Glavine Calls It A Career

As the first stage of baseball season surfaces with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp, one hurler that won't be making the trip to spring training this season is 21-year veteran Tom Glavine. The 2-time Cy Young Award winner who turns 44 in March, hasn't played ball since the 2008 season when he made his final appearance in August of '08. With a year off the baseball diamond, the absence helped Glavine's decision to hang it up a bit easier. & Although he hinted about retiring months ago after his final game, it finally became official just last week. The 10-time All-Star who broke through in the Majors with the Braves in 1987 is one of only 24 pitchers in Major League history to reach the 300-win milestone and one of just six lefties in the 300-win club.

With 164 of his 305 career victories during the 1990's, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, only behind Greg Maddux, who Glavine shared a clubhouse with for 9-years (1993-2002). But before Glavine enjoyed fortune in the 90's, the former World Series MVP would have his fair share of down years from 1987-90 where he compiled a record of 33-43, including a 17-loss season in '88. However, that all began to change just years later as Glavine went on to win 20-games in three consecutive seasons from 1991-93. Glavine served a 4-year tenure with the New York Mets from 2003-07 before returning back to Atlanta for the '08 season.

Along with Randy Johnson who just won his 300th career game as recent as last season with the San Francisco Giants, both Glavine and Johnson are the last of a dying breed, as pitchers become less likely to reach the 300-win plateau nowadays. But now that Tommy's playing career is over, we begin to wait and see if Mr. Glavine can make it into Cooperstown as a first ballot Hall of Famer when he is eligible for induction in 5 years. Another fan favorite and likely Hall of Fame candidate who has decided to call it quits, is Frank Thomas. The hefty slugger who belted over 500 homers will be better mentioned in this week's edition of Throwback Thursday, so STAY TUNED!

For more on Tommy Glavine and an older story regarding the 300-game winner, check out Throwback Thursday x Triple Trouble.