John Smoltz's 3,000th Career Strikeout
John Smoltz: Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher and Braves legend
John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1988 to 2009, spending the majority of his career with the Atlanta Braves (1988–2008) and finishing with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals in 2009. An eight-time All-Star, Smoltz was part of a celebrated trio of starting pitchers, along with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who propelled Atlanta to perennial pennant contention in the 1990s, highlighted by a championship in the 1995 World Series. He won the National League (NL) Cy Young Award in 1996 after posting a record of 24–8, the most wins by an NL pitcher that season.
Quick Facts
- Opponent
- Washington Nationals
- Venue
- Turner Field
- Date
- April 22, 2008
Lore & Background
Smoltz was one of the most successful pitchers in playoff history, posting a record of 15–4 with a 2.67 earned run average (ERA) in 41 career postseason games. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1992 NL Championship Series. Smoltz led the NL in wins, winning percentage, strikeouts and innings pitched twice each, and his NL total of 3,084 strikeouts ranked fifth in league history when he retired. He also holds the Braves franchise record for career strikeouts (3,011), and the record for the most career games pitched for the Braves (708) since the club's move to Atlanta in 1966.
Reader's Guide
Though predominantly known as a starter, Smoltz was converted to a reliever in 2001 after his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and spent four years as the team's closer before returning to a starting role. In 2002, he set a National League record with 55 saves and became only the second pitcher in history (joining Dennis Eckersley) to record both a 20-win season and a 50-save season. He is the only pitcher in Major League history to record both 200 wins and 150 saves.
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