Tom Glavine Officially Retires To Join Atlanta Braves' Front Office

After 22 iconic years, Atlanta Braves legendary ace Tom Glavine has officially called it a career.

But while Glavine closed the books on his Hall of Fame worthy playing days, he announced he’s set to embark on a new endeavor with the Braves.

Glavine’s retirement yesterday came at the same time as his introduction as the newest member of the Braves’ broadcast team and a special assistant to team president John Schuerholz.

The 305-game winner’s tasks will include front-office work, some Braves radio and TV broadcasting, and also some on-field coaching at spring training and in the minor leagues.

In his new flexible role with the club, Glavine will assist Schuerholz and GM Frank Wren on various business projects while helping with the development and analysis of Major and Minor League talent.

Glavine’s latest reunion with the Braves seems to cement the end of a storied yet stormy past between the two.

You could relate Tom Glavine’s relationship with the Atlanta Braves to a complicated marriage.

Glavine spent 16 esteemed years with the Braves, where he was a 10-time All-Star and went on to win 12 consecutive division titles, two Cy Young Awards, and one World Championship with World Series MVP honors as the cherry on top.

Then, came the messy split heard ’round the world.

After the 2002 season, much to the shock and chagrin of Braves loyalists and team officials, Glavine departed for the rival New York Mets.

And it was ugly.

Glavine and then-GM John Schuerholz engaged in a very public war of words. Glavine openly bashed the Braves, which didn’t sit kindly with Atlanta’s very private general manager.

It was a classic case of “he-said/he-said” with Schuerholz even recounting the heated negotiations between the club and Glavine in his book, Built to Win.

On the surface, it appeared the Braves and Glavine would never reconcile.

Then, after five underwhelming years with the Mets, the seemingly impossible happened.

The Braves and Glavine reached out to each other and mended fences.

In Nov. 2007, new GM Frank Wren brought Glavine back to the organization that made him one of the greatest pitchers of his generation.

But the fairytale reunion was short-lived.

On Apr. 18, 2008, Glavine was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his remarkable career.

Glavine struggled to regain his form and health that season, but worked out a deal to return to the Braves on a one-year contract in 2009.

But the return was never to be.

The Braves unceremoniously released Glavine on June 3, 2009, while the southpaw was finishing his rehabilitation, just five days before his scheduled June 7 season debut.

Glavine ripped the front office again, and this time it seemed their relationship hadn’t just soured, but that it had been irreparably damaged for good.

The two sides didn’t speak until Thanksgiving when Schuerholz reached out to Glavine to apologize for the way the team handled his release.

Ultimately, the two set aside their differences and realized for all their bickering, they’ve always shared the same common ground—their great love for the Braves.

You could liken Glavine’s past bitterness towards his bosses to that of a partner scorned.

He sometimes felt undervalued and underappreciated by the Braves, lashing out not once but twice.

But it was not out of hatred, it was out of hurt.

For their part, the Braves knew Glavine’s face was the one associated with the franchise’s success during their dynasty years, but they were the stubborn half of the pair who didn’t want to give in to their often high maintenance star’s demands.

In the end, the two came full circle.

Their relationship wasn’t the prettiest or the smoothest, but it was one that endured.

It was the union that would bend, and bend some more, but never broke.