Former Atlanta Braves pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine named on 2014 Hall of Fame Ballot

Mar 6, 2013; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Team USA pitching coach Greg Maddux leans against the dugout railing during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

It was only a matter of time before Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine would be included on the Hall of Fame ballot, but on Tuesday, that time finally arrived.

It has been more than 5 years since either Glavine or Maddux took the mound in the Major Leagues (hence their arrival on the ballot), but it seems like much longer than that for any Braves fan. They are, without question, two of the best pitchers of their era, and there is a serious contingent of people (myself included) who believe that Maddux should be in the running for “Greatest Pitcher of All-Time” consideration.

Both men won over 300 games in their career (355 for Maddux, 305 for Glavine), but much more importantly, their peripheral statistics were unbelievably impressive. Maddux is 6th all-time in pitcher WAR at 104.6 (according to Baseball-Reference) and Glavine isn’t far behind in 28th place at 74.0 WAR. Maddux had an infamous run in Atlanta that included 4 straight Cy Young awards (3 with the Braves) and back-to-back seasons with ERA’s of 1.56 and 1.63, which would basically make anyone in this era look like a superhero.

To be honest, I could go on for thousands of words (literally) outlining just how great and dominant both Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were during their time in Atlanta. For me, both of them are slam-dunk, 1st-ballot Hall of Famers, and while there is zero doubt about their eventual inclusion, it may be hard for either of them (Glavine, especially) to get in early based on the glut of candidates in the “steroid era”.

Soon, we’ll be covering the Hall of Fame induction for both pitchers, and I personally hope that they can go in together in 2014.