Baseball's Most Exciting Games, No. 23: The Third-String Catcher

Game 7, 1992 NLCS: Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves

October 14, 1992, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Barry Bonds in 1992 was, almost without question, the best player in the Majors. He was the home run-hitting, base-stealing, all-around threat who was the centerpiece of Pittsburgh's three-time division championship-winning team. He was about to be named National League MVP for the second time, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner for the third straight time. As the bottom of the ninth started in Game 7, Bonds stood in left field at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, three outs away from finally taking the Pirates to the World Series.

Sid Bream in 1992 was looking for redemption. A former teammate of Bonds with the Pirates, he came over to the Braves in 1991, joining a last place team just in time for them to ride the wave of their young pitchers all the way to a World Series berth. In that 1991 Series, it was Bream who found himself at the plate for the most important at bat in Braves history; it was Bream who then grounded into the 3-2-3 double play that turned the tables of that Game 7. As the bottom of the ninth started in Game 7, Bream was holding a bat and putting on a helmet. He was due up third, hoping to get a chance to erase the memories of 3-2-3 and to eliminate his friends on his former team.

As the bottom of the ninth started in Game 7, Doug Drabek was still on the mound for the Pirates. And why not? He was throwing a shutout. Despite an 0-2 record in the series, he was the Pirates' ace, and as the Twins proved in the World Series the previous year, you leave your ace on the mound in the postseason. So it was Drabek who faced the heart of the Braves' lineup with a 2-0 lead in Game 7. 

And it was Drabek who gave up the leadoff double to Terry Pendleton. You couldn't really blame Drabek for David Justice following that by reaching on an error, but you can blame him for then walking Bream on four pitches to load the bases. So much for Bream's chance at redemption. But count the runners - the Braves were down two, and they had three runners on base. The NLCS-winning run was in Sid Bream's back pocket. Too bad he wasn't a fast runner. He'd had five knee operations in his life, after all. There wasn't much speed left. He'd much rather have had a chance to win it with the bat.

Drabek was finally done, pulled for the Pirates' closer, Stan Belinda. What a horrendous spot to enter the game: Bases loaded, nobody out, up by 2. And now up by 1, as Ron Gant flied out to Bonds in left, too deep for Bonds to have a chance to throw out Pendleton. So deep that at first, it looked like a game-ending home run. So it was a one-run game, but there was one out. A trade the Pirates were willing to take. A double play would end it, and it would take a double for the Braves to win it.

Except Belinda walked Damon Berryhill. Bases loaded again, with Bream now standing at second base. Would he be able to score from there on a single? Would he even get the chance? 

The Braves sent Brian Hunter to pinch-hit for the weak-hitting Rafael Belliard, needing only a single. Even another deep flyball would tie the game. But Hunter popped out. The Pirates were one out away. And the Braves had their pitcher coming up next. Looking at the bench, who was left? 

Francisco Cabrera in 1992 was hanging on to his dreams by his fingernails. A third-string catcher, he had played in only 126 major league games over three seasons, including only 12 in 1992. If he hadn't been a catcher, he probably never would have left the Minors. But he was living that dream; most of those who dream of a Major League career don't get anywhere close to the Majors, and Cabrera had accomplished not only that but had the chance to bat in a World Series. How could you beat that? As the bottom of the ninth started in Game 7, he was on the bench, unused and so still technically eligible to play, but unlikely to. 

But the pitchers spot came up in the bottom of the ninth, and Cabrera was the only non-pitcher left to go. It didn't matter that he had only 10 Major League at bats that year. His name was called. 

Bottom of the ninth. Game 7. Two outs. Down one. Bases loaded. The highest possible leverage, the situation millions of kids dreamed about.

Bonds stood in left, waiting, hoping for one more out. Bream took a lead off second, waiting, hoping for one more hit. Cabrera stood in at the plate, waiting, hoping, likely knowing he'll never get a moment like this.

A single to left. Bonds charging. The tying run scoring. Bream rounding third as Bonds came up throwing. A one-hop throw slightly up the first-base line.

Take it away, Skip. 

Safe.

Game 7, 1992 NLCS Overall Rank: 23 Top 10 Swing: 228 Top Play: Cabrera's hit, a massive 74% WPA Loser's largest WE: 93 Entering the top of the 9th Average LI: 1.62 Highest leverage moment: 10.75 for Cabrera's at bat.