Please read the site note at the bottom of the post.
“Hi, my name is Tom Glavine. Braves fans may remember me from such hits as ‘Shea It Ain’t So’ and ‘The Ballad of Down and Away.’ I’d like to spend the next few news cycles of your time complaining about how I was emotionally hurt when the Atlanta Braves, a team I mostly loved (except for those years I played for their hated rival The New York Mets… by choice) decided to unceremoniously drop me from their roster to bring up the new, young, whippersnapper. Also, I’m going to tease you for a few weeks about possibly filing a grievance until another team picks me up and I have to concentrate on pitching again.”
That’s not a likely statement from Tom Glavine, but it’s the truth (except for those songs… I think). While I appreciate Bleacher Fan’s relationship advice, Tom Glavine has no right to be upset with the Atlanta Braves for several reasons.
First, he’s 43 years old, an ancient age for a solid pitcher who’s become a bit injury prone recently. Though he didn’t go on the Disabled List at all in the first 22 years of his career, age begins to show after a while, and three stints on the DL in the last two years proves that out.
Second, when Glavine returned to the Braves in 2008 (supposedly healthy) he went 2-4 with an ERA over 5.5. This isn’t the young Tom Glavine, and the Braves front office is wise to set their expectations accordingly. Tack on another year, and more DL time, and Glavine isn’t playing his way onto a roster. And, Bleacher Fan, low-A hitters can only hit a fastball (no offense… they’re just learning). So, when a veteran pitcher throws a steady diet of off-speed pitches, they’re not going to hit them, inflating a pitching line. Also, an 80 mph fastball isn’t a fastball. It’s barely even above the speed limit.
Third, sports are a business. Like it or not, personnel decisions have to be made, and they won’t all be as easy as shipping Jordan Schaffer back to the minors. When an older player on the downside of his career has as good of a chance at getting outs in the majors as a young kid with some upside, a smart GM chooses upside every time. The Braves aren’t a team that needs a good veteran clubhouse guy to buy meals and teach professionalism. They need more than two solid starters as a team. They need a guy who can string three or four quality starts together. Glavine isn’t that guy anymore.
Fourth, I completely dismiss the notion that Glavine helped “turn around the Braves” from losers to winners. One person playing every fifth day does not turn a team around. He was a part of a team that turned around, he played his role, and earned his success. But, let’s not get carried away. If we’re going to talk about credit for that turnaround, the conversation starts with Braves manager Bobby Cox. Here’s a Sports Geek fun fact: Did you know that every time a bell rings, Bobby Cox gets thrown out of a game?
Don’t misconstrue my commentary as dislike for Tom Glavine. But, for Glavine to call the Braves’ organization loyalty into question is a farce. He spurned the Braves, for not substantially different money, after rejecting his 2003 contract option. Where’s the loyalty there? The fact that he’s considering filing a grievance just proves MLB players and their union have too much power. That’s nothing more than a legal way to be a crybaby, and the savvy, veteran Glavine is supposed to be better than that.
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