Smoltz not ready to discuss plans yet
John Smoltz won't yet comment on if he wants the ball back.
At the ballpark tonight to check in on the new Braves, the ones who – and I’m stealing a line from my buddy Don King here — “have risen from the media pallet of death.”
But first, a comment on an old Brave: John Smoltz.
As you know – and as some of you seemingly celebrated – Smoltz imploded in his comeback attempt with the Boston Red Sox. He went 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA and – in what turned out to be his final appearance — he was pounded by the New York Yankees for eight runs, nine hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.
So the Red Sox designated him for assignment, which is baseball-speak for: goodbye.
Today comes word that Smoltz officially told Boston he will not accept a minor-league assignment. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. That leaves only two options: The Sox must either trade him (if they can) or cut him (if they can’t, which is more likely).
It appears some teams don’t believe Smoltz is done. Texas and the Los Angeles Dodgers are among teams rumored to have some interest.
That might explain why when I just sent Smoltz a text message asking if he was prepared to comment on his plans, he responded: “Not yet but will soon.”
As we know, Smoltz is pretty hard-headed. When he gets it in his mind that he can accomplish something, he’s not one to change his opinion. If Smoltz really believes he can complete another medical miracle, he’ll try to pitch with another team. Regardless of how you feel about him or his split with the Braves, you shouldn’t want to see a certain Hall of Famer go out the way he did.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2011 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
145 comments Add your comment
Ohman
August 12th, 2009
4:15 pm
meh. He’s toast.
Chris
August 12th, 2009
4:22 pm
Yep. Toast.
2nd!
Ted Striker
August 12th, 2009
4:24 pm
“Regardless of how you feel about him or his split with the Braves, you shouldn’t want to see a certain Hall of Famer go out the way he did.”
I understand what you mean, but the fact is — I don’t really feel ANYthang about Mr. Smoltz. Why? I haven’t felt much about baseball since the last strike. I swore baseball and it’s last generation of players off till the next generation. I’m just now becoming a fan again. Dumb? Maybe. But from my point of view, I never missed a thing — and it was awesome to avoid the heyday of the steroid era.
Shadydave
August 12th, 2009
4:24 pm
think a lot of folks would like to see him come back to the Braves, but you can’t burn bridges and expect to walk back across them…
GTFan
August 12th, 2009
4:27 pm
I would hate for it to end for Smoltz like this, especially since Glavine’s career has likely petered out. However, maybe Smoltz has some idea why Wren made him the offer he did, and that that one was actually pretty generous given the club’s financial situation and Smoltz’s health. I don’t bear him any ill will for being so petulant about the offer, though. He actually did us a favor by going to Boston.
bali smith
August 12th, 2009
4:27 pm
I think after being as successful as smoltz has been in the past that if he thinks he can still pitch then all the luck in the world to u j smoltz. If he is released and no one picks him up and he retires from baseball then thanks for the memories and good luck in the future
Toots
August 12th, 2009
4:28 pm
Well said, Shadydave. I can’t imagine the Braves having any interest in Smoltz.
Bama Aaron
August 12th, 2009
4:32 pm
He should be done, but he’s not. Also hearing the Cardinals might be interested in him if the Sox go ahead and cut him. I think he’ll take one more stab at it this season because he’s too much of a competitor to accept the way Boston ended. Then he’ll be done. Him & Glavine can then go into the HOF together in 5yrs.
Out of Town
August 12th, 2009
4:34 pm
Seriously, he’ll be good on TV.
Ohman
August 12th, 2009
4:43 pm
Out of Town: you are seriously, out of your mind. He would never shut up.
willie
August 12th, 2009
4:45 pm
Say what you will, but I would love to see him get a shot in the Braves bullpen if he were willing to do it.
Max Sizemore
August 12th, 2009
4:49 pm
Just curious, but do you Smoltz detractors really think he couldn’t pitch as well as Manny Acosta? Kris Medlen?
GTFan
August 12th, 2009
4:50 pm
OOT, baseball’s answer to Charles Barkley?
farmguy
August 12th, 2009
4:53 pm
I for one, am happy to see Smoltz implode so badly. I lost every bit of respect and admiration I had for him when he basically trashed the only team he ever knew and told fans to stick it. He deserves whatever happens to him, I will not ever be a John Smoltz fan again. You are done old man, deal with it.
Michael Smith
August 12th, 2009
4:53 pm
Max Sizemore has an excellent point. Surely Smoltz would be better than either Acosta or Medlen. I shudder when either of those two is brought into the game — they are guaranteed to put men on base and give the opposition a chance to get a rally going.
GTFan
August 12th, 2009
4:54 pm
Sizemore, I think the question is will he really be willing to come back to the team he spent his entire career with, then spurned, as a rarely-used middle reliever. The other question is will Bobby not use him if he continues to pitch like Jeff Bennett instead of Acosta or Medlen.
TenaciousD
August 12th, 2009
4:57 pm
If I were the Braves, I would sign him and give him a shot in the bullpen. The organization could take the high road and welcome him home.
Nick
August 12th, 2009
4:58 pm
If Smoltz really wants to mend the fence and give the Braves another try, then I’m all for it. We could use him as the closer and have Sorrrriano be the set-up man. If Smoltz decided to sign with other NL clubs, then the HELL with him. I hope we’ll tee off him when we face him. He left for more money and look at him now. Money doesn’t buy anything if you don’t WIN in Boston.
Paul H
August 12th, 2009
4:59 pm
I hope he gets a shot to go out in a better way, especially since he’s already a lock for Cooperstown.
Charlie
August 12th, 2009
5:02 pm
Max,
Chris Medlin out pitched Hansen in the minors, after a shaky start, he seems more comfortable and has show improvement; and he looked absolutely fantastic against the Dodgers. I want him to stay around.
Acosta? who knows, but would Smoltz be happy doing mop up duty? Or, would it suddenly stop becoming about the chase for the playoffs, and become the John Smoltz whiner show. As Frankeur/Church trade shows, addition by subtraction sometimes works.
Ohman
August 12th, 2009
5:02 pm
Actually I don’t think he would pitch better than Acosta or Medlen. (BTW, Medlen is a terrific pitcher–young, but loads of potential). At this point, I think Smoltz is done. Boston didn’t DFA a future Hall of Famers for no reason.
Charlie
August 12th, 2009
5:04 pm
If Braves get eliminated, I would like the Dodgers to pick up Smoltz and have him face off against the Redsox in the WS.
TT44
August 12th, 2009
5:05 pm
I would put Tim Hudson in the bullpen, and then if Smoltz is interested, put him there too….Hudson is coming off major surgery, rehab, and why not put him there, wouldnt that be less wear and tear on the arm? And, look , Smoltz did spurn the Braves, but, hey, he didnt execute dogs…..give him a break, if he wants to come back to the bullpen…..try him out! GO BRAVES!
Bryan G.
August 12th, 2009
5:05 pm
He has to be better than Jeff Bennett…and some team gave HIM a freaking chance.
vanomania
August 12th, 2009
5:05 pm
I recall him throwing an occasional knuckleball during a prior mid-season return from surgery. I wonder if he’d considering reinventing himself as a full-time knuckleball pitcher.
Charlie
August 12th, 2009
5:06 pm
I think Boston did him wrong, they could have downplayed the Yankee game, waited a few days, then released him.
Woodsy Owl
August 12th, 2009
5:07 pm
Don’t rape or kill animals like that thug Vick, Smoltzie.
Ohman
August 12th, 2009
5:08 pm
Yeah, you’re right Bryan G., some team…not the Braves.
Look, people, you want the Braves to win, right? You think baseball is about sentiment? Maybe it is on some touchy-feely, philisophical, A. Bart Giamatti-level but this team needs pitching to win. Not pitching for people who can’t let go of the past.
MajorPain
August 12th, 2009
5:09 pm
Why ruin the good chemistry the Braves have now with bringing back a guy with a huge ego to be a seldom used reliever in the bullpen. Let him work a few innings in the booth but not on the mound.
The Grinch
August 12th, 2009
5:12 pm
No, I don’t think it should end that way. I think he should come back here and hold a press conference where he publicly apologizes. Apologize to the organization who made him a very, very rich man (including giving him 14 million last year when he threw about 10 innings…didn’t see him offer to give any of that back) and who also made him a more than fair, incentive laden option to retire a Brave when it was likely he was done (and which we see now that he clearly is). Apologize to the fans who bought his jerseys, looked up to him, cheered him and wanted him to spend his career here. And let’s not forget an apology to his teammates, who he left hanging in the wind before Wren had to scramble to rebuild the pitching staff with people who could actually pitch.
THAT’S how I want to see it end. Otherwise, I hope pigeons poop on his statue for evermore, and the IRS audits him bi-annually on general principle.
Anotherdawg
August 12th, 2009
5:13 pm
I agree with Charlie and Ohman. Medlen has been very inpressive and is only going to get better. Acosta has great stuff, just need to work on his control. At some point, you have to look to the future and I think the Braves are going in the right direction.
Kid me not
August 12th, 2009
5:16 pm
There is no guarantee of failure nor effectiveness when any pitcher is brought into a game. However, comparing what Acosta and Medlin have done this year with what Smoltz has done this year; comparing what Acosta/Medlin can do right now with what Smoltz can do right now, why would any manager give the ball to Smoltz as opposed to Acosta or Medlin? Come on guys, get real and quit kidding us.
Peachtree John
August 12th, 2009
5:16 pm
Explain why there is no movement to change Hanson’s “pause while the base runner advances” movement to home plate. He actually pauses during him motion. As evidenced last night, a decent base runner will steal every time–even steal third!
As base runners watch him, the steals will increase. After all, he can’t strike out every batter, though he may come close in the future.
Einstein
August 12th, 2009
5:17 pm
Thanks Jeff, for a good article. Why do superstars have a difficult time facing reality? Farve, Glavine, Smoltz, Namath, Dave Parker, et al? Why can’t they just act normal like Tom Seaver? Sandy Koufax? Don Drysdale? Jim Palmer? It can’t be for the money as they have made zillions. The Braves alone have paid Smoltz over $225M while he was pitching (and spending time on the dl) for them. It’s just my opinion, but I believe all teams would be better served bringing up players that will actually improve. Younger players are more exciting and play with more enthusiasm, so the fans should be happy. And, they give the team a better chance to win. When did Atlanta become a retirement home for old icons? I sure hope Bobby retires after this season. Peace.
George G.
August 12th, 2009
5:21 pm
Simple…..Smoltz > Acosta and Hudson > Medlin
I’m all for both of those two developing into Major Leaguers, but neither of them will develop into what they could with their current roles.
Make it happen Wren!!!!
Just a fan
August 12th, 2009
5:24 pm
Are you people nuts? His ERA was over 8!!!! Why would you want him in your bullpen? Apparently the only people who dont realize he is done is Smoltz and some misguided Braves fans.
GTFan
August 12th, 2009
5:25 pm
Nick, you really want to bring Smoltz in as the closer now? I know he was really good in that role a few years ago, and Gonzo’s been less than reliable, and Soriano’s given up some game-losing HRs, but Smoltz has gotten lighted up like a pinball machine this year.
La Jolla Dawg
August 12th, 2009
5:32 pm
Not sure why it is the Braves fault that Smoltz decided to take guaranteed money instead of money that would have been earned based on innings pitched. I don’t think Smoltz did anything wrong (showed who he is and what was most important to him) and I definitely don’t think the Braves did anything wrong. I don’t feel bad for Smoltz. He is a grown man who made choices that led to this moment. He will either hang it up gracefully, or not. I don’t really care either way.
turkey
August 12th, 2009
5:32 pm
Smoltz would be better than Acosta but the money and all that humble pie he would have to eat makes it an impossible situation.
DamYankee
August 12th, 2009
5:33 pm
Time for Smoltzie to head back to MI, have a long talk with Rick Smith, and figure out which U.S. Open qualifier he should play in. Buh-bye, John, thanks for the memories.
gcs
August 12th, 2009
5:34 pm
I hope Chipper Jones has been paying close attention to the shameless unprofessionalism of Glavine and Smoltz. I know Chipper wants to stay a Brave and retire here but there is a possibility that his paycheck might someday become a liability.
If he is ever released or traded, I hope he bites his tongue and takes it like a man.
.
Nick
August 12th, 2009
5:36 pm
GTFan
I think Smoltz has a lot left in his tank when pitching 1-2 innings and that is why I think he’ll be reliable and might be fire up again. If he pitches more than 3 innings, then he is a dead fish. He’s a veteran and has good stuffs and has been very successful as a closer, so why not go for it? We need to bring the excitment back to HOTlanta and then goes with the young guns next year.
DaveDawg
August 12th, 2009
5:37 pm
I’ve always liked Smoltz and always will. He showed so much grit for so many years. He was awesome in the playoffs and awesome when he worked out of the bullpen. He’s a competitor and someone you want to have on your team. I haven’t been following baseball too closely this season, so I’m not going to make an uninformed comment about what I think should happen, but I know how I feel about Smoltz. The haters on here have no class – it’s cool to have an opinion – but state it with class and show a little respect for everything Smoltz contributed to the Braves’ 14 straight division championships.
Andrew
August 12th, 2009
5:38 pm
Dude, GO HIT GOLFBALLS. I said it last year. Be a golfer for a few years. The last thing you want to do is live out the rest of your life with an arm you want to saw off. You did a great job for us. You will not be forgotten.
DP
August 12th, 2009
5:39 pm
I don’t think it reflects well on Smoltz to turn down the Red Sox request to go to the minors. He knows they couldn’t keep sending him to the mound to get shelled while they were in the middle of a pennant race. One would think he felt like he owed them something given what he was paid to put up an 8+ ERA.
I don’t want Smoltz back here unless the Braves fall out of the race. He probably has too much pride to take on a middle relief role. But even if he agreed to middle relief, what happens if he gets shelled his first couple of outings? Imagine the potential PR nightmare of the Braves releasing him.
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 12th, 2009
5:40 pm
If he could still get people out, Boston wouldn’t have released him. Don’t wish him any ill will but he’s done.
VSUNick
August 12th, 2009
5:41 pm
Not too late to see him on the tour this year. Sure he could pull some sponsor exemptions.
Rayb
August 12th, 2009
5:41 pm
Peachtree John, Who cares if Hanson pauses during his delivery, not many players get on base w/him pitching anyway.
stubborn
August 12th, 2009
5:43 pm
Smoltz chose to go out the way he did. His stubborness led him to this end and it is his own fault.
42, elbow surgery, thinking you’re cy young. Bad combo.
Charlie
August 12th, 2009
5:50 pm
Both Glavine and Smoltz won the Cy Young award for the best pitch, and the Cry Young award for the most whining.