Thomas Michael Glavine (born
March 25, 1966) is an American
left-handed starting
pitcher in Major League
Baseball who is currently a free agent.
With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second
winningest pitcher in the
National League, second only to
Greg Maddux. He is 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.
As of 2009, his 305 wins rank him as baseball's winningest active
pitcher. He is also known as an excellent fielding and hitting
pitcher.
Biography
Early years
Glavine
was born in Concord, Massachusetts
and reared in Billerica, Massachusetts
. Glavine attended Billerica
Memorial High School
, where he was an excellent student and a letterman in ice
hockey as well as baseball. He was a four-year member of
the honor roll and the
National
Honor Society. In hockey, as a senior, he was named the
Merrimack Valley's Most Valuable
Player. In baseball, he led his team to the Division I North Title
and the Eastern Massachusetts Championship as a senior. Glavine
graduated from high school in 1984 with honors. He was elected to
the Billerica Memorial/Howe High School Athletic Hall of Fame in
1993. He also won the state championships for Billerica in 1985.
His fellow teammates included
Gary
DiSarcina and his catcher, publicity seeker Jim Fielding.
Post-high school
Glavine
was drafted by both the Los Angeles
Kings in the 1984 NHL Entry
Draft (in the 4th round, 69th overall—two rounds ahead of
future National Hockey League
star Brett Hull and five rounds ahead of
Luc Robitaille, both 2009 Hockey Hall of
Fame
inductees), and the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball
organization in the 2nd round of the 1984 amateur baseball draft. Glavine
elected to play baseball and made his major league debut on August
17,
1987.
Atlanta Braves
Glavine earned his first career win against the Pittsburgh Pirates,
hitting
Barry Bonds in the back (years
later, Bonds hit his 756th career home run the same week Glavine
got his 300th career win). Glavine enjoyed good times and bad times
during his first several years in the majors, compiling a 33–43
record from 1987 to
1990, including
a 17-loss performance in
1988.
His fortunes turned around in
1991,
when he won 20 games and posted a 2.55
earned run average. It was his first of
three consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins, and saw him earn
his first
National League Cy Young Award. Glavine was the ace on the
1991 Braves' starting rotation that also included
Steve Avery,
Charlie Leibrandt, and another future NL
Cy Young Award winner,
John Smoltz. His
season helped ensure a dramatic reversal in the Braves' competitive
fortunes as they won the National League pennant and earned a trip
to the
World Series, though they
lost to the
Minnesota Twins in seven
games. In an era of the diminishing 20-game winner (there were none
in the majors in
2006), Glavine became the
last major league pitcher—and the only pitcher active in
2007—to win 20 games in
three consecutive years (1991–1993).
Atlanta, long thought of as a perennial cellar dweller, was lifted
in the 1990s into one of the most successful franchises in the game
on the strength of its stellar pitching staff and solid hitting.
After the Braves acquired
Greg Maddux
from the
Chicago Cubs in
1993, Glavine, Maddux, and Smoltz formed
the best pitching rotation of the decade. Among them, they won
seven Cy Young Awards during the period of 1991 to
1998. Glavine won his second Cy Young Award
in 1998, going 20–6 with a 2.47 ERA. Years later, after Glavine
joined the Mets and Maddux played for the
San Diego Padres, the three (along with
Smoltz who still pitched for Atlanta) all recorded wins on the same
day, June 27,
2007.
The Braves defeated the
Cleveland
Indians in 6 games in the
1995
World Series, and Glavine was named the
Series MVP. He won two games during
that series: Game 2 and Game 6. In Game 6, he pitched eight innings
of one-
hit shutout baseball; in fact,
the only run in that game was a solo 6th-inning
home run by
David
Justice of the Braves.
In addition to the championship won with the Braves in 1995, he
also went to four other World Series with the team (in
1991,
1992,
1996 and
1999).
New York Mets
In
2003, much to the chagrin of
many Braves fans, Glavine left Atlanta to play for the rival
New York Mets, signing a four-year,
$42.5 million deal. Glavine's 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.
Glavine's first year as a Met was poor. For the first time since
1988, he failed to win 10 games,
also posting his first losing record in that span, a dismal 9–14.
He also allowed his first and only career grand slam, hit by
Jose Vidro of the
Expos on September 19. Glavine 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. However,
he struggled again during a second half marred by losing front
teeth in a car accident while riding in a taxicab. He went on to
post a slightly better record, though still a losing one, going
11–14.
He started off
2005 slowly, but
rebounded after 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. Glavine's 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
Raynaud's syndrome,
which had been diagnosed in 1990. According to the pitcher,
"Doctors... picked something up when they did the
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.
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 Beltran's two run home run. Glavine's
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
on ESPN's Sunday
Night Baseball. In the game, he also was 1 for 2 with a
run batted in and a
walk. He pitched 6 1/3 innings and won 8–3,
bringing his lifetime record to 300–197. 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.
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 play-off game with the Phillies
for the division. Unfortunately, Glavine made one of the worst
starts of his career, allowing 8 runs while recording only one
out.
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.
Return to Atlanta Braves
Glavine being introduced at Turner
Field in his first game back with the Braves in 2008
On November 18, 2007, Glavine rejoined the Braves, seemingly
bringing his career full circle, with a 1-year contract worth $8
million. On April 18, 2008, 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
Philadelphia
Phillies.
On February 19, , 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
Glavine on June 3, 2009, as he was completing his rehab assignment.
On June 20, Glavine announced he won't pitch for the rest of the
season.
Pitching style
Glavine, a left-hander, has gradually lost velocity over the course
of his career. He continues to be an effective starting pitcher in
the National League by using his excellent control and deception,
switching speeds, and locating pitches off the outside corner of
the strike zone. His most common approach is to begin by locating
his
circle changeup off the outside
corner, then follow with alternating
fastballs and
change ups
to confuse the hitter. While batters frequently make contact with
his pitches, the substantial movement he places on them makes
drives very soft, resulting in easily fielded ground balls and
infield fly outs. Glavine's consistency is also highlighted by his
durability; since his first full year in 1988, he has started at
least 25 games every year. In addition to his excellent change up
and well-controlled fastball, Glavine has a plus-
curve ball, a
slider, and a
tailing two-seam fastball. Despite being a left-handed pitcher,
Glavine is often more effective against right-handed batters.
Dodgers broadcaster
Vin Scully noted that
this attribute is likely due to Glavine pitching from the extreme
right edge of the
pitching
rubber.
Like longtime Atlanta teammate
Greg
Maddux, Glavine has been one of the better-hitting pitchers of
his generation. He has a career .188
batting average—decent for a modern
pitcher—and has hit over .200 in eight seasons, with a career best
of .289 in 1996. He has a good eye, drawing a high number of walks,
which combined with his hits have given him a career
on base percentage of .246. Because
Glavine gets on base almost a quarter of the time he bats, 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 ranks second among active players to
Omar Vizquel. Glavine has four
Silver Slugger
Awards, ranking him second all-time for pitchers behind
Mike Hampton.
Although he was teammates with
Greg
Maddux and
John Smoltz for many
years, he exhibited a largely different pitching personality.
Glavine has been known for a calm, unemotional personality, even
during rough outings. This is a marked contrast to Maddux and
Smoltz, both emotional competitors.
Players' union representative
Starting in 1991, Tom Glavine served as the Atlanta Braves team
representative to the
Major League Baseball
Players Association, succeeding former NL
Most Valuable Player and
Braves icon
Dale Murphy in the position.
Prior to and during the
1994 Major League Baseball
strike, Tom Glavine was heavily involved in negotiations
between the union and team owners and was frequently interviewed
and quoted in the press about the talks. Ultimately, the strike
caused the cancellation of the 1994 World Series and lasted 7 1/2
months. When play resumed in 1995, Glavine was frequently booed by
Braves fans for his role in the players' union and was criticized
for it in the local Atlanta press. Glavine currently serves as the
National League players' representative .
Personal life and philanthropy
- The 43-year-old Glavine and his wife Christina have a
4-week-old baby: a son Kienan Patrick, whom they adopted. The
Glavines had four children already —- Amber, 14, by Glavine’s
previous marriage, Jonathan, 14, by Chris’ previous marriage and
two sons together, Peyton, 10, and Mason, 8.
- Tom Glavine is a Roman Catholic and has done a recorded piece
for Catholic Athletes for Christ.
- In 2005, Along with several Mets teammates, Tom Glavine served
as the spokesperson for "Operation Backpack". The program helped
equip over 7,000 homeless school children with back packs full of
necessary school supplies. An additional 3,000 back packs were sent
to Houston to help Katrina victims.
- In 2007, Tom 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, Tom 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, Tom 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
Accomplishments
- 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.
See also
References
- Mets buyout Tom Glavine for $3 million
- Glavine returning to Braves. Retrieved on
2009-02-20.
- Agent: Glavine released by Braves
- Glavine will evaluate future after season
- The two sides of Tom Glavine - pitcher, union
representative; includes related articles - Baseball Preview -
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