Former LU Stars Shine in N L Playoff Series

By Dr. Al Snyder

Liberty baseball fans cheered for both teams during the 1991 NationalLeague championship series betweenthe AtlantaBravesandthe PittsburghPirates. And withgood reason In the Atlantaline-up at firstbasewasSid Bream, andin the PittsburghstartingpitchingrotationwasRandy Tomlin, bothformerbaseballstars at LU.

Lateinthethird game of the series, Bream steppedto the plate and blasteda400-foot home runto center field, adding theknockout punch toa Braves' victory. A TV cameraquicklyswitchedto theleftfieldstandsandzoomed in on a big,white-sheet banner which read,"Liberty University loves Sid Bream," proudly held up by LU professorsDr. Carland CarolynDiemer.

"It was greatto know that some Libertyfriendswere therecheeringfor me,"Breamsaid.

Tomlin started on themound forthePiratesin game four,but ran into trouble quicklywhen the Braves scored twoquickruns in the firstinning.Tomlinthen struckout slugger Ron Gant forthethird out and settled down to pitchscorelessball forthenextsixinnings. ThePirates won, 3-2, in the tenth.

"It was a thrill to be playing in the championship series," Tomlinsaid."And itwasa specialmoment to me tostrike outGantand get outof trouble. If hehad come throughwith ahit, Iwould havebeen outof there."

TheBraves wentonto win the NationalLeague championshipin a gruellingseries, four gamesto three. However, facing the Minnesota Twins for the World Series championship, the Braves foughtanother tight and tense series, falling short by the same margin, four games to three theyhaverealized thattherewasstilla greatvoidintheir lives," Bream explained "Evenfor a pro player,thatvoid canonlybefilled by Christ."

"Although it was definitely a thrill to play intheWorld Series," Bream related, "by the end I was almosta mentalzombie I'm glad I had the Lord!"headded.

Bream and Tomlin were teammates on thePirates during the 1990 National League championshipseries. Bream played three yearsfor the Los Angeles Dodgers and five years for the Pirates, reaching theplay-offs forthe firsttimein 1990. Tomlinhadbeencalled up by the Pirates in August 1990,but he wasnotincludedin the team's post-season rosteranddidnot play in the series.

Tomlin said that Breamwas a greathelp to him when he first came up with the Pirates "Having Sid there as a Christian friendhelped me a lot in my adjustments to the majors," Tomlin explained. They also talked together during the 1991 season whenever their teams played each other. They even talked during the championship series. "But Ihad to try to remember that Randy was my opponent,"Bream quipped

BreamaddedthatTomlinhas beena tremendousmajor league pitcher in his first full year,and that, barring injuries,he has the potentialto stayuptherein the majors for along time.

First-baseman Bream holds numerous LU batting records fromhis three-yearFlames' career from 1979-81. He hit for anamazing careerbatting averageof .435. He also blasted 19home runsduring asingle seasonand 38 in histhree years. Tomlin won 18 games during his Flames' career, butevenmore impressivewashis career 2.98earned run average

"I'm so glad I have something to hold me up that the players who are not Christians do not have," Bream continued. "It's tough in the majorsin lots of ways. I don't know how the guys without Christ go through baseball. I'm alwaysglad IhavetheLord,"heemphasized Tomlin concurred withBream'sfeelings. "Asa Christian,Iam ableto keepthingsin perspective," he said. "The Lordhas helpedme withthe strugglesbothonandoff the field," headded. "So Itry to playfor the Lordfirst,not for other people."

Bream saidthat Christianityis "ontheupturn"in pro sportsand that agood number of major league baseball playershavetrustedChristin thepastfewyears.

"Theyhavehad all the money theycouldhopefor, and theyhave experienced thethrill of accomplishment, but

How could the Atlanta Braves pull offthat unprecedented miracleofrisingfrom last placeto first intheir divisionin oneyear? "They went outand aquired some good players with good attitudes,not necessarily the greatesttalent," Breamexplained. "Theyhadbeenagood young team on theverge ofdoing something , but they needed some help," he continued "The new players broughtnot onlysomeexperience,but alsothe key ingredientof confidencethatwe couldwin. And, of course,we did."

Do the Braves have what it takes to repeat as West Divisionchampionsin 1992?"There is nodoubt!" Bream declared. "We should be evenbetter next season."

Can the Pirates also repeatas East Divisionchampsin 1992? "Absolutely I am expecting it," Tomlin emphasized. "I believewe have thebestdefenseand the best pitchingstaff in thedivision Our pitchers are not overpowering, but each one does hisbesttokeep usin the game and giveusachar'"