Sutton Places These Braves Among Best of All Time

Our guest expert today is Don Sutton, an Atlanta Brave broadcaster and the only 324-game winner not in the Hall of Fame. . . .

His subject is the Braves’ starting rotation. . . .

“Four deep, it is comparable to the 1966 Dodgers’,” Sutton said. “Five deep, it is potentially the best ever.” . . .

In 1966, rookie Sutton joined Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Claude Osteen in the four-man rotation for the National League champion Dodgers. . . .

In 1995, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, John Smoltz and Kent Mercker formed a five-man rotation for the World Series champion Braves. . . .

This season, young Jason Schmidt has replaced the departed Mercker. . . .

Sutton on Maddux: “He’s the professor of pitching.” . . .

On Glavine: “He’s the ultimate lefty craftsman.” . . .

On Avery: “He’s still learning how good he is and will be great some day.” . . .

On Smoltz: “He has the best stuff of any pitcher in the National League.” . . .

On Schmidt: “He’s a dominator in training.” . . .

Nobody in Georgia appreciates the job they do more than Sutton. . . .

“They’re all conscientious, hard workers, and good athletes,” he said. “They support each other, challenge each other and feed off each other. When one of them is on the mound, the other four always sit together in the dugout and talk about the game.” . . .

The ace, Maddux, has won an unprecedented four consecutive Cy Young awards, but, at 30, still needs 173 more victories to match the total of the guy sitting in the TBS booth. . . .

It is an injustice that Sutton, who spent the first 15 years and the last of his 23-year career with the Dodgers, hasn’t been voted into the Hall of Fame. . . .

He was 324-256 for a winning percentage of .559. By contrast, Drysdale, who was voted into the Hall deservedly in 1984, was 209-166 for a winning percentage of .557. . . .

“It hurt for a while,” Sutton said about the most-recent slight. “But I got more letters and cards and words of support than if I had been voted in. I must have received 1,000 pieces of mail. I heard from everyone from Peter O’Malley to Newt Gingrich. It was gratifying.” . . .

Always the best talker on the Dodgers, Sutton was a natural to become an announcer after his retirement in 1988. . . .

“I’m having more fun than when I was playing,” he said. “I get to start every day.” . . .

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Mike Piazza is known more for his offense than his work behind the plate, but Tom Lasorda gave him much of the credit for Hideo Nomo’s three-hit shutout against the Braves on Monday. . . .

“Piazza did a fantastic job working with Nomo,” the manager said. “His pitch selection was outstanding. When a pitcher is behind on the count, everyone is looking for a fastball. But Piazza had him changing speeds and throwing breaking balls.” . . .

Judging by their attendance figures, it looks as though the Houston Astros are headed for Virginia. . . .

Eight USC baseball games will be broadcast on KWNK (670), starting with those Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon against Stanford at Dedeaux Field. Larry Kahn will do the play-by-play and Justin Dedeaux the analysis as the third-ranked Trojans try to stretch their Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division lead. . . .

UCLA will be seeking its fourth consecutive NCAA West Regional women’s gymnastics championship Saturday at 6 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins are seeded second behind Oregon State. . . .

Bob Baffert, the trainer of Santa Anita Derby winner Cavonnier, has another Kentucky Derby candidate in Semoran, who will run in the Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland. . . .

When Stanley Roberts plays the way he did Monday night at the Sports Arena against the Portland Trail Blazers and Arvydas Sabonis, you wonder how effective the Clipper center could be if he got himself into peak condition. . . .

The St. Louis Rams figured that the signing of free agent Leslie O’Neal made defensive end Sean Gilbert expendable. . . .

I guess the Arizona Cardinals’ idea of a youth movement is releasing quarterback Dave Krieg, 37, and replacing him with Boomer Esiason, who will be 35 next week.