Ron Gant

Lore & Background

Gant was born in Victoria, Texas, to George Gant, a chemistry professor, and Alice Hardeman, a special education teacher. He played football and baseball in high school. He was recruited heavily to play college baseball for such schools as Texas and Oklahoma, but turned down scholarship offers in order to play professionally after high school. Gant was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fourth round of the 1983 MLB draft (100th overall), and joined the Braves in 1987 as a September call-up, after winning the Bill Lucas Award as the Braves' Minor League Player of the Year in 1986. He collected 22 hits in 83 at-bats, including two home runs. During the 1988 season, the rookie Gant was an everyday player for the struggling Braves, who finished with a record of 54–106. After a disappointing sophomore season in 1989, Gant was sent down to the minor leagues to learn how to play the outfield. Gant returned to form and the starting lineup in 1990, when he batted .303 with 32 home runs and 84 RBI while being named the National League Comeback Player of the Year by The Sporting News. Additionally, Gant stole thirty-three bases in 1990, qualifying for the 30–30 club. He duplicated that feat in 1991, joining Willie Mays (1956–1957) and Bobby Bonds (1977–1978) as the only players in Major League history to that point to have two 30 home run/30 stolen base seasons in a row. Barry Bonds later eclipsed the accomplishment, qualifying for the 30–30 Club in three straight seasons, from 1995–1997. Although his home run and stolen base totals were extremely similar the following year, most of his other stats were not as good: he hit just .251 with over 100 strikeouts and 23 fewer hits in just 14 fewer at-bats. His RBI numbers also increased to 105. The Braves lost to the Minnesota Twins in the 1991 World Series. Gant batted .267 in the series, with four RBIs, as the Twins won it in a close and exciting seventh game. During Game 2 of the 1991 World Series, Gant had a memorable and controversial confrontation with Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek. As Gant was trying to make it back to first base to avoid Twins pitcher Kevin Tapani's pickoff, he claimed Hrbek pulled his leg off the base during the swipe tag and Gant was called out. Drew Coble, the first base umpire, ruled that Gant's momentum had carried him off the bag, and refused to change his call. Aiding the controversy the co

In Their Own Story

The lights hummed above Olympic Stadium as the ninth inning stretched into overtime. Ron Gant dug his cleats into the dirt at first base, eyes locked on the pitcher's mound. The crowd held its breath, sensing another chance for magic. He swung, connecting with a sharp crack that echoed through the night air. Before the ball landed in center field, he was already sprinting, legs pumping with the relentless energy that defined his career.

Reader's Guide

Ron Gant was a key power-speed threat for the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s, becoming the third player in MLB history to post back-to-back 30–30 seasons. He never played college baseball, having been drafted out of high school in 1983. Gant's Braves tenure (1987–1993) was spent at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, not Olympic Stadium. He was not an All-Star according to the source. After his playing career, he transitioned to broadcasting and later became a morning news co-anchor in Atlanta.

Did You Know?

• Gant turned down college scholarship offers from Texas and Oklahoma to play professionally after high school.
• He joined the 30–30 club in 1990 and 1991, becoming only the third player at that time to achieve back-to-back 30–30 seasons.
• In Game 2 of the 1991 World Series, Gant was involved in a controversial play where Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek appeared to lift his leg off the bag.
• Gant set the record for lowest RBI total (54) by a player with 25 or more home runs in a season (tied by Joc Pederson in 2015).
• After retiring, Gant became a co-host of Good Day Atlanta on WAGA-TV in 2012.