Smoltz’s messy split with Braves
Posted: Friday, January 09, 2009 5:08 PM
Here's what the news of John Smoltz to the Red Sox triggers in my mind:
I've seen this movie before…Tom Glavine was a lifelong Brave with compelling family reasons to stay in Atlanta. He was comfortable, successful and the Braves would support his quest for 300 wins. Until it came time to negotiate. The Braves held firm. Too firm for Glavine, who found a suitor in the Mets. Make no mistake- Glavine was hurt by the Braves' stance, a rift that was not repaired for years. And when Glavine went to New York, he was fueled by the desire to prove the Braves wrong.
Well, doesn't that sound like Smoltz 2009? Of the "Big Three", Smoltz was the one who stayed, the one who WILLINGLY moved to the bullpen for the team. Name any other pitchers who did that – Cy Young Award winner as a starter and you accept a move to closer: Dennis Eckersley went to the closer’s role flailing and wailing. Smoltz was the one who seemed destined to finish a Brave.
Until it came time to negotiate.
Again, the Braves held firm. This is not to quarrel with Atlanta's business, their track record cannot be argued. However, with each unsavory episode, is their fan base further alienated? Their home attendance fell over 200,000 in 2008. And in the last five years here is the Braves’ NL rank in attendance: 10, 10, 9, 10, and 10.
Fair question: Did the Braves think Smoltz wouldn't be offended by their offer? Guaranteeing $2 million and requiring 200 innings (a total reached by only seven pitchers in their age 42 seasons) to receive the bulk of the remaining money could only be received as disrespectful by Smoltz.
Atlanta management must hope this spate of messy divorces (some argue they are unavoidable) does not grow into a long trend, especially with Chipper Jones well into the back nine of his career.
For Boston, Smoltz 2009 is Schilling 2004, albeit four years older. And no one can expect Smoltz to match the 21 wins Schilling produced that year. But as an anchor to the backside of the rotation and an experienced hand in October pressure (remember that Smoltz at age 24 pitched 7 shutout innings on the road in a World Series Game 7), Smoltz is a magnificent addition for a manager with a well-earned reputation of handling pitchers with care.
FIVE MORE SWINGS:
1. TREVOR HOFFMAN…divorced the Padres (no pun intended) and signed with Milwaukee, not the Dodgers as many expected. I looked at Hoffman's 2008 numbers and one shocking stat was revealed: he allowed seven homers in 30 innings at Petco Park. Now, he is leaving the Grand Canyon and pitching in a launching pad. Salomon Torres' abrupt retirement left the Brewers empty at closer but Hoffman's recent record dictates they best have a Plan B.
2. A FRIEND WITH SOME INSIGHT…told me that he has learned to always prepare for a surprise but the Giants are unlikely to sign Manny Ramirez. Not only would it blow up their 2009 budget but also it counters their message to fans. They are building with sound drafting and player development. Bringing Ramirez on board at a massive investment, after adding Randy Johnson and Edgar Renteria, would destroy that stance. I am certain there is at least one voice in Giantsland pitching for the big name on the marquee that would resuscitate ticket sales. But at what cost?
3. AS OF JANUARY 1…the only free agent corner outfielders to sign were Raul Ibanez, Willy Taveras and Juan Rivera. The logjam has broken (see below), but the interesting name hovering under the radar is Ken Griffey Jr. His agent suggested Tampa Bay but the Burrell signing by the Rays appears to eliminate that hope. Two questions: Is there a regular job out there for Griffey and is he content to be a backup?
4. PAT BURRELL...must be wondering what he did wrong. He gets two years from Tampa Bay while Milton Bradley, checkered career and all, gets three years from the Cubs. Check out fangraphs.com, where interesting analysis centers around win value and win expectancy. They focus on a number called WPA, win probability added. In plain words, it measures how each individual action of a player increases or decreases his team's win expectancy. Burrell was 13th in the majors for 2008, ahead of luminaries like Justin Morneau, Carlos Quentin, Grady Sizemore, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Russell Martin, Josh Hamilton and Dustin Pedroia.
5. CARL POHLAD…was laid to rest in Minneapolis yesterday. He won't be remembered as a legendary owner, except by those who played or worked for the Twins during the last 25 years.
Pohlad was an extremely tough businessman but he had a soft spot for the game he and, in particular, his wife Eloise so loved. He saved the team for Minnesota and allowed the building of an organization that was a model for the game in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He won Minnesota's first World Championship. He signed Kirby Puckett to, at the time, the game's largest contract. When lean times hit in the late 1990s, Pohlad kept the Twins in place while being criticized for failing to spend like the major markets (critics never acknowledged the horrendous Metrodome lease deal that handicapped the Twins).
The bottom line: The Pohlads treated players, managers, coaches and employees like family. They bred uncommon loyalty. Would any other organization see its employees band together and volunteer to forfeit one week of pay per month in order to prevent layoffs? That's what the Twins employees presented to Pohlad during the 1994-95 strike. Pohlad agreed. He passed away one year before the new downtown ballpark opens that he long sought. Now, Pohlads’ legacy is in place. The team's future in Minnesota is secure. But it is well known that none of the three Pohlad sons has a strong interest in baseball. It would not surprise to see the family entertain bids for the team in the next year.
