John Smoltz – The most beloved pitcher for the Atlanta Braves

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1985, Atlanta Braves, John Smoltz

John Smoltz

John Smoltz is probably the most beloved pitcher in Atlanta history.

Consider this, from 2001-08 (injured in 2000), Smoltz started 110 games and finished 204 games.

During that time, he was 55-34 with a 3.04 ERA, 913 strikeouts and had 154 saves in 980.2 innings pitched. He also had a 1.127 ERA.

Furthermore, Smoltz is the only pitcher in baseball history to have 200 wins and 150 saves in his career.

Mighty good in anybody’s book. Not bad for a kid who was the 574th selection of the 1985 draft.

 

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John Smoltz’s — watch him rob old friend Tom Glavine of a hit (April 22, 2007)

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2007, April 22, Atlanta Braves, John Smoltz, New York Mets, Tom Glavine

John Smoltz was an amazing pitcher for the Braves. A staple in the Major Leagues for two decades, he spent 16 years pitching alongside fellow Hall of Famer Tom Glavine. They were teammates until Glavine signed with the Mets after the 2002 season.

Glavine was still with the Mets when the two squared off at Shea Stadium on April 22, 2007. It was on that day that Smoltz took the opportunity to show his old friend that he was still as athletic as ever, despite approaching his 40th birthday.

Francisco Rodriguez becomes the quickest reliever ever to reach 40 saves, breaking John Smoltz’s record (July 20, 2008)

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2008, Francisco Rodriquez, John Smoltz, July 20

Surpassing John Smoltz’s effort for the 2003 Braves by ten games, on July 20, 2008, Francisco Rodriguez becomes the quickest reliever ever to reach 40 saves.

The Angels closer strikes out the side in the ninth of a 5-3 come-from-behind victory of the Red Sox, completing a sweep of the reigning World Series champions.

Braves begin new ballpark chapter at SunTrust Park with 5-2 win (April 14, 2017)

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2017, April 14, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones, Dale Murphy, Hank Aaron, Jimmie Carter, John Smoltz, Phil Niekro, Tom Glavine

It was a great day in Atlanta Braves history. Once again, a new stadium.

Chipper Jones sat in the Atlanta Braves dugout Friday afternoon, a few hours ahead of the Braves’ first regular-season home game at their new stadium, SunTrust Park, the future Hall of Famer fielded a question about what fans might be saying as they entered the ballpark for the first time.

“I would venture a guess the word mumbled the most — maybe not even mumbled — would be ‘Wow,'” the Braves’ icon said.

“I mean, look at that video board. Look at the LED lights, the incredible green grass, this incredibly orange clay. They watch how balls fly out of here and they see the skyline and everything, and they say, ‘Wow.’ I said it. Everybody else is going to say it. …This is very impressive.”

In addition to Jones, Braves legends Hank Aaron, Bobby Cox, Tom Glavine, Dale Murphy, Phil Niekro, John Smoltz were present. They were honored as theirs and other retired numbers were unveiled. Aaron threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Cox. A prominent fan, former President Jimmy Carter, also was in attendance.

And the Braves beat San Diego 5-2.

 

A question and answer session with John Smoltz

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Atlanta Braves, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz

John Smoltz Hall of Fame

A question and answer session with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz, the former Atlanta Brave pitcher, who is now a broadcaster with MLB Network.

When you were in the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation with fellow Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, did you have hitting contests?

We did. We would come up with point systems and we took a lot of pride in getting a bunt down. And sooner or later, everybody hit a home run, which I never thought would happen from Glavine’s standpoint. When he hit a home run, I about passed out.

Who was the best hitter?

He probably was because he put the ball in play and could slap the ball down the left field line, it seemed like at will. But Greg was the same kind of not expected to do a whole lot, he found a way to hit and he could do little things as well.

I had the most power but it was probably foolish for me to think that every time I went up there, I could hit a home run but it was all I tried to do for the most part. Not every time, but you pick your moments and for me that’s what ended up tearing my left shoulder in 1997 and never got it fixed and never was a good hitter again at that point.

Is it true that at one time you were an accomplished accordionist?

I was, yeah, but that was 4 years old to 7 years old so based on what my parents tell me, the future was bright back then for that. But I’m sure they were glad that they allowed me to play baseball.

My parents were both accordion teachers. They both played and music was something that they instilled in me and I guess I was good at. I don’t really remember too much. … I could play the keys; I just couldn’t play the bass. For the most part, I can hear something and play it. I don’t read music anymore. It’s just something that taught me a lot when I was a kid. It taught me discipline and work habits, and it really did have an influence in what later became a sports career.

via A question and answer session with John Smoltz | Albany Herald.

Matt Diaz and C.J. Nitkowski on John Smoltz

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Atlanta Braves, C.J. Nitkowski, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz, Matt Diaz

John Smoltz

Here are a couple of comments from former team members on John Smoltz. A good man with a great heart.

“People are going to say that John Smoltz was the most competitive player they played with and a selfless teammate. … Those are true, but I hope in all the celebration of his accolades on the field, we don’t lose track of John Smoltz off the field. This is where he challenged me the most. He is a good man with a great heart.”

— Former Braves teammate Matt Diaz

 

And more …

 

“I say this about John; he is the most gifted athlete I have ever shared a uniform with. He can do more than just throw a baseball, as many people know. He is also a tremendous person, and I believe his strong passion to be great in that area rivals his passion to be a great pitcher.”

–Former teammate C.J. Nitkowski

via MLB – John Smoltz: A Hall of Fame tribute.

Hall of Famer John Smoltz in his own words

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2015, Atlanta Braves, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz

John Smoltz Hall of Fame

John Smoltz has a good sense of who he is. Here are some of his thoughts.

Smoltz in his 2012 book “Starting and Closing: Perseverance, Faith, and One More Year

I think it’s pretty clear that my career wasn’t all about natural talent; I wasn’t sprinkled with any magic dust. I wasn’t the fastest or the strongest or even the smartest, but I would argue that whatever I lacked in sheer talent, I made up for along the way with tenacity and perseverance; a lot of my success was achieved by constantly learning, adapting, and overcoming obstacles.

In January 2015, at his Hall of Fame news conference

To say the least, [converting to closer] was the hardest thing I’d ever done, the fast track of trying to learn on the job, faster than I was ready for. What most people don’t understand is that I failed miserably in the beginning [as full-time closer], and in failing miserably it motivated me, much like the rest of my career, to rally. I gave up eight runs in two-thirds of an inning, I believe against the Mets, and I got booed. And I struggled that whole month due to a thumb injury. And at the end of the year, 55 saves kind of answered a lot of those questions. And kind of made people forget about me as a starter, which at that time was a little tough to swallow.

During his tour of Cooperstown four weeks after being elected to the Hall

The Hall of Fame is a pretty incredible place filled with some elite people, and it’s hard to feel like you’re part of that. I think the biggest thing is that when I walk in this room I may not have the most eye-popping stats, but I have one of the most unique careers.

Smoltz after winning the World Series in 1996

This is for everyone who doubted us. People said I couldn’t make the transition back to starting. People said we had too many rookies again. But we proved everybody wrong. This is really something to celebrate.

Smoltz in 1998

Why not chase what some see as impossible? Why not believe in yourself? Why not dare to be great … even if it means being different?

 

 

John Smoltz first Tommy John pitcher to Hall (2015)

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1974, 1999, 2000, 2015, Atlanta Braves, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz, Tommy John

Tommy John Surgery

Had John Smoltz not received a call from Tommy John in 1999, he might not have gained the distinction of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is officially become the first player inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Smoltz received this call as he attempted to return from this elbow surgery during the 2000 season, one in which his struggles as a starting pitcher transitioned him toward his brief stretch as a dominant closer. His frustration led him to contemplate retirement until he received some motivation from John, whose name is attached to this surgery because of the extended success he had after undergoing it in 1974.

‘I’m telling you, don’t [retire], you’ve got a lot of career left,” Smoltz said. “He was saying he pitched for 11 years [after the surgery] and it motivated me to go through the process. There wasn’t as much history then as there is today. It’s a no-brainer today as far as success rate, and I’m glad for it.”

via John Smoltz first Tommy John pitcher to Hall | MLB.com.

John Smoltz adds humor to Hall of Fame speech

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2015, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz

John Smoltz

John Smoltz did not intend for his Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech to run as long as it did. But it only seemed fitting that the last man to wear No. 29 for the Braves’ organization spent a little more than 29 minutes extending gratitude and drawing some laughs with that same sense of humor that made him such a beloved teammate during his legendary pitching career.

“The best way to describe my career is unique. I can’t think of any other word. It’s unique in every way. I have fingerprints on my career from all of those who have touched me and impacted me and helped me along the way. It is a huge army that got John Smoltz from Lansing, Michigan, to where I am today.”

via John Smoltz adds humor to Hall of Fame speech | MLB.com.

Who Else Was Drafted in 1985 besides John Smoltz?

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1985, Atlanta Braves, Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin, David Justice, Draft, John Smoltz, Rafael Palmeiro, Randy Johnson

MLB Draft

Here is a short list of some of the players taken in the 1985 draft other than Smoltz that could be described as having good MLB careers.

To say that this draft was loaded is a huge understatement because, as it turns out, Smoltz is not even the best pitcher in his draft class (although his injury and switch to relief and back certainly clouds the debate a bit) as fellow 2015 Hall of Fame inductee Randy Johnson was selected in the second round by the Expos. Much has already been written about the brilliant careers and extracurricular activities of Bonds and Palmeiro, but fellow Hall of Famer Barry Larkin was also in this draft, drafted 4th overall by the Reds.

The 1985 draft was also directly kind to the Atlanta Braves as they would draft David Justice in the 4th round and he would become a key cog in their offense in the 1990s. Also, it turns out that Smoltz was not the only late round value pick in this draft as Randy Velarde and Mark Grace both parlayed late draft picks into really good MLB careers.

Barry Bonds – Pirates (1st Round)  162.4 WAR

Randy Johnson – Expos (2nd Round)  111.8 WAR

Rafael Palmeiro – Cubs (1st Round)  71.6 WAR

Barry Larkin – Reds (1st Round)  70.2 WAR

Will Clark – Giants (1st Round)  56.2 WAR

Mark Grace – Cubs (24th Round)  44.5 WAR

David Justice – Braves (4th Round)  40.4 WAR

BJ Surhoff – Brewers (1st Round)  34.3 WAR

Brady Anderson – Red Sox (10th Round)  32.6 WAR

Bobby Witt – Rangers (1st Round)  27.1 WAR

Randy Velarde – White Sox (19th Round)  22.5 WAR

Source: John Smoltz’s Draft: Who Else Was Drafted? – Talking Chop.

John Smoltz did it right and he did it clean – Hall of Fame 2015

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Atlanta Braves, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz

John Smoltz

John Smoltz has heart. He loves to play and compete. He would do anything to help the team win. That is just who he is.

As a baseball fan and someone who loves the Braves. I appreciate how John approached his lively-hood. Special and rare!

Special admiration should be reserved for: The pitcher who somehow squeezes a 22-year, Cy Young-punctuated career out of a right limb that has endured five surgeries, including Tommy John (before it was really cool) … the guy who transitions from starter to closer when it appears his career might be over and then, as if to prove everybody else an idiot again, manages to transition back to starter … the pro athlete who turns down more money in free agency because he wants to stay home and not lose the relationship he has with his manager.

via John Smoltz did it right and he did it clean | www.ajc.com.

John Smoltz: Some of his greatest games

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2015, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz, July 26

John Smoltz

Officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26, 2015, it would be hard to pick out his “greatest games”. So here is a very partial list.

Oct. 5, 1991 – Smoltz went the distance to beat the Astros 5-2 as the Braves coined the NL West title on the penultimate day of the season, the first of many big postseason performances.

Oct. 17, 1991 – Against the Pirates, on the road, in Game 7 of the NLCS, Smoltz pitched a six-hit shutout with eight K’s in a 4-0 victory, good for a Game Score — the metric Bill James designed as a simple way to measure the effectiveness of a pitcher’s start — of 82. He threw 123 pitches — 82 for strikes — but more important, this was the game that got the Braves’ dynasty rolling and established Smoltz as the team’s postseason ace.

Oct. 27, 1991 – Ten days later, Smoltz, then 24, battled Minnesota’s Jack Morris — the young gun versus the grizzled veteran — in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Smoltz tossed 7⅓ scoreless innings for the Braves, while his elder pitched a 10-inning shutout in a game that finished 1-0.

Sept. 6, 1998 – Smoltz’s best Game Score was a 93, not in his Game 7 performances against the Pirates in the 1991 NLCS or the 1991 World Series against the Twins. Not Game 5 of the 1996 World Series against the Yankees. But rather this regular-season game against the Mets. Smoltz struck out 13, walked none and pitched a three-hitter that could easily have been a perfect game. The Mets had a bit of a rough lineup that night, with Lenny Harris hitting fifth and Jorge Fabregas hitting sixth, and Larry Vanover had a very wide plate — six of the strikeouts were looking — but this 3-0 win was dominance at its finest.

June 7, 1999 – Down 3-0 early in the game, Smoltz smacked a three-run home run — the fifth and final homer of his career — off Dave Eiland to tie the game. Then, in his next at-bat, he singled. He finished 2-for-3 in a 9-5 win for the Braves.

Sept. 27, 2002 – Smoltz pitched 1⅓ innings to preserve a win for Greg Maddux and notch his 54th save of the season, setting a new National League record. Smoltz would finish with 55 saves, a mark equaled the following season by Eric Gagne of the Dodgers.

May 24, 2007 – Smoltz pitched seven shutout innings in a 2-1 win against the Mets to record the 200th win of his career, making him the only pitcher in MLB history with 200 wins and 150 saves. The losing pitcher that night: Tom Glavine.

April 22, 2008 – Smoltz struck out the Nationals’ Felipe Lopez in the third inning to record his 3,000th career strikeout, becoming the 16th pitcher to reach the milestone. Smoltz would finish with 3,084 strikeouts, ranking him 16th all-time.

 

John Smoltz – Hall of Fame facts about his career

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2015, All Star, Atlanta Braves, Closer, Cy Young Award, John Smoltz, July 26, MVP, Silver Slugger Award, World Series

John Smoltz

It is not all about the facts, but in Baseball we easily focus there. John, inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26, 2015, had an amazing career.

John also had heart. John gave it everything he could every day. John loves baseball.

So a few of his amazing accomplishments:

• NL Cy Young Award winner (1996)
• Eight-time All-Star (1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007)
• NLCS MVP (1992)
• 1995 World Series champion
• 15-4, 2.67 ERA in 41 career postseason games
• Silver Slugger Award (1997)
• NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (2002)
• Roberto Clemente Award winner (2005)
• Atlanta Braves retired his No. 29 on June 8, 2012.
• The only pitcher in baseball history with at least 200 wins and 100 saves.
• Smoltz’s 55 saves in 2002 is tied for the third most by a pitcher in a single season (with Eric Gagne in 2003).
• Smoltz became a closer full-time in 2002-04; during that stretch, his 144 saves ranked second in baseball behind only Eric Gagne’s 152. During that three-season stretch, Smoltz had 23 more saves than Mariano Rivera.

 

Knowing how to lose and ending up in last (1989)

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1989, Atlanta Braves, John Smoltz, Russ Nixon, Tom Glavine

John Smoltz

The bottom line in 1989 was last place, sixth in the Western Division with a record of 63-97. The Atlanta Braves were 28 games behind the leader. The manager Russ Nixon was trying to create some positive momentum. It didn’t help.

Nixon’s focus was on some relatively unknown (at the time) pitchers. John Smoltz was a 22 year old. Tom Glavine was 23. They managed to post winning records on a team that knew how to lose.

John Smoltz elected to the Hall of Fame (January 6, 2015)

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2015, Hall of Fame, January 6, John Smoltz

You have to love this. The Atlanta Braves’ Big 3 pitchers of the 1990s will be reunited in Cooperstown. What a glorious reunion that will be.

John Smoltz was elected Tuesday (January 6, 2015) to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the largest class in 60 years. Smoltz joins former teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted last year alongside former Braves manager Bobby Cox, among baseball’s immortals.

John Smoltz

As part of a dominant starting rotation for the Braves in the 1990s that included Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, Smoltz helped make Atlanta perennial contenders, highlighted by a championship in the 1995 World Series. Though predominantly known as a starting pitcher, Smoltz was converted to a reliever in 2001, following his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he spent four years as the team’s closer before returning to a starting role. In 2002, he became only the second pitcher in history to record a 20-win season and a 50-save season (the other being Dennis Eckersley).

He is the only pitcher in major league history to top both 200 wins and 150 saves. In 2008, he became the 16th member of the 3,000 strikeout club. Smoltz left the Braves after 2008 and split his final season with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Since retiring as a player, he has served as a color commentator and analyst on television.

Smoltz threw a four-seam fastball that was clocked as high as 98 miles per hour, a strong, effective slider, and an 88–91 mph split-finger fastball that he used as a strikeout pitch. He also used a curveball and change-up on occasion, and in 1999, he began experimenting with both a knuckleball and a screwball, though he rarely used either in game situations.