UPDATE: Smoltz Designated for Assignment
Jason from IIATMS just told me that he heard on XM radio that John Smoltz is en route to Atlanta today “for personal reasons.” One wonders if we’re going to have a retirement announcement or something like that shortly.
Insta-take on zero information: if he retires rather than allows the Sox to DFA him, he leaves on as high a note as he can under the circumstances. Sure, the on-the-field end will have been an ignominious one, but the overall message will be “Smoltz knew it was time to go.” A Mike Schmidt ending as opposed to a Steve Carlton ending.
Can’t say I’d blame him.
UPDATE: Smoltz was DFA’d. I’ll need more time to process this, but I’ll write something about it in the near future.
I’m both a Yankee fan and an unapoligetic Smoltz fan, so I’ll have mixed feelings if the beating they gave him being last we’ll ever see of him. Great pitcher, perfect competitor, a class act all the way.
Too late, according to Boston.com he’s been DFA’d already.
http://www.boston.com/
Interesting to note that NESN refers to Terry Francona and the Red Sox’ “head coach.” Yikes.
Though I’ve always known I liked Smoltz, I was amazed to discover just how much I was rooting for him to pull it all together for one last game last night, and there were moments—the wicked pitch with which he struck out Damon in the 1st—when I was temporarily able to believe.
I’ll miss watching him pitch.
Does anyone thinl smoltz will go to the minors and work on his stuff?
i’m less familiar with the DFA process. any reason he wouldn’t get picked up by someone? his k/9 and bb/9 indicate he could still put it together, and his velocity from what i understand is pretty good.