Favorite Kevin Millwood moments/games with Braves

M

Millwood1Hitter

Anytime Now Frankie...
Slightly off topic subject here, but what are your favorite Kevin Millwood moments/games from his time with the Braves? I'm a little biased, but Kevin was one of my favorites during his time here, and when he was healthy and on he was as good as a pitcher as their was in baseball. He had his up's and down's but he carried our pitching staff in 1999 especially in the first half when Maddux and Glavine were having their struggles and Smoltz with arm issues. He was unhittable in that 1999 season, struggled with injuries in 2000 and 2001, and had a nice rebound season in 2002, especially in the second half when it seemed like he started to regain confidence in himself and incorporated the Maddux 2 seam cutter to left handed hitters which was unhittable. I really thought his career was ready to take off, and then he was traded. He had a good career, but I often wonder how good he could have been if he would have been allowed to stay in his comfort zone in Atlanta and work with Leo. Kevin's mentality didn't allow him to be the man, but he could have been the man if he was a part of a solid rotation. He was asked to be the guy in Philly and carry the pitching staff, and he just wasn't that. The Philly fans turned on him, and Joe Kerrigan made some mechanical adjustments that were not for the best for him. He had a few more solid seasons in Cleveland and Texas, but for the most part was pretty mediocre. To me, he is on of the great, what could have been's. I think he would have thrived had he been allowed to stay here and would have rolled off a number of solid seasons for us, and possibly could have had a borderline hall of fame type career.

What are your favorite moments? Here are mine...

1) The 1 hitter in game 2 of a must-win NLDS game vs. the Astros. His only mistake was giving up a homer to Caminiti. He was absolutely dominant and in total command that day.

2) The 10 inning game at St. Louis in August of 1999. It was a Saturday afternoon FOX game and I watched it at K-Mart TV section, he was in total control from start to finish, wish we could have gotten him some runs to work with buy we eventually one later one. Unheard of to see a pitcher go 10 innings.

3) A hot steamy game on the day before the 4th of July at Shea in 1999, the Met's we're going to dethrown us that year and we're making a valiant effort until Kevin said no not gonna happen.

Kevin flirted with mid to late inning no hitters with the Braves probably more than any other pitcher, which is saying something.
 
Pitching a lights out game at old Veteran's Stadium and I believe it was Placido Polanco who hit a liner up the middle and Milly reached behind the back and caught it bare handed to end the inning.
 
Forever Fredi said:
Pitching a lights out game at old Veteran's Stadium and I believe it was Placido Polanco who hit a liner up the middle and Milly reached behind the back and caught it bare handed to end the inning.
Click to expand...

Yes, I remember that play. I don't recall the game, but I remember the play as it was in a pretty critical situation as well if I remember correctly.

I wish there would be more games of Kevin in Atlanta on youtube to rewatch, along with Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, and even Neagle. Those we're the good old days...and it never gets old listening to Skip and Pete. But back to Kevin, the only game I can find is game 2 of 1999 World Series in which Kevin was woreout by then.
 
This thread got me to thinking about the way the years fly by, and also to recounting my own fuzzy memories about Millwood. I was thinking that he was alternately good and bad for the Braves, showing great potential, but not maintaining excellence over a long period of time.......DING!DING!DING! My memory was accurate, based on his stats. There were a couple of surprises, including his finishing third in the CYA voting his best year, and sixth in the AL with a losing record later. Another thing that made me shake my head? He's more than a year YOUNGER than Bartarlo Colon.
 
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