TOKYO — John Smoltz is a Hall of Fame pitcher. He played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. He was an eight-time All-Star who helped the Braves win many a division title and the World Series in 1995, along with two other Hall of Fame starting pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.
Smoltz won the Cy Young Award in 1996 with a record of 24-8. In 2001, after having Tommy John surgery, he became the team’s closer in order to reduce the stress on his arm. In 2002, he set a National League record with 55 saves and became only the second pitcher in history (joining Dennis Eckersley) to record both a 20-win season and a 50-save season.
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