Yay Johnson...Stupid Braves

So, yesterday was a very special day for baseball and man by the name of Randy Johnson. "The Big Unit" as he is called recorded his 300th career win. Johnson is only the 24th pitcher all-time to ever reach the 300-win plateau. He will probably be the last (for multiple reasons).

Pitchers these days do not go so deep into games. The basic strategies of the game are so different than from what they used to be. Guys like Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Steve Carlton are gone. It's the era of the relief pitcher. Seldom do pitchers consistently eclipse 200+ innings in a year. The only other possible pitcher to have a chance at 300 wins, C.C. Sabathia, of the New York Yankees, does but his win totals are not high enough annually. And, being in his late 20's, the odds are he won't win 200 or so more games before he hangs up his cleats.

What Randy Johnson has done is nothing less than extraordinary. At 43, he has endured a career that has lasted 20+ years starting in Montreal and now winding up in San Francisco. He is the second pitcher ever to win four consecutive Cy Young Awards and the first left-hander to do so. He currently is third in career wins for a left-hander. He will pass Tom Glavine before the season concludes. His strikeout numbers are incredible having eclipsed 300 strikeouts in a season 6 times. Known for his slider and electric fastball, Johnson has just punched his ticket to Cooperstown (if he hasn't already). You can view the rest of The Unit's number's here.

In other news, how stupid are the Atlanta Braves? Now, I'm a fan. A big fan. I've loved Atlanta for as long as I can remember watching the original Big 3 of Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux pitch daily. How could they release a veteran lefty like Tom Glavine who has posted 305 career wins and only made his first trip to the Disabled List just this past season? GM Frank Wren said that Glavine isn't "good enough" to face to major league hitting. The guy is more than good enough. He's not Randy Johnson, Josh Beckett, or any other flame-throwing starter. He's known for hitting his spots and pounding the corners in-and-out to keep hitters off balance. He's made his name for doing that. He's more than deserved a chance to prove himself on the diamond. Jim Rome, of ESPN, is right in saying that Wren and the rest of the Braves front office have had a pre-determined opinion of Glavine when they sent him to the lowest level of the minor leagues for rehab only to release him after he just threw 11 shutout innings in his last two starts. Talk about unclassy! At least, they made a solid trade in getting All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth. But, that move alone will not take away the sting the fans are going to be feeling after losing Tom Glavine, to politics, for the second time in his storied career. God speed Glavs! Even though I'm a die hard Braves fan, I hope somebody picks you up and you spit out 25 starts and win 15 games.