Tag Archives: Braves Big Three

H2H 129: Greg Maddux vs. Warren Spahn – Who was Better?

Take a look at MLB’s career pitching wins list and when you scroll past the workhorses of the late 19th and early 20th century (Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, etc.), i.e. post the dead-ball era, you come across Warren Spahn at #6 and Greg Maddux at #8 with 363 and 355 career victories, respectively.  Known for their pitching guile and control rather than overpowering heat, both the southpaw Spahn and the righty Maddux spent their primes with the Braves franchise and helped lead the team to World Series titles nearly 40 years apart – thus, it seems only natural to compare these all-time MLB and legendary Braves pitchers and ask:

Who was better – Greg Maddux or Warren Spahn?

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H2H 33: Tom Glavine vs. John Smoltz – Who was Better?

The Atlanta Braves of the 1990s and early 2000s were one of the great baseball dynasties in recent memory, winning 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005 (though only one World Series title).  These great teams were led by Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox, All-Star and Hall of Fame hitters such as Chipper Jones, Fred McGriff, and David Justice, but perhaps most importantly, a trio of Hall of Fame pitchers in Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz.  Among the Big Three, Maddux is generally regarded as the alpha dog and one of the greatest pitchers ever, but Glavine and Smoltz were no slouches either, with both winning 20+ games on numerous occasions and taking home NL Cy Young honors at least once. Between these two star Atlanta pitchers, the question is:

Who was better – Tom Glavine or John Smoltz?

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