NASHVILLE — Atlanta Braves legend Sid Bream was the featured speaker June 25 at Berrien High’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet.

Bream, best known for his game-winning slide against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh game of the National League Championship Series in 1992, spoke about his career and support of FCA at Flat Creek Baptist Church near Nashville.

Bobby Willis, Southeast Georgia FCA area director, introduced Bream. Willis said that even before the Braves moved to Atlanta, he was a fan of the club when it was in Milwaukee. He looked back on the 1991 season, where Atlanta went from worst in the Majors to one game of winning the World Series. Willis said two free agent signings helped turn it around: Terry Pendleton and Bream.

As Bream took the podium, a video clip played of Skip Caray calling the most famous moment of Bream’s career, “The Slide.”

In the seventh game of the National League Championship Series in 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates led the Braves, 2-0, going into the bottom of the ninth. A miracle rally started, but with two outs and Pittsburgh up 2-1, Bream was still on second base. Pinch hitter Francisco Cabrera delivered a single into left field. David Justice, on third, scored easily. Bream, running as fast as his surgically repaired knee allowed, barely beat the tag at the plate. Teammates swarmed as Caray repeatedly screamed “Braves win!”

The Slide was the focal point of Bream’s speech. He talked about that ninth inning, starting with Pendleton’s leadoff double.

The Braves had achieved so many comeback wins over 1991 and 1992 that Bream said they knew they could do it. “At the same time, Doug (Drabek, who started on the mound for the Pirates) was really on.”

Bream walked on four pitches against Drabek, loading the bases for Ron Gant. The series almost ended there, as Gant flew out to the warning track. Pendleton scored for the first run, then Damon Berryhill off reliever Stan Belinda to fill the bases again. A pop-out was the second out, setting up Cabrera.

Cabrera was little-known outside of Atlanta, but Bream said that everyone on the Braves respected him as a hitter. “If you were in the batting cage and heard that distinctive ’schwack’ that came off of his bat, you knew when Frankie was hitting.”

Bream mocked his lack of speed, recalling a time Deion Sanders beat him in a footrace when Sanders was running backwards. He joked that while Cabrera was at the plate and he was at the second, he decided this game needed to be made more interesting.

“When I came around third base … when I stepped on third base and I looked out to Barry Bonds (in left field) … I saw that it wasn’t going to be a close play, so I [slowed] it down just a little bit. I beat it by that much, just to make it more exciting.”

Baseball is a different game in some ways now than in 1992. Bream said a play that unfolded like that would never happen again. Instant replay would have been utilized. “It wouldn’t have been the same,” he said of a celebration that occurred after a long replay session.

Bream’s slide was even more special because of a chain of events two years earlier. He had been traded to the Pirates in 1985 and was their starting first baseman through the 1990 season. After telling him he was their top priority to re-sign, Pittsburgh made him a very low offer. Bream wanted to stay with the Pirates, but felt hurt.

“They weren’t even getting close to market price, let alone anything more for being a priority,” he said. Atlanta made its offer, much higher than Pittsburgh’s, but said they needed him to make a decision soon. “My wife and I that night made our decision to go to Atlanta. That whole night, my wife and I cried our eyes out.”

The 1991 season, said Bream, was one of his favorite times in life. With Pendleton and Bobby Cox, they shaped a young team into a perennial contender and captured Atlanta’s hearts. “At the same time, watching the city adopt us and starting to come out” to the park in support, meant much as well. “It was miraculous,” he said. “It was so fun.”

Atlanta made its first trip to Pittsburgh on May 10, 1991. Cabrera started at first, but with the Braves down 5-0 in the ninth, Cox pinch hit Bream. Bream is sure Cox did it just for him. Belinda was pitching.

As he stepped to the plate, the crowd gave him a standing ovation and began chanting his name. Bream said his eyes were misting.

“I don’t know how it happened, but one of the pitches he threw, I swung the bat and hit the ball and it went over the centerfield wall,” said Bream.

He talked about other highlights of his career and played Vin Scully’s play-by-play call from 1983 of his first Major League hit. Bream was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers and played his first three seasons with them.

Bream feels he was put on second base in 1992 for a reason.

“God has used that play to allow me to go around and speak with people and tell people about my love of Jesus,” said Bream.

He said FCA teaches kids about life and that the best thing parents could see was their children serve Jesus Christ. In addition to making speeches, he serves as a chaplain for a trucking company. He was to speak in Adel June 26.

Before Bream went on stage, Keith Powell announced a pair of FCA honors. Athlete of the Year went to Susanna Whidden, with Coach of the Year won by Lance Trowell.

Powell said that FCA leaders can make an impact, regardless of which sport. In Whidden’s case, she participated in none, but was a tireless advocate of the organization. “She is a special young lady,” he said. “She has leadership all over her.” Powell talked about everything Whidden handled, from asking prayer requests, finding those to give devotionals — or giving them herself — and even made FCA business cards.

“We had more students who were not involved in an athletic team at our FCA meetings,” said Powell.

Whidden said nothing was as rewarding as leading FCA. “When God tells you to do something, say ‘Yes, sir’’,” she said. Whidden thanked Powell and Willis for the award.

Powell said many coaches at Berrien were deserving of Coach of the Year. With Trowell, “Students know where he stands,” said Powell. Up on stage, Trowell said the award is “such a blessing.”

“It means more to me than anyone will ever know,” Trowell said.