John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967 in Warren,
Michigan) is a Major League Baseball player
currently playing with the Atlanta Braves. He is
predominantly known as a starter and former Cy Young
Award winner. However, before the 2001 season, his
13th, he became a closer, a role in which he is no
longer serving. In 2002 he became only the second
pitcher in history to have had both a 20-win season
and a 50-save season (the other being Hall of Famer
Dennis Eckersley). He is the only pitcher in Major
League history to top both 200 wins and 150 saves.
Smoltz throws a four-seam fastball that has been
clocked as high as 98 Miles per hour, a strong,
effective slider, and a 90 mph split-finger fastball
that he uses as a strikeout pitch. He also mixes in
a curveball and change-up on occasion, and in 1999,
he began experimenting with both a knuckleball and a
three-quarters delivery, though he rarely uses
either in game situations today.
