SIX STATS you might not know about… John Smoltz
John Smoltz
On July 26, former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz will be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Here’s a few stats you may not know about Smoltz’s career.
- Smoltz won 213 games in his career, 210 with the Braves. He also won one game with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009 and two games with the Boston Red Sox that same season, which was his last season in the majors.
- Smoltz had 53 complete games and 154 saves in his 21-year career. He is one of only two pitchers to have 50 or more complete games and 150-plus saves in a career. The other is Dennis Eckersley, who had 100 complete games and 390 saves in his MLB career.
- Smoltz and Eckersley are also the only pitchers in MLB history to have won 20 or more games in a season and have 50 or more saves in another season. Smoltz won 24 games in 1996 and then saved 55 in 2002.
- Smoltz won the National League Silver Slugger Award in 1997 when he batted .228 for the Braves that campaign. Smoltz ended his career with 61 RBIs and 151 hits, making him one of 158 pitchers to amass 150 or more hits at the plate in their career.
- Smoltz is one of 94 pitchers to have three or more career regular season stolen bases in his career, but what is more amazing is that Smoltz is the only pitcher in MLB history to have more than one stolen base in the post-season; he had three post-season steals in his career.
- Smoltz is one of 16 pitchers to collect 3,000 or more strikeouts in a career. Of those 16 pitchers, Smoltz is the only one to have more than 50 saves.
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A dying breed: The 40-40 pitcher
John Smoltz...Image via Wikipedia
When John Smoltz ended his career after the 2009 season he will likely be the last of a dying breed in major league baseball history: the 40-40 pitcher. Smoltz is one of only 37 pitchers in major league baseball history who compiled 40 or more complete games and 40 or more saves in their career. Smoltz had 53 complete games as a starter and 154 saves as a reliever in his career.
Dennis Eckersley is the only member of the 100-100 club. “Eck” had 100 career complete games and 380 saves. Three other pitchers had 60 or more complete games and saves in their careers: Firpo Mayberry (1923-36) had 86 complete games and 101 saves; Charlie Hough (1970-94) had 107 complete games and 63 saves; Clint Brown (1928-42) had 62 compete games and 64 saves.
Following are the last 13 pitchers to retire with 40 or more complete games and 40 or more saves in their career. The 40-40 Club since 1970:
Pitcher, years Career CGs Career Saves
John Smoltz, 1988-2009 53 154
Dennis Eckersley, 1975-98 100 380
Charlie Hough, 1970-94 107 63
Shane Rawley, 1978-89 41 40
Ken Forsch, 1970-86 70 51
Ron Reed, 1966-84 55 103
Woodie Fryman, 1966-83 68 58
Dick Drago, 1969-81 62 58
Wilbur Wood, 1961-78 114 57
Stan Williams, 1958-72 42 43
Mudcat Grant, 1958-71 89 53
Ron Kline, 1952-70 44 108
Pedro Ramos, 1955-70 73 55
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