John Smoltz returns tonight, and he’s a bit nervous about it:
“Hopefully I learn from some of those past experiences of what I call two of the most anxious moments: first game as a closer and then my first game back as a starter after five years, neither of which did I do very well -- and both of those years turned out to be great years,” Smoltz said. “So I’m not going to get too caught up in whether or not tomorrow is a success or a failure based on one start.”
I’m not exactly sure what Smotlz is referring to when he says he didn’t do well in his first game as a closer. He went to the pen in July of 2001, and in his first game back he gave up no runs, no hits, no walks and struck out a guy against the Expos. If he’s referring to the beginning of his first full season as The Closer for the Braves -- 2002 -- he’s wrong too. In his first appearance that season he struck out two of the three men he faced and again didn’t allow a runner. It wasn’t until his second appearance -- against the Mets -- where he got shelled.
He was right, though, about his first game back as a starter. He was destroyed on Opening Day 2005 against the Marlins: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R.
