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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
What will Smoltz’s legacy be?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
John Smoltz’s 3,000th strikeout, which he notched in the third inning Tuesday after getting Felipe Lopez to swing at a 3-2 slider in the dirt, should seal the deal on his Cooperstown bust.
You can’t compare him to anyone else who’s played the game, because after starting for 12 years, he spent 3-1/2 seasons as one of the game’s most dominant closers then made a seamless transition back to starting, but that’s part of what makes him so special. (The closest comparison would be Dennis Eckersley, but Eck never returned from the ‘pen.) Any way you slice them, though, the numbers are certainly there.
Among the more impressive ones:
• Only Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling reached the 3,000 milestone in fewer innings than Smoltz.
• He holds Braves records for most wins (24) and most saves (55) in a season and franchise career records in saves (154) and strikeouts.
• He has 15 postseason wins.
All 15 of the non-active members of the 3,000-K club are in the Hall of Fame except Bert Blyleven, and the five who are still on the mound read like an induction program of the future: Johnson, Schilling, Martinez, Clemens and Smoltz’s old golfing buddy Greg Maddux. So my money’s definitely on Smoltz joining them.
Making all those accomplishments even more impressive is that he achieved them wearing one uniform, creating great memories for all of us along the way. My favorite has to be the image of him catching a leaping Greg Olsen after the final out of the ‘91 regular-season game that clinched the worst-to-first season, but I’m sure there are many, many more out there. What’s your favorite Smoltz moment? What will stand out for you at the end of his career?
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Left-field platoon looks like a good idea
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five in a row and they’re over .500 … we knew this could happen if the bats came around and the pitching settled down.
The question is, did Matt Diaz lose his starting job in left field in the process?
Entering play Monday, Diaz was hitting .258 with one homer and 17 strikeouts in 62 at-bats, including 6-for-35 (.171) against righties. Meanwhile, Gregor Blanco, who started three consecutive games against the Dodgers, was 6-for-15 (.400) overall and 5-for-13 (.384) against righties.
On Sunday, Bobby acknowledged the possibility of platooning the left-handed hitting Blanco and the right-handed Diaz.
“I just want to get him in there,” Bobby said. “Diaz was struggling a bit. [Blanco] deserves a crack.”
Last night, Diaz returned to the lineup and went 3-for-4 with a stolen base, not to mention some great baserunning to score on Tim Hudson’s bunt.
I had hoped Diaz would get a little longer to prove he could be the everyday left fielder, but maybe he does better in a platoon situation. And it’s never a good idea to keep a guy as hot as Blanco on the bench, so it looks like this platoon deserves a shot. After all, Diaz doesn’t seem to mind the idea.
He told Mark Bowman of MLB.com, “[Blanco’s] phenomenal. He’s been hot, and I can completely understand having him in there. That’s how I got my playing time two years ago. I got hot.”
So what do you think? Do you like the idea of a platoon or should the Braves find a left fielder and stick with him?
As for John Smoltz going for strikeout No. 3,000 tonight, assuming he gets the four he needs, we’ll be all over that tomorrow. In the meantime, check out what Bruce Benedict had to say about catching Smoltzie’s first strikeout.
Here’s the TV schedule for the week:
Tuesday: vs. Nationals, 7:00, SportSouth
Wednesday: vs. Marlins, 7:00, FSN South
Thursday, vs. Marlins, 7:00, SportsSouth
Friday: at Mets, 7:10, Peachtree TV
Saturday: at Mets, 1:10, SportSouth
Sunday: at Mets, 1:10, SportSouth
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