John Smoltz: More Than Just a Brave

The Future Hall of Famer is a Humanitarian and an Outspoken Christian

John Smoltz is one of only two major league baseball players ever to have a season with 20 wins and a season with 50 saves (The other was Hall of Fame player Dennis Eckersley.) He is also only won of two players ever to have 150 wins for a career and 150 saves (The other was Eckersley.). His success might not be surprising, because his four-seam fastball has been clocked as high as 98 MPH, and his slider is considered one of the best in the major leagues. He uses a 90 MPH split-finger fastball as a strikeout pitch. He sometimes also uses a curveball and a change-up, and in 1999, he began to use a knuckleball and a three-quarters delivery, although he rarely does either in a game today.

John Smoltz was an All-State baseball player at Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan before he was drafted in the 22nd round by the Detroit Tigers in the 1985 amateur draft. He might well have been drafted higher, but some were concerned he would attend Michigan State University and play basketball.

Smoltz played in the Detroit farm system for awhile. On August 12, 1987, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He was traded for proven pitcher Doyle Alexander, as Detroit and the New York Yankees were chasing the Toronto Blue Jays for the division lead. Alexander went 9-0 down the stretch with a 1.53 ERA average. Detroit did win the division, although the team lost in the playoffs to the Minnesota Twins, and has not had much success after that season until this season. The team has had the best record in the major leagues so far in the 2006 season. On the other hand, Smoltz will likely be in the Hall of Fame, as he played on a team that won its division 14 times and won one World Series championship.

John Smoltz showed his promise in 1989, as he had a record of 12-11, with a 2.94 ERA, in 208 innings.