5.24.2007
Signed, Sealed
Tonight was the night John Smoltz finally, definitively, won himself a key into Cooperstown. He became the first pitcher in MLB history -- that's right, first ever, HoF voters love that sort of stuff -- the first pitcher ever with 200 wins and 150 saves. Read the recap: It basically makes the case for him by prominently mentioning his other alltime record, that of postseason wins (fifteen against four losses). It's also filled with quotes from teammates like McCann (whose current vocabulary apparently doesn't extend beyond "amazing" and "awesome") and veteran opponents like Shawn Green that begin to obliquely refer to him as one of the alltime greats. Smoltz and Curt Schilling will probably walk hand in hand to Cooperstown, being very comparable pitchers and both well-known for postseason heroics.
But seriously people. No matter what JAWS and anyone's bedrock pitching statistics say, John Smoltz is a Hall of Famer. He showed up before the latter-day Atlanta dynasty began, became the team's ace immediately, took a backseat for a few years to Glavine and Maddux but re-emerged as the Cy Young winner in 1996 and the team's ace closer in the early 'aughts. He and manager Bobby Cox are the only ones remaining from the dark ages of the eighties, they're still going strong, and they won't be gone until it's over. For what amounts to a 17-year run, there aren't many players in history who can say the same. And if it is ultimately the numbers you are compelled to come back to, don't forget to tack on a postseason career that basically amounts to a full season of Cy-caliber pitching against the absolute toughest opposition.
In a beautiful twist, it was the Mets and old friend/foe Tom Glavine he beat, in the sort of classic throwback 2-1 pitcher's duel that both aces used to routinely enjoy in Brave uniforms. A big game, too: taking the rubber match to make it the third two-out-of-three from the Mets in what's shaping up to be a promising season. Glavine's quote ("I'm happy for him personally. I'm not happy it came against us, and against me") seems to contain the minimum praise required for so momentous an occasion, not uncommon fare from one of the least charismatic pitchers in recent memory. He was always the sort who would slip a quote to the press about his grandmother if he thought it'd help him get ahead somehow. No matter, this was Smoltz's night anyway, and Glavine falls to 3-11 against Atlanta. Ooh...that has to sting a little bit.
Also note the repeated mentions of it feeling like a "different" game throughout: that's the effect of the crowd, which from time to time has gotten a bad rap in Atlanta. (Sometimes from yours truly.)
[Since Deadspin was kind enough to link to us, we'll do the same since they can always use the traffic boost, ha ha.]
But seriously people. No matter what JAWS and anyone's bedrock pitching statistics say, John Smoltz is a Hall of Famer. He showed up before the latter-day Atlanta dynasty began, became the team's ace immediately, took a backseat for a few years to Glavine and Maddux but re-emerged as the Cy Young winner in 1996 and the team's ace closer in the early 'aughts. He and manager Bobby Cox are the only ones remaining from the dark ages of the eighties, they're still going strong, and they won't be gone until it's over. For what amounts to a 17-year run, there aren't many players in history who can say the same. And if it is ultimately the numbers you are compelled to come back to, don't forget to tack on a postseason career that basically amounts to a full season of Cy-caliber pitching against the absolute toughest opposition.
In a beautiful twist, it was the Mets and old friend/foe Tom Glavine he beat, in the sort of classic throwback 2-1 pitcher's duel that both aces used to routinely enjoy in Brave uniforms. A big game, too: taking the rubber match to make it the third two-out-of-three from the Mets in what's shaping up to be a promising season. Glavine's quote ("I'm happy for him personally. I'm not happy it came against us, and against me") seems to contain the minimum praise required for so momentous an occasion, not uncommon fare from one of the least charismatic pitchers in recent memory. He was always the sort who would slip a quote to the press about his grandmother if he thought it'd help him get ahead somehow. No matter, this was Smoltz's night anyway, and Glavine falls to 3-11 against Atlanta. Ooh...that has to sting a little bit.
Also note the repeated mentions of it feeling like a "different" game throughout: that's the effect of the crowd, which from time to time has gotten a bad rap in Atlanta. (Sometimes from yours truly.)
[Since Deadspin was kind enough to link to us, we'll do the same since they can always use the traffic boost, ha ha.]
Labels: atlanta braves
