Tom Glavine goes for career win #300 in tonight’s game against the Brewers. Connive as I did, there was no way I could sneak off and get to Milwaukee for the game. I really hate it when work gets in the way of life.
300 wins is the Holy Grail for pitchers. (Well, so is 4000 strikeouts, but not everyone gets to be Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, or Steve Carlton.) I really want Tom to win tonight. It would be good for him to get #300 out of the way on the first try; I think some of his recent struggles are a reflection of the stress — conscious and subconscious — surrounding the milestone. It would also give the team a lift. And it would be good for his family. One of the hardest things to do is to cheer for a loved one to win. As loud as you yell and as much as you hope down to the very strands of your DNA for victory, you are sitting on the sidelines and there is not one dang thing you can do to help. The most stressed out person in the state of Wisconsin tonight will be Glavine’s wife.
I read a few Mets blogs and message boards and I’m a bit disappointed that more Mets fans don’t seem excited about Tom’s 300th. I suppose it’s because they have been die-hard fans longer than I and they remember all those L’s that Tom hung on them when he was with Atlanta. 242 of his 299 wins were achieved when he was with the Braves. But aside from being a Mets fan, I’m a fan of baseball. Seeing someone achieve a record is a great moment. And seeing someone like Glavine — who sounds like a genuinely Good Guy — do it makes it better.
I’ve been apathetic about Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the career home run record. At first I just hoped he would retire so that Aaron’s 755 would be safe. But Bonds is so close now, you just know he is going to break it. It leaves me with an empty feeling. I think he cheated. And there’s nothing I can do about it. But I trust history will reveal the truth — eventually. There’s no question that Bonds is a great talent (not as much now, in the declining part of his career), but he is surrounded by that cloud of suspicion. Plus he acts like such an a-hole. Although I guess it might not be an act. And he doesn’t even run out ground balls! I’m very old school and big on Playing The Game The Right Way. I’m happy every time I hear about Ken Griffey, Jr. hitting another homer (closing in on his 600th — and glad that he didn’t hit any when the Reds faced the Mets at Shea earlier this month). I’m even happy when A-Rod hits another dinger, as it looks like he’ll make the next charge towards the all-time record and perhaps snatch it out of Bonds’ chemically-induced grasp.
It’s easy to cheer for Junior, and even A-Rod — although there was that little thing with that blonde in Toronto …. It’s very easy to cheer for Tom Glavine. He gives interviews on the day before he pitches, he gives interviews after he pitches — even after a stinky performance like the one against the Dodgers last last week. He doesn’t take it out on the media when he has a bad game. He doesn’t put himself above the team. He basically strikes me as a pretty normal guy who happens to throw a baseball real well.
Tom Glavine says he’s a father and husband first, then a baseball player.
“That’s who I am,” he said. “Baseball is what I do.”
From Glavine gets praise from all corners on eve of first shot at 300
That’s not a very ESPN-ish quote. That’s not the kind of thing that makes SportsCenter. They probably wouldn’t have considered him Who’s Now even when he was “now,” 10-15 years ago.
Which is just fine with me.
Let’s Go Mets.
