'That little bit of magic factor': Cobb Countians reminisce about attending 1995 World Series

Oct. 30—Bill Hendrick was as close to Atlanta Braves right fielder Dave Justice as anybody, save the catcher or the umpire. The site was Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. It was Oct. 28, 1995, the sixth inning of Game 6 of the World Series, and neither the Braves nor the Cleveland Indians were on the board. The Braves were one win away from winning their first World Series since the franchise moved to Atlanta in 1966.

Hendrick, now retired, was a science reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time, but the paper had "mobilized everybody" to cover the World Series. He was interviewing the "big shots" who had front-row tickets behind home plate.

"He hit the ball, it was a loud crack, and as soon as I saw it was gone I ran up the steps," Hendrick said.

Hendrick, an east Cobb resident since 1979, made his way to Cobb County, where his assignment was to interview people watching the game at a Dave and Busters. After three more scoreless innings for Cleveland, the Braves had won it all.

"Everybody was excited (at the bar)," Hendrick said. "I don't remember anything that anybody said ... I'm sure I got lots of good quotes. ... The place was rocking. People were happy, raising Cain."

Before leaving, Hendrick wouldn't have been far from Lisa Lawrence, who was seated in the eighth row behind home plate. A friend of hers had gotten tickets, and the friend's husband bailed at the last minute to go hunting.

"It was absolutely a sense of just, you know, electricity in the air," Lawrence said. "And you really knew and kind of felt that something special is going to happen."

The crowd was on pins and needles that night, she said. Lawrence remembers driving home, listening to fans call into post-game radio shows to recount their memories of growing up watching the Braves with parents and grandparents. The outpouring of relief, jubilation and local pride after the Braves won was unforgettable for her.

"It was just this incredible moment of accomplishment. Because, you know, you feel part of it. Because they're your Braves, and at the time, America's team," Lawrence said. "And you just felt so close to that moment. ... I feel like I've been chasing that feeling now for 26 years."

Gail Kaley Kumpf was working downtown at the Georgia Capitol in 1995. She doesn't remember how, but someone scored World Series tickets, and she went to either Game 1 or Game 2.

Kumpf also has memories of enjoying the Braves with generations past. She recalls a particularly memorable game she attended with her elderly grandmother.

"The umpire made a bad call," Kumpf said. "She stood up and she screamed. Here's this 91-year-old woman screaming, and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I got to control this and get out of here before we get thrown out."

Larry Savage of east Cobb, like Lawrence, Kumpf and Hendrick, is a life-long fan. There's always something different in October for Savage.

"It is that time of year when the seasons are changing, you've got that crisp fall air that just tells you that whatever is going on is going to be different, you know, it's going to be special," Savage said.

Savage used to go to games with his late brother Glenn, and said they bought the full postseason package every year, throughout the Braves' 1990s golden age. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every penny, he said.

"As far as I'm concerned, one thing I learned in the '90s, you never get tired of winning," Savage said.

An Atlanta native, Savage and his brother lived in different parts of town and didn't get together often, he said. A Braves postseason run always brings back the memories they made together, though.

"It's one of the things that lingers this time of the year. That's the kind of memory that comes up. And so, it's very enjoyable, for me, this season, you might say, to have that in my head," Savage said.

Sticker shock

Of the four Cobb Countians who spoke about experiencing the 1995 World Series in-person, only one — Kumpf — has tickets this time around, secured through a friend for Sunday's game.

Lawrence's 1995 ticket, despite being prime real estate, had a face value of just $60. Lawrence recalls people buying tickets on the secondary market for $300 each, or about $540 in 2021 dollars. Even adjusted for inflation, it's still a fraction of what a home plate ticket is going for this year on StubHub. Lawrence, like many fans, didn't purchase tickets this time due to the astronomical prices.

"My husband and I have joked throughout the years that the Braves should invite me to attend the World Series games, because obviously, I was good luck. But then he reminds me that there was probably 50,000 other people in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium that night," Lawrence said.

With such high ticket prices, Kumpf is glad that fans can congregate at The Battery and be close to the action.

Lawrence was a big fan of Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine, who started that night the Braves won it all. After the win, she watched the team celebrate on the field, bought a sweatshirt and pennant, and waited to get Glavine to sign her ticket. It remains a prized memento, one she won't ever give up.

Predictions

As of this writing, the Braves had won one and lost one in Houston. Hendrick shyly admitted that he was "not terribly optimistic."

After losing postseason runs for the past three years, "it's just hard to imagine winning, but I hope we do," Hendrick said.

"I don't know ... I don't know if they (Houston) have a better team. But I think we have a damn good team," Hendrick said.

Savage is hopeful.

"On social media, I see people who think that when you're 1-1 in a World Series and you're coming to your home state to play three games, that you're on the brink of failure ... I think we're on the brink of success."

Lawrence is taken with the story of this season. It would be amazing to overcome losing pitcher Mike Soroka, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and, most recently, pitcher Charlie Morton, to injuries. She also wants this title for Freddie Freeman, who she said has earned it after leading the team for a decade.

For Kumpf, it would be a thrill to see hometown boy and Marietta High School alum Dansby Swanson win a championship in his backyard.

"Houston's got a good team, as we clearly saw in that last game," Kumpf said. "But, I feel good about it. I really do. I think the enthusiasm and being back home, and we have a really good ball team."

Kumpf said the atmosphere in '95 was exciting, but she doesn't remember being the "fever pitch" that Atlanta has now.

"I never dreamed that I would walk in church last Sunday with 900 people, and half the men had on pearls," she said, referring to the improbable jewelry trend sparked by outfielder Joc Pederson.

Lawrence's husband, a diehard Atlanta Falcons fan, is still scarred by the infamous Super Bowl LI and the "28-3" meme it spawned. But Lawrence believes the Braves are a great team, and have it in them. There's something intangible they have, she said.

"There's just always some magic to what they do," Lawrence said. "There's always that one player, like (Eddie) Rosario that makes a great play, has a big hit. And the Braves have just always been that way, as a team. There's that little bit of magic factor that comes with being a Braves team."