John Smoltz added another milestone to his illustrious career has an Atlanta Brave pitcher. Whether getting the call in the 9th inning or being penciled every 5th day, Smoltz has been a flat-out gamer and one of my favorite Braves of all-time. After recording his 3,000 K of his career it got me wondering where should Smoltz rank among all-time Brave pitchers. From Maddux, to Niekro, to Glavine, to Spahn, one has to wonder where would Smoltz fall under. To me it is simple. He is the BEST pitcher in Braves history. Name another pitcher who was a starter, converted to closer, then to starter and was damn good in all positions. No pitcher ever has made the transition smoother. He is the all-time leader in saves in franchise history with 154, the all-time leader in K's, and is the best post-season pitcher. Maddux may have the hardware to show and Spahn is the all-time franchise leaders in wins, but none of them can boast a post-season resume like Smoltz can. 15-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 194 K. The 8 time all-star is also the only pitcher to win a Cy Young and a Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award. In thos years where he took hardware he was untouchable. In his Cy Young year he went 24-1 and his Rolaids Relief Man of the year he converted 55 out of 56 save opportunities. Just think if Smoltz would have not been in an Atlanta uniform during those post-season runs. The Atlanta Braves would have not won the World Series and they would definitely be the Buffalo Bills of Major League Baseball. -------------------------------------------------------- "I am a gamer." --------------------------------------------------------
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