<p>Remember Jaret Wright?</p><p>You know, the guy who was only 21 years old when he started Game 7 of the World Series. The guy with the 95 mph fastball and the slider that buckled knees. The guy who could have been the next Roger Clemens.</p><p>Well, seven years and two surgeries later, Wright has a chance to get his star-crossed career back on track with the Atlanta Braves.</p><p>It took a lot of work to get to this point, Wright said, sitting at his locker in the Braves spring training clubhouse. I never thought once, What if this doesnt work out? I just tried to stay focused every day.</p><p>Still just 28, Wright already has been through enough exhilarating highs and crushing lows to last a baseball lifetime.</p><p>But the Braves, who picked him up for the final month last season, believe his career is salvageable. Wright is getting a shot to make the starting rotation. If that doesnt work out, he might take a key setup role for John Smoltz in the bullpen.</p><p>I told him with his stuff, he should be able to get out every right-handed hitter he faces, pitching coach Leo Mazzone said.</p><p>Sort of what they were saying seven years ago. After beginning the 1997 season in Double-A, Wright was in the Cleveland Indians rotation by late June. Come October, with the season down to one game, he got the ball for the World Series finale against the Florida Marlins.</p><p>At that point, Wright already had a 3-0 record in the postseason, including the win that knocked the defending champion New York Yankees out of the playoffs.</p><p>The son of former big league pitcher Clyde Wright wasnt all that nervous about going out for Game 7 in the World Series.</p><p>It definitely came fast, Jaret Wright remembered. I didnt really have a chance to slow stuff down and really enjoy what was going on. Of course, if I had tried to slow it down, I probably would have screwed up on the mound.</p><p>He sure didnt screw up Game 7, even though he was the second-youngest pitcher ever to start such an important contest.</p><p>Keeping his eyes firmly on his catcher _ You can have 100,000 in the stadium, but it only looks like 5,000 behind the plate _ Wright mowed down the Marlins through six shutout innings. The Indians had a 2-0 lead, just nine outs away from their first Series championship since 1948.</p><p>But Bobby Bonilla homered in the seventh off Wright, the Cleveland bullpen squandered the lead in the ninth and Edgar Renteria won it for the Marlins in the 11th.</p><p>The ending is still painful for Wright, who allowed just two hits in 6 1-3 innings.</p><p>Ive only seen it on tape once or twice, he said. It was definitely tough. We were very close to being world champions.</p><p>If Wright thought that was tough, he was in for a rude awakening. After winning 12 games as a sophomore, the injuries began to pile up. He went to the DL twice in 1999. Shoulder surgery in 2000 was followed by another operation the following year. His career in Cleveland _ once so promising _ came to an end after his ERA soared to 15.71 in 2002.</p><p>Right when I got hurt, I was going through the process from throwing to pitching, Wright said. Once you make that transition, thats how you stay in the big leagues. You cant just throw and get away with it. But all my focus was on the injuries instead of learning how to pitch.</p><p>Signing with San Diego, Wright appeared to have reached rock bottom a year ago. He was a bad pitcher (1-4, 8.74 ERA) on a bad team, having totally fallen off the radar of most teams. But, when the Padres put him on waivers in August, a surprising team put in a claim.</p><p>Wright was in his hotel room when manager Bruce Bochy called with the news.</p><p>He told me that Atlanta had claimed me off waivers, Wright said, breaking into a smile. I thought he had called the wrong room.</p><p>Wright went from last place to a team that was cruising to its 12th straight division title. The Braves were impressed with Wrights velocity and saw a glimmer of that hard-throwing rookie from 97. He took to the move right away, going 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 11 games to earn a spot on the postseason roster.</p><p>Theres nothing more you can ask for than going to a team in the last month thats going to the playoffs, he said. It was amazing.</p><p>Wright believes his shoulder is fully recovered, and hes still got plenty of time to realize the potential that seemed so limitless in 1997.</p><p>Hes already drawn plenty of raves in the early days of spring training.</p><p>I remember facing him back when he was tough, catcher Eddie Perez said. But when he came back from surgery, he wasnt the same.</p><p>And now?</p><p>This is the same guy I remember, Perez said. Hes throwing hard and he knows how to pitch. Hes a very strong guy. Hopefully he can stay healthy.</p>
