Atlanta Braves Opening Day countdown: 50, Mercker
Many know how the Atlanta Braves are building the current team through the draft. The 1990s Braves were built the same way.
The Atlanta Braves have long been focused on the draft to build a successful franchise. How long, you ask? While the team was struggling mightily in the 1980s, they were drafting the key pieces that would turn the franchise around starting in 1991, including a lefty whose importance to the franchise has been often overlooked, Kent Mercker.
To give a good look at the 1991 team and see where everyone came from, the hands of the 1980s drafting is definitely there:
- Ron Gant, 4th round, 1983
- Mark Lemke, 27th round, 1983
- Jeff Blauser, 1st round, 1984
- Tom Glavine, 2nd round, 1984
- David Justice, 4th round, 1985
- Kent Mercker, 1st round, 1986
- Keith Mitchell, 4th round, 1987
- Brian Hunter, 8th round, 1987
- Mike Stanton, 13th round, 1987
- Steve Avery, 1st round, 1988
- Mark Wohlers, 8th round, 1988
Yes, that’s three lefty pitchers drafted in the first two rounds in a 4-year span, two of them with top-5 picks. The pitching focus would have likely driven internet commenters bonkers in the 1980s had the Interwebs existed!
Mercker
Back to Mr. Mercker. Mercker was the 5th overall selection in that 1986 draft. He was a starter in his minor league career until he came up with the big league team in 1990, when he spent the entire year in the bullpen. His 1991 was primarily in the bullpen, but he did make four starts, and one of them was quite memorable.
On September 11th, 1991 (yes, exactly 10 years to the day ahead of 9/11), Mercker took the hill at Fulton County Stadium in a Wednesday night game against the Padres. The Braves were fighting for the playoffs, so every start mattered at this point.
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Mercker gave all he had to the effort, going 6 scoreless innings, walking two and striking out six. He also allowed nary a hit. Wohlers followed Mercker with 2 perfect innings, and the big late-season acquisition Alejandro Pena did just what he was picked up to do, tossing a perfect ninth to preserve the no-hitter. The Braves got a victory 1-0.
Incredibly, in the strike-shortened 1994 season, Mercker would do it again. This time it was his first appearance of the season, an April 8th start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road. The Braves gave him much more support this time, as he won the game 6-0. Mercker went all 9 innings, allowing no hits, 4 walks, and striking out 10.
In Atlanta Braves history, there have only been 14 no-hitters, and Mercker has been part of two of them. Only legendary lefty Warren Spahn also participated in multiple no-hitters as a Brave, though he did throw the full game in both of his no-no’s.
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Mercker was part of the 1995 World Series team as the 5th starter. He left the team after 1995, though he did return in 2003 for a playoff push, pitching very well down the stretch as a lefty reliever. In his Atlanta Braves career, Mercker went 31-25 over 251 games, 54 of them starts, throwing 532 2/3 innings and saving 20 games. He posted a 3.41 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a 249/433 BB/K ratio.