John Smoltz. . .
One of my personal heroes just struck out a Mets guy on four pitches. The first strike being a 95 m.p.h. fastball.
This is John's first start of the year and I'm excited. This was a man who's pitching was so horrible in his first years with the Braves that he sought the help of a psychologist who would come to his games dressed in a red shirt and would sit behind home plate so Smoltzie could see him. Now he's 40 years old, a Cy Young under his belt, had a 24 win season in 1996, led the majors in strikeouts two years, the only pitcher to amass 200 wins and 50 saves and is still throwing gas and a mind-bending slider. And on top of all that, he's still just a down-to-Earth guy. Respected and liked among enemy and peer. And I respect that above all.
Today John is dressed out in the Braves home Sunday colors of red. Tastefully ironic.
Keep it up John. You are an inspiration.
whatever happened to the "other" john who pitched for Atlanta, who might have been a little suh-spect?
Me tinks anonymous is refering to John Rocker. I've never seen Smoltz pitch but if he's in his forties and still throwing a 90+ mph heater he's a stud.
I did get to see Nolan Ryan pitch a couple of times back in the late seventies when he was an Angel. He still had the smoke too. Too bad they've got to get old. Just reminds me I'm old too.
Man, what an idiot Rocker was, but he had one helluva a fastball.
However, being able to pitch well doesn't make one a respectable human being. He excelled at living with his foot in his mouth.
I saw Smoltz pitch against the Marlins in Miami several years ago. I think there we about 2500 people at the game which was sad, but the game was great.