Tom Glavine Atlanta Braves MLB Baseball Biography
Being called the best left handed pitcher of his era, may have been considered a compliment to many. However, in Tom Glavine's case, it may have been selling him short. With a Cy Young award, two all star game starts and three 20 win seasons under his belt before his 28th birthday, Tom Glavine may have been the top pitcher in the game. (right handers included!)
Tom Glavine was the complete pitching package. Glavine would supplement a sneaky fastball with a wide breaking curve and a wicked change up that baffled even the best hitters in baseball. Combining pinpoint control with steely determination, the gritty Tom Glavine was a good bet to come away with a win every time he took the mound.
Tom Glavine was the complete pitching package. Glavine would supplement a sneaky fastball with a wide breaking curve and a wicked change up that baffled even the best hitters in baseball. Combining pinpoint control with steely determination, the gritty Tom Glavine was a good bet to come away with a win every time he took the mound.
Did you know?
In 1993, Tom Glavine recorded 22 victories and his third consecutive 20 win season. There are only 19 pitchers in the Hall of Fame who never accomplished this amazing feat, including legends Whitey Ford, Tom Seaver, Lefty Gomez, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax.
In 1993, Tom Glavine recorded 22 victories and his third consecutive 20 win season. There are only 19 pitchers in the Hall of Fame who never accomplished this amazing feat, including legends Whitey Ford, Tom Seaver, Lefty Gomez, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax.
As a two sport star in high school, Tom Glavine led a double life. On the hockey rink, he was known as "Silk", a 160 pound center whose smooth moves and deft touch around the net helped him outmaneuver bigger, stronger players. The ultimate finesse player in hockey, he took on a completely different persona when he put on a baseball uniform -- pure power. In fact, he once racked up 17 ks in a game. Drafted by both the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and the National League's Atlanta Braves in 1984, the multi-talented Glavine thought he had a better shot as a pitcher and hung up his skates. Ironically, the lessons he learned on the ice would eventually help get his baseball career off the ground. Going 2-3 for the Atlanta Braves minor league team in Brandenton, Fla., he found that striking out pro batters was not as easy as mowing down inexperienced high schoolers. After being told that his fastball didn't have enough pop to get him to the big leagues by itself, Tom Glavine's career was at a crossroads before it had even begun.
Reverting to the same philosophy that made him successful in hockey, he learned to outwit rather than overpower his opponents. By the time he made the Atlanta Braves in 1988, Tom Glavine was armed with a slider, a curve, and a wicked change up.
Having to pitch a lot of innings for the struggling Braves, Glavine's game improved rapidly. The extra heavy workload helped him perfect all his pitches, and in 1991 he roard to an 8-0 start. In one game against the Philadelphia Phillies, he struck out 10 of the first 13 batters he faced. Mixing off speed stuff with hard heat, Glavine was the NL's most dominant pitcher that year, winning 20 games and the Cy Young award. Tom Glavine, the former high school hockey star, netted the biggest goal of his career---- Major League success and a hall of fame career.
Reverting to the same philosophy that made him successful in hockey, he learned to outwit rather than overpower his opponents. By the time he made the Atlanta Braves in 1988, Tom Glavine was armed with a slider, a curve, and a wicked change up.
Having to pitch a lot of innings for the struggling Braves, Glavine's game improved rapidly. The extra heavy workload helped him perfect all his pitches, and in 1991 he roard to an 8-0 start. In one game against the Philadelphia Phillies, he struck out 10 of the first 13 batters he faced. Mixing off speed stuff with hard heat, Glavine was the NL's most dominant pitcher that year, winning 20 games and the Cy Young award. Tom Glavine, the former high school hockey star, netted the biggest goal of his career---- Major League success and a hall of fame career.
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