When the Atlanta Braves broke out of their Atlanta-long streak of mediocrity in 1991 to establish one of the longest runs of success in modern sports, the key was young pitching, and at the heart was a goofy left-hander.
No, not that guy. He ended up making the Hall of Fame. In fact, many thought Steve Avery had everything that Tom Glavine had on the mound and more.
Avery was originally the 3rd overall pick in the 1988 draft out of high school in Michigan. He moved quickly through the minor leagues, making 21 appearances, 20 of them starts, for the major league club in 1990, though the results weren’t great, posting a 5.