Braves to honor Glavine in August
MILWAUKEE — It came as no surprise when the Braves announced Tuesday that Tom Glavine’s No. 47 would be retired and the left-hander inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame on Aug. 6.
“He meant a lot to this organization,” said Braves manager Bobby Cox, who praised the 305-game winner’s toughness and precision pitching. “All those years he pitched he never went on the disabled list till right at the very end. Great competitor.
“He can pitch hurt. Sore shoulder, sore elbow, bad ankle, bad knee, bad ribs … you name it, he did it. Amazing.”
Glavine will be inducted during a special luncheon Aug. 6 and the jersey number retirement will occur in a pre-game ceremony that night before the Braves play the San Francisco Giants at Turner Field.
“Tom has been, and continues to be, a very special part of the Atlanta Braves organization,” team president John Schuerholz said. “There’s no greater honor than inducting him into our Hall of Fame and making sure his Braves uniform number 47 is retired and finds its rightful place alongside other great Braves Hall of Famers.”
His will be the seventh Braves uniform number retired, joining Hank Aaron (44), Eddie Mathews (41), Dale Murphy (3), Phil Niekro (35), Warren Spahn (21) and Glavine’s longtime teammate Greg Maddux (31), who was honored in 2009.
The Braves also retired the number 42 along with all Major League Baseball teams to honor Jackie Robinson.
Glavine, now a special assistant to Schuerholz and a part-time Braves broadcaster, pitched for 19 years in the Braves organization. He was drafted by the Braves in 1984 and was with the team through the 2002 season. He returned to the Braves in 2008 after a stint with the New York Mets.
“He’s as much an important cog in what took place here in the ’90s as anybody,” third baseman Chipper Jones said. “The epitome of a true pitcher. Didn’t have the overwhelming stuff. Knew how to pitch, more than anything.
“He was a pleasure to play behind. You could count on, if the catcher set up inside or out, it was going to be within three or four inches of that catcher’s mitt. Allowed us to defense correctly and be there to make the play when the ball’s hit.”
Glavine ranks 21st in career wins with 305, fourth among lefties behind Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton and Eddie Plank. In 518 starts for the Braves, Glavine compiled a 244-147 record with a 3.41 ERA.
“He was like a machine most of the time,” Cox said. “Strike after strike, in, out, changed speeds, great change-up, great fielder, great bunter, good hitter. You could always squeeze with him, even with two strikes. He brought a lot to the ballpark.”
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250 comments Add your comment
Stephen
May 11th, 2010
11:18 am
first!
John
May 11th, 2010
11:20 am
#47 TG True Grit! Congrats Tommy!!
Biff Pocoroba
May 11th, 2010
11:27 am
Any word on when my number will be retired?
Greg Norton
May 11th, 2010
11:28 am
Mine too! Yippie!!!
Blue Fox
May 11th, 2010
11:28 am
Interesting that Frank Wren didn’t make the Glavine announcement . . .
Roger
May 11th, 2010
11:29 am
What about Smolzie? When is his getting retired?
Chris
May 11th, 2010
11:32 am
Great to hear it, one of the all time great pitchers and Braves
ozzfest
May 11th, 2010
11:34 am
Let’s hope Tom Glavine remembers to invite all his NEW YORK METS friends.
Bob Horner
May 11th, 2010
11:35 am
What about me? Four freakin homers in one game! #5 baby! Ouch, that just hurt my wrist.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
May 11th, 2010
11:36 am
Good for TG- now become part of the mgmt team (maybe HC????)
Gaylord Perry
May 11th, 2010
11:36 am
What about me?
bulldog bubba
May 11th, 2010
11:36 am
Hope Smoltz is next!
Bob Horner
May 11th, 2010
11:37 am
HeHeHe…”Gaylord”.
Captain Midnight
May 11th, 2010
11:39 am
You mean Biff Pocoroba’s #4 has NOT been retired!?!?
Jeff Treadway
May 11th, 2010
11:40 am
Congrats Tommy ! well deserved – - should have scheduled it against the Mets tho
kelly&carriefan
May 11th, 2010
11:40 am
Congrats for Glav. But did Smoltz even “retire” yet?
Pascuel Perez
May 11th, 2010
11:42 am
What about me?
You guys not like the black man???
Cynthia Tucker needs to write a blog on this!
John Rocker
May 11th, 2010
11:42 am
Such A yankee crybaby.
dixiedawg
May 11th, 2010
11:42 am
Good for Glavine! He deserves it! Thank you for your gem in Game 6 of the 95 World Series. Smoltz needs to go ahead & retire so he can be next.
Truth Speaker
May 11th, 2010
11:44 am
Old Tom Glavine > Younger Kenshin Kawakami
Old John Smoltz > Younger Kenshin Kawakami
Claudell Washington
May 11th, 2010
11:45 am
I’ll be up there next year.
Ozzie Virgil
May 11th, 2010
11:46 am
Me too!
Frank Wren
May 11th, 2010
11:47 am
I didn’t vote for him.
Mike
May 11th, 2010
11:50 am
Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
don
May 11th, 2010
11:50 am
Excellent. We need to honor those who produced the good times. With Glavine, Maddux, and Smoltz (add in Avery, Neagle, Leibrandt, and some others from time to time) anyone could have looked like a good pitching coach by just keeping out of the way (like the vastly overrated Leo Mazzone).
Jery Royster
May 11th, 2010
11:51 am
I’m going in too!
Bob Horner
May 11th, 2010
11:51 am
Hey Pascuel, they did retire your number, you just got lost on the way to the ceremony remember. Btw,Claudell, not before me! 4 HR’s in one game! Man, my wrist..
Jeff Treadway
May 11th, 2010
11:52 am
Bobby will be next !!!
Bob Horner
May 11th, 2010
11:52 am
Jery Royster, learn how to spell your first name and they might consider it.
db
May 11th, 2010
11:52 am
forget glavine. he left us for the biggest contract then we brought him back and he cried when he couldn’t cut it. if we’re to honor anyone it should be smoltz. he stayed when the yankees offered him the farm and look what we did to him. i guess it’s true, crybabies always get their way. screw the braves front office.
Francesco Cabrera
May 11th, 2010
11:54 am
I’m all yall’s daddy!!!
dood
May 11th, 2010
11:56 am
db is 100% right. He split for greener pastures at The Mets – spoke out against The Braves during the shortened season, and has always been about himself. Greg Maddox deserves it more from the amazing pitching staff of the 90s.
Jheri Royster
May 11th, 2010
11:59 am
Bob Horner – My bad – Is that better?? LOL..My boy Terry Harper used to call me that..but his was much better than mine!…learn how to spell Pascual Perez and maybe they will consider you too…also…dont forget about # 11
Typical
May 11th, 2010
12:03 pm
MLB retired #42? What a joke. Branch Rickey took all the risk there and was the hero! Jackie was just a good player.
Justafan
May 11th, 2010
12:04 pm
Smoltz has got to be there to: Greg, Tommy & John–The Big Three.
Brad Kominsk
May 11th, 2010
12:04 pm
Me too!
wjones
May 11th, 2010
12:05 pm
dood
“May 11th, 2010
11:56 am
db is 100% right. He split for greener pastures at The Mets – spoke out against The Braves during the shortened season, and has always been about himself. Greg Maddox deserves it more from the amazing pitching staff of the 90s.”
Um, we honored Maddux last year. Did you miss it?
Zane Smith
May 11th, 2010
12:06 pm
What about me?
Jeff Treadway
May 11th, 2010
12:06 pm
So Dave Justice is in the Braves HOF but they didnt retire his #? What is the difference and why do only certain guys get there #s retired? Shouldnt it be both if at all?
GetwhatUpayfor
May 11th, 2010
12:07 pm
Make sure you put his UNION # up there too. Management sucks!
Pete Smith
May 11th, 2010
12:07 pm
Don’t you remember that I was one of the 5 aces?
Gene Garber
May 11th, 2010
12:08 pm
What about me? I ended Pete Rose’s 44 game hitting streak for crying out loud.
wjones
May 11th, 2010
12:08 pm
“Justafan
May 11th, 2010
12:04 pm
Smoltz has got to be there to: Greg, Tommy & John–The Big Three.”
For whatever reason, Smoltz has refused to announce a retirement, and has talked about never pitching again, but just says he isn’t ready to announce. The tricky thing is next year. If Smoltz announces, does he go in with Bobby, or do they make him wait another year…when Chipper may or may not hang them up?
steve whitmire
May 11th, 2010
12:09 pm
congrats to Mr. Glavine, he could pitch, bunt, something today’s Braves can’t do, and he could run the bases and hit pretty well too, a very deserving honor, I was poed at him for going to the Mets but I guess that’s business
SowegaDawg
May 11th, 2010
12:09 pm
Actually, Kenshin Kawakami reminds me more of Bruce “gopherball” Chen.
Matt the Brave
May 11th, 2010
12:09 pm
Smoltz isn’t officially retired, so thus why the Braves haven’t retired the number. I’m sure that if he calls it finally, then they will.
Btw, if you look at this website, it’s amazing how much Jackie Robinson looks like Hank Aaron….:P
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/atl/history/retired_numbers.jsp
Jesse Garcia
May 11th, 2010
12:09 pm
Uh, hmmmmmmmmmmmm?
When is my time coming?
wjones
May 11th, 2010
12:10 pm
I’m not sure why they were in such a hurry to honor Justice (and Garr for that matter) when there are so many Atlanta, Milwaukee and Boston players yet to be honored.
Bobby Bonilla
May 11th, 2010
12:10 pm
Bobby Bo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff Treadway
May 11th, 2010
12:12 pm
Kenshin Kawakami reminds me more of all the opposing team’s BP pithers
Jeff Treadway
May 11th, 2010
12:13 pm
**pitchers
Terry Blocker
May 11th, 2010
12:13 pm
Gotta be a Hall of Replacement Players coming soon, right??
Jeff Blauser
May 11th, 2010
12:16 pm
C’mon! I hit into more double plays than anyone in history!
Otis Nixon
May 11th, 2010
12:17 pm
Cocaine’s a hellova drug
Justafan
May 11th, 2010
12:17 pm
wjones, hope he announces and maybe go in together but knowing Management they will make him wait. Chipper said he may and may not retire ..got to see it to believe it.
Gerald Perry
May 11th, 2010
12:20 pm
I need that HOF induction!!
Justafan
May 11th, 2010
12:21 pm
That’s funny Matt the Brave at 12:09….look just a like.
.
May 11th, 2010
12:22 pm
Don’t forget me Brian Jordon.
.
May 11th, 2010
12:23 pm
Please don’t forget NORTON.
Terry Forster
May 11th, 2010
12:25 pm
#51 has got to go up in left field next! Fat is in!!
Sugar Bear Blanks
May 11th, 2010
12:26 pm
When will I be inducted?
Terry Forster
May 11th, 2010
12:27 pm
Stuff your face and don’t be thin….Double chins are tons of fun….Wanna see you block the sun!
Andres Thomas
May 11th, 2010
12:29 pm
I am next!
Matt
May 11th, 2010
12:32 pm
I was wondering when they’d finally do it. I guess the only other numbers remaining that are guaranteed to be retired are Chipper’s, Bobby’s, and Smoltz’s. After that, we’ll have to wait to see if Heyward, Medlen, Jurrjens, Hanson, McCann, etc. earn it.
terence moore
May 11th, 2010
12:34 pm
Hey Matt the Brave………
Are you saying WE ALL LOOK ALIKE…
It’s a good thing I’m retired or I just might write a column about Atlanta’s racist fans
Charlie Liebrandt
May 11th, 2010
12:38 pm
I’m still waiting on the call as well!!!
Otis Nixon
May 11th, 2010
12:40 pm
Cocaine’s a helluva drug
marquis grissom
May 11th, 2010
12:40 pm
Forget Justice’s homerun and Glavine’s gem….I AM THE ONE who caught the final out in game 6 of the 95 WS
boots
May 11th, 2010
12:40 pm
Maybe I am reading too much in to this, but when Wren took Glavine to Rome to evaluate the status of Schafer, it was an interesting signal. Glavine is calling some of the games, and he is back in with the organization after getting the smell of the Mets jersey off of himself. Could he be groomed for the manager job or maybe director of scouting?
jewell rollen
May 11th, 2010
12:47 pm
NOT RETIRING SMOLTZ AT THE SAME TIME IS A JOKE AND A DISGRACE…AND TOTALLY DISRESPECTS WHAT JOHN DID FOR THIS TEAM……
Kelly Leake
May 11th, 2010
12:50 pm
jewell- Smoltz has not officially retired. What if we retired his number next week and he decided to come back and pitch for the Phillies in July?
Rick Camp
May 11th, 2010
12:59 pm
What about me? Can Glavine, Smoltz or Maddox hit like me?????
Mark Biles
May 11th, 2010
1:00 pm
Congrats to Glav–one of my favorite all-time Braves!
By the way, when is Orlando Cepeda or Sonny Jackson going to chime in wanting their numbers retired from this group of bloggers HaHa
Jamie Easterly
May 11th, 2010
1:01 pm
I CANNOT believe I am beng left out of this.
Jamie Easterly
May 11th, 2010
1:02 pm
being
Albert Hall
May 11th, 2010
1:02 pm
What about me, I hit for the cycle
Deion Sanders
May 11th, 2010
1:13 pm
What about Prime Time? I mean was there any Brave as fast as me?
Kenny Lofton
May 11th, 2010
1:13 pm
What about me? I’m really a good guy!!! I promise!!!! Please pick me!!!
Sid "The Wheels" Bream
May 11th, 2010
1:14 pm
My knees still hurt but I did make the slide that got us into the WS!!!!!
SCAR Fan
May 11th, 2010
1:14 pm
Hey Pasquel, make sure you remember that when you come to the ceremony, you have to get off of I-285 eventually!!! Not round and round…
TheNCBravesFan!
May 11th, 2010
1:15 pm
Great News! I’ll be there! Tickets already in hand.
Nick Esasky
May 11th, 2010
1:15 pm
I could make an arguement but my head hurts and I can’t see straight!
Nick Esasky
May 11th, 2010
1:16 pm
What about me. I think my vertigo has cleared up enough to be able to find my way back to the old ballpark!
Greer
May 11th, 2010
1:18 pm
Great. Now, when will the Braves retire OJ’s number?
Brad Komminsk
May 11th, 2010
1:19 pm
Do they retire numbers (like #7) for Minor League stats?
Barry "The Clear/Cream" Bonds
May 11th, 2010
1:19 pm
I was technically on paper a Brave for about 11 hours! Im just saying…..
Ryan Klesko
May 11th, 2010
1:21 pm
Me? Me? Me?
Desert (Formerly Tokyo) Bravo
May 11th, 2010
1:22 pm
Testing, testing….
Bill Nahorodny
May 11th, 2010
1:23 pm
Forget Biff Pocoroba. I’m the greatest catcher the Braves ever had or ever will have! Put me in!!
Alejandro "Jala" Pena
May 11th, 2010
1:24 pm
What about 1991? I mean just forget about the WS part!
Eraserhead
May 11th, 2010
1:24 pm
Smoltz has not officially retired from MLB.
Tami
May 11th, 2010
1:26 pm
Terrific honor, and good job to the Atlanta Braves’ organization. I’m going to try my best to be there at the Aug. 6th game to witness this.
Greg Olsen
May 11th, 2010
1:26 pm
I broke an ankle for this team and played an important role in turning this team around.
Chris Berman
May 11th, 2010
1:27 pm
Congrats Tommy “I heard it through the” Glavine!
Gregg Olsen
May 11th, 2010
1:28 pm
Will the real Greg(g) Olsen, please stand up – please stand up?
Craig Robinson
May 11th, 2010
1:28 pm
best shortstop we ever had
Mark McGwire
May 11th, 2010
1:29 pm
Remember “Chicks do love the longball!” oh and congrats that circle change you used to throw me was just nasty!!!!
Tami
May 11th, 2010
1:30 pm
You guys masquerading as former Braves on this blog are just plain hysterical! Thanks for the laugh today. I needed it.
Greg Olsen
May 11th, 2010
1:30 pm
My bad “G” thanks for getting my back!
Bob H
May 11th, 2010
1:31 pm
Way to Tom, well deserved. He’s to Tom “Tommy Gun” Glavine, thanks for all the great memories