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Smoltz believes he has plenty of innings left in his arm: John Smoltz's career 3.04 ERA in April is his lowest for any month. Doubts about his return to the rotation will fade quickly if he gets off to another fast apart
Sporting News, The, March 18, 2005 by Ken Rosenthal
Dennis Eckersley can't even fathom what John Smoltz is doing, returning to starting pitching after achieving success as a closer.
"God, no," Eckersley says. "It's beyond me."
If anyone can pull this off, it's Smoltz, but let no one mistake the enormity of his task. Smoltz turns 38 in May. He has endured four elbow operations. And he hasn't started regularly since 1999.
"It would be one thing if he were 30 and felt like changing lanes," Eckersley says. "But he has had arm trouble. It's hard to (bet) the ranch on him. They expect him to be the No. 2 guy. That's asking a lot. To tune it up to 125 pitches again, you've got to wonder, will he last?"
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It's unlikely that Smoltz will throw 125 pitches very often, if ever--no one protects pitchers better than Braves manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Leo Mazzone. But Smoltz is prepared for every question, every challenge, every doubt.
His career path--starting, then closing, then back to starting--is unprecedented for a pitcher of his caliber. Dave Righetti returned to starting in his final season, when he was trying to salvage his career. Derek Lowe also went starter-closer-starter but only because he flopped as a closer.
Now here's Smoltz abandoning late-inning relief after converting 154 of 168 save chances in three-plus seasons. Eckersley made the Hall of Fame with 149 career victories as a starter, topped off by 390 saves. Smoltz, sitting on 159 victories as a starter, probably could have mounted a similar case for Hall induction if he had remained a closer.
He's taking a decidedly unselfish route, believing the Braves need him more as a dominant starting pitcher than as a dominant reliever.
"I look at this as the sky's the limit," Smoltz says. "Every pitch I've learned, every angle, you could see it. I'm honestly not afraid to fail. I've been there. Seventh games. Closing games. Pitching sidearm. Now going back to starting. Failure's right there."
Smoltz possesses the athletic ability, pitching repertoire and competitive fire to succeed. On a recent spring morning in Florida, he walked into the Braves' clubhouse with a huge smile, saying, "There's not going to be a bad day down here." He's excited to apply the lessons he learned as a reliever to starting. Rather than blow through innings quickly, he knows now to slow down.
Smoltz longed to pitch again, to rely on artistry instead of velocity, to resume throwing his curveball in addition to his fastball, splitter and slider. When the Braves acquired closer Dan Kolb from the Brewers, they finally were comfortable moving Smoltz back to the rotation.
"As a closer, I threw more pitches 96 mph in one year than I did in my entire career as a starter," Smoltz says. "I'll be honest: I didn't care if I hit my spot one out of three times. You're like, 'I'm going to give it to you. If I hit my spot, you're out. If I don't, it's 50-50.'"
Such was life in the late innings, but it bugs Smoltz to be viewed more as a thrower than a pitcher or more as a closer than a starter; he was the equal of Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux in the Braves' vaunted rotations of the 1990s. He worked hard during the offseason; starters are the pitching equivalent of marathoners, and closers are more like sprinters. Cox says endurance could be an issue. Smoltz counters: "There will be no way I get tired."
The whole thing perplexes Eckersley, who says Smoltz "has everything to lose."
Smoltz sees it just the opposite. He wants to add to his 14 career postseason wins, 12 of which came as a starter.
Let others wonder whether he is doing the right thing.
Smoltz says, "I honestly have not doubted it once."
The future is now--and later--for the Red Sox
The Red Sox's growing commitment to their top prospect, shortstop Hanley Ramirez, illustrates one significant difference between their approach and the Yankees'.
The Yankees are forever trading young players for veterans; they included catcher Dioner Navarro and left-hander Brad Halsey in their deal for Randy Johnson.
The Red Sox completed their offseason makeover without giving up any prospects, and their three main free-agent defections-Pedro Martinez, Orlando Cabrera and Derek Lowe-gave the team six of the top 59 picks in the June amateur draft.
If you're the Yankees' top prospect, Class A third baseman Eric Duncan, you're keeping your bags packed, knowing you could be traded before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline.
If you're Ramirez, you're confident that you eventually will play in Boston, even after the Sox signed shortstop Edgar Renteria through 2008.
The bigger question is Ramirez's future position.
Some scouts envision him at second base, figuring he could provide Jeff Kent-type offense and shortstop-quality defense. But Ramirez (6-3, 195) still is growing at age 21 and probably will be better suited for third base or center field.
The Sox have potential free agents at all three positions, but they seem most intrigued by the idea of Ramirez in center.
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