Then There Were None: Glavine's Exit Ensures Big Three Won't Retire as Braves

Earlier this week, GM declared bankruptcy.

Today the public is declaring the Braves organization morally bankrupt because of its abrupt dismissal of the last remnant of the Braves vaunted 1990s pitching staff.

In these dire economic times, this cost-effective move has nonetheless brought on the scrutiny of the national media and the disappointment of baseball fans everywhere.

Considering the team’s offseason signings of starting pitchers Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami, and Javier Vazquez, there would be no bailouts for Tom Glavine.

Glavine’s release completes the exodus of one of the best starting pitching staffs in major league history. Glavine teamed with John Smoltz and Greg Maddux to terrorize National League hitters for more than a decade.

In an unprecedented era of stability, the Braves were able to keep three top-notch pitchers on the same staff for 11 seasons. Their success was equally unparalleled with the trio winning the World Series in 1995, seven Cy Young awards, and 14 consecutive division titles.

However, the relationship between the Braves and their future Hall of Famers was already floundering.

When the aces entered the new millennium, their prospects seemed bright. In the 2002 season, the Big Three were still rolling in their mid-30s after Glavine finished 18-11, Maddux 16-6, and Smoltz added 55 saves.

But the Braves wouldn’t win any more championships with the Big Three and Glavine was the first to leave Atlanta, making a run for New York’s bull market in 2003.

The transaction shocked many who felt the staff had one more title run in its arms.

The move distanced fans who already felt that the former players union representative betrayed them during the 1994-95 strike.

No one was shocked when Maddux, the best pitcher in the group, followed Glavine’s lead and bolted for Chicago after the 2003 season.

Though many will forever associate the Big Three with the Atlanta Braves, their departures and career-defining moments have left followers feeling bittersweet.

Maddux won his 300th game and recorded his 3,000th strikeout after he rejoined the Chicago Cubs.

Glavine, who left when he felt the team underestimated his value, won his 300th game with the New York Mets.

Smoltz recorded the major milestones of his career with the Braves, becoming the first pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves. But his exit was nastier than Glavine’s as the Braves refused to award the oft-injured Smoltz the type of incentive-laden contract he signed with the Boston Red Sox.

Smoltz wanted a lucrative contract, too.

But the Braves shrewdly required him to meet innings criteria to trigger incentives. Since Tommy John surgery forced Smoltz to miss the 2000 season he has been back and forth between the bullpen and starting rotation and has also bounced between the active roster and the disabled list.

When the Braves wouldn’t budge, Smoltz packed up and didn’t look back.

The only thing wrong with the Braves’ choice to release Glavine was the timing of the move.

Glavine did his part, completing several rehab assignments this season in his recovery from an elbow injury that ended his 2008 season.

But with Tommy Hanson—the Braves’ best pitching prospect—ready for the big leagues, Glavine was expandable.

At the very least, Glavine’s release was puzzling. The Braves seemed to indicate that they would give the 43-year-old a chance to retire as a Brave when they allowed Smoltz to leave but retained the left hander.

What would have happened if a starter went down? Would the team have been as quick to release Glavine?

Yet, management shouldn’t be blamed for making fiscally-sound decisions to rebuild the organization and try to recapture the glory of the ‘90s and end the team’s current three-year postseason drought.

How much is sentiment worth?

The Braves paid an injured Glavine $8 million last year. He was scheduled to receive roster bonuses of up to $1 million if the Braves called him up this year.

Maybe the Braves’ front office should be admired for keeping the stars together for so long in a league that scatters more stars than your local planetarium.

There probably won’t be another team with three starters as good as the Maddux-Glavine-Smoltz combination.

Instead of blaming the front office for releasing Glavine, we should consider the phenomenal effort it took to assemble, guard, and thrive with three superstar pitchers on the same roster.

All good things must come to an end, and although Smoltz’s departure was mishandled, Glavine’s release was appropriate considering the financial implications and Tommy Hanson’s development.