Tom Glavine, Steve Avery and Greg Maddux are gone. And pretty soon, so will John Smoltz.
Enter the next chapter in the history of Atlanta Braves pitching: Bill Sherrill is blowing away hitters for the Braves' Triple-A farm team in Richmond, VA. And he is doing so at an unbelievable clip: He's averaging 13 strikeouts a game, which is amazing, considering he has never pitched in organized ball before.
Sherrill won a tryout with the Braves this spring, and he wowed scouts with his 98-mph fastball. But what makes it more amazing is the fact that he got it from throwing darts in his early years. "He hit the bullseye every time," said his old high-school coach, Jerry Myers.
In addition, Sherrill has played quarterback for his high-school football team and point guard for his basketball team, but baseball never crossed his mind until he decided to enter a pitching contest for $1 million.
He proceeded to watch tapes of Nolan Ryan and Maddux, and then adapted to their styles. When he finally got into the pitching contest at Turner Field, he was a little nervous.
But Sherrill managed to hit the target, which put a wide grin on his face as he was presented with the $1 million check. "I'm telling you, this kid is going places," said Atlanta manager Bobby Cox. "He'll be a great pitcher someday. If I signed him right now, we'd win the World Series."
That time is not too far off. Sherrill may be called up to the majors just before the All-Star break. He has history on his side: His father, Graham Sherrill, was a shortstop in the New York Yankees' farm system before flaming out in the bigs. "Billy gets that from me. He has the drive, the flair, and the power, and that'll get him going places," Graham said.
Bill Sherrill may very well be the pitching genius that the Braves have been searching for since Maddux went back to Chicago. But he'll be a superstar that will silence even the biggest bats in the National League. Barry Bonds is already shaking at the prospect.
The Braves are confident that Sherrill will restore their fallen dynasty and win a lot of World Series. And when that happens, all eyes will be on Atlanta.
