Pendleton leads amazing transformation

ATLANTA (AP) -- As a player, Terry Pendleton brought a winning attitude to Atlanta. As a coach, he helped turn the Braves into one of the most formidable lineups in the game.

All in all, two rather amazing transformations.

The Braves, a team that has relied heavily on pitching during its run of 11 straight division titles, is on the way to No. 12 this season because of its offense.

Despite losing two of three at St. Louis over the weekend, the Braves lead the National League in every major hitting category: average (.284), home runs (175), runs (662) and slugging percentage (.478).

"Unbelievable," said former Atlanta outfielder Brian Jordan, who's now with the Dodgers. "Terry Pendleton's made a big difference over there."

All this offense couldn't have come at a better time. Atlanta ranks ninth in the NL in ERA (4.22), hardly resembling the staff that's been first or second every year since 1991.

"It's just not Atlanta baseball when the offense is good and the pitching is the question mark," Jordan said.

The hitters have more than picked up the slack, giving Atlanta the best record in baseball (76-41) and the biggest lead of any division leader.

Pendleton shrugs off any credit, though he admits to being much more comfortable in his second year as the hitting instructor.

"This has zero to do with the success that they're having now, but I have more of an idea what's demanded of me and what I should be doing," he said. "Last year, I was more of a rookie, feeling my way for what needed to be done, how I need to get it done, what kind of timetable for getting it done."

Pendleton, a former teammate of pitchers John Smoltz and Greg Maddux, earned the respect of the hitters with his ability to work with different styles.

"He's seen everything. He knows how to adapt to everything. He doesn't cookie-cut hitting, which is big," infielder Mark DeRosa said. "He doesn't give the same advice to everybody, because everybody's different."

The most stunning change under Pendleton's watch has been the selectiveness of the hitters. The Braves were usually a free-swinging team with lots of strikeouts. Now, they've managed to combine huge power numbers with the fewest strikeouts in the league, an average of about five per game.

"They're willing to hit the ball the other way at times," Pendleton said. "They're learning to be patient and find strikes to hit."

Pendleton first came to Atlanta in 1991, signing with a last-place franchise eager to bring in someone who knew a little about winning.

After being part of championship teams in St. Louis, Pendleton led the Braves' amazing worst-to-first season, which ended one game short of a World Series championship. He was named the NL's MVP.

"You can respect his opinion because he played in the big leagues for so long and he had success," DeRosa said. "It's not like you're taking advice from a guy who doesn't understand the situations you're put in on a daily basis."

Pendleton played for the Braves through the strike-shortened 1994 season, returned for a brief stint in '96, then settled down in Atlanta as a retired player.

Several times, manager Bobby Cox asked Pendleton to join his coaching staff. Pendleton kept saying no, wanting to spend time with his wife and kids.

Finally, before the 2002 season, Pendleton decided the time was right. The impact wasn't all that noticeable -- the Braves finished ninth in average (.260) and 10th in runs (708).

But this has been a season of dramatic improvement, even though first baseman Robert Fick is the only new starter.

Rafael Furcal and Marcus Giles are setting things up at the top. Gary Sheffield, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones are imposing through the middle of the order. Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla are having amazing comeback years.

"It's good to have a good hitting coach that you can joke around with and that you like," Andruw Jones said. "When you have a coach you don't like, you don't have anything to do with him and you don't have anybody else to work with."

 

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