte, SP:
Frank had made 17 starts for the Braves in '76 and 7 in '77, but had to wait until September to see any action in '78. He made 2 starts, going 0-1 and striking out 7 along the way. He would later be a significant bullpen contributor for the Astros when they won their first division title in 1980.
Eddie Miller, OF:
Called up in September, Eddie made it into just 6 games, but scored 5 runs on 3 hits, and had 2 RBI.
Mike Davey, RP:
A late-season call-up for the second year in a row, Mike made it into just two games, including his final major league appearance on September 29 - he pitched 2 innings in relief of Jim Bouton at Riverfront.
Duane Theiss, RP:
Another September call-up, Duane made 3 appearances, including his final major league action on October 1 - he threw 3.1 innings in relief of Mickey Mahler in Cincinnati.
Larry Whisenton, OF:
In his second consecutive September audition, Larry got into 6 games. He'd play off-and-on for the Braves at the major league level through 1982.
Hank Small, IF:
After batting .289 at Richmond, with 25 HR and 101 RBI, Hank's sole major league appearance came on September 27 against the Astros - he started at first base, and went 0-for-4.
Other 1978 Braves Stuff:
Owner - Ted Turner
General Manager - Bill Lucas
Minor League Affiliates:
Rookie: GCL Braves (Gulf Coast League)
25-30, 4th of 6
Manager: Pedro Gonzalez
Future Star: Gerald Perry
Rookie: Kingsport Braves (Appalachian League)
33-37, 5th of 6
Manager: Eddie Haas
Future Star: Steve Bedrosian
A: Greenwood Braves (Western Carolinas League)
82-57, 1st of 6
Manager: Alan Gallagher
Future Star: Joe Cowley
AA: Savannah Braves (Southern League)
72-72, 3rd of 5
Manager: Bobby Dews
Future Star: Rafael Ramirez
AAA: Richmond Braves (International League)
71-68, 4th of 8
Manager: Tommie Aaron
Future Star: Rick Mahler
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
521 Capitol Ave., SE
Atlanta, GA
Braves' Coaches:
Cloyd Boyer
Tom Burgess
Summary of Roster Moves:
April 15 - Matthews to DL, Paciorek from Richmond
May 18 - Matthews from DL (active roster to 25)
May 23 - Paciorek released (active roster to 24)
May 30 - Boggs to Richmond, Skok from Richmond
June 1 - Asselstine to DL, Maddox from Richmond
June 15 - Horner signed (active roster to 25)
June 15 - Ruthven to Phillies for Garber
June 19 - Maddox to Richmond (active roster to 24)
July 6 - Devine to DL (active roster to 23)
July 10 - Rockett to Richmond, McWilliams and Hubbard from Richmond (active roster to 24)
July 18 - Boggs from Richmond (active roster to 25)
July 22 - Hubbard to DL (active roster to 24)
July 26 - Ruiz from Richmond (active roster to 25)
July 29 - Solomon to DL, Leon from Richmond
August 15 - Pocoroba to DL, Benedict from Richmond
August 23 - Solomon from DL, Leon to Richmond
August 23 - Hubbard from DL, Ruiz to Richmond
September 1 - Devine from DL
September 22 - Gaston sold to Pirates
September Call-Ups: Bouton, Davey, Lacorte, Theiss, Belloir, Small, Miller, Ruiz, Leon, and Whisenton
Chris Cannizzaro
Pete Ward
