Comparing Smoltz to Eckersley
Posted: Saturday, June 14, 2008 11:44 AM
The first time I saw John Smoltz pitch in person was Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. At 24, he produced one of the greatest performances in one of baseball’s greatest games. Game 7, World Series, unending deafening roar under the bubble of the Metrodome and this ingénue pitched seven shutout innings.
It would be Smoltz’s fate as well as his team’s that night to be countered by the greatest World Series pitching performance (in my view) -- 10 shutout innings thrown by Jack Morris.
That night foreshadowed much of Smoltz’s career. He has often followed the “and” -- as in (Greg) Maddux, (Tom) Glavine AND Smoltz.
Smoltz had surgery earlier this week during which doctors found significant damage in his right shoulder. Smoltz has been around long enough to know that similar operations have limited the flexibility in other pitchers – so much so they could no longer pitch. Smoltz hopes to know more about what his future holds when he is first able to throw again in four or five months.
Before anyone presumes that at age 41 Smoltz has thrown his last pitch in the big leagues, let’s remember Randy Johnson is throwing in the low 90s after back surgery at 44. But now that his career is on life support the question arises of where does Smoltz rank?
By what he has achieved since breaking into the majors in 1988 Smoltz draws a natural comparison to Hall-of-Famer Dennis Eckersley, who is the top example of a pitcher who made a mid-career change from starting to relieving. Two greats, Goose Gossage and Dave Righetti, made such a change early in their careers and neither compiled the resume of Eckersley or Smoltz as a starter.
So where does Smoltz rank on the Eckersley scale of excellence?
As a starter Eckersley was strong in his first five years from 1975-80 compiling a 77-50 record with a 3.12 ERA but he fell from that level over the next seven seasons and was merely an ordinary big-league pitcher from 1980-86.
Smoltz in the rotation compares more favorably in every way, winning over 200 games as a starter. Smoltz was the opposite of Eckersley. He pitched better as he aged winning the Cy Young at 29 and posting another Cy-Young caliber season (17-3) at 31. When he was moved to the bullpen, Smoltz was still an elite starter.
As a reliever Eckersley was the second-best closer in history – in my view the only one better in the role has been Mariano Rivera. No question Tony La Russa and Sandy Alderson deserve much of the credit for Eck’s success. As a young broadcaster with the A’s in 1987, I watched La Russa convince a stubborn and unbelieving Eckersley that his best chance to succeed was as a reliever. At that point Eckersley could no longer fool left-handed batters and the belief of La Russa – which has been borne out many times over -- was that even lefties would have only marginal success against Eckersley if they faced him a limited number of times. As the A’s general manager Alderson built a deep bullpen that afforded Eckersley many saves of less than three outs.
Now there was 1992 the year Eckersley was awarded both the MVP and the Cy Young. That angered many, including the late Kirby Puckett, who finished second in the MVP voting. Puckett’s great line on that was, “I’m gonna hit .350 and knock in 120 runs next year and they better give me the Cy Young.” But Eckersley was the sole difference between his A’s finishing first and the defending World Champion Twins finishing second in the AL West. Oakland’s deep bullpen disintegrated that year and Eckersley was called upon to handle a heavier load. It turned out that 1992 was the only year in Eckersley’s run as a closer in which he pitched 80 innings.
Eighty innings -- which by the way -- Smoltz reached in two of his three years as a full-time closer. His closer’s run was pure quality (55 saves his first year and a third-place finish in the Cy Young voting, a better year in the second with 45 saves and a 0.87 WHIP but no Cy-Young love). And, most importantly, Smoltz moved from starter to closer against his wishes but for the good of his team. The Braves needed him in that role and Smoltz -- knowing the move would cost him a shot at 300 wins -- the plateau that his teammates Maddux and Glavine would both reach, still agreed. Huge points to him for his willingness to make the move to help his team.
In the postseason Eckersley made one start for the 1984 Cubs and had two memorable World Series losses in relief for the A’s – giving up Kirk Gibson’s memorable pinch-hit home run in Game 1 in 1988 and being victimized when the Reds strung together three groundballs to win Game 2 in 1990. He did save three wins for the Cardinals in the 1996 NLDS.
Smoltz is one of the great postseason pitchers with 15 wins and four saves. His best pitching in the playoffs came early in his career. He went 5-0 in his first two postseasons. As a closer, his only glitch was the 2003 NLDS against the Cubs when his arm was hanging by a thread. Still, he gutted out a save in Game 4 to keep the Braves alive after telling manager Bobby Cox it was probably the last inning he could throw.
In summary Smoltz was the better starter both in quality and longevity while Eckersely redefined the game as a spectacular closer. Smoltz has a superb postseason record. Eckersley earned his Hall-of-Fame honor with sheer dominance over a short period as a closer. Smoltz has neither dominance nor quantity (number of wins or saves) but should earn respect for excellence over two decades, both in the regular season and in the postseason, as well as his willingness to usurp personal goals for his team.
FIVE MORE SWINGS
1. SPEAKING OF RIVERA…Watched him close the Yankees’ win over Oakland Thursday night. He is still throwing in the low to mid 90s with impeccable control. Taking away his security blanket (Joba Chamberlain in the eighth inning) hasn’t affected him one bit. He is the greatest at his craft and may prove the wisest signing in recent Yankees history.
2. YOU DON’T THINK THE GAME IS CHANGING…Saw this note and couldn’t believe it: The Angels just had a 13-game stretch in which they did not score more than four runs in any game. And they went 9-4. It’s not slow pitch softball anymore.
3. HOPE FOR BARRY ZITO AND OTHERS…when they see Jamie Moyer stifle the Marlins, barely topping 80 on the gun. At 45, Moyer is extraordinary. He has maintained an effective difference in speed between his “fastball” and change with terrific arm speed and that has continued to retire big-league hitters. Moyer is now 26-17 since joining the Phillies and their bandbox.
4. AN INTERLEAGUE WEEKEND…and here’s what we get: Joba pitched and won in another bandbox when he started in Houston last night, Barry Zito faced his old team and lost to the A’s last night in San Francisco (he’s now 2-10), Randy Johnson faces a young hopeful in Kansas City’s Luke Hochevar tonight and Greg Maddux matches up with C.C. Sabathia Sunday. But the best team matchup: Florida-Tampa Bay -- just what we all predicted in April.
5. TRADE TALK IS STARTING…it’s June and we’re past the one-third mark of the season. Lots of big names will get bounced around. To me, watch C.C. Sabathia. Would the Yankees pass on a chance to pick him up if they are still trailing the field in July? And would the Indians surrender their 2008 chances?
One trade that should happen: the Mets should deal Moises Alou to an AL team. Finally, after much self-delusion, the Mets should be aware that Alou can’t hold up playing the field. But the man can still flat hit. The DH exists for people like Alou.
