Athletes - John Smoltz

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	Athletes - John Smoltz

John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967 in Detroit, Michigan) is a Major League Baseball player. He is predominantly known as a starter and former Cy Young Award winner; however, late in his career, in 2001 he became a closer. In 2002 he became only the second pitcher in history to have both a season with 20 wins and a season with 50 saves (the other being Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley). Smoltz is also one of only two pitchers with 150 wins and 150 saves (the other again being Eckersley). Smoltz throws a four-seam fastball that tops out in the low- to mid-90 MPH range, a 91 MPH slider that has long been considered one of the best in the league, and a 92 MPH split-finger fastball that he uses as a strikeout pitch. He mixes in a curveball on occasion as well.

Early career

John Smoltz was an All-State baseball and basketball at Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan before the Detroit Tigers drafted him in the 22nd round of the 1985 amateur draft.

Smoltz made his Major League debut on July 23, 1988. Granted the opportunity to make 12 starts that season, Smoltz did not fare well, finishing with a 2–7 record and a 5.48 ERA.

The trade

Before his debut, Smoltz developed in the Detroit farm system for a few years until August 12, 1987 when one of the most important trades in Major League history sent him to the Atlanta Braves. On that date, the Tigers and New York Yankees were chasing the Toronto Blue Jays for the division lead. In need of more pitching help, Detroit sent their young prospect, Smoltz, to the Braves for proven veteran Doyle Alexander. Alexander responded by pitching the best baseball of his 19-year career going 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA down the stretch. Detroit overtook Toronto narrowly winning the division but Tigers fans have not celebrated since: The Tigers were beaten easily by the Minnesota Twins in the playoffs, Alexander retired two years later, and the franchise degenerated from playoff-caliber to average, to below-average and eventually into the worst franchise in the Majors.

On the other side of the trade, Smoltz would become a likely Hall of Famer for a 14-time division winning team while winning five pennants and the Braves' first championship in 38 years.

Best years

In 1989, Smoltz had the first of what would be many exceptional seasons at the Major League level. In 29 starts, he recorded a 12–11 record and 2.94 ERA while pitching 208 innings. Together with teammate Tom Glavine, who also had a break-out year in 1989, there was plenty of reason for optimism about the future of Atlanta's pitching staff.

Smoltz made his first of many postseason appearances in 1991, pitching well in a losing cause. He pitched a complete game shutout in the 7th game of the 1991 National League Championship Series, propelling the Atlanta Braves to their first World Series ever. In the 7th and deciding game of the World Series that year, he was the starter, facing his former Detroit Tiger hero, Jack Morris, who was starting the game for the Minnesota Twins. While Jack Morris had one of the most memorable pitching performances in World Series history, pitching 10 innings of shutout ball in the Twins' Series winning victory, Smoltz matched him for seven innings, being taken out in the 8th inning with no runs allowed. The next year, Smoltz was the MVP of the 1992 National League Championship Series, winning 2 games and also keeping them in the 7th game, which the Braves eventually won in dramatic fashion. Over his postseason career, he has a 12-4 record and 2.72 ERA as a starter (14-4 overall). He has more postseason career wins than any other player in history. The Braves won the World Series in 1995 – but with little help from Smoltz, who had the worst postseason of his career.

Before the 1993 season the Braves signed renowned control pitcher Greg Maddux, completing what many consider to be the most accomplished starting trio ever assembled on a single Major League team. During the period of 1991 to 1998, Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine won seven National League Cy Young Awards (six with Atlanta – Maddux won in 1992 with the Chicago Cubs). All three are strong possibilities for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Maddux being a near certainty.

Smoltz's best personal year came in 1996, when he went 24–8 with a 2.94 ERA and 276 strikeouts. He won the National League Cy Young with 26 of the 28 first-place votes.

Adjustments to convert Smoltz from a starter to a closer began in 2001 after several seasons of increased fatigue and fewer innings pitched, culminating in Tommy John surgery after the 1999 season.

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Athletes - John Smoltz

Early career

The trade

Best years

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