BASEBALL / ROSS NEWHAN : Braves to Keep Winning Formula

ATLANTA — The celebrants on Peachtree Street on Saturday night had no concerns beyond the exultation of the moment.

The Atlanta Braves had won the World Series, validating their credentials as the team of the ‘90s.

It is only 1995, of course.

Can the Braves, given the challenge of the extended playoffs and baseball’s daunting economics, continue to dominate the decade?

“I think we’ll go to spring training with another team capable of winning a championship,” Atlanta president Stan Kasten said. “We’ll find a way to maintain that commitment.

“It took a long time to put the formula together. We’re not going to throw it away.”

By next spring, the Braves, as well as other assets under Ted Turner’s umbrella, could be controlled by Time-Warner, but General Manager John Schuerholz said they have been assured that the baseball operation will not be affected.

Nor does Schuerholz expect a decline in the caliber of the Braves’ play or a major turnover, although economics will force a few significant moves.

The most noteworthy:

--First baseman Fred McGriff, who made $4.25 million this year, will probably be allowed to leave as a free agent, with left fielder Ryan Klesko moving to first base, leaving late-season acquisition Mike Devereaux to battle farm product Mike Kelly in left.

--Kent Mercker, who received $2.24 million as the fifth starter and made only one relief appearance in the Series, will probably depart as a non-tendered free agent, with farm product Jason Schmidt given a chance to replace him.

The Braves’ payroll of $45 million was baseball’s third-highest behind the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles and doesn’t figure to get much lower despite those probable changes.

The Braves already have $27.5 million guaranteed to Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Dave Justice, Jeff Blauser and Rafael Belliard for next year.

In addition, Marquis Grissom ($4.9 million in ‘95), Steve Avery ($4 million) and Mark Lemke ($1.25 million) are eligible for arbitration, and the young Chipper Jones, Javier Lopez, Mark Wohlers and Klesko are all in line for significant raises.

Those four came off a developmental assembly line that is considered one of baseball’s most productive. The best of that farm system is currently at the lower levels, but Schuerholz said: “We’re in a position [at the major league level] where we shouldn’t have to rely on it for a few years.”

The Braves adhere to a simple formula: Control costs and turnover by developing from within while targeting an occasional free agent or trade.

“It’s obviously very challenging,” Schuerholz said of the economics. “If we had kept the ’91 team [the first to reach the World Series] together, Lord knows how high the payroll would be now. The same with Cleveland today. If they maintain this team and go to three World Series like we have, the financial costs will be prohibitive.”

With a $37-million payroll, the Indians have become a model of mid-market success, buoyed by capacity crowds in their new stadium.

General Manager John Hart used preemptive signings to build the foundation. Rather than subject the club and players to the expensive and divisive process of arbitration, he signed several key players to multiyear contracts before they became eligible for free agency.

Kenny Lofton, Albert Belle, Carlos Baerga and Sandy Alomar Jr. are all signed through 1996 or beyond. While the Braves have emphasized pitching, Hart put his money in position players, believing the injury risk is less.

“We don’t have a lot of things to do,” he said of this winter. “Our nucleus is back. We won 100 games in a strike-shortened season. I’m not going to try and reinvent the wheel.”

Of interest:

--Eddie Murray will be asked to take a sizable cut from his $3-million salary of 1995 or be allowed to leave as a free agent, with the Indians signing a free-agent designated hitter who can bat second, possibly Paul Molitor or B.J. Surhoff.

--Pitcher Ken Hill is eligible for free agency, but the Indians will probably try to re-sign him. Rookies Julian Tavarez and/or Chad Ogea may come out of the bullpen to join the rotation.

“We need to feed some young pitching into the staff, and we should be able to do that,” Hart said. “We’ve emphasized pitching in the [amateur] draft.”

The larger Cleveland shake-up could come in the coaching staff. Third base coach Jeff Newman is a candidate to replace Tony La Russa as manager of the Oakland A’s, and bench coach Buddy Bell is a candidate for the Detroit Tiger managerial job, although Buck Showalter is the favorite.

Despite evidence of postseason vulnerability at several defensive positions and a one-dimensional, swing-from-the-heels offense, the Indians appear strong enough to overwhelm the American League Central again.

The pitching-oriented Braves should again be tough to handle in the National League East.

An interesting--and at times exciting--World Series underscored the cliche about good pitching beating good hitting.

Maddux pitched a two-hitter. Glavine and Wohlers pitched a one-hitter. The powerful Indians, forced to swallow their feeble attempts at verbal gamesmanship, batted .179 and averaged 3.1 runs per game.

The Braves ultimately shed the albatross of their previous October failures--if losing twice in the World Series and once in the league championship series represents failure.

“This is what we have all strived for,” Schuerholz said while wearing a champagne-soaked T-shirt that carried the logo of World Series champion. “It’s a difficult process now with the expanded format, but this is what we want to try and do every year.”

The team of the ‘90s should continue to come close--dominant if not dynastic amid the new system.