The end of the Big Three?
Back in the day - the 90s, that is! - this was arguably the best 1-2-3 pitching rotation in baseball. John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux helped the Atlanta Braves hit the playoffs year after year - and win the 95 World Series. They were an incredible team - highly competitive with each other on and off the field, and good friends.Baseball being the business it is, they ended up going on to other teams - Glavine to the Mets, Maddox finishing this year with the Dodgers. And 2008 was a rough year on the three now-aging hurlers - neither Smoltz nor Glavine were able to finish out the year due to injury, although neither has "retired" as yet.
On Monday, however, Maddox will announce his retirement at the Mid-Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. He'll end his career one victory ahead of Clemens (yeah!), and seems like a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Which could bring about an interesting scenario: if Glavine and Smoltz follow suit and retire, all three would become eligible at the same time for the Hall. How incredibly awesome would it be to see these three standing together on the stage in Cooperstown, accepting membership in that august institution?
If there is any sense of karma, any sense of history, any justice among the baseball writers, this should happen in five years!
Labels: atlanta braves, greg maddox, john smoltz, tom glavine
posted by Beth at 8:39 PM
3 Comments:
I think these guys deserved more than just on ring. If they do all become eligible in the same year, the Hall should make an exception and allow them all in at once.
Beth, it's the end of a great era. I'm glad I was able to watch them all pitch in their prime.
It really is hard to believe they only won one ring.
HS - I'm trying to remember. Did we see Maddox pitch last year in San Diego?
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