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According, to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Braves RHP John Smoltz will have season-ending shoulder surgery.
…added to by Matthew Cerrone…
According to Mark Bowman at MLB.com, the Braves have scheduled an 11:30 am press conference at Turner Field, where they are expected to discuss the future of Smoltz.
…i wonder if he’s going to announce his retirement…i mean, it’s a little weird to have a press conference to just announce surgery…
Smoltz returned from the disabled list on Monday, June 2, pitching from the bullpen instead of the rotation to help limit the stress on his shoulder, but allowed two runs on three hits in a blown save.




I’m not devastated
Hmm… now if he is in NY he gets bashed for being too old.
Damn, I was just coming on to wonder if Glavine is devastated. Good job Headliner.
They lose Smoltz now and Glavine at the
end of the season. Sounds like trouble in
Mudville.
Well, for those who said that the Phillies were the team to worry about this year, you were right.
They draw Volquez tonight and they throw out the Brett Myers. Reds need to take a game off of Philly here.
Volquez is more then due to come back down to earth.. it will probably happen tonight.
that’s definitely a huge loss to them. I thought he’d at least be available in the pen. I wonder what kind of deal they’ll swing to bring in someone new, or whether they’ll just use what they have…but you’d have to think with some of the guys they have now (cough, Texiera) they’d try to do something to stay in contention.
Braves prob calling padres to get Greg Maddux back right now… Glavine will need a new golf partner.
I totally agree, my “hatred” for the Braves aside, I have a certain amount of repsect for Smoltz and Chipper as well. While Maddux is a first ballot HOF’r Smoltz was always the one I worried about as I knew Maddux would stop pitching after throwing 68 pitches through 7 innings and leave it to the ‘Pen. Smoltz would give anything to try and win and I can respect that. Now, I hope Atlanta doesn’t win another game all year, (except for when they play the Phils and Fish) but Im will miss Smoltz as he is one of the few Braves who could be on my team anytime.
Because Smoltz played such a huge part in the Braves 4-game sweep of the Mets in May.
The Braves won’t be there in the end. After game 162 they will go home, just like the last 2 years.
I’d just like to say as a Mets fan who hates the Braves, I respect John Smoltz a ton. He’s an absolute gamer and I’ve admired him for much of his career. I wouldn’t go on and assume the Braves have no chance, but this definitely hurts them.
OH WELL!
I agree. I hate the guy, but respect him. Once he, Glavine, and Chipper retire, the rivalry I grew up with will be officially over.
Congrats on a borderline hall of fame career john.
Man, I am not much of a stat guy, but from what I do know of Smoltz, he seems more like a lock for the HOF.
He’s a NO DOUBT HOFer… only guys with 200+ wins and 150+ saves in MLB history… strikeout numbers are HOF caliber as well… He’s a first ballot, no questions asked HOFer
I’m hoping you were joking with that “borderline” remark. The guy is obviously a hall of famer - I’m not a stat guy either but isn’t he the only guy with like 200 wins and 200 saves or something? I could care less what the exact numbers are he’s an absolute bull dog on the mound, he’s intense, he went and became one of the game’s top closers for a few years, and then he went on back to the rotation to dominate hitters as a starter once more. My hat’s off to you, John, and may your hat stay off for good.
Yeah, like the rest of ‘em, I don’t get the “borderline” call. He has been dominant his entire career and a bona fide ace when it mattered most, although he is a jackass from what my friends have told me.
Larry on the other hand… as much as I hate the dude, one year he would answer his door on Halloween to sign kids’ gloves… I hope he hits .400, I wonder how much that Rawlings will cost in the future!
Both are easily first-ballot, though.
Let me explain why I view him as a borderline HOF, not a sure thing:
-He only won more than 17 games once in his career.
-7 seasons of double digit losses
-Best ERA as a starter was 2.85, far from dominant.
-Only 1 Cy Young
-Very good closer for 2+ years
-1-4 in WS in his career, 12-12 career postseason.
To me, he seems like a pretty good pitcher who had one really good year as a starter and one amazing year as a closer. That doesn’t strike me as a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer. Maybe I just like my hall of famers to be more dominant than Smoltz was.
Smoltz is a first-ballot HOFer. Cooperstown should take exception to the 2-entrants per year rule and induct Smoltz ALONGSIDE Maddux and Glavine (should they ALL retire after this year).
baseball doesn’t have a 2 entrants per year rule. Anyone who gets at least 75% of the ballots is inducted. Smoltz wasn’t as great as you all seem to think he is.
Well getting out to an early lead on them last season didn’t work, so we’ll try the reverse!
yep, this will probably kill the Braves just like losing Utley for a month late last season killed the Phillies…oh, wait.
Are you saying that the Braves are going to sign Tad Iguchi to play 2nd base and hit fly balls over the fence in Williamsport?
Hmmm, I wonder if he hangs it up. He’s going to have a tough road ahead of him.
I bet he does, and he, Glavine and Maddux all go into the Hall togteher
Good call Jamie. I hate them, but I’d like to be at Cooperstown when they go in, just for the historical value of it.
oddly enough, I always liked all 3 of them (at least up until Game 161 and 1/3 IP last year). I’m a fan of old school pitching dominance, and as much as I hated the Braves, I respected that they were built around one of the great pitching staffs of all-time, and I loved that Maddux was the best pitcher of his era (yea Roidger, you read that right) despite not being anything close to overpowering. I went to a game between him and Rick Reed in 2001 I believe, Maddux gave up a single in the top of the first, and then didn’t give up a hit until he came out in the 7th. It was absolutely masterful, and that was 5 years AFTER his prime.
I respected the hell out of them. Glav I grew to like somewhat during his time here, and smoltz was always (seemingly) respectful, but maddux ALWAYS drove me absolutely nuts, really irked me for some reason.
maybe because he had his own personal catcher and pulled himself out of games if the Braves had a late lead.
That would be interesting due to Piazza retiring this year as well…..lots of choices…i wonder who gets bumped…
you’re right, that would be a tough ticket