The Brave Triumphate

Greensboro, NC -- If you're a baseball fan, you shouldn't go a day without reading the daily blog of Buster Olney. Olney brought up a great point today in the possibility of the three former Braves stalwarts, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz all retiring in the same year.

Both Maddux and Glavine will be turning 42 this year, and Smoltz will be turning 41. Maddux has 357 career victories, placing him 7 wins behind Roger Clemens. Glavine has 303 wins, and Smoltz has 207 with 154 career saves. Between the three of them, they have seven Cy Youngs. Conceivably, all three could return in 2009 with their respective clubs. However, all three could retire at season's end. I'm always a proponent for a "good" storyline. Wouldn't it be great if all three retired after the same season and were inducted into the Hall-of-Fame together? Unlike fellow pitchers and friends Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, none of these three pitchers has been linked to the steroid scandal that has plagued baseball during their time. However, you could almost compare Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz to David Halberstam's book, "The Teammates." Halberstam illustrates how four teammates for the Red Sox, Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr, Dominic DiMaggio, were best friends both on and off the field. That friendship carried all four of them through difficult times, especially during the 1946 World Series heartbreaking loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. It lasted all the way up until Williams' death in 1999.

The current differences among the three are where they're slotted in thir respective rotations. Glavine couldn't stand being away from Atlanta, even after his icy ending in 2002. He'll gladly slide in as the number three starter for the Braves. Similarly, Maddux doesn't have to be, nor is he the ace that he once was for the Braves. He can mentor the two young stud pitchers, NL Cy Young Winner Jake Peavy and Chris Young, from the third starter spot. Conversely, Smoltz still has an above average fastball and a dominant splitter. The latter does cause an enormous strain on his elbow. By cutting out the simulated games and reducing the number of spring training starts, Smoltz hopes to build some endurance for the full season. The Braves will need it if they're going to challenge the Mets and Johan Santana.