John Smoltz

Every year when Spring Training comes around I find my self reading a baseball book. So this year when I found out that John Smoltz would be coming to my store to do a book signing and I was able to acquire an advanced copy I thought I had another baseball book I could enjoy. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. This book just didn't do it for me. First of all, as a dedicated and life time fan of the Mets, I'm going to have a certain animosity toward anyone involved with the Braves. But as a fan of baseball in general, I tried to get past that,and be impartial with my review. But something else also wound up prejudicing my view of this book. And that would be the book I read immediately before this one. I'm still blown away by all the incredible adversities faced by Former Olympic runner Louie Zamperini as depicted in the book "Unbroken". And after reading about Zamperini's adversities it really bothered me just how many times Smoltz used the word adversity. Sorry John, but whining about your sore shoulder, elbow, or thumb in comparison with Zamperini's being shot from a B-24 bomber, spending 47 days with no food or water on a raft in the Pacific Ocean only to finally be picked up by the Japanese and spend another two years being starved and tortured in a POW camp just doesn't match up with your sore thumb. I respect what you did on the field and admire all the charity work you've done for the people of Atlanta, but your story just didn't move me .… (altro)

I found this book to be a very well-written, insightful autobiography of a gifted athlete who is a very humble man. Full disclosure - I've had an interest in Smoltz' career since I found myself in PT with him during the 1994 baseball strike and found him to be a nice, polite, quiet guy who was a whole lot bigger than he appeared on TV. Watching his career, the World Series (and their disappointments) and his transition into the role of closer as well as the difficult (disastrous) parts of his career have all been worthwhile.

And Smoltz concentrates on this final year as pivotal to his life. He was in his 40's when he finally retired and has spent years since then as a baseball commentator. He tells his life story a few chapters in, and is honest about his "challenges" with the press, the Braves' GM, John Schuerholz, and the importance of golf for the starting pitchers of the Braves' 1990 line-up. The tales from the road are great, the various tales on the golf courses with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine are laugh-out-loud hilarious, and help bridge the gap between the Smoltz-Maddux-Glavine hero-worship and their various human foibles. And here I thought I was the only one who couldn't remember the names of people I've just met!

Smoltz is honest about his own shortcomings and about his conversion to a strong Christian faith. The former are dealt with in more detail than the latter, for which I am grateful (too many books get bogged down in "I accepted Jesus Christ into my life and . . . " on every page when the conversion happens). He is honest, funny, and definitely relatable as a fellow human being who just happens to have an intense focus and a throwing arm that reached speeds of 100+ MPH throw after throw and season after season until it couldn't. I wish him continued success as he re-invents his life and goals.… (altro)

John Smoltz is one of the best pitchers to ever play major league baseball. For over twenty years he pitched for the Atlanta Braves, chosen eight times for the All-Star team and winning the Cy Young Award for best pitcher in 1996.

He pitched in the starting rotation for fourteen years when an injury caused him to move to the bullpen and become a relief pitcher. After three years in the bullpen, he asked to rejoin the starting rotation. Many people, particularly in the sports media, asked him why he did this. His response: Why not?

Smoltz begins the book with three things people need to know about him:
1. All he ever wanted to do was win
2. He's not afraid to fail
3. He never did anything in his baseball career just to set a record, or to be able to say that no one else has done what he has done

Smoltz lived in Michigan, and his grandfather worked at the Detroit Tigers stadium. Young John grew up going to Tigers games, and he loved the Tigers. He was thrilled to be drafted by his hometown Tigers to play baseball, and disappointed when they soon traded him to the Atlanta Braves.

His disappointed turned to happiness when he realized that the Braves were willing to work with him, that they valued their young players and worked hard to make him a successful pitcher. (The Braves are known for their excellent farm system.)

Injuries plagued Smoltz throughout his career, and he pushed his body through the pain, hoping to avoid Tommy John surgery, which could end his baseball career. He eventually had the surgery, but with his amazing work ethic, he began a grueling rehab program and came back to pitch again, although as a closer.

As a person who worked best with a steady routine, Smoltz found it difficult to get used to the unpredictability of being a reliever. As a starter, he knew which day he would pitch, so his mind was set. He could play his favorite hobby, golf, on his off-days. He said that "by going to the bullpen, I sacrificed two things that really helped me tick; knowing what was coming and feeling like I was in control."

Besides baseball, two other things motivated Smoltz: golf and being a born-again Christian. He described the moment he knew that his relationship with God had to change, and how his life changed for the better because of it. He soon became a popular speaker at 'baseball church' gatherings, and later founded a Christian school in an Atlanta suburb.

Now that he is retired, Smoltz has set his sights on joining the Champions Tour in golf , and Tiger Woods has said that publicly that Smoltz is the best amateur golfer he has seen. Smoltz frequently played golf with his pitching teammates, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, and you can feel the joy on the pages where describes their bonding over golf.

Smoltz was not re-signed by the Braves after twenty years, and he joined the Boston Red Sox for a final season. He describes the sadness he felt at leaving the team he helped to bring to 14 post-season playoffs, although with only one World Series title. I found his analysis of the toll that pitching in so many consecutive post-seasons took interesting, and I have to say it never occurred to me how damaging it could be.

Boston was a disaster, and Smoltz was happy to be picked by up the St. Louis Cardinals after the Red Sox released him halfway through the season. He was happy to be able to contribute to the Cardinals playoff run, but wistfully says that he wished he could have ended his career in Atlanta.

Starting & Closing is not your typical sports memoir; Smoltz really concentrates on his last season, sprinkling little parts of his life throughout. You get a real feel for what makes this intriguing man tick, why he was so successful in baseball although plagued with injuries, and how his changed relationship with God made him a better man and a better pitcher.… (altro)