MIAMI -- It might be easy to say that Tom Glavine is the Whitey Ford of his generation.
It might even be more appropriate now because Glavine, with 237 victories, passed Ford for 50th on the all-time wins list Tuesday night at Pro Player Stadium.
But that just wouldn't be right.
The fact is, with all the respect due to the great Yankees lefty, there never has been anyone else like Tom Glavine. No one in baseball's grand history has done what Glavine has done, on and off the field, for nearly 15 years.
Very few players have stayed with the same team that length of time, especially in this take-the-money-and-move era. After this season, the Braves will most likely re-sign him and Glavine will be able to polish off his very shiny career.
Four more average Glavine years add up to 300 wins.
"He's a first ballot Hall of Famer,'' Chipper Jones said. "His resume already speaks for itself.''
He will always be cherished by Braves fans for bringing the city of Atlanta its lone pro sports title by pitching a 1-0 gem in the clincher, Game 6 of the 1995 World Series. He has come to symbolize the resurgence of the franchise, including 10-straight division titles. With apologies this time to Dale Murphy and Hank Aaron, he has become Mr. Brave.
You can count on Tom Glavine.
He takes special pride in going to the post. The difference is, Glavine's a pitcher who thinks he can win when he's not throwing great.
"As a player, the biggest compliment you can get is that you are consistent, knowing that the manager can pencil you in every time around,'' Glavine said after winning his 13th game of the season on Tuesday night. "I've had a couple of 20-wins seasons and that was great but the most difficult thing for a big-league player to achieve is the consistency.''
He has averaged 220 innings a year in his tenure in the Majors. And he's never been on the disabled list. But don't think it's because he hasn't been hurt.
"Oh, he's been hurt,'' said Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone said. "He [and Greg Maddux] have both been hurt many times. They just have a higher threshold of pain than most people.''
Tom Glavine is driven to succeed.
"He doesn't give in, even in Spring Training,'' Mazzone said.
But how does he do it?
He's not imposing on the mound. He never could throw 95. He feels like he has had the strike zone changed on him three or four times. He has battled blisters, elbow aches, shoulder pains and assorted rib injuries.
Some might tell you he had to reinvent himself as a pitcher to deal with last year's strike zone change. He was forced to pitch more inside and it took nearly four months of the season for him to feel comfortable on that part of the plate. But, naturally, the rest of the motion remains the same: A smooth and easy delivery that refuses to alert the hitters as to what's coming next.
On June 26, Glavine got a blister on his left index finger that eventually caused him to miss his eighth All-Star Game this year. He tried to alter his mechanics again, but gave up at least two home runs in four games straight. Then he went back to his old style and beat the Marlins 3-1 last Thursday in Atlanta.
Tom Glavine is smart.
"I know hitters who can tell you exactly what he's going to throw but they still can't hit it,'' Mazzone said. "I've seen him throw great games without ever throwing a breaking ball.''
Tom Glavine works hard.
Anyone on the team in the last 15 years will tell you that no one outworks Glavine. He brings the same intensity and focus to his between-games throwing sessions, as he does to the pregame strategy session.
Tom Glavine has fun.
From golf to hitting to bunting, Glavine, Maddux and their teammates have always enjoyed friendly competitions behind the scenes. Just look below the bill of his cap and you can tell that Glavine is very serious on the field. But away from the mound, he is relaxed, easy to talk to and appears to have his priorities in order.
All of these things make him a great pitcher, eventually along the lines of a Steve Carlton, Bob Gibson and maybe even Warren Spahn.
But Glavine takes it even farther off the field.
Tom Glavine respects the game.
He feels a very strong responsibility to represent his fellow players in labor negotiations even though he knows it's a difficult job. He was the out-front player during the work stoppage in 1994 and learned that trying to help people understand what you truly believe in, doesn't always end up the way you'd like it.
During this year's negotiations, Glavine will be a little less vocal but he is back in there again, trying to make it work for future generations of players and baseball fans.
"He's the toughest-minded individual I have ever worked with,'' Mazzone said.
And, quite possibly, one of the best.
Posted by: EarWax
Go Braves! They are hitting a lot better this year too!