Time For Tom Glavine To Retire

[Mitchell]

It was just announced on Atlanta Braves.com that Tom Glavine has gone on the 15 day DL for the third time this season, with discomfort from a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. The article said that Tom will be "Re -evaluated", but, given the Braves tight financial situation, and the fact he makes 8 million a year, I hope that Tom decides to retire.

Glavine has had a wonderful career, and is probably the third best lefthanded pitcher in the history of the game, behind Warren Spahn, and Steve Lefty Carlton. When Tommy returned to the Braves last November, I was ecstatic, thinking that he would have at least one good year left, and maybe two, and that he would help propel the Braves to at least a wild card berth this year.

Granted, the Braves other devestating injuries to Tom's good friend Smoltz, and Tim Hudson, arent Tommy's fault, but, at age 42, with the Braves having a tight budget, it seems to me that the Braves would be better off putting the 8 mil a year that Tommy makes to better use.

If in fact Glavine has pitched his final game, I thank him for his 244 wins in a Braves uniform. I know I was very harsh on him when he went to the Mets, but when he did so, it was like having a family member leave your clan, to go play for your nemsis.

Maybe a miracle can happen for Tom, but, if it cant, he's had a wonderful career, and, if John Smoltz is unable to return, and his career is over as well, it will be quite a day in Cooperstown in the summer of 2014 when these two greats of the game are inducted into the Hall. Who knows, with Greg Maddux struggling this year in San Diego, maybe he will retire as well, and the three pitching greats can all go into the Hall of Fame together.

Mitch

 

[unclebill]

Here`s hoping you can save your money and attend the Hall of Fame inductions of Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux in Cooperstown in 2014, Mitch my friend.🙂

 

[Mitchell]

Thanks, Bill. It would be nice. I'm guessing Maddux is probably going to retire after this year, and I would say that its doubtful that Smoltz makes it back after his surgery. Although, Smoltz is a gritty sucker. He swears hes going to try and pitch next year, which means he wouldnt be eligible to go into the Hall until 2015 at the earliest. Maddux and Glavine should probably both retire after this year.

Mitch

Bill, one other thing: One has to wonder if Greg Maddux might be thinking about hanging around long enough to win 400 games. He's 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA for a brutal Padres team this year, and has been pitching well lately. Right now, he's 47 wins away from 400, so he would have to pitch until he's 45 or 46 to do so, say if he wins 12 games a year. The big thing with Greg is tbat he's healthy. The guy has really never been on the DL. Maddux's age might not matter so much. Of all three of them, it wouldnt surprise me at all if Greg decided to pitch in 2009, unless the 400 win thing doesnt mean that much to him. He's in the Hall of Fame five years after the moment he retires no matter what. 350+ wins, 4 CYs, 3000+ K's, the guy's a lock.

 

[ginbot]

Smoltzy has said he'll play next year whether the Braves welcome him back or not. It'd be a shame to see him in another uniform like the others.

 

[unclebill]

Thanks, Bill. It would be nice. I'm guessing Maddux is probably going to retire after this year, and I would say that its doubtful that Smoltz makes it back after his surgery. Although, Smoltz is a gritty sucker. He swears hes going to try and pitch next year, which means he wouldnt be eligible to go into the Hall until 2015 at the earliest. Maddux and Glavine should probably both retire after this year.

Mitch

Bill, one other thing: One has to wonder if Greg Maddux might be thinking about hanging around long enough to win 400 games. He's 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA for a brutal Padres team this year, and has been pitching well lately. Right now, he's 47 wins away from 400, so he would have to pitch until he's 45 or 46 to do so, say if he wins 12 games a year. The big thing with Greg is tbat he's healthy. The guy has really never been on the DL. Maddux's age might not matter so much. Of all three of them, it wouldnt surprise me at all if Greg decided to pitch in 2009, unless the 400 win thing doesnt mean that much to him. He's in the Hall of Fame five years after the moment he retires no matter what. 350+ wins, 4 CYs, 3000+ K's, the guy's a lock.

It may depend on how much $$$ Maddux wants to make. If he`s willing to take a huge cut in pay, I`m sure there are teams that would be interested. Personally, I think it would be awesome to see the three of them go into Cooperstown in the same year.

 

[giggle-maker]

I'd book a flight for my dad and I to attend the induction ceremony.

That being said, I will still hold out hope that Smoltzie comes back next year. I'll take him as a closer or starter.

 

[Mitchell]

I think if theres any way Smoltz can come back, he will. I dont see him pitching for anyone but the Braves. I'm sure that after over twenty years with them, they will offer him a contract.

Tom Glavine's situation is this: He says he's pretty sure he needs surgery on his elbow. Tom said if it's the flexor tendon, which mandates a three or four month rehab, he will have that procedure, and can come back next year. Tom has said he will only pitch for the Braves. However, Glavine also said that if he were to need Tommy John Surgery, he will not have that procedure at this age, and will instead retire.

Hopefully, the procedure that Tom will need will be the flexor tendon one. I'm just feeling a bit apprehensive. With the way the Braves injury luck has gone this year, I hate to say, but it wouldnt surprise me if the problem was the ligament that would need the Tommy John Surgery. We wont know until Tom sees good old Dr James Andrews in Birmingham on Wednesday. Gosh, it seems like a a lot of Braves pitchers have been seeing him this year!

Mitch

 

[NukeLaloosh]

I love Tom Glavine, and always have. I am a diehard Mets fan, and always have been, but even in a Braves uniform I loved him. It was hard to grow up a Mets fan and NOT appreciate what the thrilling three did, even if they were primarily beating up on my boys in blue and orange.

When he came to NY I was thrilled, and yes, he was only 5 games over .500 in those 5 seasons, but there's more to it than that. When he came to the Mets they were awful. He was a big name player that the mets could build around and the team (plus Glavine's numbers) got better each year from 2003-2006. Last year was obviously disappointing, and many Mets fans hate Glavine for what happened on the last day of the season, but it could have happened to absolutely anybody (and his "lack of enthusiasm" after the game is something Mets fans remember maybe better than the game itself) but that was Glavine ... eternally calm and collected.

It doesn't hurt that I was at Wrigley to witness Glavine's 300th win. That memory supercedes all others. It was an awesome game without Glavine's milestone (and Wrigley is a real gem), but getting to witness that was truly incredible.

 

[Mitchell]

Nuke, Braves fans cant forget that Glavine pitched the most important game in Atlanta Braves history. (Game 6 of the 1995 World Series of course). He was truly awesome that night.

I had always been a big Tom Glavine fan, which is why it hurt so much when he went to the Mets. I was thrilled when he got his 300th win, although, like Phil Niekro, who also was a Brave for so long before going to the Yankees to win his 300th, it was disappointing that neither Tom nor Phil got their 300th wins as a Brave. I hope Glavine's career can continue, but, even if not, both Glavine and Niekro will have pitched their final games in the big leagues as an Atlanta Brave.

Glavine has an MRI scheduled for this Wednesday. Hopefully, his problem is just the flexor tendon, and he can come back in 2009. If it is the ligament, it will be very,. very disappointing to see a Hall of Fame career come to an end this way. Whatever happens, Glavine has had an incredible career, and will be enshrined in Cooperstown, along with his buddies Smoltz and Maddux, five years after they all retire.

Mitch

 

[Mitchell]

Update: The news on Glavine today is "Positive". The report on Glavine says that an MRI done today by Dr James Andrews in Birmingham, AL showed that Glavine has a torn flexor tendon, and not ligament damage. Glavine is going to have surgery to repair the tendon tomorrow, and will have three or four months rehab. The procedure and rehab will allow him the opportunity to pitch in 2009. Little has gone right for the Braves this year, but at least this news is not the worst case scenario. Glavine wont need Tommy John Surgery, and his career isn't necessarially over.

I would say that knowing Glavine, if the surgery goes well, he will try to pitch again in 2009, and then retire after next year. Tom's comments, and his extremely competitive nature, show that if at all possible, he does not want his career to end this way.

Mitch