Q:
How was your trip to Cooperstown for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony?
A:
It’s was a great experience as always. The organization really does a first-class job hosting the induction ceremony and if anyone gets the chance they ought to attend one. It sure is a lot different than 1991 when I was inducted. The estimated attendance was over 75,000.
Q:
Do members of the Hall of Fame have private time together?
A:
Yes, after we take a photograph with the new members we all have dinner together. This year there were 53 members in attendance, plus Cal Ripken and Tony Gwinn. It was probably the most members we’ll ever have at one meeting. Anyway, we get to have dinner and visit with one another. We sign autographs for each other and get to talk without the media present.
Q:
I bet there are some interesting things said in that meeting?
A:
[Laugh] There sure are, but it’s all just good clean fun.
Q:
What stood out most about the speeches?
A:
Tony talked for 30 minutes, which was too long. I was impressed by the way he went all the way back to Little League and thanked every coach he’s had. He recalled them all and how each one made an impression on his life. He talked about how they encouraged him to work harder and to take advantage of the athletic gifts he’d been given.
Of course Cal’s brother (Billy) was there. He talked about his father’s tremendous influence on his life and about growing up in the Baltimore Orioles organization.
Both Tony and Cal gave great speeches. It’s just so hard to sum up your entire baseball career in one speech and no matter what, you always think of something or someone that you wanted to mention after making the speech.
Q:
Were there any trades that will have an impact on the remainder of this season?
A:
Yes there were. Boston acquired Eric Gagne from the Texas Rangers and that’s going to have a big impact on the rest of the season. It was important that the Yankees and the Detroit Tigers not benefit from the trade and I think most teams realized that and that’s why these two ball clubs were not in the mix more than usual. But the best all-around trades were by the Atlanta Braves. Picking up first baseman Mark Teixeira from the Texas Rangers and getting Kansas City reliever Octavio Dotel will put the Braves back into the playoff picture this year.
Q:
A lot of critics speculate that the Braves gave up too much to get Dotel and Teixeira, what do you think?
A:
Well, I had a chance to talk with John Schuerholz during the Hall of Fame ceremony. We sat in the front porch rockers talking about his team. I said that he had two great catchers and it’s really difficult to find a switch-hitting first baseman. He said that his catcher [Brian McCann] just signed a six-year deal so I kind of figured something was in the works that would involve Salty [catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia]. But listen, Shuerholz is the smartest General Manager in the game and he’s got the best coach in Bobby Cox. They may not have made the playoffs last year but they’re going to get back. Did they give up a lot in future players? Yes, but who am I to say that the team they have now cannot go all the way?
Q:
Did Shuerholz give you any other insight into the Braves’ future?
A:
He did indicate that trades aren’t over which means to me that he’s got his eye on some players and if he can make another trade work this year then he’ll go for it. I don’t think he’s finished with this year’s team.
Q:
Which bubble team would you favor to be in the playoff mix?
A:
The Cubs have been on a winning streak and their pitching is coming back. Also, the Rockies have a long stretch of home games upcoming and their players are well suited to hit in that ballpark. The air is so thin that the baseball carries so far. But, I’d have to say the Yankees are the bubble team that will go the distance. You just cannot count them out. They always make a move in late August or September to carry the team the last four or six weeks. With their money you can just do things that other teams cannot.
Q:
How does the media affect a pitcher like Tom Glavine when he’s close to winning 300? And how did it effect you when you were just shy of 300 wins?
A:
I was fortunate because in 1982, when I won my 300th game, it’d been 19 years since Early Winn had reached the 300 mark. We were playing the Yankees and I’d just won my 298th game playing them so I knew how to pitch them. There was a lot of media for that time, even the President (Reagan) called to say he and Nancy would be in bed by the time the game was over but they were pulling for me. I just used this pressure as inspiration and went out to the mound and pitched the game like I’d always done.
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