John Smoltz

John Smoltz Speaker Biography

John Smoltz is a 22-year veteran of Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. John holds the unique distinction of being an All-Star as both a starting pitcher and a closer. Additionally, he is the only pitcher in MLB history with 200 wins and 150 saves, and he is one of only two pitchers in MLB history to have a season with 20 wins and a season with 50 saves.

John was born May 15, 1967 in Detroit, Michigan. He was an All-State baseball and basketball player at Waverly High School before the Detroit Tigers drafted him in the 22nd round of the 1985 amateur draft.

John made his Major League debut on July 23, 1988, with the Atlanta Braves. He spent 21 seasons with the Braves, from 1988-2008, before playing for the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals during the 2009 season.

John’s on-the-field accomplishments in baseball are long – he is an eight-time MLB All-Star, won the 1996 National League Cy Young Award and the 2002 National League Rolaids Relief Award, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1992 National League Championship Series.

John is one of only 16 pitchers in MLB history to record 3,000 strikeouts, and he has amassed 213 wins and 154 saves in 723 career games.

In addition to being one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball, John has dedicated himself to making a difference in the Atlanta community. As a father of four children and a devout Christian, he was prominent in the development of King’s Ridge Christian School – a new school in metropolitan Atlanta.

Because of his good work off the field, John has been awarded the 2005 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, given to the player who best exemplifies character and integrity, the 2005 Roberto Clemente Award for combining good play and strong work in the community, and the 2007 Branch Rickey Award in recognition of exceptional community service.

John currently serves as a television analyst for Turner Sports and the MLB Network. He resides in Georgia with his wife Kathryn and has four children, John Andrew Jr., Rachel Elizabeth, Carly Maria, and Kelly Christina.