Why Braves' John Smoltz ranks as a top gun out of bullpen - Warm Up Tosses - Cover Story - Atlanta Braves pitcher

Baseball Digest, August, 2003 by John Kuenster

IT WAS A MORNING IN MID-MAY WHEN BRAVES' PITCHING COACH LEO MAZZONE answered a long-distance call from an inquisitive reporter.

The Braves were in San Diego for a four-game series with the Padres, and the night before, their reliever John Smoltz had notched his 17th save of the still-young season, using only ten pitches to set down the opposition in the ninth inning.

Smoltz, at that point, led all major league relievers in saves and was on a pace to set an all-time record in that pitching category by season's end.

"What," Mazzone was asked, "makes Smoltz so special as a closer?"

"To start with," Mazzone responded, "he's got great stuff. He has a 98 (mile-an-hour) fastball, a 91-92 split, and an 87 slider. Add to that, he's got good control, and he's maintained a starter's mentality as a closer."

Mazzone was asked to elaborate his latter comment.

"When John became a reliever after his elbow surgery," the Braves coach said, "we told him to keep his starter's mentality when closing out a game, don't try to blow away batters strictly with power, mix up his pitches.

"In other words, be a pitcher, not just a thrower."

Smoltz has heeded Mazzone's advice, and by the time the Braves left San Diego for their next series in Cincinnati, he had accumulated 18 saves and was a key factor in Atlanta's strong surge in the National League East standings, a surge that featured a 31-13 record and .705 winning percentage, best in the majors.

"We've been together 13 years," Mazzone said in regard to his coaching relationship with Smoltz. Those years included some outstanding seasons as a starter for Smoltz, including 1996 when he went 24-8, won a Cy Young Award and helped propel the Braves to a pennant.

The big right-hander missed the 2000 season after tearing a ligament in the elbow of his throwing arm and undergoing surgery. He came back in 2001 and converted to relief work.

"His elbow dictated that he become a closer," explained Mazzone. "In 2001, we started him a few games, and his arm began to bother him in the fifth or sixth inning. He went on the disabled list, and when he came back in July, we put him in the pen.

"It made sense. That way, he could pitch one or two innings and feel great." In his role as a closer in 2002, Smoltz set a National League record with 55 saves in addition to gaining three victories as a reliever, putting his lifetime win total at 163 since he joined the Braves in 1988.

"Someone asked me," said Mazzone, "if I thought John could save as many games as he won as a starter.

"I told him, 'Yes, that's a no-brainer.'"

On pace to become the fastest closer to 100 career saves in major league history (he had 84 lifetime saves by May 27), Smoltz admits he's a lot more comfortable this year in his role as a reliever than he was at the beginning of last season.

"If people only knew how hard that first month (in 2002) was," he said. "I didn't know what I was doing."

With the Giants' Robb Nen and the Padres' Trevor Hoffman out for the year with injuries, Smoltz and the Dodgers' Eric Gagne ranked as the top closers in the early going in N.L. division races this season.

When talking about Smoltz, Braves manager Bobby Cox doesn't spare the hyperbole. "Every time he comes in, I can tell you the feeling in the dugout is, they're not going to get a run off him," Cox said. "(Bruce) Sutter, (Rollie) Fingers, (Dennis) Eckersley, they were all great, but they didn't throw as hard as this guy."

In his days with the Cubs and Cardinals (1976-1984), Sutter delivered an almost unhittable split-fingered fastball. When he came into a game with a lead in the ninth inning, it usually was lights out for the opposition.

But, the velocity on his split-finger was around 85 miles an hour. By contrast, in a game against the Cardinals last spring, Smoltz threw three 93-mph split-finger pitches to Jim Edmonds and Edmonds, a high-average hitter, missed each pitch by a foot.

"It's a feel pitch," Smoltz said. "The more you throw it, the better it is. There are some days when it's no good, and I don't throw it. But, the good thing is I have three pitches I can throw at any time.

"I'm a guy who's going to come after you right away with three pitches. And, I don't think you can tell which of the three I'm going to throw."

Astros hitter Jeff Bagwell, who has faced Smoltz as both a starter and closer, added his view of a reliever who this year may break Bobby Thigpen's all-time record of 57 saves which he set with the White Sox in 1990.

"He's probably throwing three or four miles an hour harder out of the bullpen than he did as a starter," Bagwell said. "He's throwing strikes, and you've got to be ready to hit, and yet you're trying to hit some of the best stuff that's featured out there."

Dennis Eckersley, who becomes eligible for Hall of Fame election next year, made a successful transition from front-line starter to reliever just as Smoltz did. What does he think of Smoltz?

"He's the nastiest closer in the game right now," Eckersley said. When Smoltz comes out of the bullpen, he's intent on throwing strikes and ending the game as soon as possible. For him, the count on the batter is irrelevant. Even when it's 0-and-2, he's going to challenge the hitter.