Tom Glavine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tom Glavine |
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Glavine with the New York Mets in 2005
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: March 25, 1966 Concord, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 17, 1987, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 14, 2008, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 305–203 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.54 | ||
| Strikeouts | 2,607 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2014 | ||
| Vote | 91.9% (first ballot) | ||
Thomas Michael Glavine (born March 25, 1966) is a former professional baseball pitcher from the United States. He played for 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Atlanta Braves from 1987 to 2002 and again in 2008. He also played for the New York Mets from 2003 to 2007.
Glavine was an amazing pitcher, especially in the 1990s. He won 164 games, which was the second-highest in the National League during that time. He won 20 games in a season five times. He also won the Cy Young Award twice, which is given to the best pitcher. Glavine is one of only 24 pitchers in MLB history to win 300 career games. He was named the Most Valuable Player when the Braves won the 1995 World Series.
In 2014, Glavine was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was elected in his very first year of being eligible.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Talents
Tom Glavine was born in Concord, Massachusetts, and grew up in Billerica, Massachusetts. He went to Billerica Memorial High School. Tom was a great student and played both ice hockey and baseball. He was on the honor roll for four years and was part of the National Honor Society.
In hockey, he scored 47 goals and had 47 assists in just 23 high school games. In his senior year, he was named the Most Valuable Player in his league. In baseball, he helped his team win the Division I North Title and the Eastern Massachusetts Championship. He graduated from high school with honors in 1984.
Starting a Professional Career
Tom Glavine was so talented that he was drafted by two different professional sports teams in 1984. The Los Angeles Kings drafted him for hockey, and the Atlanta Braves drafted him for baseball. Glavine chose to play baseball. He made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on August 17, 1987.
Playing for the Atlanta Braves (1987–2002)
Tom Glavine had a tough start in his first few years with the Braves. But in 1991, everything changed. He won 20 games and had a great earned run average. This was the first of three years in a row where he won 20 or more games. He also won his first National League Cy Young Award.
Glavine was a key pitcher for the 1991 Braves team. They made it to the 1991 World Series but lost to the Minnesota Twins. Glavine was the last pitcher in Major League Baseball to win 20 games for three straight years (1991–1993).
In the 1990s, the Atlanta Braves became one of the best teams in baseball. This was thanks to their amazing pitchers and strong hitters. After the Braves signed Greg Maddux in 1993, Glavine, Maddux, and John Smoltz formed one of the best pitching groups ever. Together, they won seven Cy Young Awards between 1991 and 1998. Glavine won his second Cy Young Award in 1998.
The Braves won the 1995 World Series by beating the Cleveland Indians. Glavine was named the Most Valuable Player of that series. He won two games, including Game 6, where he pitched eight innings and allowed only one hit. Besides 1995, he also played in four other World Series with the Braves.
Playing for the New York Mets (2003–2007)
In 2003, Glavine left the Braves and joined the New York Mets. He signed a four-year contract. Glavine had a difficult first year with the Mets, winning only 9 games. However, he had a special moment when his brother, Mike Glavine, joined the team.
Glavine started to pitch better in 2004 and was chosen for the All-Star team. In 2006, he returned to his top form. He finished the season with 15 wins and was selected for the All-Star team again. The Mets won their division, and Glavine made it back to the playoffs. He pitched very well in the playoffs, helping the Mets win their first two series games.
Glavine re-signed with the Mets for the 2007 season. He needed only 10 more wins to reach 300 career wins. On August 5, 2007, Glavine won his 300th game against the Chicago Cubs. He became the 23rd pitcher in history to reach this milestone. He was also the fifth left-handed pitcher to do so.
On September 30, 2007, Glavine pitched in the final game of the Mets' season. The Mets needed to win to make the playoffs, but Glavine had a very tough start, and the Mets lost. After the season, Glavine decided not to return to the Mets.
Returning to the Atlanta Braves (2008) and Retirement
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| Tom Glavine's number 47 was retired by the Atlanta Braves in 2010. |
On November 18, 2007, Glavine rejoined the Atlanta Braves. On April 18, 2008, he was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his 22-year career. On May 14, 2008, Glavine won his first game back with the Braves. This was his 304th career win.
Glavine played his final game on August 14, 2008. He was later placed on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury. On February 11, 2010, Tom Glavine officially announced his retirement from baseball.
After retiring, Glavine became a special assistant to the Braves' president. He also worked as a guest analyst for some Braves games. The Braves honored Glavine by retiring his jersey number, 47, on August 6, 2010.
How Tom Glavine Pitched
Tom Glavine was a left-handed pitcher. Even as he got older, he was still very effective. He was known for his excellent control and for tricking hitters. He would change the speed of his pitches and place them just outside the strike zone. His main strategy was to start with his circle changeup pitch, then mix in fastballs and changeups to confuse batters. Even though batters often hit his pitches, the way he made the ball move meant they were usually soft hits, leading to easy outs.
Glavine was also very consistent and durable. From 1988 until his final season at age 42, he started at least 25 games every year. He was never on the disabled list until his last season. Besides his great changeup and fastball, Glavine also had a good curve ball, a slider, and a two-seam fastball.
Glavine was also a good hitter for a pitcher. He had a career batting average of .186, which is quite good for a pitcher. He even hit over .200 in nine different seasons. He also drew many walks, meaning he got on base often. This made it harder for opposing pitchers to treat him as an easy out. Glavine won four Silver Slugger Awards, which are given to the best offensive players at each position.
Representing Players
Starting in 1991, Tom Glavine became the Atlanta Braves' team representative for the Major League Baseball Players Association. This group helps protect the rights of baseball players. Glavine was very involved in talks between the players' union and team owners, especially during the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. This strike caused the 1994 World Series to be canceled.
Personal Life
Tom Glavine and his wife Christine got married in 1998. They have a blended family with five children. One of their sons, Peyton, was drafted by an MLB team in 2017 but chose to play college baseball instead. He now pitches for a team in the Washington Nationals organization. The Glavine family lives in Johns Creek, Georgia. Tom also coaches his sons' hockey teams. He is a Roman Catholic and is part of Catholic Athletes for Christ.
Glavine is known for being humble about his achievements. He also loves to play golf. A friend once gave him golf balls with his jersey number, 47, on one side and his career losses, 203, on the other. This gift was given around the time he found out he would be in the Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Tom Glavine para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- Major League Baseball titles leaders
