Braves Quote For The Day ... Iron Man John Smoltz

by gondeee on Dec 22, 2011 8:07 AM EST in Braves Quote For The Day

This good piece of Braves quote nostalgia comes via Corey Dawkins at Baseball Prospectus, in their piece about the 10 Weirdest Baseball Injuries:

There are a lot of injuries make me sit back and chuckle, but this one by John Smoltz takes the cake. Generally, everyone likes to look good. I mean, who doesn't? You know what they say, "dress for success" and all. Well, Smoltz needed to make sure his clothes were absolutely perfect one day back during spring training of 1990. Apparently, an area needed extra attention because it just wasn't right. Smoltz did what naturally comes next; he ironed his shirt. The only issue was that he was still wearing it and scalded his chest as a result.

According to Joe Strauss, the Braves beat writer at the time, Smoltz ended up with 5 different one inch long red streaks below the Polo emblem. Smoltz was also quoted in the article saying, "I couldn't believe it. I've done it five or six times before and never had that happen." Smoltz has since denied it multiple times-hey, that's what I would do-but regardless, it definitely has to be one of the funniest and most bizarre injuries I have ever seen.

Good ol' Smoltzy. I was watching Kevin Costner's movie, "For Love Of The Game," last night, and it made me really miss Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. I know I appreciated them and marveled at them when they were all here in a Braves uniform, but it still wasn't enough, or those memories have faded somewhat. Either way, I miss seeing all those guys pitch. Twas a thing of beauty.

UPDATE: Smoltz's injury is honored in this card set (hat tip: martyb67):

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To me and my brother, no baseball “injury” beats that of Chris “I slept on my eye wrong” Brown.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brown_%28baseball%29
(scroll down to the “San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers” section where there’s a reference to it)

by Zontar on Dec 22, 2011 8:20 AM EST reply actions

wow...

Guy had an interesting life (and a short one.)

"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti

by sddbaker on Dec 22, 2011 2:35 PM EST up reply actions

I saw this story on Mental Floss a while back

Smoltzie refutes it and says the reporter got it all wrong-

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/170335

There’s a longer version out there, I couldn’t find it though.

by vooodooo on Dec 22, 2011 8:57 AM EST reply actions

I can’t find any evidence of it (I hate Google sometimes) but my memory is that Patrick did an interview with John for that little one page segment Dan used to have in ESPN The Magazine @ 5-7 years ago and John said then that it wasn’t a flat iron like it’s often portrayed as being. He said it was more of a steam shooter thing. That’s marginally better.

For Love of the Game is a terrific film (for it’s correct portrayal of Yankee fans, if nothing else.) I’m glad it makes someone else think of those guys (Glavine in particular), because it does that for me, too.

by Sam Jethroe on Dec 22, 2011 6:51 PM EST reply actions

Some of my favorite baseball injuries

1. Wade Boggs hurting his back while donning a pair of cowboy boots.
2. Vince Coleman’s ankle devoured by the mechanical tarp in St. Louis.
3. Bret Barbarie missing a game because he got chili powder in his eyes.
4. Terry Harper dislocating his shoulder while waving a runner home from third.
5. Mike Remlinger getting his hand caught in a La-Z-Boy and breaking a finger.
6. Glenallen Hill falling through a glass coffee table after having a nightmare about spiders.
7. Adam Eaton stabbing himself in the stomach while trying to get the shrink wrap off of a DVD.
8. Charlie Hough breaking a finger while trying to pinky-shake with a teammate.
9. Kazuhiro Sasaki falling and bruising his ribs after he tripped over his luggage.
10. Larry Walker throwing out his shoulder while fishing.

"Some people give their bodies to science. I gave mine to baseball." -- Ron Hunt

by Cornutt on Dec 22, 2011 7:47 PM EST reply actions