Manufacturer: Bowman
Set: 1989 Bowman Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Steve Avery
Position/Team: Pitcher for Braves
Card #: 268
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-3/4”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
Avery is best remembered as the fourth member of the legendary Atlanta Braves starting rotation that dominated the 1990s. While history often focuses on the “Big Three” Hall of Famers—Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz—from 1991 to 1993, Avery was just as vital.
He famously outdueled the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1991 NLCS, pitching 16.1 scoreless innings across two starts. He earned NLCS MVP honors and remains one of the youngest players to ever win a postseason MVP. He earned his only All-Star selection in 1993, finishing the season 18–6 with a career-best 2.94 ERA.
The tragedy of Avery’s career is how quickly the “invincible” arm faded. In late 1993, he suffered a muscle injury under his pitching arm. Many analysts attribute his decline to the massive workload he took on at a young age; by the time he was 24, he had already started 135 MLB games and logged hundreds of high-pressure postseason innings. After the injury, he lost the explosive velocity and “bite” on his pitches. Though he remained a solid contributor and helped the Braves win the 1995 World Series (even winning Game 4), he never regained his elite status.
Avery eventually retired in 2003 after a brief, sentimental comeback with his hometown Detroit Tigers. Since retiring, he has remained connected to the game and the Braves organization. He has been seen making appearances in the Braves’ broadcast booth as recently as 2023, sharing stories from the glory days of the 90s.
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
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