Big Three (Atlanta Braves)

The Big Three was a trio of Major League Baseball starting pitchers for the Atlanta Braves from 1993-2002. The Big Three consisted of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. The Big Three was one of the best trio of pitchers in Major League Baseball. The Big Three combined to win six National League Cy Young Awards in the 1990s. The Big Three led the Atlanta Braves to a 1995 World Series win. Each member of the Big Three had their jersey retired by the Atlanta Braves and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Pre-"Big 3"

Tom Glavine made his Major League debut on August 17, 1987 while John Smoltz made his Major League debut on July 23, 1988. At that time, Greg Maddux was playing with the Chicago Cubs. The duo of pitchers would get off to a poor start as Tom Glavine would have a 9-21 record, a 4.76 ERA, and 104 strikeouts over his first two seasons, while John Smoltz had a 14-18 record, a 3.54 ERA, and 205 strikeouts over his first two seasons. Things would start to turn around after that, as Tom Glavine had a 14-8 record, a 3.68 ERA, and 90 strikeouts in 1989 and John Smoltz had a 14-11 record, a 3.85 ERA, and 170 strikeouts in 1990.[1][2]

Their dominance would begin in 1991 as Tom Glavine had a NL-leading 20 wins along with a 2.55 ERA and 192 and he would win his first Cy Young Award that season. They would help lead the Atlanta Braves to a West Division title and a trip to the NLCS that season. John Smoltz did not perform so well in the 1991 NLCS as he posted a 0-2 record and a 2.55 ERA, while John Smoltz would post a 2-0 record and a 1.76 ERA, and he would pitch a complete game shutout in Game 7 of the NLCS against the Pittsburgh Pirates to lead the Braves to their first World Series appearance since 1958, and their first World Series appearance in Atlanta. Tom Glavine's bad postseason luck would continue into the World Series, as Chili Davis homered off of him in the first inning of Game 2 to give the Minnesota Twins a 2-0 lead. He would stay in the game through eight innings, but surrendered another homer to Scott Leius in the eighth inning, which would cost the Braves the game, as they fell to the Twins 3-2 and were now in a 2-0 hole in the World Series.[3] After the Braves won Game 3, John Smoltz took the mound in Game 4, and he would last seven innings and surrender two runs, and the Braves would win off of a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to tie the series at 2-2.[4] Tom Glavine would start Game 5 and would receive the win as the Braves dominated the Twins by a score of 14-5 to take a 3-2 lead heading back to Minneapolis. After the Braves fell to the Twins 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 6, John Smoltz would take the mound once again in Game 7. John Smoltz would go 7.1 innings without surrendering a run, but that would not do for the Braves as the Twins would win Game 7 off of a walk-off single in the 10th inning to win the World Series.[5]

Tom Glavine would have another dominant season in 1992, as he posted a 20-8 record (he led the NL in wins for the second consecutive season), a 2.76 ERA, and 129 strikeouts to lead the Braves to another West Division title on 1992. John Smoltz would get things started in the 1992 NLCS, as he went eight innings with only surrendering one run for a 5-1 win over the Pirates in Game 1. The Braves would win Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead heading into Pittsburgh, and then they turned to Tom Glavine to give the Braves a 3-0 series lead. Tom Glavine would give up three runs over 6.1 innings in Game 3, and the Braves would ultimately lose Game 3 to the Pirates by a score of 3-2.[6] John Smoltz would go to the mound for Game 4 and would surrender four runs over 61 innings, but the Braves were able to win the game 6-4 to take a 3-1 series lead in the NLCS.[7] After the Braves lost Game 5 7-1, the Braves turned to Tom Glavine to finish the series in Game 6. However, Tom Glavine would only last 1.0 innings and would give up eight runs in the second inning and the Braves would not record an out in that inning before Tom Glavine was pulled out as the Braves got pounded by the Pirates 13-4, which meant that a Game 7 would be needed to decide the series.[8] The Braves would turn to John Smoltz in Game 7 to lead the Braves to their second consecutive World Series appearance, but he would give up two runs over six innings which would put the Braves in a 2-0 hole, but the Braves scored three runs in the ninth inning to wiN Game 7 3-2 and advance to the 1992 World Series.[9] Tom Glavine would get things started in Game 1, as he pitched a complete game giving up only one run to give the Braves a 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1, which would put the Braves in front 1-0.[10] John Smoltz would start Game 2, where he would surrender three runs in 7.1 innings, but despite holding a 4-3 lead entering the ninth inning, Jeff Reardon surrendered two runs in the ninth inning and the Braves would lose 5-4.[11] The Braves would lose Game 3, and then Tom Glavine would take the mound for Game 4. Despite going a full eight innings while only giving up two runs in Game 4, the Braves still lost Game 4 2-1 and would be in a 3-1 series hole.[12] John Smoltz would have a strong Game 5 outing surrendering only two runs in six innings to keep the series alive with a 7-2 win in Game 5.[13] The Braves would ultimately lose Game 6 4-3 in extra innings and end up losing the series in six games.

"Big Three" era

Prior to the 1993 MLB season, the Atlanta Braves signed 1992 NL Cy Young Award Winner Greg Maddux from the Chicago Cubs, thus marking the beginning of the "Big Three" era and one of the greatest trio of starting pitchers in MLB history. The Big Three had a strong 1993 season as Greg Maddux posted a 20-10 record, led the NL in ERA (2.36) along with 197 strikeouts[14] and would win his second straight NL Cy Young Award, Tom Glavine would lead the NL in wins for the third consecutive season as he posted a 22-6 record, and he would post a 3.20 ERA along with 120 strikeouts,[1] and John Smoltz would post a 15-11 record, a 3.62 ERA, and 208 strikeouts.[2] The "Big Three" helped the Atlanta Braves win the NL West for the third consecutive season, despite trailing the San Francisco Giants for most of the season. The Braves would lose Game 1 of the 1993 NLCS to the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in 10 innings, and then, a pitcher of the "Big Three" would take the mound in each of the next three games. Greg Maddux took the mound for Game 2, only surrendering two runs in seven innings, which would lead the Braves to a 14-3 rout over the Phillies in Game 2 to even the series 1-1 heading to Atlanta. Tom Glavine would do the same thing in Game 3, which would lead the Braves to a 9-4 win over the Phillies to give the Braves a 2-1 series lead. John Smoltz would give a similar performance to teammates Maddux and Glavine in Games 2 and 3 respectively giving up only two runs in 6.1 innings, but the Braves would fall to the Phillies 2-1 in Game 4 which would even the series. With none of the "Big Three" on the mound in Game 5, the Braves would loose 4-3 in 10 innings. Greg Maddux could not save the Braves in Game 6 as he surrendered six runs in 5.2 innings which would result in the Braves falling to the Phillies 6-3 in Game 6 and thus, not returning to the World Series.[15]

Greg Maddux would win his third consecutive NL Cy Young Award in the 1994 season as he posted a 16-6 record, had a NL-leading ERA of 1.56, and struck out 156 batters that season. However, this strong performance would go for naught as the season was cut short due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. The Atlanta Braves were second in the NL East at the time of the strike and held the top Wild Card spot at that time.

The 1995 season would see strong performances from the "Big Three" as Greg Maddux would win his fourth consecutive NL Cy Young Award with a league-leading 19-2 record, a league-leading 1.63 ERA, and 181 strikeouts,[14] while Tom Glavine had a 16-7 record, a 3.08 ERA, and 127 strikeouts,[1] while John Smoltz had a 12-7 record, a 3.18 ERA, and 193 strikeouts,[2] which would lead the Atlanta Braves to a NL East title that season and the top seed in the NL that season. In Game 1 of the NLDS, Greg Maddux went seven innings and gave up three runs as the Braves would go on to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 in Game 1.[16] Tom Glavine would do the same thing in Game 2, and the Braves would use a four-run 9th inning to win Game 2 7-4 and take a 2-0 series lead heading home.[17] John Smoltz's turn did not go so well as he gave up five runs in 5.2 innings in Game 3 as the Braves would subsequently lose to the Rockies 7-5 in 10 innings.[18] Greg Maddux would take the mound in Game 4 and would allow four runs in seven innings as the Braves would win Game 4 10-4 to finish out the Rockies and make their fourth consecutive trip to the NLCS.[19] Tom Glavine would get the NLCS started by only surrendering one run in seven innings in Game 1 as the Braves would beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 in 11 innings. John Smoltz would only allow two runs in Game 2 of the NLCS as the Braves would go on to win 6-2 in 10 innings. Greg Maddux would give the Braves another strong performance in Game 3 as he only allowed one run over eight innings to lead the Braves to a 5-2 win in Game 3. The Braves would go on to win Game 4 6-0 and they would sweep the Reds to win the NL Pennant and advance to the 1995 World Series. Greg Maddux would start the World Series strong for the Braves as he pitched a complete game and only surrendered two-hits in Game 1 against the Cleveland Indians as the Braves won the game 3-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the World Series. Tom Glavine would have a strong outing in Game 2 as he only gave up two runs and three hits in six innings to lead the Braves to a 4-3 win in Game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead heading to Cleveland.[20] Game 3 did not go so well for John Smoltz as he surrendered four runs in only 2.1 innings as the Braves would lose 7-6 in 11 innings.[21] The Braves would end up winning Game 4 5-2 to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series, and then they would put Greg Maddux in for Game 5, in the hopes that he can close out the series and clinch the World Series title for the Braves. However, Greg Maddux would surrender four runs in seven innings as the Braves would go on to lose Game 5 7-4 and would have to head to Atlanta to win the World Series.[22] Tom Glavine would close out the World Series by only allowing one hit over eight innings to win Game 6 1-0 and clinch the Braves first World Series title on Atlanta, as Tom Glavine would be named World Series MVP for his efforts.

The "Big Three" would have another strong season the following year as this time, John Smoltz would take the NL Cy Young Award with 26 out of 28 first-place votes, as led the league in wins with 24 and strikeouts with 276, and also posted a 2.94 ERA and won 14 consecutive decisions from April 9 to June 19.[23] The "Big Three" would lead the Atlanta Braves to another NL East Championship and would again earn the top seed in the NL. John Smoltz would start off strong on the NLDS as he surrendered only one run in nine innings in Game 1 to lead the Braves to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 innings to take a 1-0 series lead. Greg Maddux would have a strong outing in Game 2 as he only surrendered two runs and three hits over seven innings to lead the Braves to a 3-2 win over the Dodgers. Tom Glavine would finish out the series strong for the Braves as he only allowed one run in 6.2 innings to win Game 3 5-2 and close out a sweep against the Dodgers. John Smoltz would have a strong start to the 1996 NLCS as he only gave up two runs in eight innings to lead the Braves to a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1. The Braves would send Greg Maddux to the mound for Game 2 in the hopes of taking a 2-0 series lead heading to St. Louis. However, it did not go so well for him as he gave up eight runs over 6.2 innings as the Braves lost Game 2 8-3 and the series would be tied 1-1 heading to St. Louis. Tom Glavine would take the mound for Game 3 as he would give up three runs in seven innings and the Braves would lose Game 3 3-2. The Braves would fall in a 3-1 hole after losing Game 4 4-3. John Smoltz would go seven innings without giving up a run in Game 5 as the Braves went on to win Game 5 14-0 and ensure that another game would be played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, which was scheduled to be demolished following the season. Greg Maddux would take advantage of the extra game in Atlanta to force a Game 7, as he would only allow one run in 7.2 innings in the Braves 3-1 Game 6 win. Tom Glavine would make a string statement in Game 7 as he pitched seven scoreless innings as the Braves beat the Cardinals 15-0 to win the NL Pennant for the second consecutive season and advance to the 1996 World Series. John Smoltz would get off to a strong start on the World Series as he only allowed one run in six innings to lead the Braves to a 12-1 rout over the New York Yankees in Game 1. Greg Maddux would pitch an eight inning shutout in Game 2 to lead the Braves to a 4-0 win in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead heading to Atlanta. Tom Glavine would have another strong outing in Game 3 as he only gave up two runs in seven innings. However, the Braves lost that game 5-2 as the Yankees scored three runs in the eighth inning.[24] The Braves would subsequently lose Game 4 at home 6-6 and the series would be tied 2-2. John Smoltz would go eight innings and only allow one run. However, despite that, the Braves still lost the game 1-0 and would be in a 3-2 series hole heading back to New York.[25] In Game 6, Greg Maddux would give up three runs over 7.2 innings as the Braves would lose Game 6 3-2 and would end up losing the World Series in six games.[26]

The "Big Three" had yet another strong season in 1997 as Greg Maddux had a 19-4 record, a 2.20 ERA, and 177 strikeouts[14] while Tom Glavine had a 14-7 record, a 2.96 ERA, and 152 strikeouts[1] and John Smoltz had a 15-12 record, a 3.02 ERA, and 241 strikeouts[2] to lead the Atlanta Braves to a league-best 101-61 record. The "Big Three" would get the job done for the Braves in the NLDS against the Houston Astros as Greg Maddux would pitch a complete game in Game 1 while only allowing one run, thus resulting in a 2-1 victory for the Braves, Tom Glavine would allow three runs in six innings in Game 2, but the Braves would win 13-3, and John Smoltz pitched a complete game in Game 3 while only allowing one run to close out a sweep of the Astros with a 4-1 victory and advance to the NLCS. The NLCS would not start off so well for Greg Maddux, as he allowed five unearned runs in Game 1 in six innings and the Braves would lose to the Florida Marlins 5-3.[27] Tom Glavine would excel in Game 2 as he allowed just one run in 7.2 innings to lead the Braves to a 7-1 win in Game 2 and tie the series in 1-1 heading to Miami. In Game 3, John Smoltz would allow five runs, including four in the sixth inning, in six innings and the Braves would lose 5-2. The Braves would win Game 4 and the Braves would be in a favorable position to reach the World Series with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine scheduled to pitch in Games 5 and 6 respectively. Greg Maddux would last seven innings in Game 5 while only giving up two runs, however, the Braves would only score one run and would only get three hits so the Braves ended up losing 2-1.[28] Tom Glavine would have a rough night in Game 6 as he gave up seven runs in 5.2 innings as the Braves would lose 7-4 and fail to reach the World Series.[29]

Tom Glavine would win his second NL Cy Young Award in 1998

The "Big Three" would be strong yet again in 1998 as Tom Glavine would take home his second NL Cy Young Award with a NL-leading 20 wins, a 2.47 ERA, and 157 strikeouts,[1] Greg Maddux would lead the NL in ERA with a 2.22 ERA and would have a 18-9 record and 204 strikeouts to go along with it,[14] and John Smoltz would have a 17-3 record, a 2.90 ERA, and 173 strikeouts[2] to lead the Braves to a league-leading 106-56 record. John Smoltz got the Braves to a strong start in the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs as he only allowed one run in 7.2 innings to lead the Braves to a 7-1 win in Game 1. Tom Glacine would have a strong outing in Game 2 as he allowed just one run and three hits in seven innings as the Braves would score in the 9th to tie the game and win off of a walk-off single in the 10th and would take a 2-0 series lead.[30] Greg Maddux would be masterful in Game 3 as he pitched seven scoreless innings before allowing three consecutive singles to start the 8th inning, at which point he was pulled out of the game, to lead the Braves to a 7-2 victory and a their seventh consecutive trip to the NLCS.[31] John Smoltz and Tom Glavine got off to a strong start in the NLCS against the San Diego Padres as John Smoltz went seven innings and only gave up two runs in Game 1[32] and Tom4-2 win in Glavine went six innings only allowing one run in Game 2,[33] but despite that, the Braves would still lose both games and would be in a 2-0 hole heading to San Diego. Greg Maddux's Game 3 start would not go so well as he gave up two runs in just five innings as the Braves fell to the Padres 4-1 and would be in a 3-0 hole.[34] The Braves would stay alive in Game 4 with a 8-3 win and Greg Maddux would save the series in Game 5 as he would enter in the bottom of the 9th inning after Greg Myers hit a two-run homer to cut the Braves lead to 7-6 and get three outs while only walking one batter without allowing a hit to save the 7-6 win for the Braves and send the series back to Atlanta.[35] Tom Glavine's Game 6 performance would not go so well as he allowed five runs in the 6th inning as the Braves would lose 5-0 and miss the World Series.[36]

Although their stats didn't look so bright the following year, the "Big Three" still led the Braves to a league-best 103-59 record. Greg Maddux pitched seven strong innings in Game 1, only surrendering two runs, but reliever Mike Remlinger surrendered four runs in the ninth inning and the Braves would lose to the Astros 6-1.[37] The Braves would win Game 2 5-1 to even the series at 1-1 heading to Houston for Games 3 and 4. In Game 3, after giving up two runs in the first inning, Tom Glavine would go five innings without surrendering another run as the Braves went on to beat the Astros 5-3 in 12 innings. In Game 4, John Smoltz would go the first seven innings only giving up one run and the Braves held a 7-0 lead, and then in the 8th inning, he gave up a three-run homer to Ken Caminiti in the 8th inning which would result in John Smoltz being pulled out of the Game as John Rocker would halt the Astros rally with three outs as the Braves won the game 7-5 and advanced to the NLCS for the eighth consecutive season.[38] Greg Maddux got off to a solid start in the NLCS against the New York Mets as he gave up only one run in seven innings to lead the Braves to a 4-2 win in Game 1. John Smoltz would pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th inning to seal a 4-3 win for the Braves in Game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead heading to New York.[39] Tom Glavine pitched seven scoreless innings n Game 3 to lead the Braves to a 1-0 win over the New York Mets and put them one game away from advancing to the World Series. John Smoltz did his part on Game 4 as he only allowed two runs in 7.1 innings, but Mike Remlinger could not seal it for the Braves as he gave up another run which ultimately cost them the game, as they lost 3-2.[40] After allowing two runs in the first inning of Game 5, Greg Maddux pitched six scoreless innings, but the game was tied 2-2 at that point and the Braves ultimately lost 4-3 in 15 innings.[41] The Braves would win Game 6 10-9 in 11 innings to win the NL Pennant and advance to the 1999 World Series. Greg Maddux would start the World Series strong as he pitched seven scoreless innings, however, he put four consecutive hitters on base to start the 8th inning and all four of them would score, which would give the Yankees a 4-1 lead and the Yankees would end up winning 4-1.[42] After the Braves lost Game 2 7-2, Tom Glavine would end up giving up five runs in seven innings as the Braves lost 6-5 in ten innings and would now face a 3-0 hole.[43] John Smoltz would give up three runs in seven innings in Game 4 and the Braves would get swept in the World Series, as they lost Game 4 4-1.[44]

The 2000 season was a rough one for the Braves, as John Smoltz missed the entire season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery.[45] However, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine still did what they had to do to lead the Braves to their ninth consecutive division title, and sixth consecutive NL East title as Greg Maddux had a 19-9 record, a 3.00 ERA, and 190 strikeouts[14] and Tom Glavine had a NL-leading 21 wins, a 3.40 ERA, and 152 strikeouts.[1] The postseason did not go well for them as Greg Maddux gave up seven runs in just four innings in Game 1[46] and Tom Glavine would give up seven runs in just 2.1 innings in Game 2[47] and the Braves would be swept by the Cardinals in the 2000 NLDS and would miss the NLCS for the first time since 1990.

The 2001 season would see some changes for the Braves as John Smoltz would become the Braves closer after recovering from Tommy John Surgery and being unable to perform as a starter, filling in for the void left by John Rocker, who was traded to the Indians. This would leave Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine as the two left in the starting rotation in the "Big Three". The "Big There" were able to adapt well enough to these changes to lead them to their 10th consecutive division title, and seventh consecutive NL East title. After Greg Maddux gave up three runs in six innings in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Astros, John Smoltz pitched two strong innings of relief pitching as the Braves started off the NLDS with a 7-4 win over the Astros in Game 1.[48] Ton Glavine pitched eight scoreless innings in Game 2 and John Smoltz would cap it off with a scoreless 9th inning to lead the Braves to a 1-0 win over the Astros in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead heading home.[49] The Braves would go on to win Game 3 6-2 to advance to the NLCS. Greg Maddux would pitch seven strong innings in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, only surrendering two runs, but the Braves would lose the game 2-0. Tom Glavine would go seven innings in Game 2 and only give up one run while John Smoltz would pitch a 1-2-3 9th inning to lead the Braves to a 8-1 win in Game 2 to even the series heading home.[50] After the Braves lost Game 3 5-1, Greg Maddux would surrender six runs in just three innings as the Braves would lose 11-4 and fall one win away from elimination.[51] Tom Glavine would not have a strong Game 5 either, as he allowed three runs in five innings as the Braves lost Game 5 3-2 and would be eliminated from the postseason.[52]

In what would be their final season together, the "Big Three" led the Braves to a 101-59 record and their 11th consecutive division title, and their 8th consecutive NL East title. Tom Glavine would not pitch well in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Giants as he gave up eight runs in five innings as the Braves would lose 8-5. After the Braves won Game 2 7-3, Greg Maddux would go six innings while allowing two runs to lead the Braves to a 10-2 win over the Giants in Game 3 and put them one win away from a trip to the NLCS.[53] However, Tom Glavine would pitch poorly in Game 4 as he allowed seven runs in just 2.2 innings as the Braves would lose 8-3. The Braves would end up losing Game 5 3-1 and would be eliminated from the postseason in the NLDS.

Post-"Big 3"

After the 2002 season, Tom Glavine wound sign with the New York Mets, ending the Big Three's time together in Atlanta. The duo of Greg Maddux and John Smoltz would still be good enough to lead the Braves to a 101-61 record and their 12th straight division title, also their 9th consecutive NL East title. After the Braves lost Game 1 of the NLDS 4-2 to the Chicago Cubs and with the Braves leading 3-2 after the 7th inning of Game 2, John Smoltz would come into Game 2 and pitch two innings of only allowing one run, including pitching a perfect 9th inning, to lead the Braves to a 5-3 win in Game 2.[54] After allowing two runs in the first inning of Game 3, Greg Maddux would pitch five scoreless innings, but that would not do for the Braves as they fell to the Cubs 3-1 in Game 3.[55] John Smoltz would take relief duties in Game 4 and would after allowing two doubles to begin the bottom of the 9th inning, he would get the next three batters out to seal a 6-4 win for the Braves in Game 4 and force a Game 5 back in Atlanta. The Braves would lose Game 5 5-1 and would be eliminated from the postseason.

Following the 2003 season, Greg Maddux would return to the Chicago Cubs leaving John Smoltz as the only player of the "Big Three" left with the Braves for the 2004 season. John Smoltz would record 44 saves in the 2004 season to lead the Braves to their 13th consecutive division title, also their 10th consecutive NL East title. After the Braves lost Game 1 of the NLDS to the Astros 9-3, John Smoltz pitched three scoreless innings in relief in Game 2 to help the Braves beat the Astros 4-2.[56] After the Braves lost Game 3 8-5, John Smoltz pitched two scoreless innings in relief to lead the Braves to a 6-5 win over the Astros and force a Game 5 in Atlanta.[57] The Braves would lose Game 5 12-3 and would then be eliminated in the ALDS for the third consecutive year.

John Smoltz would return to the starting rotation for the 2005 season and he would have a 14-7 record, a 3.06 ERA and 169 strikeouts to help the Braves win their 14th consecutive Division Title, also their 11th consecutive NL East title.[2] John Smoltz's start in the NLDS would go well as he would go seven innings and only give up one run to lead the Braves to a 7-1 win in Game 2.[58] The other games would not go well for the Braves as they lost the NLDS to the Astros in four games.

John Smoltz would have another successful season the following year with a NL-leading 16 wins, a 3.49 ERA, and 211 strikeouts,[2] but that would not do for the Braves as they finished 3rd in the NL East would end up missing the playoffs and not winning their division for the first time since 1990. He would have another successful year in 2007 with a 14-8 record, a 3.11 ERA, and 197 strikeouts,[2] but again that wouldn't do for the Braves as they finished 3rd in their division yet again and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Glavine being introduced at Turner Field in his first game back with the Braves in 2008

Tom Glavine would return to the Braves for the 2008 season, but the two of them found not get the Braves back into the playoffs as they finished fourth in their division that season. That season would be the last for Tom Glavine as he would undergo rehab the following season, and would be released from the Braves on June 3, 2009 and he would officially retire from baseball on February 11, 2010.

The 2008 season would also be John Smoltz's last season with the Braves as he would sign with the Boston Red Sox for the 2009 season. He would spend half of that season with the Red Sox, and the other half of that season with the Cardinals, after which, he would retire from baseball.

Greg Maddux would spend three more seasons with the Chicago Cubs and then, he would be traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the middle of the 2006 season. John Smoltz would then spend his final two seasons with the San Diego Padres and be traded again to the Dodgers in the middle of the 2008 season, after which, he would retire from baseball.

Legacy

The "Big Three" was considered by many to be the greatest pitching-trio of all-time.

John Smoltz's number 29 was retired by the Atlanta Braves in 2012.
Tom Glavine's number 47 was retired by the Atlanta Braves in 2010.
Greg Maddux's number 31 was retired by the Atlanta Braves in 2009.

All three pitchers would have their numbers retired by the Braves as Greg Maddux would have his number retired on July 31, 2009, Tom Glavine would see his number retired on August 6, 2010, and John Smoltz would have his number retired on July 8, 2012.

All three pitchers would be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility as Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine would both be inducted in 2014 receiving 97.2% and 91.9% of the possible votes respectively,[59] and John Smoltz would be inducted the following year receiving 82.9% of the possible votes.[60]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tom Glavine Statistics and History | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 John Smoltz Statistics and History | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  3. ↑ October 20, 1991 World Series Game 2, Braves at Twins | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  4. ↑ October 23, 1991 World Series Game 4, Twins at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  5. ↑ October 20, 1991 World Series Game 2, Braves at Twins | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  6. ↑ October 9, 1992 National League Championship Series Game 3, Braves at Pirates Retrieved July 26, 2016
  7. ↑ October 10, 1992 National League Championship Series Game 4, Braves at Pirates Retrieved July 26, 2016
  8. ↑ October 13, 1992 National League Championship Series Game 6, Pirates at Braves| Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  9. ↑ October 13, 1992 National League Championship Series Game 6, Pirates at Braves| Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  10. ↑ October 17, 1992 World Series Game 1, Blue Jays at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  11. ↑ October 18, 1992 World Series Game 2, Blue Jays at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  12. ↑ October 21, 1992 World Series Game 4, Braves at Blue Jays | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  13. ↑ October 22, 1992 World Series Game 5, Braves at Blue Jays | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Greg Maddux Statistics and History | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 26, 2016
  15. ↑ October 13, 1993 National League Championship Series Game 6, Braves at Phillies Retrieved July 26, 2016
  16. ↑ October 3, 1995 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 1, Braves at Rockies Retrieved July 26, 2016
  17. ↑ October 4, 1995 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 2, Braves at Rockies Retrieved July 26, 2016
  18. ↑ October 6, 1995 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 3, Rockies at Braves Retrieved July 26, 2016
  19. ↑ October 7, 1995 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 4, Rockies at Braves Retrieved July 26, 2016
  20. ↑ October 22, 1995 World Series Game 2, Indians at Braves Retrieved July 26, 2016
  21. ↑ October 24, 1995 World Series Game 3, Braves at Indians Retrieved July 26, 2016
  22. ↑ October 26, 1995 World Series Game 5, Braves at Indians Retrieved July 26, 2016
  23. ↑ Whiteside, Larry (October 1996). "Braves' John Smoltz Makes A Pitch for Cy Young Award". Baseball Digest. Vol. 55 no. 10. United States: Lakeside Publishing Co. pp. 22–25. ISSN 0005-609X. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  24. ↑ October 22, 1996 World Series Game 3, Yankees at Braves Retrieved July 26, 2016
  25. ↑ October 24, 1996 World Series Game 5, Yankees at Braves Retrieved July 26, 2016
  26. ↑ October 26, 1996 World Series Game 6, Braves at Yankees Retrieved July 26, 2016
  27. ↑ October 7, 1997 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 1, Marlins at Braves Retrieved July 27, 2016
  28. ↑ October 12, 1997 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 5, Braves at Marlins Retrieved July 27, 2016
  29. ↑ October 14, 1997 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 6, Marlins at Braves Retrieved July 27, 2016
  30. ↑ October 1, 1998 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 2, Cubs at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  31. ↑ October 3, 1998 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 3, Braves at Cubs | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  32. ↑ October 7, 1998 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 1, Parers at Braves Retrieved July 27, 2016
  33. ↑ October 8, 1998 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 2, Padres at Braves Retrieved July 27, 2016
  34. ↑ October 10, 1998 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 3, Braves at Padres Retrieved July 27, 2016
  35. ↑ October 12, 1998 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 5, Braves at Padres Retrieved July 27, 2016
  36. ↑ October 14, 1998 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 6, Padres at Braves Retrieved July 27, 2016
  37. ↑ October 5, 1999 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 1, Astros at Braves Retrieved July 27, 2016
  38. ↑ October 9, 1999 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 4, Braves at Astros Retrieved July 27, 2016
  39. ↑ October 13, 1999 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 2, Mets at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  40. ↑ October 16, 1999 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 4, Braves at Mets | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  41. ↑ October 17, 1999 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 5, Braves at Mets | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  42. ↑ October 23, 1999 World Series Game 1, Yankees at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  43. ↑ October 26, 1999 World Series Game 3, Braves at Yankees | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  44. ↑ October 27, 1999 World Series Game 4, Braves at Yankees | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  45. ↑ Kuenster, John (July 2000). "Without John Smoltz, Braves May Be Pressed To Set New Winning Record". Baseball Digest. Vol. 59 no. 7. United States: Lakeside Publishing Co. p. 17. ISSN 0005-609X. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  46. ↑ October 3, 2000 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 1, Braves at Cardinals | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  47. ↑ October 5, 2000 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 2, Braves at Cardinals | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  48. ↑ October 9, 2001 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 1, Braves at Astros | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  49. ↑ October 10, 2001 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 2, Braves at Astros | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  50. ↑ October 17, 2001 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 2, Braves at Diamondbacks | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  51. ↑ October 20, 2001 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 4, Diamondbacks at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  52. ↑ October 21, 2001 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 5, Diamondbacks at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  53. ↑ October 5, 2002 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 3, Braves at Giants Retrieved July 27, 2016
  54. ↑ October 1, 2003 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 2, Cubs at Braves Retrieved July 27, 2016
  55. ↑ October 3, 2003 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 3, Braves at Cubs Retrieved July 27, 2016
  56. ↑ October 7, 2004 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 2, Astros at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  57. ↑ October 10, 2004 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 4, Braves at Astros | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  58. ↑ October 6, 2005 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 2, Astros at Braves | Baseball-Reference.com Retrieved July 27, 2016
  59. ↑ "Maddux, Glavine, Thomas to HOF". ESPN. January 8, 2014.
  60. ↑ "Johnson, Martinez elected into HOF". espn.go.com. January 6, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
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