Smoltz's return to starting has skeptics

Smoltz's return to starting has skeptics

John Smoltz says he has "zero doubts" about making a healthy, successful return to the Braves' starting rotation. Others aren't as optimistic. Dennis Eckersley, the Hall of Fame pitcher who set the standard for moving from ace starter to elite closer, couldn't imagine doing the starter-to-closer-to-starter conversion Smoltz is trying at age 37. "The thought of even having to do what he's doing, that's outrageous to me," Eckersley said. "He's not getting any younger, and he's had arm trouble. I really think it's a crapshoot. They've got to watch him close. "To tune it up to 125 pitches again, you've got to wonder if he'll last."

Mets pitcher Tom Glavine has concerns for his friend and former Braves teammate of 15 seasons. "As much as everybody is thrilled about John coming back and wants to see him do well, myself included," Glavine said, "in the back of your mind . . . you know, he's doing something that nobody's ever done. I don't think anybody knows what to expect, including him. "You know he's going to put his work in and do everything he thinks he has to do to stay healthy, but it's up to his elbow to cooperate."

Smoltz, who's had four elbow surgeries -- including two since he was last a full-time starter in 1999 -- and turns 38 in May, said: "I'm not going to let myself be consumed or even think about people saying how hard it's going to be. . . . I believe if you enjoy something and work hard enough, you can do things that have never been done."

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No pitcher as accomplished in both roles as Smoltz (163 wins, 154 saves, 3.27 ERA) has made the move from starter to closer and then back to starter.

"But if anybody's capable of doing it, it's him," Eckersley said, "because he's not a two-pitch pitcher. He's got the stuff. And he's still got the gas [fastball], too. The biggest thing will be, does he have the stamina? He might be all right for a while, but then come August . . ." Smoltz said, "I'd be very surprised if I had to take a start off. And I don't think I ever came out of a game because I was tired."

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The Braves agreed to move Smoltz back to the rotation after trading for former Milwaukee closer Dan Kolb in December. Smoltz knew there would be naysayers.

Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus wrote, "While Smoltz was a very good starting pitcher in his time, he was moved to the bullpen because his elbow couldn't hold up under the workload. Incomplete seasons in 1998 and 1999 preceded a move to the bullpen, and even there, Smoltz pitched through pain. Watching him in the 2003 division series was agonizing. "His desire to help the Braves win and his belief that he can do a better job of that in the rotation are sincere, but misguided. He's unlikely to get through the season without at least one DL trip. I figure him for 140 innings, max, with the most likely scenario being a strong start followed by regression and then injury. It will end up as a $10 million hole blown in a roster that just can't afford that kind of thing any longer."

Obviously, we'll see. My preference would have been to keep him in the closer's role, simply because he's excelled at it. Still, it's frustrating to have a guy that 's probably your second best starter sitting on the bench in the postseason.