AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > May > 09 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USRare pitching matchup evokes rarer era gone by
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Smoltz versus Maddux. In the same season where we’ve had Smoltz against Glavine — twice! How great is it to see pitchers bound for the Hall of Fame oppose one another?
Not nearly as great as it was to watch those same exalted pitchers work three games of every five for nearly a decade.
Think about that. Think about a rotation that will soon send 60 percent of its membership to Cooperstown. Leo Mazzone thinks about it all the time. Speaking from Baltimore, his latest posting, he said Wednesday “there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind” that he coached the greatest rotation baseball has ever known, and he wasn’t blowing smoke.
Greg Maddux has won 335 games, Tom Glavine 294. John Smoltz won his 198th Wednesday night — the Braves rallied off Cla Meredith with four two-out hits after Smoltz had been lifted for a pinch hitter — to go with 154 saves. Said Mazzone: “Sometimes I’ll find myself thinking about all these big-bopping American League teams, and I’ll think, ‘I’d take my chances with those three sonofaguns every day of the week.’ “
From 1993, when Maddux joined the other two, through 1999, Smoltz’s last year as a full-time starter until he left the bullpen in 2004, those three pitchers authored a run of excellence unseen in the game’s long history. They weren’t, to be fair, the only ones doing rarefied business; Steve Avery and Kevin Millwood and Denny Neagle had big years, too. But those three were the pillars, three for Valhalla.
Said Bud Black, the San Diego manager and a former pitcher himself: “Those three epitomized pitching, and what’s most impressive is how they passed the test of time so dominantly.”
Glavine, Maddux, Smoltz: As a three-headed entry, they never pitched for a team that didn’t win its division. They each won at least one Cy Young. They fed off one another for seven full seasons until Smoltz hurt his elbow in the spring of 2000. Said Mazzone: “It’s the greatest pitching run in the history of baseball.”
Only two rotations have included three eventual Hall of Famers, and one — the 1966 Dodgers of Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Don Sutton — had a shelf life of six months: It was Koufax’s last season and Sutton’s rookie year. The only staff that approximates the Braves’ for excellence fused with longevity was Cleveland’s of the late ’40s and early ’50s. Three staples of that rotation — Early Wynn, Bob Lemon and Bob Feller — are Cooperstown enshrinees. (Satchel Paige, another Hall of Famer, started 12 games for Cleveland in 1948 and ‘49, and Hal Newhouser, yet another, was in the Indians’ bullpen in 1953 and ‘54.)
But Feller was essentially a fourth starter by 1954, having been supplanted by the estimable Mike Garcia. And of Cleveland’s three Hall of Fame starters, only Wynn won 300 games. (Feller, who lost three years to World War II, won 266; Lemon won 207. ) As good as those Indians were, the three Braves were together for longer and for better.
Said Jerry Coleman, the San Diego broadcaster who played against that Cleveland rotation, speaking of Glavine, Maddux and Smoltz: “They’re all going to the Hall of Fame. How much better can you be? And Smoltz is the best of the bunch. He’s a freak of nature.”
Black again: “They all have to rank in the top 30 or 40 of all time.”
And now the three pitch against one another, not one after another. Even as we see them in their different uniforms, it only reminds us of those halcyon days when they wore the same garb. “For the city of Atlanta and the Atlanta Braves, it was a privilege to watch them,” Mazzone said.
And here was the phlegmatic Maddux on a luminous night when his team didn’t win but he didn’t lose: “It was a privilege to go out there.”
Permalink | Comments (48) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves / MLB, Mark Bradley
Comments
By josh
May 9, 2007 11:53 PM | Link to this
Man, I miss those days. I wish somehow they could all come back together for one more go-round… a man can wish…
By Chris
May 10, 2007 12:27 AM | Link to this
I can’t wait to tell my kids that not only did I witness an unprecedented 14 division titles, but I was also lucky enough to see the greatest pitching rotation in baseball history. Absolutely awesome.
By William Hosey
May 10, 2007 12:32 AM | Link to this
Just goes to show that it was the rotation that made Mazzone, not the other way around.
By Ricky
May 10, 2007 12:38 AM | Link to this
Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux. What can you say if you have followed the Braves since that first season in Atlanta. Tony Cloninger to Pat Jarvis to Len Barker. Atlanta Baseball was SAVED by Ted Turner, Bobby Cox and John Schurholtz but the WIN goes to John, Tom and Greg. Of course accordding to Bobby Cox . these guy always had good stuff. AMEN
By Najeh Davenpoop
May 10, 2007 12:47 AM | Link to this
Definitely the greatest pitching rotation ever. Just think how many more wins they may have accumulated if the Braves were able to assemble better bullpens more consistently during that time period.
By Thedream21479
May 10, 2007 12:48 AM | Link to this
I only now realize how lucky I was to witness those three together in the same uniform for all those years. Mr. Maddux and Mr. Glavine, us true fans know that no matter what is written across your chest, you will ALWAYS be Atlanta Braves.
And the day will come when you three are united together again, in Cooperstown.
By Thedream21479
May 10, 2007 12:49 AM | Link to this
By the way, WONDERFUL ARTICLE Mr. Bradley, brought tears to my eyes!
By joebrave
May 10, 2007 1:18 AM | Link to this
Kudos to you Mark,what a gracious and wonderful article,I too will always look back and know what a special thing I beheld!
By Dawgs2007
May 10, 2007 1:20 AM | Link to this
I was lucky to see those guys in their prime back in the mid-nineties. I would get p** when I went to the ballpark and it was Kent Merker or Pete Wilson, or even Avery. I always wanted to see the big three.
Millwood did have some nasty stuff for awhile and so did Wholers out of the pen.
I do miss the old ballpark. The place felt more like real baseball than Turner Field. There was an old beer and popcorn smell that would hang in the concourses. It just felt more like a ballgame instead of a show in those days.
The 1990’s. Not that garbage from before. I am not looking back on the early days of Braves Baseball…I am rehashing the Braves of 1991-1996.
Everything went sour after the Dave Justice trade. Yes, we won more divisions, but the magic was gone. Maybe it was Justice or maybe it was the new ballpark. It has not been right since.
By Coach
May 10, 2007 1:22 AM | Link to this
Great article , Mark. The funny thing is , if you could go back to 1991 , walk into that clubhouse and ask any of the three afore mentioned soon to be hall of fame pitchers who had the nastiest stuff on the mound…….they would have all pointed at Steve Avery. So , in a twisted sort of way , taking into consideration Avery’s arm injury that pretty much prematurely ended his career , this rotation was even better than anyone outside Braves Nation will ever realize.
By Scott
May 10, 2007 1:23 AM | Link to this
Awesome article. The golden years indeed. Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. Three hall of famers, three all time great Braves, soon to be three retired numbers, and most likely three bronze statues out front in Monument Grove. I love the Braves!
By Phil
May 10, 2007 1:28 AM | Link to this
Great article, Mark Bradley — best I’ve read in a while. By the way, anybody written anything on Willie Harris? What a catalyst, reminds me of Chuckie T
By ugalaw
May 10, 2007 1:58 AM | Link to this
That’s the best article I’ve ever read on here. It’s losing something that makes you appreciate it. During the middle of that great run, it was just normal to all of us. Now that it’s over, you realize how truly magical it was.
Maddux’s standing ovations choked me up. I’d love to see some sort of ceremony to honor those three one day. That would truly be special.
By BornAndRaised
May 10, 2007 3:24 AM | Link to this
Awesome! These guys gave Atlanta a reputation. Sports is more a part of societys fabric than people want it to be, but it is somewhat larger than life. These guys changed the label of Atlanta as losers ville. The 1991 - 1996 edition even more so. It was a racialy diverse mix of guys, less corporate and a team the entire city identified with. Those guys were as class as it gets and at the height of all the international attention because of the Olympics, Atlanta was on fire, led by the Braves. But not to stray to far, I hope Atlanta and those guys know how special what they did was. That was a special group led by three of the best to ever toe the rubber.
By Ken Stallings
May 10, 2007 4:54 AM | Link to this
An outstanding column that puts the history into stark perspective. To be a Braves fan in that era was to watch history played out before us. Most of us recognized it and talked about it while it happened. But to think back on it makes it all the more golden.
I just hope we don’t have to endure the stupid repeat of the needless slights such as happened to Don Sutton. It seems no question Maddux will go in on the first ballot, and perhaps also Glavine, since both will easily surpass 300 wins.
I wonder if the slant against closers might rear its ugly head against Smoltz, who will be forced to endure years of silent phones before the BBWA do the right thing.
Or perhaps justice will be served and the writers will step up and make a bold statement. Perhaps all three will be first ballot selections and we can someday in the future witness the rarest of sights with all three standing together plaques in hand!
It would be a fine acknowledgment that these three men represent the best rotation in the history of baseball. It seems clear they were. It seems more clear it will stay that way for at least the terms of our lifetimes.
By PoliticalMan
May 10, 2007 6:34 AM | Link to this
Maddux in the mid-90s was as good as anybody ever - think Koufax, Carlton, etc. Smoltz has come back from injuries and changed roles twice - that’s impressive. Glavine has gotten by on guile and an expanded strike zone - but give him credit.
I don’t like the nostalgia bit. Save it for oldtimer games. I guess that is the entertainment side of sports. For purists - just play the game.
By Ken
May 10, 2007 6:41 AM | Link to this
This is one of the best columns that I’ve seen in the AJC in quite some time!
By FSSikes
May 10, 2007 7:40 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the memories! GO BRAVES!
By mark
May 10, 2007 7:49 AM | Link to this
Probably If we had had good ownership we would still have all 3 in the rotation..What a great MARKETING tool that would be…
By The Murf
May 10, 2007 7:52 AM | Link to this
What was Smoltz’s “big surprise”?
By Lee
May 10, 2007 7:54 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley - truly a great article. I personally will probably never see a greater 3 man rotation on one team. What a privilege it was to see these guys pitch.
By doc
May 10, 2007 7:56 AM | Link to this
didnt the orioles have a pretty good staff of lonborg, i think, cuellar and really two other guys, i cant remember, for a few years in the early 80’s or late 70’s before the leagues busted up into divisional play? it rivaled the braves but may not have been quite as good, but close. they also held together for a few years and made their manager look pretty smart. in a similar league division like we are in now it might have done as well and gained similar notoriety.
those three for the braves meant you never could go on a long losing streak. often the braves fourth and fifth guys were better than the aces for the other teams and had a huge advantage over the other staffs rotation bottom two. made for easy pickens back then. that was fun to expect 100 win a a year.
the only draw back unfortunately, they werent the dominant kind to be able to take it into the world series and make a run there. neither maddox nor glavine could pull a whitey ford imitation in the post season and world series play; drysdale and koufax were the equivalent to having two smoltz’ going into post-season. the dodgers with them were truly dominant and the best two man rotation ever to head into a short series. where did the pitchers go?
By Ryder
May 10, 2007 8:19 AM | Link to this
when you think of great staffs you have to go back to the Dodgers of the 60’s, the Orioles of the 70s & 80s, to the Braves of the early 90s. I totally agree with Dawgs2007, once Turner Field came around the atmosphere which made the Braves so feared was gone. That was mostly in part due to an awesome pitching staff. Think about it, with Mad Dog, Glavine, Smoltz, Millwood and even Denny Neagle was here this staff was so deep that they had to trade Jason Schmidt! Wow, let that one marinate for a sec. You knew Atlanta was never going to be beaten for more than one or two games when this team had 4 aces ready to go. When teams came to the chop shop they knew they were in for a battle. If you didn’t cheer at least a bit for Maddux when he left that mound for all he did for this franchise you can’t call yourself a Braves fan.
Doc, these days you don’t see dominant staffs anymore because of smaller ballparks and inflated players. That’s why you see so many young arms (re: Wood, Prior, King Felix of Seattle) go down so quickly because management has to rush these players and put them in for long stretches. That’s one reason people spend so much time adoring Clemens, well that and for other reasons I won’t go into on this blog.
As far as the shortcomings in the postseason, I believe that can’t be attributed to them being dominant alone, sometimes in the baseball playoffs you run into some pitcher who is hot at the moment. Remember Sterling Hitchcock?
By Gene
May 10, 2007 8:36 AM | Link to this
Atlanta was really lucky to have those three. They are all class guys. I think that Smoltz would be a great announcer when his pitching days are over. Smoltz, in particular, has been a great contributor to he community. I love ya, man!
By mart
May 10, 2007 8:39 AM | Link to this
Not to put a damper on the lovefest, but: all those division titles and a whole lot of playoff choking. Those 3 deserve as much blame for the postseason failures as anyone else.
By doc
May 10, 2007 8:53 AM | Link to this
good points ryder. pitchers have to come up trying to pitch against a metal bat and there arms are sometimes worn out by “over-management” in the little leagus and especially in high school. some kids are pitching with two and three days rest only to blow out their arms at a later date. it is a significant overuse problem. i also think that some of these injuries are related to over training or from enhancement drugs, roids etc, that allow muscles to go beyone the limits of what the tendons can take.
By George
May 10, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this
Not only the greatest pitching staff ever but three really class guys who do the game and fans proud. You just don’t see that combination any more. We Braves fans were very lucky to have been a part of it.
By cityofdecatur
May 10, 2007 9:00 AM | Link to this
DOB no music today what gives
By cityofdecatur
May 10, 2007 9:01 AM | Link to this
opps wrong blog ….. nevermind
By Jack
May 10, 2007 9:33 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the many memories — ALL GREAT!
By baloney
May 10, 2007 9:55 AM | Link to this
I’m not convinced that Smoltz is a hall of famer. Almost certainly not a first ballot guy. What is a defining moment for him? So called gutsy performances in the playoffs? There was the epic battle between him and Jack Morris in 1991 in which Smoltz lost.Most of his clutch games were in the early to mid 90’s on a team that failed to win it all too often.
By Connie Lingous
May 10, 2007 10:02 AM | Link to this
Jerry Coleman played in the 1940’s?!?! By the way, Mark, your hair looked better poofy.
By jack b
May 10, 2007 10:12 AM | Link to this
hey baloney, go back to New York where you belong.
The shame is not paying enough money to let the big three retire here together.
By Rickey
May 10, 2007 10:13 AM | Link to this
The only thing that could top all this is for all three to retire together and go to the Hall together wearing Braves caps.
By DJ
May 10, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this
Smoltz, Maddux, & Glavine…These three were the epitome of pitching throughout the world of baseball in the 90s and even at the turn of the century. I had the pleasure of traveling with my wife and daughter on several occasions down to ATL from the DC area, particularly in 1993, to witness an actual 3 game series in which all three pitched and the Braves produced a sweep at the hands of the mighty SF Gaints, when the team was more than just Barry Bonds. What a series and even more, what a pleasure to witness the Big Three. The only other possible threesome that could have been the dynasty those guys were may have been Zito, Hudson, and Mulder.
I am still hoping that we can have a similar threesome once again, but it won’t be what I perceived to have been the likes of Smoltz, Hudson, & Hampton. We all know the story and why it won’t happen.
Let’s hope the likes of Lerew, Harrison, James, and God knows who else will flourish into its own threesome of the future for the Braves.
My hats off to the best threesome of this generation and the longevity behind it. THANKS to Smoltzie, Mad Dog, Glav…
By tim
May 10, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
Ryder:
His name will always be “Sterling Fu*ng Hitchcock” to me. I was at that game and it was painful to watch us continually swing at balls that bounced before the plate. What did he strike out that game, 106?
By baloney
May 10, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this
Hey jack b….how bout jacking me? I’ve lived here since 1982. I’m qualified in my comment and opinion.Since when doe winning 198 games plus a few more make you a sure bet for the HOF? Sure he has 158 saves, but how many “relievers” have made it to the HOF? Eckersly was a starter, but he made his niche in relief. Rollie Fingers? Bruce Sutter? Where those guys first ballot guys? Oh yea, and I remember that Dale Murphy was a lock to be inducted with 398 home runs. If I’m not mistaken I think he is still waiting on his call to the hall.300 wins is still the bench mark for a pitcher as is 500 homers for a hitter. Smoltz is awesome and he has pitched forever, battled thru injuries and made comeback after comback. But the fact reamins at THIS MOMENT his greates success was in the early 90’s as far as “big” game wins. I just wonder if as time goes by if these brilliant writers will forget him when it’s time for Glavine, Maddux and whoever else.Everyone doesn’t get in on the first ballott.Someone will have to wait another time.
By Ryder
May 10, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this
Tim, I think 106 is underestimating his performance that day. I was there too, and there wasn’t enough beer in the world that would’ve made me forget how awful Atlanta played that day. Oh well I hope it was worth him selling his soul for because he didn’t do jack after that.
Baloney, a name so fitting for such a moron. Smoltz is an automatic hall of famer for two reasons: 1) Second most postseason victories (expanded playoffs or not that’s still something) and 2) having over 200 wins & 200 saves, much like Dennis Eckersley. Oh, and may I add he did win a Cy Young as well?
I think it would be fitting if they all went in wearing Braves caps, but judging by how things ended with Glavine & the Braves I wouldn’t be surprised if he wore a Mets cap.
By Connie Lingous
May 10, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this
He has 154 saves, not 200+
By BamaBrave
May 10, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this
Yeah…cruel irony. Smoltz will be the only one enshrined in a Braves cap, I suspect.
By PoliticalMan
May 10, 2007 12:13 PM | Link to this
Maddux is the only first-ballot HOFer among the three. Glavine will make it with 300+ wins. He is at or near the level of Niekro and Don Sutton. Actually I think Sutton was better. Look at Sutton’s shutout stats. Smoltz at this point is borderline. He was never as dominate as Maddux nor as long. Even he seems to downplay his closer stats.
By Braves Faithful
May 10, 2007 12:35 PM | Link to this
Great Article Mr. Bradley! It is true, that what we have been able to see 3 times this season (with smoltz facing maddux once and glavine twice) will NEVER come close to their run as teammates during the ’90s. That run was amazing, they were truly dominating! I am surely blessed to have been able to watch them in the same rotation for the Braves. And its even more special to think it will never happen again. I wish there was a way to get the big 3 back for 1 last year to see what they could do. I still see all 3 as Braves. HOF will be lucky to have them! 2 of the 3 will have 300 wins and if it weren’t for Smoltz’s stint in the bullpen, he might be approaching 300 instead of 200. Never again will similar stats come from 1 rotation. NEVER!
By Mark Bradley
May 10, 2007 1:00 PM | Link to this
A couple of things I didn’t have room to include in the printed version. Leo Mazzone proudly notes that the 1992 staff — with Glavine, Smoltz, Steve Avery, Pete Smith and Charlie Leibrandt, but without Maddux — had more complete games and more shutouts than any other Braves rotation of the era. And here’s my favorite: In both 1993 and 1999, Smoltz — one of the best postseason pitchers ever — started Game 4 of the Braves’ first playoff series. Unbelievable. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t say thanks for all the kind words.
By cw
May 10, 2007 1:22 PM | Link to this
Had Smoltz remained in the rotation he would have over 250 wins…with the better part of two seasons obliterated due to injury. He would be well on his way to 300 wins…
The fact that he was the most dominant closer in baseball for 3 years(I will take him over Gagne btw)also helps to ensure that he will make it into Cooperstown…
I wouldn’t be so sure he doesn’t get close to 250 wins anyway. He’s looking sharp these days.
By bfred
May 10, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this
What the - Mark, did you just post a comment on a live blog?! I can’t believe it! See, write something nice about the hometown team every now (complete with stats, years and an awareness of baseball history no less!) and then and people appreciate it. You may find you enjoy being able to read the responses instead of hiding under your desk after hitting Post.
By Ron Weiner
May 10, 2007 4:44 PM | Link to this
Mark,
It’s been a long time. As a FMF (freelance Maddux fan), I don’t come around these parts nearly as often as I used to. One of the downsides is that I don’t get to read your consistently insightful, well-written, and well-researched articles. (In other words, I don’t know what bfred’s problem is.)
I read every piece on the Braves for eleven years, and you and Bill Zack were heads above the rest. I consider you both to be not just sportswriters, but wordsmiths and artists.
I wish I had your current e-mail address, because I generally express such appreciation one-to-one, but then again, if memory serves, you were never one to write long replies. I asked you about it once, and you said (in a very friendly way) that you saved most of your writing for publication. It’s an interesting question, whether you would “run out” if you wrote to fans more or whether that would just prime the pump, but I certainly respect and understand your policy.
I don’t frequent the ajc blogs, as I said, but it was a nice treat to read your 1:00 pm addition to the discussion. And now that I’ve gotten all that a$$-kissing out of the way, albeit sincere a$$-kissing, here’s a comment:
I found your description of Maddux as phlegmatic to be intriguing. First, I had to go to dictionary.com and make sure I knew what the word meant. Second, I’d say I both agree and disagree with your characterization. Surely, he’s “self-possessed, calm, or composed.” In a sense, he’s also “not easily excited to action or display of emotion.” But I think phlegmatic is a more apt description of Glavine, rather than Maddux.
When Greg Maddux talks about his respect for the game, his love for his teammates, how much he enjoys the 4-days between starts (both watching the games and preparing for his next start), there’s such passion lurking beneath the surface. He may not actually use the word “love,” and his language is rarely flowery, but it’s there if you’re paying attention. (The “master of the obvious” is also the “master of the simplification.”) In fact, I think he’d do all right as a writer, even if he insists on using “good” when he means “well.”
Personally, I think he knows the grammatical rule but, like any good writer or speaker, knows when to break the rules. “I felt like I pitched good” just flows better than “I pitched well”—and it even means something subtly different, in my opinion, not that I could necessarily articulate the distinction. I’ll leave that to the wordsmiths.
I am frequently moved by how Greg speaks about the game, his teammates, “all of it,” as he puts it. I know he’s a tough interview in that he’s not going to give away any trade secrets, but he expresses the depth of his feeling for the game of baseball and all that it’s brought him almost every day, in words and (perhaps more often in deeds. You may have to listen closely to “feel the love,” but it’s definitely there. Perhaps the depth of his feelings has increased with age, in the post-Braves years,as he realizes that, even if he pulls a Julio Franco, the clock is ticking.
Just look at Maddux’s comments in regard to Roger Clemens. David Wells was directly critical, which I frankly found refreshing. In watching Boomer with the Padres this season, I’ve grown to like and respect him more and more. The trio of Wells, Maddux, and Trevor Hoffman is not the trio of Smoltz, Maddux, and Glavine; but it’s been interesting to observe how Wells and Hoffman are also team leaders and mentors, in their own ways—just like Smoltz, Maddux, and Glavine were leaders with completely different styles (not to mention pitchers with their own ways of getting it done—and that they did).
Back to Maddux: he didn’t criticize Clemens, as at least one writer claimed he did. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-jimlitke-050907&prov=ap&type=lgns
“I can’t imagine doing that [i.e., not traveling with the team, etc.],” Maddux said. “I like the game. I like the atmosphere. I appreciate what it has to offer. I want to play the whole year.”
As usual, if any criticism was intended, it was understated and subtle. Understated and subtle: that’s a pretty good description of Maddux. Phlegmatic? Yeah, that, too. But the man has heart. I love reading his words almost as much as I love watching him pitch. When I’m down after he tosses an L or an ND, about the only thing that soothes me are the Zen-like words he speaks after the game. He leads the league in swearing (at himself) but he is, almost always, able to move one and concentrate on the next pitch, and I believe it when he says he enjoys every game, even when he stinks up the field with an off-game.
I hope he continues playing “until they fire me,” as he puts it, or “until I’m embarrassing myself and the game,” as he also puts it. Of the two, I think he’s more concerned about the honor of the game.
So, yes, I’ve got an obvious man-crush on Mr. Maddux, and crushed is also how I felt when that W slipped away last night. But what a great baseball game it was. And what a great duo of professionals who started that game: two ballplayers who are as intense as they get but also know how to have a great time, two friends who will rib each other until the cows come home but also compliment each other freely. “He has the best slider,” Maddux said. “He always has.” “It was a privilege to be a part of that game.” If only more major leaguers (and more people) would pay attention to guys like Smoltz and Maddux and follow their lead.
Thanks again, Mark, for bringing the quality and professionalism to sportswriting that Greg & John bring to playing the game.
Sincerely,
Ron Weiner madduxfan@juno.com
By Coach
May 10, 2007 8:09 PM | Link to this
BamaBrave , are you trying to insinuate that Glavine won’t go into Cooperstown in a Braves cap ? Your either desperate for attention or really falling off the wagon.
By Chris
May 10, 2007 9:55 PM | Link to this
As a huge Mets fan, I have a lot of first-hand memories of the dominance of Maddux, Smoltz, and especially Glavine. While I can’t say I’m especially fond of the Braves, I have the utmost respect for those 3 pitchers, and what they were able to accomplish in the 90’s. When I was younger my dad would take me to Shea whenever we knew Maddux would be pitching, and I’m glad he did. I vividly remember Maddux one-hitting the Mets in 2001, and even though I was upset the Mets lost, I was glad I got to see one of the greatest pitchers of all time turn in a truly dominating performance that I’ll be able to tell my kids about some day. Having Glavine in New York the last few years has been a joy, and I’m jealous I didn’t get to root for him when he was in his prime. It’ll be a great day for baseball when these 3 class acts are reunited in Cooperstown.