Former Braves pitcher Rick Mahler dies
Rick Mahler, the stalwart of the Braves pitching staff through much of the 1980s, died of a heart attack Wednesday at the age of 51. He was preparing for his second season as a minor league pitching coach for the Class-A St. Lucie Mets. He is survived by his wife, Sheryl, and five children.
He led the Braves in ERA in 1981, 1984, 1985, & 1988 and in wins in 1985, 1986, and 1988. During his 12-year career which started in 1979 he posted a 96-111 record with a 3.99 ERA. It’s a shame that he, like so many other deserving Braves players from the decade, never got to play in the World Series.
I can still remember my brother and I waiting for autographs by the Braves team bus outside the Astrodome. It was 1987 and the Braves had just lost another one to the Astros. We, along with 30 other fans, pleaded for signatures as the Braves players walked by. A few players came over to sign for us, including Rick who was on the way to his car. We still have the baseball Mahler signed in a plastic square holder in our living room.
It’s a sad day for the organization and Braves fans everywhere. 
Zach Miner, Macay McBride, Anthony Lerew, Daniel Curtis, and Kevin Berry combined for the no-no. Of the five, only McBride and Lerew are even on the Braves’ 40-man roster.
