One of the unsung heroes in the 1995 World Series against the Cleveland Indians was Pedro Borbon Jr.
In Game 4 in Cleveland, the Braves had a 2-1 edge in the Series and led 5-1 going into the ninth inning. The Braves had closer Mark Wohlers on the mound, but he was struggling and gave up a run and had a runner on second without any outs when manager Bobby Cox called for Borbon.
Borbon, at the time just 28 and in his first full major league season, threw nothing but bullets as he struck out Jim Thome and Sandy Alomar Jr. and got Kenny Lofton to fly out to end the game. Borbon was credited with the save, and the Braves had a 3-1 lead in the Series.
“I remember running out to the mound and trying to not think about the crowd,’’ he said. “I kept my head down and realized I was about the face some really good hitters. I had my best stuff that night.’’
Borbon, the son of the Cincinnati reliever of the same name who won two World Series in Cincinnati, pitched four years for the Braves and nine in the major leagues. Today, he is 47 and is an agent for Hendricks Sports Management in Spring, Texas.
Q: Were you nervous when you came into that World Series game?
A: Not really. I remember being in the bullpen and the place was going crazy in the ninth when they started the comeback. My father played in a lot of World Series, so I sort of had an idea of what it was all about.
Q: Your father (who died in 2012) has two rings as part of the Big Red Machine in the 1970s. What do you remember about those years?
A: I was really young, but even so you don't forget about a lot of the great players on those teams. That was always in my mind growing up when I knew I wanted to do the same thing my father did. It drove me.
Q: You made a cameo appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in December 1997 with teammates Mark Wohlers and Gerald Williams, hosted by actress Helen Hunt. What was that like?
A: That was a blast and people always remind me of that. I thought my line was a pretty good one. You can watch it on the Internet.
Q: You mentioned that you don’t wear your World Series ring from that season. Why not?
A: Well, I find when I do all I get is a bunch of questions about it. The moment was great for me and of course the team, but I am not one of these guys that brag a lot.
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