(Special Tribute to Tom Glavine) This Date in the MLB, December 5th, 2002 The Mets sign the much sought after free-agent Tom Glavine to a three-year deal worth $35 million, with an option for an additional year that could increase the value of the contract to $42.5 million. The 36 year-old southpaw, who has compiled a 242-143 record along with a 3.37 ERA, will notch his 300th career victory with New York in 2007. Tom Glavines 2006 season was his most successful with the Mets, finishing the season with a 15-7 record and a 3.82 ERA. He pitched 16 consecutive scoreless innings in the 2006 playoffs, finishing with a 2-1 record and a 1.59 ERA. Growing up in Billerica, Mass., Glavine attended Billerica Memorial High School where he was a four-time league All-Star and All-Conference honoree in baseball and was named to All-Star and All-Conference teams three times in hockey. He also earned the Boston Globes All-Scholastic and Player of the Year honors in both baseball and hockey. He graduated from high school in 1984, was drafted by both the Atlanta Braves (second round) and the Los Angeles Kings (fourth round) of the NHL. Tom Glavine chose baseball... After stops at Bradenton, Sumter, Greenville and Richmond, Glavine made his Major League debut on August 17, 1987 against the Houston Astros. He notched his first career win one start later on August 22 - a 10-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. From 1987-2002, Tom Glavine amassed a lengthy, successul reign with the Atlanta Braves, including two Cy Young Awards (1991, 1998), five seasons of 20 or more wins (1991-1993, 1998, 2000) and four Silver Slugger Awards (1991, 1995, 1996, 1998). He was also named the World Series MVP after one-hitting the Cleveland Indians for eight innings in the decisive sixth game of the 1995 World Series. With 164 victories during the 1990s, Tom Glavine earned the second highest amounts of wins as a pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Madduxs 176. He was a five-time 20-game winner and two-time Cy Young Award winner, and one of only 24 pitchers (and just 6 left-handers) in major league history to earn 300 career wins. In 2003, Glavine left Atlanta to play for the rival New York Mets, signing a four-year, $42.5 million deal. Glavines performance had slumped in the second half of 2002 and he was ineffective in his two postseason starts, so Atlanta refused to guarantee a third year on his contract. Glavines first year as a Met was a little tough. For the first time since 1988, he failed to win 10 games, also posting his first losing record in that span, 9–14. He did get to enjoy a personal highlight at the end of the season, however, when the Mets called up his brother Mike to join the team. Glavine began 2004 well, highlighted by a May 23 one-hit shutout of the Colorado Rockies and selection to the National League All-Star team. Tom started off 2005 slowly, but things were about to change. With advice from pitching coach Rick Peterson, who encouraged Glavine to begin pitching inside more often (including a change up in) and incorporate a curveball in his repertoire. Glavines turnaround helped him earn National League Pitcher of the Month in September. He finished the season with a 13–13 record and a respectable 3.53 ERA. The Mets faith in Glavine was rewarded when he returned to his old form during the 2006 season. He finished one victory shy of the NL lead in wins and was selected to the All-Star team. That season Tom Glavine became the first Mets left-hander in nearly 30 years to start at least thirty games in four consecutive seasons. Glavine and the Mets got a scare in August 2006. His pitching shoulder was tested for a blood clot because he was suffering from coldness in his left ring finger. This was originally thought to be a symptom of Raynauds syndrome, which had been diagnosed in 1990. Doctors picked something up when they did an ultrasound. The results of that new test showed the problem could be treated with medicine, and Glavine resumed pitching on September 1, against the Houston Astros. Tom Glavine finished the 2006 season with a fine 15–7 record and a 3.82 ERA, as the Mets won the National League Eastern Division, allowing him to make his first playoff appearance since leaving the Braves. He started Game 2 of the Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching six shutout innings and surrendering only four hits to pick up the win, as the Mets went on to sweep the series from the Dodgers. He then started Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching seven shutout innings to pick up the win, helped by Carlos Beltrans two-run home run. Glavines postseason scoreless innings streak ended in his next start. He suffered the loss in Game 5 while the Mets went on to drop the series to the Cardinals in seven games. Glavine re-signed with the Mets for the 2007 season, needing only 10 wins to reach 300 wins for his career. He started his fourth Opening Day game as a Met in the 2007 season. On August 5, 2007, Glavine won his 300th game, against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. In the game, he also was 1 for 2 with a run batted in and a walk. He pitched 6⅓ innings and won 8–3, bringing his lifetime record to 300–197. Tom Glavine is the 23rd pitcher to win 300 games, and the fifth left-handed pitcher to do so, joining Eddie Plank, Lefty Grove, Warren Spahn, and Steve Carlton. Randy Johnson had since won his 300th game on June 4, 2009, becoming the 24th pitcher and 6th left-hander to do so. On September 30, 2007, Glavine started the final game of the Mets 2007 regular season against the Florida Marlins. The Mets, tied with the Philadelphia Phillies, needed a win to either win the division or force a playoff game with the Phillies for the division. Unfortunately, Glavine had a bad day, one of the worst starts of his career, allowing seven runs while recording only one out, with the Mets being eliminated from playoff contention with an 8–1 loss. Glavine declined a one-year, $13 million contract option for the 2008 season with the Mets on October 5, 2007, ending his time as a New York Met. However, he did collect a $3 million buyout when he declined the $13 million option. On November 18, 2007, Tom Glavine rejoined the Braves, seemingly bringing his career full circle. On April 18, 2008 however, Tom Glavine was placed on the disabled list (DL) for the first time in his 22-year career. On May 14, 2008, Glavine won his first game with the Atlanta Braves since September 19, 2002. This was also his 304th win, and it occurred while the Atlanta Braves were playing against the Philadelphia Phillies. Coincidentally, both his win on September 19, 2002 and May 14, 2008, were against the Phillies. On August 14, 2008, Tom Glavine appeared in his final game. He started against the Chicago Cubs, and he gave up 7 runs in only 4 innings. A few days later, he was placed on the disabled list because of a recurring shoulder injury. On February 19, 2009, Glavine agreed to return to Atlanta by signing a $1 million, one-year contract that included another $3.5 million in possible bonuses based on roster time. However, the Braves released Tom Glavine on June 3, 2009, as he was completing his rehab assignment. On June 20, he announced he wouldnt pitch for the rest of the season. On February 11, 2010, he officially retired from the sport, having strongly hinted at that decision throughout the past few months. On the date of his retirement, Tom Glavine agreed to take a job as a special assistant to Braves president John Schuerholz starting in the 2010 season. He would also serve as a guest analyst for some Braves games on SportSouth and Fox Sports South. The Braves retired Glavines # 47 on August 6, 2010. Like longtime Atlanta teammate Greg Maddux, Glavine was one of the better-hitting pitchers of his generation. He has a career .186 batting average — decent for a modern pitcher — and has hit over .200 in nine seasons, with a career best of .289 in 1996. He has a good eye, drawing a high number of walks (for a pitcher), which combined with his hits have given him a career on-base percentage of .244. Because Glavine got on base almost a quarter of the time he batted, opposing pitchers have never been able to treat him as an automatic out in the lineup. In 2004, Glavine walked as often as he struck out (10 times each), another remarkable feat for a pitcher. Glavine is also an excellent bunter. His 201 sacrifice bunts prior to 2007 ranked second among active players at the time, only behind Omar Vizquel. Glavine has four Silver Slugger Awards, ranking him second all-time for pitchers behind Mike Hampton. If fans didnt recognize his calm, unemotional personality, even during rough outings, the opposition impatiently did. This is a marked contrast to longtime teammates Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, both emotional competitors. In 2005, along with several Mets teammates, Tom Glavine served as a spokesman for Volunteers of Americas Operation Backpack program. The program helped equip over 7,000 homeless school children with backpacks full of necessary school supplies. An additional 3,000 back packs were sent to Houston to help Katrina victims. In 2007, Glavine supported the Rally Foundation through the Money in the Mitt 300 Challenge to support childhood cancer care by selling Vineyard Vines Rally Ties to commemorate his historic 300th win in an effort to raise $300,000. 300 signed ties were to be sold for $1,000 each. In 2008, Glavine released a charity wine called Cabernet Glavingnon to raise funds for CURE Childhood Cancer, an organization founded to help conquer childhood cancer through research, education and support of patients and their families. Since 1992, Glavine has partnered with the Georgia Transplant Foundation to host the annual Spring Training event, raising more than 4.3 million dollars for transplant candidates, recipients, and their families, in the state of Georgia. Facts: • Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (2014 - first year of eligibility) 23rd player to win 300 career games. • 10-time All-Star (1991–93, 1996–98, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006) • 2-time National League Cy Young Award winner (1991, 1998) • Finished 2nd in National League Cy Young award voting (1992, 2000) • Finished 3rd in National League Cy Young award voting (1993, 1995) • Finished 10th in National League MVP voting (1992) • Finished 11th in National League MVP voting (1991) • Finished 14th in National League MVP voting (2000) • Finished 21st in National League MVP voting (1998) • Finished 24th in National League MVP voting (1993) • World Series MVP Award (1995) • 5-time National League leader in wins (1991–93, 1998, 2000) • 4-time Silver Slugger winner (1991, 1995–96, 1998) • Only pitcher to throw two shutouts at Coors Field, doing so while with Atlanta. Holds the major league record for career starts without making an appearance in relief (682). Also started 35 post-season games with no relief appearances. Below: 1) From 1987-2002, Tom Glavine amassed a lengthy, successul reign with the Atlanta Braves, including two Cy Young Awards (1991, 1998). 2) Before he became a Hall of Fame pitcher, Tom Glavine received a scholarship to play hockey and baseball at UMass-Lowell and was also drafted by the Los Angeles Kings. 3) Never one to give in to hitters, strong-minded lefty enters Cooperstown with 305 wins. (Induction 2014, Vote 91.9% - first ballot) 4) Tom Glavine tips his cap after winning his 300th game, against the Chicago Cubs on August 5th, 2007.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 08:54:49 +0000
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