Smoltz gets 3000th strikeout; doesn’t have to look back

By: Tom Alexander

John Smoltz notched his 3000th strikeout earlier tonight, which is an astounding feat for anyone, but is doubly outstanding considering that Smoltz had severe arm trouble earlier in his career and subsequently spent a few years as a relief pitcher.

Smoltz is 41 and is the 16th pitcher ever to accomplish the feat, which is absolutely astounding. Less people have struck out 3000 batters in their career than have gotten 3000 hits or hit 500 homers.

But that’s not what’s really incredible about this feat. What is amazing is what you see if you look at the career strikeout list and see where we stand as of right now:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_career.shtml

There are basically three guys pitching right now that have a realistic shot at getting to 3000 Ks (four, if you count Tom Glavine, who seems to be drinking from the fountain of youth so he may get there by age 70.) Those three guys are Javier Vazquez (1842 Ks, 31 years old, 80th place), Johan Santana (1409 Ks, 29 years old, 195th place), and C.C. Sabathia (1156 Ks, 27 years old, 308th place). The rest of the people on the list are too far away, too old, too injured, or some combination of the three.

It’s worth taking a look at. When one of your three best hopes to see a milestone would still require the guy to put up 10 straight years of 185 strikeouts, you’ve got to rest pretty easy if your name is Nolan Ryan.

Tags: 3000 strikeouts, Atlanta Braves, Baseball, C.C. Sabathia, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Javier Vazquez, Johan Santana, John Smoltz, milliliter, MLB, New York Mets, Nolan Ryan, strikeouts, Tom Glavine

Tom Alexander founded the Chicago Sports Review in 2003, and currently serves the publication as its co-publisher. Alexander's media career has spanned a variety of interests, including newspaper reporting with the Times of Northwest Indiana, online reporting with ePrairie.com, and a two-plus year stint as a professor in Columbia College Chicago's journalism department. Outside of journalism, Alexander works to redevelop communities that have been struck by natural disasters. Alexander, a 2000 graduate of the University of Chicago, currently lives with his wife Tiffany and their black lab mix, Johnny Cash, in Arlington, Va.

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