On December 5, 2002, the Mets signed Tom Glavine to a three-year, $35 million dollar contract with an option for a fourth year that could raise the total value to $42.5 million.
Glavine’s name alone generally conjures up a visceral reaction from Mets fans, as most choose to focus on game 162 of the 2007 season. You remember the pitching line from that game, .1 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 2 BB. It was ugly, but he wasn’t “devastated”. The Mets were denied post season play after that game, and while it’s easy to single Glavine out, the Mets (particularly their bullpen) collapsed down the stretch of the season.
Looking at Glavine’s Mets career, he went 61-56 over five seasons. He had a 3.97 ERA, and an ERA+ of 107. Glavine’s WHIP as a Met was 1.373, and he had a 4.35 FIP. Putting the numbers in context, the Mets were significantly below .500 in both 2003 and 2004.
In the 2006 post season, Glavine went 2-1. He won game two of the NLDS against the Dodgers, and game one of the NLCS against the Cardinals. He lost a very important game five against the Cardinals, putting the Mets behind three games to two in the series that they would eventually lose in seven games.
Glavine’s best moment as a Met was probably his 300th career win, that came in an August game in Chicago in 2007. The Mets won the Sunday night game by an 8-3 score. Glavine tossed 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, and essentially punched his ticket to Cooperstown.
Glavine went back to the Braves after the 2007 season, and ended his career after one more season with Atlanta, where he had previously spent 16 seasons. Over his 22 year career, Glavine posted a 305-203 record, with a ERA of 3.54 and a 118 ERA+. He pitched 4,413.1 regular season innings, and struck out 2,607 hitters, allowing 4,298 hits.
Glavine was a ten-time all star, and gained his induction into the Hall of fame in 2014 by a 91.9% margin. Though his Mets career was modest in terms of success, and he certainly had a day of infamy, he was part of the Mets staff on the division-winning team in 2006, and was one of the few starters to stay healthy down the stretch.
Glavine does some part-time work in the Braves’ television booth, and currently coaches youth baseball and hockey in his adopted home state of Georgia.
