A change-up: How does Congressman John Smoltz sound?
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher John Smoltz reacts after throwing his 3,000th career strikeout in 2008. AJC file.
Within minutes of U.S. Rep. John Linder’s announcement that he won’t seek a 10th term in Congress, the phone began vibrating.
Late this afternoon, a Washington source called with this surprise: One of the people likely to approached as a candidate for Linder’s seat by Republicans will be former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz.
Smoltz has been paying down some dues in several Republican contests in Georgia over the last two years. He’s been part of a fund-raiser for U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Roswell, and if memory serves, he cut a robo-call for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss in ‘08.
Linder’s retirement has caught many Republicans off-guard. Who replaces him could be settled in a quickly approaching July primary – the district is trending Democrat, but not that fast. Advantage could go to someone who could put up his own cash, especially in this economy.
Two GOP names certain to be considering a congressional race are state Sens. Don Balfour of Snellville and David Shafer of Duluth. But both are tied up in a desperate session of the Legislature. Both would be free to raise money for a federal contest, but time becomes a big issue.
Smoltz’ advantage in name recognition would be inestimable. And right now, he’s a bit footloose. He hasn’t yet signed a contract for the season. This was written by my AJC colleague Jeff Schultz earlier this month:
Spring training opens next week and John Smoltz doesn’t have a job. This might unnerve most 42-year-old pitchers who don’t want to hear from baseball people or medical people or certainly Joe-in-section-312-with-nacho-sauce-on-his-chin people that his career might be over. But the waiting doesn’t bother Smoltz.
“I’ve been doing what I’ve always done this time of year — throwing every other day and getting ready for the season, ” he said by phone this week while driving to his workout. “I’m at a good place with everything that has gone on in my life. I’m just going to let this play out.”
He is not retiring. Nor has he decided for certain that he will hold off signing with a team until midseason — as Pedro Martinez did with Philadelphia last July — but acknowledges that is a possibility.
“A lot of people are speculating right now, ” he said. “But I can assure you it hasn’t come from anything that I’ve said.”
It’s possible that playoffs for Smoltz could come a little earlier this year.
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212 comments Add your comment
Keep doing this GOP
February 28th, 2010
8:05 am
I dont have anything against Smoltzie, i respect his politics (although i disagree with him), and his religion. And what happened with his wife is business between him and his wife, but i think he would be a lot happier if he was coming out of the bullpen, wearing a Braves uniform, to the sounds of cheers and “Thunderstruck”, than to the sounds of Congress.
Churchill
February 28th, 2010
8:07 am
Does John Smoltz have a colege degree or is he like Handel?
Kepah17
February 28th, 2010
8:09 am
Just what we need a spoiled celeb. who has more money then they know what do do with, who hasn’t lived in the avaerage citizens world in many, many years if ever making policy the effects us. He should just go play with his baseballs.
DoninAcworth
February 28th, 2010
8:12 am
Wow! The hate folks (read Dems) were just waiting for someone to surface so they could do their smart hate blogs and such. All of you could use some confession time and please seek what you preach… can’t you all just get along! And if you are “oh so smart” run yourself.
NXS
February 28th, 2010
8:25 am
Ahhh yes, just what Georgia needs…. another rich, evangelical Republican deciding our fate. How about this for a platform- more tax cuts for the top 1%, medical savings (tax shelter) accounts to solve the health care crisis, a constitutional amendment to teach Christianity in public schools, and one more unfunded war. That ought to get it!
Road Scholar
February 28th, 2010
8:33 am
Jessica @4:53 : Well said! Anyone has the right of free speech and running for office.
For you Fair taxers: What would have happened if the Fair Tax was in effect before this recession?
midtownguy
February 28th, 2010
8:35 am
During the same sex marriage debate he labeled gay citizens as “degenerates” and characterized their relationships as abnormal (while not being able to hold his own marriage together). He will get the full out assault from the Human Rights Campaign, Georgia Equality and the Log Cabin Republicans along with all the money they can raise, which is considerable.
Jack in Alpharetta
February 28th, 2010
8:36 am
I used to see Smoltz out and about when he lived over in Duluth in St. Ives. Do any of you remember when he sued to stop someone from building a house next to his that would have shaded his pool? He does not play well with others. He’s basically been a horse’s a*s*s when I’ve seen him in public. You couldn’t pay me enough to support him, much less vote for him. Surely the Republicans can find someone far better than this scumbag.
Joe
February 28th, 2010
8:40 am
Smoltz would make a good candidate. He is very articulate and seems to know the issues which is obviously why he is a Republican. Either way the dems have a snowballs chance in hell of picking up this seat or any other close one for that matter. The dem party has become toxic since the far left is now fully in control….
Rick
February 28th, 2010
8:44 am
Is this the same John Smoltz that left Atlanta and the Braves for more money? I thought so. Count me out as a supporter. $$$$$$$$$$$
No to Smoltz
February 28th, 2010
8:46 am
“Smoltz would make a good candidate. He is very articulate and seems to know the issues”
That’s what they said about Obammy. Seeming to know the issues and actually knowing the issues are two different things.
I am a conservative, but I would never support him. He is on par with Palin. When is the GOP going to straighten up and get some real candidates? The “eye candy with no substance” candidate is not needed.
Ticked Off
February 28th, 2010
8:47 am
A ballplayer does not a politician make…..or something like that. I agree that we need less idiot lawyers running our state and country and more people that know business……does John have any business experience…..any experience other that playing pitch and catch……does he stand with the Republican Party on issues? There’s a lot of unanswered questions……have a press conference, John and announce your intentions and tell us why you can win and succeed.
No to Smoltz
February 28th, 2010
8:49 am
When he reads this article, he’ll most likely call up Jim Galloway and tell him to erase all of the comments OR ELSE!
Sam
February 28th, 2010
8:54 am
I always enjoy reading the blogs, but these is the worst comments I have ever seen as a group. One guy said obama lowered taxes can you imagine. If you have a comment about the article, fine. Otherwise read and keep your fingers off of the keyboard. And to Road Scholar, i’m not sure where we would be if the fair tax were in place today, but one thing seems clear to me……Could we be in any worst shape with that idiot obama throwing money around like oak leaves, buying votes and giving acorn etc. billions of dollars he doesn’t have…Just look at that moron and never never vote for anyone that will ever support anything that ding dong wants …….Oh that felt good….
dave
February 28th, 2010
8:56 am
It requires way to ‘cool a head’ for him . . . something which he has demonstrated not to consistently have at his immediate disposal
Dick
February 28th, 2010
8:57 am
How can a person who made 8 million plus a year be able to understand what a fmaily making less than $30,000.00 a year is going thru. sorry, like the dude but we don’t need his likes in office.
aps
February 28th, 2010
9:04 am
That’s all we need. Another self important egomaniac in Congress.
Sic semper tyrannis
February 28th, 2010
9:23 am
YAWN. Throw another ‘brand name” into the political mix so the masses can squabble and worship the cult of personality. Meanwhile the power brokers who own the politicians whisper promises of power to woo candidates into the corrupt ‘quid pro quo’ game in DC. D or R, good or bad, right or left, these guys are set for life. Do you think they possibly care to do anything for YOU that makes your life easier? You folks happy with this? Are you set for life? Your kids all going to Harvard and you’ve got your home paid off, a great job and guaranteed health care? Or are things getting worse and scarier for you? If you want to get some control over your destiny we need to band together. The top one percent who own this country can get an infinite supply of ’stars’ to run for office – look past that to the SYSTEM and see how it’s designed to shut out the hard working middle class. If we’re too busy arguing about the noose they’ll hang us with it won’t matter WHO we elect, ever. The entire corrupt system will continue, our dollars will go to international bankers, hedge funds and manufacturers who shift our jobs overseas and your kids will inherit a shell of what this country used to be. Is that what you want for your kids and country? I’m sure we ALL love this country and would like to see it stand for the promise of freedom and equality we were founded on. Most of us don’t think those freedoms include 10% of the populace owning 85% of the wealth, and the gap rising annually: http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html.
The two-party system is corrupt and rigged to ensure the people who get elected will “play ball” with the guys who own the multi-national firms: GE, Rockwell, Koch Industries, the Walton family, SoCo, Aetna and Goldman Sachs have more say on whether Smoltz or anyone running at the national level will be backed than 1,000,000 of us slobs. We need MORE political parties, founded on populist principals and RUN by the MIDDLE CLASS, to dilute the influence of corporate (persons) who are saturating the airwaves with their agendas and playing us against each other so they can maximize their reward and minimize their risk, all subsidized by us via the tax codes. So, if your equity is under water, your 401k is depleted and the stocks/bonds you buy have only enriched your broker, ask yourself WHY? Ask where your money has gone, then read about the bonus paid Jamie Dimon and Lloyd Blankfein and AIG CEOs and ask yourself if ANY of these politicians will side with you over them.? Smoltz, Schmoltz. You can run Ted Bundy, Bozo or Sparky the Wonder Chimp for all it matters if we don’t change the pay to play SYSTEM.
BigGAdawg
February 28th, 2010
9:31 am
Lots of Yapping going on here–most of which is worth squat. The only opinions that count are John’s and those who live in the district. Everybody else needs to shut up.
DirtyDawg
February 28th, 2010
9:36 am
Hey Sam…well said…you managed to disparage the President without the ‘overt’ use of racially-edged comments. Of course pretty much all the Republican Talking Points have long-since been purged of the more obvious ones, and, by the way, you managed to hit most of ‘em. One thing I do know is that, for Seniors at least, if the (faux) Fair Tax had been in place (with it’s, what, 30 or 40 percent mark-up?) we’d all have run out of money for stuff way before now…and as for the ’shape we’re in’ under Obama, every analysis, other than the ones from Fauxnews and/or other arms of the Republican Party, has shown that the process has worked, at least to prevent a complete financial meltdown and both GDP and job losses have turned around in the months since the ‘recovery’ act has had a chance to work.
Oh yes, you ended yourself with the comment ‘Oh that felt good’…basically what the Jonestown faithful said just as they drank the kool-aid, and believe me you wing-nuts have already had a full dose.
No to Smoltz
February 28th, 2010
9:41 am
DirtyDawg, you obviously don’t know how the Fair Tax would work. Read up on it and become enlightened.
Remember what slogan your boy ran under? CHANGE.
I thought Demos wanted CHANGE you can believe in? Guess I was wrong.
midtownguy
February 28th, 2010
9:44 am
“The dem party has become toxic since the far left is now fully in control….”
to that I would add:
The repub party has become toxic sine the far right is now fully in control….
Can’t we get a candidate, from either party, that is reasonable and moderate? This seems the ideal district for that.
Oh Please
February 28th, 2010
9:48 am
Why do Christians find it necessary to ram their belief down our throats and insist that we all behave like they say we should? And don’t tell me it’s not true…
ATLFan
February 28th, 2010
9:48 am
LibertyMediocrity (7:17pm), yeah, Smoltzie needs a lot more experience in domestic policy and foreign policy ………….like our brilliant president, who served all of 170 days in the US Senate?
No to Smoltz
February 28th, 2010
9:54 am
@ Oh Please – very true, but it’s not just Christians.
ATLFan
February 28th, 2010
9:57 am
Oh Please, what world are you living in? If you want to see religion “rammed down your throats”, move to an Islamic-ruled country, where you get your throat slit open if you don’t bow to Mecca or women are stoned to death for getting raped. Now tell me again how mean Christians are??
People have missed the message
February 28th, 2010
10:02 am
@ Skin and Bones…
Agreed. Paul and other crazy Christians throughout history screwed up Jesus’ message so bad that Christianity today is a far cry from what Jesus taught about. He never talked about being a savior or accepting him. Never once said any of that. Paul made it up to convert followers.
There’s no such thing as Hell. Another thing made up by Church for coersion.
http://30ce.com/jesusonhell.htm
Road Scholar
February 28th, 2010
10:20 am
Sam @ 8:54 : Thank for responding about the fair tax. Taxpayer and business spending is down significantly; the fair tax revenues are based on spending. If spending goes up so does tax revenues; if spending goes down, tax revenues go down. People aren’t spending even though most are earning monies. Under the income tax, revenues are based on earnings (minus deductions). Government income would be even lower.
Spending on the otherhand has gone up. Whether or not you agree/disagree with the bailout, stimulus, etc., we do not have a parallel universe or accurate financial models (I allude to the estimated peak in unemployment @ 9%…it was an estimate) to examine whether these were the right things to do. But they were done after much thought, examination, and debate.
Dirty Dawg and No to Smoltz: Comments? (Dirty dawg, good win over FLA yesterdy; I’m impressed with your coach and team, even though…)
Thogwummpy
February 28th, 2010
10:34 am
Well, I’d rather have Smoltz than any Marxist…er…Democrat…eh—same thing.
Candor
February 28th, 2010
10:36 am
so this all boils down to who can afford the race, not who is most qualified. Our political system was fine at the beginning, until people figured out how to game it. Smoltz is know as a good ball player (which has had absolutly no impact on my life) with a terrible temper who just happens to be self rightous. Yep, it’s all about him.
curious
February 28th, 2010
10:45 am
Congress is full of gays, lawyers and career politicians. What’s wrong with adding an athlete. Let the voters decide. Just remember John: If elected, there’s no disabled list if the going gets rough. Your every word will become a target for every home-run-hitting talk show host. And don’t forget Zell Miller’s legacy: “What are we supposed to do? Throw spitballs?”
steve
February 28th, 2010
10:51 am
Fron Sarah Palin to John Smoltz, why are Repugnicans always dumbing down public policy?
Bobby
February 28th, 2010
10:53 am
All we need. One more religious bigot NO sayer to working Americans while supporting corporate profits. This country is going down the tubes faster than I thought.
The Dogfighter Returns
February 28th, 2010
10:54 am
are you folks still wasting your time lining up to pull a lever expecting millionaires to look out for the average “joe?”
the day santa claus actually delivers your presents that might happen, until then just realize the joke is on you for expecting someone to look out for your best interest.
vote for a pitcher to go to congress and battle with politicians.
they will eat him up the first week.
The Dogfighter Returns
February 28th, 2010
11:02 am
religion is a fairy tale. he should be automatically disqualified for being so foolish to believe in god.
outspoken1
February 28th, 2010
11:06 am
I LOVE THE IDEA…MAYBE SMOLTZ AND RE-PITCH THE FAIR TAX AND GET MORE ACTION THAN DID LENDER…..
Chop Chop John!
Real Athens
February 28th, 2010
11:08 am
Road to the Right: “Liberals … no faith.”
There is no doubt that if Jesus Christ appeared today the current, de-facto, conservative rabble-rousers on the boob tube and airwaves would label him a liberal — read the New Testament.
Jimmy Carter was (and still is) the most “Christian” modern President of the United States – hands down. Anyone that would deny that fact is a fool.
cjrad
February 28th, 2010
11:20 am
Obomb Us–you are so funny…you crack me up!!!
I just wonder how the Muslim community would fare if these guys like Mike, BIOMASS & ttibitz
called anyone of THEM redneck, religious zealots, pig, trailer-trash, etc., etc.
Double-standard by the leftist, Christian-haters as usual.
jim
February 28th, 2010
11:23 am
FIRST
Finnius J.
February 28th, 2010
11:30 am
He’d be a perfect fit! Rude, arrogant, rich, lying POS just like all the politicians in Georgia and DC.
cjrad
February 28th, 2010
11:37 am
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28;
Matthew 5:22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Matthew 18:9
“And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”
cjrad
February 28th, 2010
11:39 am
Real Athens—Jesus would hate his own people, the Jews, the ones He loved and came to save?
I’d think again about Jimmy Carter: he is a Jew-hater.
cjrad
February 28th, 2010
11:41 am
the dogfighter–CEOs–”millionaires”, as you call them, provide JOBS for people like you and me (I assume you are working, or plan on doing it one day…
News Update – Feb 28 2010
February 28th, 2010
11:42 am
[...] MLB Pitcher John Smoltz is considered to be a front runner for the retiring Representative John Lind… [...]
B. Thenet
February 28th, 2010
11:42 am
I cannot wait to see him explain why unions are good for millionaire athletes, but not good for blue collar workers. Why a $1 million/year minimum wage for baseball players is too small, while the current minimum wage for US Workers is too high and hurts small businesses.
Having a multi-millionaire union member who will likely advocate a fair tax is about as perfect a picture of today’s Tea Party GOP as you can get. Let the hilarity ensue.
D-macc
February 28th, 2010
11:47 am
It will be the first time I won’t vote for Smoltz.
Vampirella
February 28th, 2010
11:47 am
I live in the district. Hope I get a chance to vote against him. He’s patently unqualified.
snapshot
February 28th, 2010
11:55 am
Sounds great!!!! He has got my vote.
Real Athens
February 28th, 2010
12:13 pm
cjrad:
There is a difference between hating a “people” and disagreeing with a political philosophy or a governments treatment of citizens within a country — or can you not distinguish?
What am I writing? Of course you can’t. anyone who disagrees with someone on these blogs is branded a >insert, unwarranted, uneducated, untrue, overzealous insult here<.
"Jew-hater": How can you utter such an oversimplified, obviously regurgitated sound bite and expect to be taken seriously?
Not A Georgian, But An American
February 28th, 2010
12:32 pm
I can’t believe the hate this little bit of “news” has brought out in people. Liberals think faith is a quality worth bashing and tout their “devotion to reason.” If you are all so reasonable, why are the policies of Democrats always divisive and short-sighted pipe-dreams based on unobtainable ideals, funded by a system of economically unsustainable taxes? Conservatives stand by their faith and claim that the liberal way of life is corrupting American virtue? If you are all so virtuous, why are so many (especially within the Christian Right) homophobic, adulterous pederasts pilfering the donations of the working-class Republicans lining the pockets of your organizations?
Lets face it people, neither side’s platform is the answer. We have been patting ourselves on the backs for over a year because we finally elected a president of African-American decent that everyone failed to realize that all we really did was put an inexperienced junior senator who is as much of a pawn of his party as W was. What we need in this country is campaign reform and a true independent voice, not two parties playing tug of with our future. Reason without faith… faith without reason… both are blind.