All-Diamond Team: Mike Stanton

In 2025, The Diamond hosts its 40^th and final season of professional baseball in Richmond. Between the Richmond Braves from 1985-2008 and the Richmond Flying Squirrels since 2010, countless future major leaguers have taken the steps from the first base dugout onto The Diamond’s playing surface.

Prior to the season, fans voted for The All-Diamond Team, selecting one manager as well as 14 of their favorite players who have gone on to MLB stardom after suiting up for the R-Braves and Flying Squirrels.

We continue the announcement of the All-Diamond Team with the fans’ choice for one of two relief pitchers, Mike Stanton.

Manager: Grady Little
Starting Pitcher: John Smoltz
Starting Pitcher: Tom Glavine
Starting Pitcher: Logan Webb
Relief Pitcher: Mike Stanton
Relief Pitcher: TBA
Utility Player: TBA
Catcher: TBA
First Baseman: TBA
Second Baseman: TBA
Shortstop: TBA
Third Baseman: TBA
Outfielder: TBA
Outfielder: TBA
Outfielder: TBA

Mike Stanton was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 13^th round of the 1987 MLB Draft out of Alvin Community College in his home state of Texas.

The left-hander worked primarily as a starter in his first two professional seasons. In 1987, he made his professional debut with the Pulaski Braves of the Appalachian League, going 4-8 with a 3.24 ERA in 15 games (13 starts).

In his sophomore minor league season in 1988, Stanton split the year between the Braves’ Single-A clubs in Burlington and Durham, going 12-5 with a 3.46 ERA over 32 games, including 25 starts.

Stanton began the 1989 season at Double-A Greenville and moved to the bullpen as a closer, primarily working around an inning per outing. He threw 47 games in the Southern League, posting a 1.58 ERA with 19 saves.

Dating back to the previous year, Stanton had gained 10 pounds and saw his velocity rise. He expected to spend the entire season in Double-A, but on July 27, he was promoted to Triple-A Richmond.

He made his R-Braves debut on July 29 at Rochester in a memorable game that moved the team back into first place in the International League West.

Stanton entered for Charlie Puleo in the eighth after Richmond tied the game with two runs in the top of the inning. In the ninth, Ron Gant brought in David Justice to give Richmond the lead with a triple to cap the fourth cycle in R-Braves history.

Stanton returned for the bottom of the ninth. He walked the leadoff batter and allowed an infield single before striking out Francisco Melendez to end the game.

The debut kicked off a dominant 13-appearance run for Stanton with the R-Braves. He went 2-0 with eight saves and threw 20 innings without surrendering a run, allowing just six hits and striking out 20.

Stanton made his first appearance at The Diamond on August 2 and pitched well, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings. However, the R-Braves lost a 1-0 shutout thrown by 22-year-old Rochester pitcher Curt Schilling.

On August 4, Stanton again faced the Red Wings and closed his first Triple-A save. Richmond trailed, 5-4, entering the bottom of the eighth at The Diamond. Ron Gant homered to tie the game and Kash Beauchamp belted a two-run homer to give the R-Braves the lead. Stanton worked around a walk to close the game in the ninth.

His next two appearances came on the same night, one of the longest nights of baseball The Diamond has ever seen.

On August 7, the R-Braves and Toledo Mud Hens played a doubleheader. The first game lasted 21 innings, with Richmond falling, 4-1. The game lasted five hours and 21 minutes. Stanton entered with the score tied, 1-1, and worked scoreless eighth and ninth innings. He allowed two walks and an infield single in the ninth but escaped with a flyout.

Stanton returned to the mound in the second game of the doubleheader and fired a 1-2-3 seventh to close a 3-0 win, earning his second save. The game ended at 1:57 a.m.

On August 9, Stanton worked out of a jam to close his third save. He entered with one out in the eighth and the bases loaded against Oklahoma City. Kevin Reimer hit a one-bounce grounder off Stanton’s thigh, and the lefty picked up the ball and started a 1-2-3 double play to evade the threat. He issued a leadoff walk in the ninth but got another double play from the 89ers to end a 2-1 R-Braves win.

In his first 11 Triple-A outings, Stanton allowed just three hits over 16 1/3 innings. He rarely went more than two days without appearing out of the bullpen.

As the R-Braves continued their battle with the Tidewater Tides for the IL West crown, Stanton helped his team to a big win in his final Richmond outing. On August 22 in front of a sellout crowd at The Diamond, Stanton entered with one out in the seventh and the R-Braves leading, 4-3, and worked a double play grounder to close the frame.

In the eighth, Stanton struck Tidewater’s best hitter, Tom O’Malley, on three pitches to strand runners at second and third.

The Tides loaded the bases against Stanton in the ninth, but he struck out Mark Bailey with three fastballs to end the game.

The win moved the R-Braves to a four-game lead over Tidewater with 10 games left in the regular season.

Two days later, Stanton was promoted to Atlanta. The Braves were in last place in the National League West and had made a wave of trades that swapped big leaguers for minor leaguers, opening several roster spots.

The R-Braves went on to win the Governors’ Cup in 1989. Stanton finished the year throwing the first 20 of his 1,178 big-league appearances, which is the second-most in MLB history.

The Braves traded Stanton to the Red Sox in the middle of the 1995 season on their way to winning the World Series. He signed with the Yankees prior to the 1997 season and was part of their run of winning three consecutive World Series titles from 1998-2000. He was named an American League All-Star in 2001.

He left Richmond at age 22 in 1989 and pitched until he was 40 in 2007. Stanton spent 19 seasons in the majors with eight different teams, including seven seasons each with the Braves and Yankees.

Stanton is one of only 16 pitchers in MLB history to appear in 1,000 games. Six of them are in the Hall of Fame.