Nobody will ever wear #47 for the Braves again... and rightfully so.
The Braves aren't lenient in terms of retiring numbers (I'm looking at YOU, White Sox).
Most are Hall of Famers. Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, Phil Niekro and some guy named Henry Aaron all have their numbers retired.
Dale Murphy wasn't a Hall of Famer but he was such an important part of the Braves franchise for so long, was their lone superstar when they emerged in 1982 and throughout the 80s and had the horrible luck of leaving RIGHT BEFORE the great run of the 1990s.
And of course Greg Maddux isn't in the Hall of Fame yet, but it is only a matter of time for him.
As it will be for Tom Glavine.
As I wrote back in February, there should be no question about it.
And as I also wrote, I have no stomach for any of the stupid arguments against his admission to the Hall.
The Braves know it... his teammates know it... the batters he faced know it...
He's a Hall of Famer.
Just ask the equipment manager in Atlanta the next time someone requests #47.
They should vote Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine in the same year. But, didn't Maddux retire a year before? I think Maddux should get in first year with a higher percentage than Seaver. Besides his 300+ wins, he was THE best defensive pitcher, period.
ReplyDeleteMaddux retired the year before but Glavine didn't actually play in the big leagues the year after Maddux retired, so that's when his Hall of Fame clock started
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