As a longtime Braves fan, I was beyond angry when I heard that they had released Tom Glavine yesterday. As a 14 year-old boy, I watched Glavine's first start back in 1987, was with him and the Braves through some dark, early years, rejoiced when things unexpectedly turned around in 1991, cheered like crazy during Game Six of the 1995 World Series, and continued to pull for him as his career transformed from merely great to Hall of Fame worthy. Even if I didn't particularly enjoy his move to the Mets, I understood. Even though I knew he wasn't the same pitcher he used to be upon his return to Atlanta last year, I rejoiced. Glavine doesn't know it, but he and I have a lot of history together, and history makes up for a lot.
So, yes, I was angry when I heard the news yesterday. Earlier this spring I wanted Glavine to retire because it sounded like he truly couldn't pitch anymore, but his rehab starts sounded like they were going well. Indeed, he pitched six scoreless innings on Tuesday night. In light of this, and in light of all Glavine has meant to the franchise over the past 22 years, I thought the Braves were obligated to at least give him a chance to pitch. But they didn't. Which was bad enough, but it was compounded by what seemed like humiliation in light of Glavine's statements the evening before that he stood ready to pitch. As it seemed motivated by money (Glavine stood to claim $1 million for making the team) it struck me like a particularly classless and penny wise-pound foolish way to let a future Hall of Famer's career end in Atlanta.
After having had a night to sleep on it, I'm still miffed over it all, though not quite as miffed as I was yesterday. I will not dispute for a second that the Braves are better off from a baseball perspective having Tommy Hanson pitching than Tom Glavine. I will also fully grant the following, offered by Braves' GM Frank Wren:
"In low-A ball, the pitching line is not a relevant factor in whether the 'stuff' could get major-league hitters out"
I'm no scout and outside of the discussion of his radar readings, I've heard nothing about the specific quality of his rehab starts. Maybe he'd get shelled if he pitched for Atlanta. I don't know.
But I do know that the only situation which could have existed to make this something other than a callous move on the Braves' part would the following: Glavine is told that he's not cutting by Braves management and is about to be released, and then nonetheless seeks out a reporter to make that "I'm ready" comment. In such a situation, it's Glavine, not the Braves forcing the issue out the way it was forced, putting the Braves in a no-win situation. Did he do that, or did the Braves play their cards close to the vest, encouraging him along in rehab, allowing him to declare himself ready, and then and only then tell him, no, you're going to be released?
For those of us who are coming at this with some emotional baggage as it relates to a team legend -- as opposed to thinking about it in merely analytical terms -- that is the most important question.
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"Everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end."
(thanks for Simmons for bringing that one back)
Craig, what was Glavine doing completing his "rehab" in low-A? His ex-teammate is completing his return to the majors by making two starts for Pawtucket. Glavine couldn't get major leaguers out very often last season, why would he have any better luck now after surgery?
The Braves made the right decision and I think its pretty clear this is a case of an athlete's ego getting in the way of rational self-judgment. (Not that its an uncommon event or anything.) I have to seriously wonder whether Glavine ever takes a mound again. Do you think it likely that any team keeping tabs on his rehab had scouts reporting "this is a guy we could use, if the Braves don't want him!" No way.
If you had no choice but to sign one of the two broken-down future Hall of Famers who sit unemployed right now, I think any rational GM would pick Pedro over Glavine, and Pedro will appear in a major league game before Glavine does.
But wouldn't it be interesting if Glavine did get signed by someone but also gets told, "you aren't ready, and you will spend another 21 days in the minors and actually work your way up the ladder to show you can get better hitters out before we'll give you a spot on the roster."
Glavine also made some rehab starts for the AAA team (which is in an Atlanta suburb). The low-A team is about 40 miles from Atlanta. The rehab starts were probably determined by what team was playing at home on the given days.
I wonder if he made the "I'm ready" statement so that other clubs would know he can still pitch and that the Braves weren't releasing him because he was having a set-back.
That's the question, Kanonen. If he knew that the Braves thought he couldn't pitch but still offered that statement out of self-interest, my previous criticism of the Braves was off base and I'll have some issues with Glavine for playing politics. If Glavine wanted to latch on elsewhere he can try out or rely on the scouting of other teams just like anyone else in his situation, not offer position statments.
Glavine actually bounced between Rome (Class A) and Gwinnett (AAA) for his rehab starts, depending on where each one was playing at the time (this is common for vet rehab assignments, as the club doesn't want them to have to travel much).
Who cares BRAVES STINK.
From New York Met Fan, with LUV .......
He hasn't been a HoF pitcher for years, yes it was tacky the way it was handled but this is what happens to players everyday. More interesting is the trade for McClouth a good ballplayer and sorely needed in the stolen bases and power to boot but this has got to make Jordan Shaffer wonder what's going on.
he left atlanta for the money why is everyone offended that atlanta made the same monetary business decision. no heart string pulling here.
Elsewhere Craig made an comparison to the situation the Red Sox face with Smoltz: legend who is nearing the end of the his rehab, without an obvious role. Frank Wren seems to have been taking some lessons from Theo Epstein lately. The way the Braves negotiated with Glavine and Smoltz last off-season are similar to how the Red Sox dealt with Varitek, in the sense that they wouldn't overpay to bring back the fan favourite. Now, the Braves made a bold move to cut the guy who they forced to take their prefered deal, again refusing to pay for sentimentality.
It's tough on fans because we all want our hometown heroes to remain so forever, but we loath when management spends frivolously in other scenarios. If Craig is right that the Braves are better off from an on-filed baseball perspective with Hanson over Glavine (and I happen to agree that they are) then the way this played itself out will be a tiny footnote in history. Winning, more than anything else, cures the blues of sports fans.
As usual, it's got to be about money. Glavine's salary & bonus must be recaptured by fan attendance. He would need to put several thousand extra butts in the stands, which in management's opinion was very doubtful or they would not have released him. True fans know his situation. Would they spend money especially in this economy to see him pitch when he's somewhere between barely capable and incapable at the big show level? Sad, but true. Tom pushed them too hard and lost the gamble. Live with it.
Baseball is for wussies anyway. Watch a real sport like Hockey!
Glavine is Hall bound no matter what Atlanta does or doesn't do. Atlanta has had many great pitchers in it's days and shall always be a pitching team. So no one acted poorly. Braves are trying to stay fresh and competitive while Glavine knows his days are numbered in baseball.
The 2nd greatest lefthanded pitcher after Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, couldn't accept that his career was over and he stayed too long 'hanging on' with a few teams after the Phillies. Glavine was done when in the last game of the 2007 season he gave up 7 runs in the first inning when the Mets needed to win to beat out the Phillies for 1st place (hear that Met fans) and he couldn't get out of the first inning. The Mets were just beaten again today by the Pirates and the Phillies continue to win. Face it, both the Mets and Glavine are finished. The new dynasty in the NL is the Phillies.
I KNOW the METS beat you head to head the last couple years so
stop yappin........... just like Butter Roll I mean J-ROLL
PHILLIES SUX,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Mets beat u head to head the last few years.....
now u know so tell Butter Roll aka J-Roll
Dynasty ?? first title in 25 years WOW, I Bet half the team was JUICING