When dealing with legends, there’s rarely an exit strategy
“It’s not how you go about it,” John Smoltz told reporters this week, but how do you go about it? If you’re suggesting, as Smoltz and others have, the Braves mishandled the release of Tom Glavine … well, how do you handle it? How does a team say goodbye to someone who isn’t ready to leave?
Joe DiMaggio retired at age 37, saying he could no longer “be Joe DiMaggio every day.” Today’s athletes are different. Smoltz got mad and left for Boston because the Braves had the gall to offer too little money to a 41-year-old pitcher — he has since turned 42 — coming off shoulder surgery. And now they’ve angered Glavine, who’s 43 and coming off shoulder and elbow surgery.
Two days after he was lopped, Glavine launched a counteroffensive. He accused the Braves of lying to him and being cheap. He said he merited special treatment for his years of meritorious service. Brett Favre felt the same. Brett Favre went from being the Green Bay Packers to despising the Green Bay Backers because they didn’t show due deference.
But should due deference to a legend trump the greater goal of all professional teams, which is the winning of games? The hardest thing for any ballplayer is to know when to stop playing ball, and the great ones find it hardest of all. They always think there’s another big game or another touchdown pass in that famous arm.
Joe Namath went out as a Ram, Michael Jordan as a Wizard. Roger Clemens “retired” so many times we needed an abacus to keep track. Randy Johnson won his 300th game at age 45, working for his sixth different franchise. And this was the career path of Greg Maddux after he left the Braves in 2003: Cubs to Dodgers to Padres back to Dodgers.
Loading ...Yes, there’s money still to be had, lots of money. But these guys have made more for one year’s work than the average Joe or Jane earns in a lifetime. How much is enough? How long is too long? What happened to the concept of a graceful exit at the top of one’s game? Did it walk away in 1966 with the princely Sandy Koufax?
John Schuerholz felt moved to apologize Friday for the way things ended with Glavine — “The environment and the tone and the manner … didn’t feel comfortable to me,” Schuerholz told reporters — but what could the Braves have done? Cut him in spring training? (Wouldn’t Glavine have then said, “You didn’t even give me a chance”?)
Brought him up for one start and paid him his million-dollar bonus while strongly suspecting he’d get tattooed? (And what if, come October, the Braves found themselves one game out of the playoffs? Would Glavine have apologized to them?) Should they have offered him a job as a coach? Shoved aside Joe Simpson in the TV booth? Made Glavine general manager and booted Frank Wren to the curb?
In the clear light of hindsight, the Braves might have rushed things. They could have tried to arrange a formal news conference, as opposed to the hasty gathering behind the press box a half-hour before Wednesday’s game, but Glavine had made it clear he wasn’t retiring. And he said Friday he wants little to do with the Braves now. So there.
Every legend wants to depart “on his own terms,” but seldom do those terms account for anyone else’s. This isn’t Tee Ball. Not every player gets to play in every big-league game. And it’s the guys who were once the best players who can’t seem to grasp they’re just not as good anymore.
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194 comments Add your comment
Ernest
June 6th, 2009
2:47 pm
Mark, this has been a busy week! Thanks again for letting the fans participate in the discussions via these blogs. On Sports Talk radio, a limited number of callers can get through to express an opinion. Many times the hosts won’t let someone speak unless they agree with that point of view. Everyone can share their thoughts in this forum.
There have been some ‘interesting’ posts but for the most part this has been a self policing blog.
Can’t wait to see what next weeks topics will be!
TPM
June 6th, 2009
2:48 pm
Memo to TyGa10 – Smoltz may be upset about how he left The Braves, but he has yet to pitch in the major leauges since then. Last time I looked he was in AAA Pawtucket.
DirtyDawg
June 6th, 2009
2:53 pm
And while I’m at it, did it occur to Glavine that he should have returned any of last year’s $8 million…let’s see, if he pitched 63 innings before his arm went lame, that would have been right at $127 thousand per inning…$42 thousand an out…seems to me if anybody owed anything to anybody else it was him. Oh, by the way, by signing for a million this year and not pitching in any games, just add that to the pot as well.
Justafan
June 6th, 2009
2:56 pm
Glavine has made $289,000,000 from Braves. What the hell has he got to cry about. Thats 289 MILLIONOOOOOOOOOOOOON’S folks! I’d like to dogwippppppppp his a@@, then he would have something to cry about.
Duane
June 6th, 2009
3:00 pm
TR,
I was just commenting on MB’s line about what if Glavine started and was shelled and we ended up missing the playoffs by a game. I think the same can be more accurately said of the decision to avoid arbitration with Hanson, if we end up missing the playoffs by a game.
TM
June 6th, 2009
3:16 pm
Where was the apology for John Smoltz? Did I miss it or do the Braves only apologize when it was “over the top” bad treatment on their part? Glavine was tipped by someone in the organization what was going on… Someone didn’t agree with the decision.
If I’m Frank Wren, I am pissed off at Scherholz. He hung him out to dry with the apology and the wording of the the apology. If you choose to make a decision to either not resign or release players such as Glavine & Smoltz, the more upfront you can be with the players and the fans the better. It’s never easy, but to do what the Braves organization has done in both situations is RIDICULOUS! It is very obvious that the Braves brought in Frank Wren to be the scape goat so Scherholz or Bobby Cox were not labeled with “the one who got rid of Smoltz or Glavine’”
I believe that in a year or two when Bobby Cox is done with coaching, Mr Wren will be dismissed and Bobby Cox will resume his GM position he gave up a long time ago. The only question is whether or not the Braves were upfront with Frank Wren of this plan… or are they going to be as ruthless and discrete with his release too?
I root for this Braves team, but not the upper management. That is for sure!!! It makes me nauseous when I think of how these Braves management personnel has dealt with past great players and the lye’s to it’s fans…
Chip
June 6th, 2009
3:24 pm
Did Tom Glavine care about the fans when he exited for New York, in the same division as your beloved Braves? Who really cares what Glavine thinks?
PlusSizeModel
June 6th, 2009
3:31 pm
Seems to me Glavine should thank his lucky stars for the charmed life he’s led and STFU. You have been paid 100 million dollars to play a kids game your whole life. You are entitled to nothing. Deal with it, punk.
DirtyDawg
June 6th, 2009
3:36 pm
And one more thing, if I had Glavine’s money and he had a feather up his butt, we’d both be tickled.
TM
June 6th, 2009
3:42 pm
Apology? Where was the apology to John Smoltz?
Someone tipped off Tom Glavine Wednesday morning… I’d say not everyone was on board.
When the “Boss” apologizes and throws the person underneath him under the bus… does that make the Boss a “SNAKE”? Never have I seen a management personnel act like the Braves management has with the Smoltz & Glavine situations.
Two things I am looking forward to: 1. John Smoltz coming back to Turner Field and pitching great against the Braves. Getting the win and tipping his hat to his loyal fans. And maybe pointing to the mgt offices. 2. When Frank Wren gets fired and Bobby Cox is moved up to GM… I want to hear Frank Wren’s account of everything because I’m sure they are going to throw him under the bus just like they have with Smoltz & Glavine.
The way Scherholz and the rest of Braves management has handled things over the last year or so make me want to puke!
I will root for this team, the players. But I am embarrassed to call myself a Braves fan as it pertains to the organization…
This is all choreographed by one John Scherholz…. S-N-A-K-E ! ssssssssssssssss
NotSoFast
June 6th, 2009
3:52 pm
Glavine is acting like a spoiler brat. I didn’t what I wanted so I’m don’t like you anymore!!!!!
He has become a very rich man because of baseball, but he is acting like a little child.
This the reason I won’t pay to go to any professional sports. If the players had to survive in the real world, most would be saying “Would you like fries with that order”.
Mr. Thomas Anthony Jones, Sr.
June 6th, 2009
3:57 pm
We want Tom Glavine and John Smoltz brought back immediately. We are people who buy the tickets and we are tired of seeing the stars in Atlanta dogged out vy Wren and Blank. It is our city and our money and we want to see Glavin, Smoltz, and Vick in our teams uniforms and not in the other teams’ uniform.
ncgreybr
June 6th, 2009
4:30 pm
When one of these million dollar athletes begin whining about how they are treated, I want to ask them to come over to my house. My mother would put them back to earth in a minute. If they’re looking for sympathy, it’s in the dictionary between s*it and syphilis.
Don
June 6th, 2009
4:32 pm
To most everyone except the writers for AJC and most of the posters on this site, the Braves are fools. They won one WS out of 14 division championships. That is 7.28%. Far below pitiful.
Now, every move is allegedly designed to bring back the “glory days” of winning a division and losing in the first round of the playoffs.
Who should admit that the “glory days” are over? Bradley says Smoltz and Glavine. I say the management of the Braves- both on and off the field and all of those of you who seem to thinkl happiness is only a trade away.
It’s over. The sooner you realize it the better.
But, if you need to call Smoltz and Glavine names, let me suggest “Hall of Famers”.
Don
June 6th, 2009
4:34 pm
By the way, just how many people will buy tickets just to see Lowe or Vasquez or Jurjiens, or some of the other duds pitch? Zero.
Drixie
June 6th, 2009
4:35 pm
Glavine and Smoltz are two great competitors. Part of what made them great is their drive. It’s not surprising that they would continue to believe they could be dominant MLB pitchers, but the injuries and age would suggest otherwise. I’m not mad at them for continuing to believe in themselves and I’m not mad at The Braves for moving on regarding both of these great players. I wish all parties well.
jayess168
June 6th, 2009
4:36 pm
I have a feeling Chipper isn’t going to want to PITCH ever.
BravesfaninWis
June 6th, 2009
4:45 pm
Here is my way of thinking..
Glavine bolted Atlanta when Atlanta offered him a contract the last time to go to the Mets for 5 years.. Where was the loyalty on Glavine’s part back then like Smoltz and Chipper have had? I say what goes around, comes around and the Braves didn’t owe Glavine anything.. If the Braves are guilty of anything, its being stupid for resigning the guy this offseason when he was injured much of last season and didn’t really have anything left before his injury occurred..
I wanted one of the three of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz to eventually be our pitching coach and with the way things are going, I hope its Mad Dog by next year..
cvbraves
June 6th, 2009
5:00 pm
Mark’s right on! The way John and Tom have handled things, I don’t think they could make the necessary tough decisions to be a manager or GM…maybe they could be a coach.
Average Joe
June 6th, 2009
5:17 pm
Tom Glavine was treated as fairly as ANYONE could possibly be treated in his situation. Period. The Braves took a million dollar risk and rolled the dice on a 43 year old pitcher clearly past his prime and with a surgically repaired elbow. Unfortunately, they determined that he simply didn’t have the skills anymore. Now, a million dollars is a drop in the bucket to a millionaire many times over like a Tom Glavine, and from what I’v been reading, many Braves fans also feel that a million dollars is chump change. And this is where baseball, and pro sports in general are wearing thin for me. These “athletes” (and I use that term hesistatingly in today’s era of cheaters) of today expect to make top dollar just because they’re so wonderful, I mean Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight say they’re God, so it MUST be true! What would happen to any of them if they were forced to live their lives in a fashion more similar to the thousands of paycheck to paycheck fans who turn out each night to watch them? What we have is a situation where modern athletes want salaries the size of their egos. They’ve been made to believe that their very existence on the planet is worthy of the rest of us bowing down in wonder and awe.
Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and the rest are super-spoiled babies who believe the world owes them something. And we as fans get caught up in the belief that these athletes should somehow be treated differently than the police officer, firefigher, teacher or parent, you know the REAL heroes. At the end of the day, athletes are just people, no more special than any other human being, other than the fact that they have more money thrown at them in 6 months (whether they actually work or not, i.e. Mike Hampton) than most earn in a lifetime. And they dare to cry that they were mistreated?
Glavine and Smoltz should be thankful that they were paid a ridiculous amount to perform a job they loved to do. Not many people can say that.
Jeffrey Weeks
June 6th, 2009
5:28 pm
Very good comments Mark. I just commented on the other column and had a real problem with the idea that we needed to play Glavine at least one game for “goodwill”. You are correct here, there’s no easy way to do it.
The stars like Smoltz and Glavine rarely give the CLUBS a break for “goodwill” when they are in their prime.
Ron
June 6th, 2009
5:32 pm
I do think it was the proper “baseball move” but the way it was done was shi**y…..Tom Glavine was everything the Braves wanted to project as far as work ethic and reputation and how he conducted himself as a person and a professional and to treat him with less dignity than some would give an animal is sad and a shame the Braves are better than that and J.S. was correct in apologizing to the man but I agree it was time to move on with Hanson.
Robert
June 6th, 2009
5:43 pm
“So will Bobby and Schuerholz.”
I’ve said it before and will say it again. Electing Cox to the Hall of Fame would be the equivalent of defecating on the Mona Lisa. Let the man buy a ticket and see the museum if he likes, but he is the next to last man in the door as far as election to the Hall (ahead only of Pete Rose )
tr
June 6th, 2009
5:47 pm
Don, you ask, “By the way, just how many people will buy tickets just to see Lowe or Vasquez or Jurjiens, or some of the other duds pitch?”
Sorry to disappoint you, but there’s at least two of us who have and will continue to buy tickets because those guys are pitching!
tb
June 6th, 2009
5:51 pm
Give me a break. The Braves organization paid Glavine and Smoltz enough money over their careers to retire without ever having to work again. They showed their appreciation to the organization and the fans by leaving for more money. They are mercenaries with no loyalty.
Now that one reaps what he sows, they both whine about it. Go away and never come back.
joe
June 6th, 2009
6:05 pm
Smoltz is yapping, Glavine’s pouting. Why do we not see or hear about Maddux weighing in on this in Tom’s favor as well? Because he conducts himself with class. Maddux can pitch at the same level as Glavine right now, but he knew when to call it quits, and he understood that the “Dog and Pony Show” is ridiculous. I really wonder what Mr. Maddux thinks about this whole thing.
Mark Bradley
June 6th, 2009
6:22 pm
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. That’s why we have this “comments” section. But if someone believes Derek Lowe and Jair Jurrjens are “duds” … well, I’ll have to disagree. Respectfully.
varodrunner
June 6th, 2009
7:06 pm
Will the real Tom Glavine please stand up – is it the SPOILED Premodona that now wants to file a grievance against the Braves or the one that will either go somewhere else and pitch or retire from baseball. Tommy, 70 mph fastballs do not belong in major league baseball.
Please do not ruin your legacy – you are one of baseball’s greats but just like Clemens, instead of roids, you will be remembered as teh spoiled one that wouldn’t hang it up.
varodrunner
June 6th, 2009
7:06 pm
Mark at 6:22 I AGREE
varodrunner
June 6th, 2009
7:15 pm
Mark, I ask a similar question when Smoltz bolted “When is enough, enough? Glavine made a lot of money and he is entitled to whatever else he can get. But my goodness, he really is a cry-baby
LOST-BRAVE
June 6th, 2009
7:24 pm
HEY – DID GLAVINE FEEL SORRY FOR THE BRAVES WHEN HE GOT OFFERED MORE MONEY TO JOIN THE FRIGGING MUTS? JUST WHO THE HELL DID HE APOLOGISE TO IN THE BRAVES? AND AS FOR SMOLTZE HE JUST REALLY NEED’S TO SHUT-UP. IF HE’ NOT LIEING ABOUT GETTING BETTER OFFER’S WHILE HE WAS HURT, AND EARLY IN HIS CARRER JUST
HOW BIG OF A FOOL WAS HE? OH I KNOW THE ANSWER HE COULD NOT GO ANY WHERE ELSE, AND RUN THE FRIGGING BALLTEAM, AND PLAY MORE GOLF THAN GET READY IN SPRING TRANING,NO OTHER TEAM WOULD HAVE LET HIM GO OFF AND GET READY IN
SPRING TRANING ON HIS ON. AND THEN HURT HIMSELF BEFORE THE ALL-STAR BREAK.
FUNNY HE’S NOT TELLING THE REDSOX WHEN HE WILL PITCH THE REDOSX ARE TELLING
HIM.
Mark Bradley
June 6th, 2009
7:50 pm
From Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com comes word that Glavine might file a grievance against the Atlanta Braves.
All I'm Saying Is...
June 6th, 2009
7:58 pm
I’ve been a Braves fan since 1969. Anyone who has been with this team since that time knows and values what homegrown talents such as Justice and Glavine and Smoltz too (who we picked up almost ready for the big leagues in the Doyle Alexander trade) did for this team. Same thing goes for Aaron, Phil Niekro, and Dale Murphy. And I also know how Aaron, Phil, and Dale exited the franchise. Aaron was traded to Milwaukee to allow him to finish his career where he started and he was the only one afforded such respect.
Despite the best efforts of many and aside from 1982 and 1983, the Braves were largely a laughingstock from inception until our run began in 1991. And given what Glavine and Justice in particular meant and the fact they were products of our farm system, an enlightened owner (i.e. a person not a corporation) would have taken steps to ensure they finished their careers as Braves and retired as Braves. Does this need to be done for any athlete? No, of course not. They are well compensated and free to play for the highest bidder and there is nothing wrong with that as that is free enterprise which is the cornerstone of capitalism.
All I’m Saying Is, if I were the owner, I would have made sure that my employees handled this with Glavine, Smoltz, and Justice differently not because they alone deserved it but because I would have wanted them to be treated in a special manner because they brought this town its second (and for many only as most (not me) disregard the Atlanta Chiefs NASL title) championship and ended a dreary history for the franchise and because I would want others to know that I ran a first-class organization.
varodrunner
June 6th, 2009
8:02 pm
LOL@Ted – Made me laugh out loud
He truly is whining isn’t he?
varodrunner
June 6th, 2009
8:04 pm
As far as this grievance against the Braves – It hass now reached the point where all I have to say is F*** Tom Glavine – You Fn cry-baby
Mark Bradley
June 6th, 2009
8:27 pm
Just posted a Bradley’s Buzz regarding Ken Rosenthal’s report on FoxSports of a possible Glavine grievance.
Paul Lentz
June 6th, 2009
8:37 pm
Last year was the year that Braves management wasted money on injured pitchers like Tom Glavine ($8 mil), John Smoltz ($13 mil), Mike Hampton ($18 mil) and Tim Hudson ($13 mil). Hudson’s $13 mil comes off the books after this season. Going into this off season, Braves management knew that they had $13 mil of the payroll that was going to be paid to an injured player (Hudson). The Braves could not afford to give money (and valuable roster spots) to 2, injured, old, past their prime pitchers (Smoltz and Glavine). The Braves had a $97 mil payroll when the season started (with an additional $3.5 mil budgeted to adding Tom Glavine to the roster). It was essential that the Braves spend money on players who had a history of staying healthy. Other than Jair Jurrgens, the Braves had no one who could get into th 6th-7th innings consistently last year. This year, that is the norm. By the way, how many innings has John Smoltz pitched this year? ZERO. Frank Wren wisely retooled the rotation. Our starting pitching this year is not the problem. OFFENSE is the problem. Yet many of you morons cry about not having Smoltz and Glavine. As a TRUE Braves fan, all I can say is that I am so glad that some of you morons will never run the Braves. Some of you would rather go to the ball park and watch an “old timers game” where the Braves get rocked….than you would see the Braves win without your favorite players. Be honest and admit that you have more loyalty to the player than the team. I’ll stick to being loyal to the TEAM.
I, for one, am pretty happy with how Frank Wren has retooled the team. One move I would not have made was signing Tom Glavine to begin with. However, the team protected themselves with only guaranteeing the $1 mil signing bonus. Another move I would have made was getting rid of Franceour long ago. There is NO way that the Braves can make a run at this without getting a power hitting right handed right fielder. Also, while Garrett Anderson has been a cheap, serviceable left fielder, the move I would have made was signing Orlando Hudson (which I advocated for in January and February on this website), and put him at second base (lead-off hitter) and put Kelly Johnson in left field. Hudson signed a 1 year, $3.3 mil contract with the Dodgers. What a BARGAIN!
Still, no use in crying over spilled milk. Frank Wren ended up doing the right thing for the Braves team by cutting Glavine. He also made a fantastic move in acquiring Nate McLouth, who by the way is having a nice game right now. He’s 1-2 with a walk and a stolen base (should be 2-2 if Escobar hadnt made that base running blunder).
I think it is great that the Braves have a chance to go from dishing out almost $50 mil to injured players last year….to not having any really bad contracts going into this off season (provided they dont tender Jeff Franceour and get rid of him. I’d had to see how much he’ll end up getting in salary arbitration).
Tim
June 6th, 2009
8:39 pm
while it may be true that Tommy G should have and could have been handled differently. The bottom line is the Braves should have never brought him back. You build a team with your young players and win that is how you fill seats not by bringing back legends. Frank Wren has proved to be a joke he has handled nothing with class yet. He has compounded one bad decision after another. If the Braves want to get back to being the franchise that everyone wants to copy,go find a GM that has a clue.
ac
June 6th, 2009
8:44 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Glavine give the Braves the heave-ho a couple of years ago to join the Mets — not just a division rival but a team in a cold-weather city where Glavine statistically has struggled. His motivation clearly was about one thing: his wallet.
Why does Atlanta owe Glavine, Smoltz or Maddux anything? They all had very successful careers that created significant bank accounts, brought the city one whopping World Series championship, then left for big bucks once other teams were willing to overpay for their deteriorating services.
Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux all had good runs in Atlanta, and all were generously compensated during that time. Unfortunately, each has demonstrated that they didn’t know when to pull their snouts from the trough. Major League Baseball is a business, not an entitlement program for aging stars. If Braves fans want winning teams to become the norm once again, they need to understand that players past their prime don’t warrant overinflated contracts, which undermine teams’ ability to sign rising and current stars.
Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux were paid handsomely when they actually contributed something positive to the Braves’ win-loss record. Am I the only blogger on this site who doesn’t expect to get a huge signing bonus and an obsene salary when I’m 60 just because I was really successful in my 30s and 40s?
the rickster
June 6th, 2009
9:30 pm
Hey Mark, how else can it be said. You said it best, summed it up…”And it’s the guys who were once the best players who can’t seem to grasp they’re just not as good anymore.”
the rickster
June 6th, 2009
9:34 pm
And Chipper, only 37, left tonight’s game with dizziness. Age plays a part in this game; although I would love to be 37 again.
tony
June 7th, 2009
4:39 am
There is a bad spirit hovering around Atlanta and starts with the fact that white folks hate the idea that the City of Atlanta is a black city and in return black folks express their animosity towards them.
Open your eyes people, you gave the devil a footstool. Because of your hatred you are reaping your awards; (bad sports teams)and lost of big businesses. James 4:7 said if you oppose the devil he will flee.
There’s a reason NY Yankees have won 26 World Championships since 1923. They treat their players with respect and black folks don’t have an issure about NY being a white city. Good spirit hovers around NY and other Cities in America because people live and let live.
If the City of Atlanta don’t get its act together morally, it will become a destitute city.
David
June 7th, 2009
7:27 am
Baseball players are the biggest cry babies in sports! I don’t feel sorry for Glavine one bit, maybe he should work a real job and stop living in La LA Land.
What a joke.
Braves73
June 7th, 2009
10:14 am
Ok, how long are we going to stew over this…?? Glavine was a GREAT pitcher for our beloved Braves, but the appropriate word was GREAT. He no longer is at the level of a servicable major leagur pitcher and he needs to com to grips with this.
In regards to the Braves handling of this situation…PATHETIC! Frank Wren is single handly turning the Braves front office into a major league joke. He certainly didn’t ingratiate himself to any fans with the Smoltz drama and completely botched the Glavine deal. He would have been much better served approaching Tommy and telling him that the club is 95% leaning towards bringing the rookie up. The PR nightmare that Wren has created is not only going to affect this team in the long term (other potential players are certainly taking notice) and it seems the team is in stunned shock over this incident…and showing it right now.