Sports Columnists

By craig miller

June 7, 2006 11:23 AM | Link to this

He’s my favorite player. Hands down. I don’t understand why he’s not mentioned more often in the same breath as guys like Schilling and Pedro and Randy Johnson. If I had one game to win, there aren’t many people I’d want on the mound other than John Smoltz.

By olcottr

June 7, 2006 11:41 AM | Link to this

Yes, especially now, with the Big Unit slowing down. Doesn’t Smoltzie get points for longevity?

BTW, you forgot the Rocket.

By BO

June 7, 2006 12:00 PM | Link to this

John Smoltz is “MR BRAVE” nobody wants to win more than SMOLTZIE and he shows his excitement on and off the field.What a blessing it would be to have a son like him. I have a great son but it would be nice to have another.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 12:33 PM | Link to this

Slow news day, huh, Terence?

By chopthis

June 7, 2006 12:37 PM | Link to this

If nobody really wanted to win more than Smoltz, he’d be in the bullpen, where he helps the team the most. Smoltz has five wins this year as a starter; the Braves bullpen has blown a lot more than five saves. Smoltzie would be a lot closer to achieving his dream of winning it all if he would get back in the closer’s role. But he’d rather put his own interests ahead of the team’s.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 12:51 PM | Link to this

I’d rather have Smoltz on the mound for 220 innings as a starter than 75 innings as a closer. Can’t help the team when you’re not in the game.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 12:55 PM | Link to this

Hey Chopthis,

So Smoltz is so self-centered that he would rather put his own interests ahead of the team’s huh? That’s why he accepted less money to be a closer (which he didn’t want to be) for the Braves? Teams like the Yankees offered him more money AND a starting role, yet he stayed here. He was moved back to the rotation last year as a necessity and he has thrived. Do your homework. Chopdeez.

By Will

June 7, 2006 01:17 PM | Link to this

Chopthis is totally right! I love John Smoltz, but he could be helping the Braves more in the bullpen, PERIOD!! It doesnt matter anyways he will be injured soon enough, his pitch counts have been absolutely ridiculous this year!!

By Will

June 7, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this

PS: Chris, Smoltz was not moved back into the rotation as a neccessity, if it was up to John S. he would have remained closer, so why dont you do your homework??

By Will

June 7, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this

PS: Chris, Smoltz was not moved back into the rotation as a neccessity, if it was up to John Scheurholz he would have remained the closer, so why dont you do your homework??

By Bookie

June 7, 2006 01:23 PM | Link to this

?????Why is Betemit sitting on the bench and not at 1B. Why hasn’t LaRoach been traded for a respectful closer????Subtract Smoltz’s W’s from the L’s generated by a sub-par bullpen…The math is there. It adds up to around 15 W’s.The aging and arm-troubled Pedro has twice skipped his regular rotation by Mgr. Randolph. Excellent strategy while Cox has started aging and arm-troubled Smoltzie twice with 3 days rest. Let’s see who is strongest in Aug-Sept. Stupid???duh

By Bookie

June 7, 2006 01:24 PM | Link to this

?????Why is Betemit sitting on the bench and not at 1B. Why hasn’t LaRoach been traded for a respectful closer????Subtract Smoltz’s W’s from the L’s generated by a sub-par bullpen…The math is there. It adds up to around 15 W’s.The aging and arm-troubled Pedro has twice skipped his regular rotation by Mgr. Randolph. Excellent strategy while Cox has started aging and arm-troubled Smoltzie twice with 3 days rest. Let’s see who is strongest in Aug-Sept. Stupid???duh

By Chris

June 7, 2006 01:31 PM | Link to this

Smoltz has to pitch on 3 days rest because of the rainout on Friday. He is a victim of circumstance. Who should start in his place? You think Bobby just said, “Hey, John, I feel like tossing you out there on 3 days. Sound good? I don’t care. You’re going anyway.” Come on, now.

“Why hasn’t LaRoche been traded for a respectful closer?” Who the hell is going to give us a closer for Adam LaRoche? Yeah, that’s a pretty fair swap. “Hmmm…What would help our team more? This respectful closer that we already have, or a first baseman who is batting under .250?” Riiiiiiight….

Yes, Smoltz WAS moved back to the rotation as a necessity. We only had 4 starters at the beginning of last season, and we brought in Kolb (who had a fantastic season in Milwaukee the previous year) to close games. No one (i.e. Bobby or John S.) foresaw his meltdown.

The more Smoltz is on the mound, the more he helps the team. Period. Reitsma has absolutely blown this year, and that sucks. But it’s much easier to find a guy who can get you 3 outs than to find a guy who can give you a quality start nearly every time out.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 01:36 PM | Link to this

Hey Bookie, why isn’t Betemit at 1st? How about trying something that actually makes sense, like Chipper at 1st and Betemit at 3rd? Do you even watch baseball?

By Bookie

June 7, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this

If Betemit can play 3rd short and 2b, he can sure play First…and yeah, he is batting well over .250. Riiiight. LaRoach has potential and could bring a decent closer. There is no excuse for starting Smoltz on 3 days rest TWICE. Check with me in the closing weeks. And just who is this ‘respectful closer’ we have now???

By Chris

June 7, 2006 02:13 PM | Link to this

We don’t have one. LaRoche is batting .245. You think someone is going to give us a closer for him? I like the guy, but I also like common sense. Dumping a closer for Adam LaRoche? If any GM actually did that, they would be either fired or lynched the next day.

Betemit is better defensively than Chipper, and Chipper is taller. Therefore, it would make much more sense to put Betemit at 3rd and Chipper at 1st. I believe Betemit could plat first, but it would benefit the team more if he were at 3rd and Chipper were at 1st.

By Mart

June 7, 2006 02:19 PM | Link to this

Sorry, but I refuse to take the role of “closer” seriously. You’re either a good pitcher or you’re not, regardless of what inning it is. Any good starter can be a good “closer,” and any great starter can be a great “closer.” Big deal. Reitsma, et al., aren’t lousy “closers,” they’re plain lousy pitchers. Hey, if you’re going to write about pitchers, why not an article about the greatest game ever pitched. I, of course, am referring to that classic 1968 matchup-for-the-ages between Bob “1.12” Gibson and Phil Niekro. The Cardinals won 1-0 on a Roger Maris game-winning hit. Too bad the Cardinal coach wasn’t Bobby Cox. Cox would’ve pulled Bullet Bob in the 7th inning and handed it over to the bullpen.

By chopthis

June 7, 2006 02:29 PM | Link to this

If Smoltz throws 250 innings and only has 12-15 wins to show for it, how is that helping? I’d rather see him throw 75 innings out of the bullpen and produce 50-plus saves. 90 percent of the griping you Braves fans do is over how godawful Kolb and Reitsma have been as closers. Remember how great it felt to see Smoltz running in from the bullpen in the ninth? And not just every fifth day — EVERY DAY the Braves had a late lead to protect or a tie to preserve. How many of those situations have slipped away in the past year-and-a-half? There’s no debate — Smoltz is more valuable as a closer. The Braves would never have put him in that role in the first place if he weren’t. And if he wanted to be a starter again, the best thing the Braves could have done for themselves would have been to trade Smoltz for another legitimate closer or a younger starting pitcher. Remember Doyle Alexander for Smoltz? How many victories did that trade bring Atlanta?

By Chris

June 7, 2006 02:40 PM | Link to this

Hey Chopdeez,

By your rationale, ANY pitcher who doesn’t win 50 games in a season as a starter would be better in the bullpen. You’d rather have Pedro, Clemens, Halladay, Santana, etc. get 50 saves than their 15-20 wins, huh? That’s how it works, right? Because ANY pitcher worth a damn would get more saves as a closer than wins as a starter.

Trade Smoltz? Dude, whatever you’re on, bring some my way. Must be some good stuff.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 02:44 PM | Link to this

By the way, the closer position is highly overrated. You can’t even get to your closer if your starters don’t do their jobs. What point is there in having a good closer if your starter gives up 6 runs and you’re losing the game in the 9th? How does your precious closer help you in that situation?

By Chaz

June 7, 2006 02:53 PM | Link to this

I am absolutely baffled by some people’s attitude that John Smoltz is some kind of Superman.

Reality Check. He is 4-3 this year. The team’s record when he starts is 6-6.

If the umpires called the normal strike zone when he was on the mound, his record would be worse.

I think they are afraid he is going to pout and posture every time they don’t call a strike within 8 inches of the zone.

John Smoltz is a fading, whining pitcher whose best days on the mound and at the barber shop are way behind him.

But I guess you hero-worshippers need someone to look up to.

By chopthis

June 7, 2006 02:59 PM | Link to this

Hey, Chris, fine by me. The Braves can let Smoltz run the team and keep sending those pathetic closers out there. Just don’t run whining and crying to your computer every time your league’s-worst bullpen snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.

Oh, by the way, I was mistaken about one thing: Smoltz only has four wins this year. Bullpen must have let one more slip away than I thought. That means Smoltz has been 20 percent less effective as a starter in 2006 than I’d assumed.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this

3.72 ERA. 1.19 WHIP (only .02 above his career WHIP). 7.43 K/9 (7.87 career).

Yeah, the guy stinks.

By chopthis

June 7, 2006 03:10 PM | Link to this

100 career saves in 108 save opportunities.

Yeah, the guy’s more valuable as a closer.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 03:20 PM | Link to this

Who cries to a computer? That would be kinda silly.

By chopthis

June 7, 2006 03:22 PM | Link to this

Great comeback, Chris. You really slammed the door there, baby!

Unlike your bullpen.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 03:25 PM | Link to this

So who would you put in the rotation if Smoltz went to the pen? In our current situation, we need a guy who can give us 70+ innings, and if Smoltz goes back to the closer role, you’re looking for a 220+ inning pitcher with a sub-4 ERA. Tell me which one is easier to find.

Remember, Smoltz isn’t a 5th starter. He’s our 1 or 2 (depending on who you ask). You don’t just find someone who can replace that.

By Chris

June 7, 2006 03:30 PM | Link to this

My bullpen? Exactly what team do you root for? You’re really a Mets fan just trying to stir things up, right?

By Kathy SIngletary

June 7, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this

John Smoltz is the most wonderful Braves ever. He is the epitome of “heart”. Please quit critizing this man - he has given his all over and over and over and he contributes no matter where he is placed. It is not his fault the W-L this season is one-sided. It is called “no hitting, no relief pitching and lack of intensity exhibited by the offense”. Some of our players act like they are dazed. Smoltzie is the best ever. Of course I still love Glavine - “The Ice Man” - but nobody is as good as Smoltzie

By Chris

June 7, 2006 04:34 PM | Link to this

Right on, Kathy. You nailed it.

By Ryder

June 7, 2006 05:02 PM | Link to this

Good point Kathy. Smoltz has always been a strong leader on this team, starting or closing. Oh, and Chaz, while you’re slobbing down the knob of your beloved Mets, remember that many of Smoltz’s losses are due to poor offensive output. Of course I’m sure you’re used to looking up to people while living in mama’s basement.

By Rick

June 7, 2006 07:23 PM | Link to this

Anyone who is critical of Smoltz is not a Braves fan.

By OP

June 7, 2006 07:33 PM | Link to this

The 1-0 game that Mart mentions above between Gibson and Niekro - Cardinals and Braves was the 2nd pro game I ever saw. Seeing Gibson and Maris play the Braves was unforgettable! Earlier in ‘68 I got to see a game with a Hammerin’ Hank homerun. I’ve been a fan ever since.

By Wilson Betemit

June 7, 2006 08:16 PM | Link to this

WHY DO I NOT PLAY EVERYDAY??????

Yeah Terence, we need a Smoltz clone at closer. While we’re at it, we also need a Pujols clone at first base and a Vladimir Guerrero clone in left field. Any other brilliant ideas?

By Matthew

June 8, 2006 03:58 PM | Link to this

Does anyone remember when the Braves made the playoffs with Smoltz as closer? He hardly ever pitched because the Braves mediocre starters couldn’t match up against the other teams top 3 starters (3 man playoff pitching rotation) and give him any save opportunities. It left Smoltz frustrated because he was unable to help the team like he would as a starter.

Of course now it is the bullpen which blows the game after Smoltz hands them save opportunities. So it is a catch-22.

The Braves should have made a serious attempt at getting a free agent closer durring the off season or bite the bullet and part with some quality prospects to get a team out of the race with a good closer to trade him like Ray in Baltimore.

By Pelic

June 8, 2006 05:02 PM | Link to this

1 - Chris has been winning every argument posted in this column

2 - For all the people stating “trade [insert name here] for a legitimate closer”, tell me one team who is willing to get rid of a closer. I’m only looking for one team who can afford to part with their most reliable reliever in a market hungry for reliable relievers. There are more teams than just the Braves who need a closer, so unless they’re willing to depart with some stud prospects or the much beloved Betemit then I don’t see the Braves being the team to make a big splash for a closer.

Chris, preach on, you seem to be the voice of reason on this forum.