John Smoltz
John Smoltz was born in Warren, Michigan, United States on May 15th, 1967 and is the Baseball Player. At the age of 56, John Smoltz biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
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John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), also known as "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke," is an American former baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, with only one year with the Atlanta Braves.
Smoltz, an eight-time All-Star, was part of a legendary trio of starting pitchers, as well as Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who propelled Atlanta to perennial pennant contention in the 1990s, highlighted by a gold medal in the 1995 World Series.
In 1996, he received the National League (NL) Cy Young Award after winning his first match since 1972, his most victories by an NL pitcher since 1972.
Despite being predominantly known as a starter, Smoltz was converted to a reliever in 2001 after recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent four years as the team's closer before returning to a starting position.
He set the NL record with 55 saves in 2002 and became only the second pitcher in history (joining Dennis Eckersley) to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season.
He is the only pitcher in major league history to win both 200 games and 150 saves. Smoltz was one of the most popular pitchers in playoff history, winning a record of 15–4 with a 2.67 earned run average (ERA) in 41 games; Andy Pettitte later broke his record for career postseason victories.
Smoltz led the NL in victories, winning percentage, strikeouts, and innings pitched twice each, with his NL total of 3,084 strikeouts ranked fifth in league history when he retired.
He holds the franchise record for career strikeouts (3,011) and the most career games played for the Braves (708) since the team's relocation to Atlanta in 1966; from 2004 to 2014, he set the franchise record for career saves.
Smoltz played for the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals in his final season with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.
He has worked as a color commentator and analyst on television since being an actor.
In 2015, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for his first year of eligibility.
Early life
At Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan, John Smoltz was an All-State baseball player.
Personal life
Dyan Struble, Smoltz's first wife, died in Atlanta's Omni Hotel before divorcing in 2007 after 16 years of marriage. Smoltz lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, and also has a home on Sea Island, a golf resort. Smoltz married Kathryn Darden at his house on May 16, 2009, with 70 acquaintances and relatives in attendance. Smoltz is a Christian.
Smoltz is a good friend of golfer Tiger Woods; the two of them play golf together. Woods has said that Smoltz is the best golfer outside of the PGA Tour that he has encountered. Smoltz has stated that he had a plus 4 handicap once in his life. Smoltz qualified for the United States Senior Open, one of senior golf's major championships, in 2018. He is also interested in bowling.
Every year in Lake Tahoe, Smoltz participates in the American Century Championships. In January 2019, he won the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Orlando.
Doc Rivers is Smoltz' personal friend who dates back to Rivers' time in Atlanta. Rivers is quoted in the Boston Globe's January 12, 2008 edition as saying, "I gave him my apartment..." I just told Terry and the Red Sox family how much I love him. It's a no-brainer," I told him.
Smoltz has worked in a television commercial for The Home Depot, and he has also performed as an excellent accordionist.
Smoltz is a distant cousin of fellow Baseball Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer.
During the 2006 primary, Smoltz made an automated campaign phone recording on behalf of Ralph E. Reed, Jr.'s candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia.
Smoltz was quoted in a 2004 interview as comparing gay rights to perfectiality, saying, "What is next?"Marrying an animal?"
According to the Associated Press, the Associated Press was a newspaper published in the United States. Later, Smoltz said that the newspaper had mistook his quote incorrectly.Smoltz, according to reports, was likely that he'd run for Congress in 2010 as a Republican nominee to replace departing John Linder's seat in Georgia's 7th congressional district.
Andrea Cascarilla, a Democratic candidate for State Representative in Michigan's 71st House District, was hosted at a fundraiser on April 22, 2012. Smoltz was a baseball and basketball player at Waverly Senior High School in the 71st District.
On November 9, 2008, Smoltz and his good friend Jeff Foxworthy hosted the "An Evening With Smoltz and Friends" charity fundraiser, which has funded numerous charitable endeavors in the Atlanta area over the past decade.
Smoltz is the Atlanta host for Big League Impact, an eight-city fantasy football network built and led by longtime Cardinals pitcher and former teammate Adam Wainwright. The charity raised more than $1 million in 2015 for various charitable causes.
Professional career
In the 22nd round of the 1985 amateur draft, the Detroit Tigers selected him. He was the 574th draft pick.
Smoltz played for the Lakeland Tigers minor-league team initially, then moved to the Class AA Glens Falls Tigers in 1987, with records of 7–8 and 4–10. The Tigers were in a three-team competition in 1987, chasing the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East division lead; in need of pitching assistance, Detroit sent their 20-year-old prospect to the Braves on August 12. Although Alexander helped the Tigers overtake the Blue Jays for the division title, going 9–0 down the stretch, he was still out of baseball by 1989. Smoltz, on the other hand, became one of the Braves franchise's keystones for the next two decades.
Smoltz made his major league debut on July 23, 1988. He had poor results in a dozen starts, but Smoltz blossomed in 1989. He pitched 208 innings and 2.94 ERA in 29 starts and was named to the NL All-Star team for the first time. In 1989, teammate Tom Glavine had his first good year, boosting hope about Atlanta's pitching staff.
Smoltz threw a four-seam fastball with a 98 mph slider, a strong, efficient slider, and an 88-91 mph split-finger fastball that he used as a strikeout pitch over his career. He used a curveball and change-up on occasion, and in 1999, he started playing with both a knuckleball and a screwball, but rarely in game situations, although he rarely used either. He confessed to launching sliders before he made it to the Majors in 2016, and he does not encourage kids to throw sliders.
Smoltz began his career in 1991 with a 2–11 record. He began seeing a sports psychologist, after which he finished the season on a 12–2 clip, and helped the Braves win a tight NL West contest. His winning ways continued into the 1991 National League Championship Series. Smoltz got his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which culminated in a complete game shutout in their seventh game, propelling the Braves to their first World Series appearance since being relocated to Atlanta in 1966. Smoltz had two no-decisions against the Minnesota Twins, earning a 1.26 ERA. Jack Morris, his former Detroit Tiger hero, faced him in the seventh and deciding game. Both starters pitched shutout ball for seven innings before Smoltz was dismissed from the scoreless game against the Twins in the eighth. Mike Stanton of Atlanta got out of the jam, saving Smoltz off the hook, and Morris eventually won by a 10-inning complete game.
Smoltz continued to play in 15 regular-season games and was the MVP of the 1992 National League Championship Series, winning two games. He started the seventh game trailing but the Braves triumphed a dramatic ninth-inning comeback victory. Smoltz started two of the series's six games this year, with a no-decision in Game 2 and a victory over the Braves facing elimination in Game 5.
Greg Maddux, the Braves' most versatile starting trio to ever assembled on a single major-league team, was signed before the 1993 season. Smoltz won 15 games in the NLCS, but he lost his first postseason game to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS, despite not allowing an earned run.
Smoltz had a 6–10 record in the 1994 strike-shortened season, and during the break, he had bone chips removed from his elbow. The No. 2 of the Braves is back, and it's as the Braves. In 1995, he set a new record of 12–7. The Braves captured their first World Series title in their long line of division titles in 2015, despite shaky postseason results. Despite a 6.60 ERA, he didn't lose any games, but Game 3 of the World Series was his first bad World Series start in his career, getting knocked out in the third innings. But Smoltz and the Braves secured Atlanta's first World Series, thanks in large part to Maddux and Glavine, who had begun to overshadow Smoltz. If the game 7 season had gone that far, Smoltz would have been the Game 7 starter.
Smoltz went 24-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 276 strikeouts, including winning a franchise-record 14 straight decisions from April 9 to June 19. He was a major leagues leader last year, despite his victories and strikeout totals. Smoltz continued to pitch in the postseason, winning two more games in the Division Series and then losing Game 5 1–0 on an undeserved run. He received the NL Cy Young Award with 26 of the 28 first-place votes. Smoltz's popularity in 1997 was only marginally less than in his Cy Young years, but frugal run support limited him to a 15-12 record. Smoltz led all pitchers with 18 base hits and also received a Silver Slugger Award for his batting.
Smoltz continued to post top-notch figures in 1998 and 1999, but he was on the disabled list and missed nearly a quarter of his attempts. Smoltz began working with both a knuckleball and a three-quarters model, but he seldom used either in game situations.
He underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2000 season and missed the entire year. Smoltz was moved to the bullpen in 2001 when he was unable to perform as a starter, effectively replacing John Rocker as the Braves' closer.
Smoltz set a National League record of 55 saves in 2002, his first full season as a closer, beating Randy Myers (1993) and Trevor Hoffman (1998). In the Cy Young Award nominations, Smoltz came in third, but Éric Gagné equaled his record with the Dodgers a year later. Smoltz was limited to just in 2003, but he did a good job in 64+13 innings pitched. Smoltz made 44 saves in 2004, but was dissatisfied with his inability to make an impact as a closer in another Braves' postseason loss. He set a new franchise record of 141 saves in 2014, but Craig Kimbrel took over Gene Garber's record of 141 career saves.
Smoltz was the last remaining member of the Braves' dominant rotation of the 1990s by this time. Glavine had joined the Mets, a divisional rivalry, while Maddux returned to his old team, the Chicago Cubs.
The team's leadership decided to return Smoltz to the starting rotation before the 2005 season after three years as one of baseball's most dominant closers. His resurgent career as a starter began inauspiciously. Six earned runs in only 123 innings, his lowest start in his career—as the Braves were blown out by the Marlins on Opening Day. Despite Smoltz's best pitching numbers, poor run support helped get off to a 0–3 start. Despite these initial challenges, though, everything fell into place. Smoltz was 9-5 with an ERA of 2.68 and was selected for the 2005 NL All-Star team at the All-Star break. In the second innings of the American League's 7-5 win, Smoltz gave up a solo home run to Miguel Tejada and was charged with the loss. He was 1–2 in All-Star games, putting him in a tie for the most losses in his career.
Smoltz finished 2005 as a 14-07 with a 3.06 ERA and 169 strikeouts, but allowed less than a hit per inning. After three years in the bullpen, Smoltz had entertained the critics who doubted that he would be able to reach the 200-inning plateau. Despite this, Smoltz's increased workload pushed him to his limits toward the end of the season.
Despite a sore shoulder, Smoltz pitched seven innings in the Braves' 7–1 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the 2005 NL Division Series; it was the only game the Braves won against the eventual National League champions. With a 2.65 ERA in the postseason, Smoltz set a new record as a starter (15–4 overall). He gave up only unearned runs in two of his post-season losses. He has his second-most postseason victories (15), behind only Andy Pettitte with 19. Glavine (14) and Maddux (11) are followed by them.
Smoltz posted a record of 16-19-199, a 3.49 ERA, and 211 strikeouts. He was one of four pitchers vying for the NL lead in victories and third in strikeouts. He pitched more than enough for a 20-win season, but the Braves' bullpen blew six of his leads, on their way to being the team's single-handed cause of the team's playoff appearance streak. The number of blown saves by the Braves alone was greater than the number of games out of first place.
The Braves reported on September 21, 2006, that they had selected Smoltz's $8 million contract option for the 2007 season. Smoltz decided to a contract extension with the Braves on April 26, 2007. The 2008 season will feature a $14 million salary for the 2008 season, a $12 million vesting option for 2009 dependent on his ability to pitch 200 innings in 2008, and a $10 or $13 million team option for 2010 dependent on his ability to pitch 200 innings in 2009.
Smoltz's 2007 was a year of reunions and milestones. He met Maddux for the first time since July 10, 1992, on May 9, 1992. Smoltz won in a 3–2 win over the San Diego Padres, while Maddux received no decision. Smoltz defeated Glavine on May 24, exactly 11 years to the day after registering his 100th victory. He met Glavine three times before losing 3–1 overall against him. Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddux all won on the same day on June 27, June 27. Smoltz set a new strikeout record by striking out Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 19. It was his 2,913th strikeout, surpassing Phil Niekro on the club's all-time list; he had a season-high 12. He had a 3.11 ERA and 197 strikeouts in the year 14–8. From 1991 to first season on the Braves roster, the stalwart pitcher was the only holdover.
Smoltz was the 16th pitcher in Major League history to reach 3,000 strikeouts, and the fourth pitcher to knock out 3,000 batters for one team, joining Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, and Steve Carlton on April 22, 2008.
Smoltz was put on the 15-day disabled list on April 28, 2008, due to an inflamed right shoulder.
Smoltz revealed on May 1, 2008 that he intended to return to being a relief pitcher. He blew his first save opportunity in three years after being taken off the disabled list on June 2, 2008. The Braves placed him back on the disabled list two days later. Smoltz underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on June 10, 2008. His deal came to an end at the end of the season, and the Braves' contract was not strong enough to hold him.
Several members of the Boston Red Sox organization, including pitching coach John Farrell, vice president of player staff Ben Cherington, and assistant trainer Mike Reinold, all traveled to Atlanta in December 2008 to participate in a 90-minute workout with Smoltz. He threw a 50-pitch side session, not only showing his amazing improvement since the surgery, but also an arsenal of well-developed pitches that made him so successful throughout his career. He impressed the Red Sox enough during the workout that less than a month later, the company offered him a one-year deal.
Smoltz agreed to a one-year deal with roster time incentives and miscellaneous award incentives, potentially worth up to $10 million. On June 25, he made his first appearance in the Red Sox rotation, allowing seven hits and five runs in five innings. Smoltz had a 2–5 record in eight games with an 8.32 ERA and no quality starts. After a 13–6 loss to the New York Yankees, he was scheduled for assignment on August 7, giving the Red Sox ten days to either release or trade him, or send him to the minors. In order to prepare him to be in the bullpen, the Red Sox gave Smoltz a minor league stint, but he turned down the bid. Smoltz was released by the Red Sox on August 17.
Smoltz signed with the St. Louis Cardinals on August 19, 2009; he made his debut against the Padres on August 23. He went five innings for the Cardinals, striking out nine out nine out and walking none, while walking none, setting a Cardinals franchise record by striking out seven batters in a row.
That victory over the Padres was his only victory with St. Louis this season. With the Cardinals, Smoltz had a 1–3 record and a 4.26 ERA. He was 3-8 with a total ERA of 6.35 for the Red Sox and Cardinals. Smoltz pitched two innings of relief in a losing cause in Game 3 of the 2009 NL Division Series, allowing four hits and an earned run while striking out five runs out of five.
Post-playing career
On Peachtree TV, Smoltz worked as a color analyst alongside Joe Simpson in 2008 and 2010. Smoltz has been a national analyst for MLB Network and has been a regular-season and post-season games for TBS. He was hired by Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2014. He was paired with Matt Vasgersian and called games in the No. 58 games. There are two booths on display. During the 2014 season, he has also worked with Fox Sports South and SportSouth to provide an analyst for select Braves games. For the 2016 season, Smoltz and Tom Verducci, his teammates from MLB Network, have been promoted as the lead analyst for Major League Baseball on Fox, working with Joe Buck and Joe Davis. Smoltz received his first Sports Emmy Award as an Event Analyst in 2021. Since refusing to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine, which is required for the company's employees, Smoltz was forced to suspend his in-studio work with MLB Network.
The Braves announced on April 16, 2012, that Smoltz' number 29 will be retired. The event, which took place before the Toronto Blue Jays' game on June 8, featured speeches by former broadcaster Pete van Wieren, former teammate Matt Diaz, and former boss Bobby Cox.
In his first year of eligibility, Smoltz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2015. Despite being one of the first professional starter to be elected on the first ballot and winning just one Cy Young Award, he was the first starting pitcher to be voted to the Hall of Fame and was the first pitcher to have Tommy John surgery and be ordained to the Hall.