John Smoltz - Hall of Fame Induction Speech lyrics

Wow, I hope you're ready for a wild ride, cause I'm gonna warm you up for Pedro and Randy and you never know what's gonna be coming, so this is truly a treat and I want to talk about four significant phone calls in my life. The first was getting drafted by the Detroit Tigers. A dream that a hometown kid would have. The second one was not the best of phone calls, it was getting traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Atlanta Braves, the worst team in all of baseball at the time. The third was very significant and I will touch on it later, but it was a call from Tommy John, encouraging me to continue with my career at the age of thirty-four. The fourth call is not something I ever dreamed about. I don't know, I can't speak for the rest of the Hall of Famers, but on January Sixth when I got the call letting me know that I had been inducted into the Hall of Fame, well words and emotions could not describe. The phone rang, I was just thankful that Greg Maddux had not put up the ultimate prank in letting me know that this was not for real. Thankfully they told me quickly that I had made it. So I truly want to thank the Hall of Fame, Jane Forbes Clark and Jeff Idelson, for what they've done in preserve the character of this great Hall. For Brad Horn, for Whitney, all the people behind the scenes making this like the perfect wedding, orchestrating it to the fullest. And of course the baseball writers of America. Your votes obviously got me to this point, I cannot thank you enough. To Randy, Pedro, and Craig: I will never forget this cla**. It is a cla** that I have had the utmost respect for each and every one of them. Of course Craig I've competed the most against. It's hard to believe that I've never competed against Randy Johnson, I can't say that I'm sorry. But I don't think we ever hooked up. I had a seat in the bullpen when he pitched his perfect game as I was the closer for the Braves and actually half-heartedly started to warm up in the ninth cause it was only a two to nothing game knowing full well I didn't think I was gonna get in that game. But at 6' 10", he is truly the freak that mastered a game in a way that no other could. And in a weird way, with Pedro Martinez being on the opposite end of the spectrum and me kinda fit in the middle at six-foot-three, it shows why baseball is a game of all sizes and shapes, and why it is truly America's pastime. Craig's the teammate that you always wanted and the guy you never wanted to play against. And Pedro, you got me in a lot of trouble facing you in my career. You were the most dominant pitcher I'd ever seen. It was Bugs Bunny, and in today's world it was basically Nintendo or any kind of game you watch - that's the kind of stuff you had. I got fined a hundred dollars for check-swinging and hurting my wrist against you, and... thanks a lot. Well, I'm gonna try to do it backwards. I'm gonna do the tough part first. And I never thought I'd ever read a speech, but for the sake of time I'm going to. I want you to know that the best way to describe my career is unique. I can't think of another word. It's unique in every way, and I have fingerprints all over my career by those who've touched me and impacted me and have helped me along the way. It is a huge army that got John Smoltz from Lansing, Michigan to where I am today. I'm not gonna touch on all of them, I'm gonna do that in a personal way. There's too many people to thank, and I know that I will forget somebody but I will take care of you on the back end, I promise. But I will be talking about some who made it possible to reach this dream. To my wife Kathryn, the hardest thing to do is when we met six years ago, is transition from a baseball career to retirement. As Craig mentioned, this life is a great life but a cruel life, a tough one. And you made that transition so seamless, I can't even thank you enough. You took a blended family, and you made them seem like your own. You love my kids as if they were your own. You saw me at my worst, trying to make a comeback with the Boston Red Sox after major shoulder surgery. And I truly could not have made it without you. Everything you did for this event, it's not possible, I'm letting you know right now. There's too many moving parts. I love you so much, you're where my place of comfort and peace really is. And I look forward to the future as a retired, well - broadcaster for the MLB Network as we transition our career. To my kids Andrew, Rachel, Carly, and Kelly. I can't tell you what it's like for the journey of a major league player, you sacrifice so much. I love you very much. You've adjusted and adapted to the challenges in our life. It's not the perfect road, we knew it wouldn't be, and I've always tried to give you the best of what I had. I can't wait to see what God has for each and every one of you as you pursue your pa**ions. Although be unique, they are your own. And I can't wait to see the families that you are able to raise as well. To Sarah Catherine and Ashley, my two step-daughters. Can't imagine what you two were thinking when your mom and I got married and you were starting a whole new journey. Your willingness to adapt under twists and turns and your ability to just go with the flow. It seems like we've been meant to be together our whole lives. I can't thank you and know how much I love you guys. To my mom and dad, this is where the story gets interesting. You did so much for me to get me to this point. You didn't know much about sports or baseball. You pretty much knew what you knew and that was playing the accordion cause that's how you guys met. You were accordion teachers, and I'm thankful for the opportunity that you started me on my quest to be the next Lawrence Welk at the age of four. I played till the age of seven, and then I hit you with the ultimate whopper of all whoppers at the age of seven. I said I know what I'm gonna be in life and I'm gonna be a Major League Baseball player. You loved me enough to give me room to go after my dream. You didn't discourage me from leaving the accordion for Major League Baseball. You just told me to have a backup dream. And I did that as well. Even though it was a gas station attendant at the time, I thought that was pretty cool. I cannot imagine the odds and the way you must have felt when I told you that I was going to play in Major League Baseball. These things might have caused you to sway me in a different direction. But you not only allowed me to pursue this newfound pa**ion of mine, you went on a mission to provide opportunities, to give me an opportunity to play this great game of baseball. You served as a great example for me and all future parents that when your kid has a dream, no matter how outrageous or outlandish it might be, giving them a chance to pursue that is the greatest thing in life, and you put aside your own- what you knew, and what you thought would fall in the family line of tradition of great accordion players, and I can't thank you enough. I'm proud... I'm proud of the way I grew up, the heritage in which we grew up, the polka music on the 8-track tapes, I enjoyed it all. You taught me so much to not be afraid of who I am, to live in the moment, to learn, to laugh, to cry. You gave me the characteristics and the morals by which today I live by, and I am so thankful. Dad, you caught me my competitiveness. Your unwillingness to let me win at the age of four and five was relentless, but I thought it was great cause I could return the favor when I had a chance to. You taught me to honor God first, family second, school third, and sports fourth. You put the priorities where they needed to be and you stood by them. I thank you for that. To my brother and sister, I can't thank you enough for sacrificing your summers. Thankfully we didn't grow up in Florida or warm weather where you fall prey to playing every day or all year. Two months in Michigan's long enough. But you sacrificed a lot more and your love for me, one year apart, a close-knit family, following my twenty-one year career, you there there at every turn and every time I needed you the most. My extended family is the biggest army in the world and I can't thank them enough because of everything we did. It was close-knit, we had a blast. Yes, it always involved playing the accordion and dancing. One of the things I didn't ever do was dance, but I played the accordion and I can't thank you enough for the love that you have and I could not possibly repay you all. To my extended family again, to my in-laws for just jumping on this ride and not knowing exactly what you're gonna get. This is a pretty cool ending so far, in the midst of my journey. Now, my baseball journey began outside our home in Lansing, Michigan. I got a unique story, I already told you about the accordion. But I had a wild imagination. And before I go any further, Jeff Foxworthy, I'm not gonna tell any corny jokes, so relax, I could see you tense up as we speak right now. Relax, no jokes. I started with a rubber ball and a brick wall. For those who know me, this will not come as a surprise. I was the GM, the manager, the pitching coach, the grounds crew, the play-by-play, you name it, in my mind I did it. And I would stand outside that wall in a generous strike zone and I would pitch the greatest games ever known to mankind. I'm a self-taught baseball player, I'm a Tiger fanatic growing up, and so I would watch somebody and emulate them immediately outdoors. Thankfully I did not have the technology that exists today that kinda distracts our attention to get outside and do that which we love. I'm also happy to say that in all those big games that I pitched in my life, I won them all. I truly believed that if the moment were to get there, I would be a little kid on the mound, relishing in the fact that I get to do this. Cause I've already done it in my mind so many different times. Growing up in Lansing was incredible, it's where my baseball career kinda took off. I had my best friend Chuck Catsparella, who we did everything together. We thought of games, we went outside, we were constantly doing whatever it took. For a lot of you in the stands that are not old enough you might not know what Strikeout is, but we played a lot of Strikeout and pickup baseball, and games that I'll never forget. Aside from my family and Chuck, a guy that I call my second dad and I owe just a great gratitude to, could not make it today, he's at home in Lansing, Michigan hopefully watching, Carl Wagner. Dedicated over fifty years of his baseball life teaching and honoring kids, over fifty years he provided the opportunity for kids to go out and play the great game of baseball. He taught me to never be complacent, never think you've arrived, cause there's always somebody working harder, and trying to take your job and be better than you are. I can't thank you enough, Carl, and I love you. Two other significant people from Lansing real quick, Javier Cavazos, same thing. Dedicates his life to teaching youths all over Lansing, and he has been a big influence on me, putting me in situations. And he may be one of the few people that I have been as a coach will understand, Pedro Martinez. Because he told me at a game in Brooklyn, New York facing Brooklyn, New York where I gave up four two-run homers in a row in the fourth inning, one of the greatest moments in my life of learning. I'm not afraid to fail, and I learned from some of the greatest failure moments in my life. In Brooklyn, New York they were all yelling at me in Spanish. He came out and he said, "You wanna know what they said?" I said, "Yeah, you might as well tell me as you're taking me out." He said, "They were yelling to get [?] for your neck cause every time you threw a pitch you turned around and it was over the fence." Thank you Javier for your humility as well as your ability to teach kids. For Phil Odlum, my high school and basketball coach, I had the two greatest years of my life. What you're gonna know about me is that I loved every minute of my life of where I grew up and where it ends, and where it's going. And Phil Odlum, you gave me the keys to lead a basketball or baseball team that I would take later and pursue that in my big league quest to be the best baseball player but the best teammate I possibly can. To start with the draft, I gotta thank the Tigers for drafting me in the twenty-second round. I think I'm the latest draft pick to ever be in the Hall of Fame. And if it were not for the scouts, they're the backbone of our game, for seeing what I had and the motor that was ticking inside the 6' 3", 180-pound skinny kid, this all would not be possible. Drafted by my hometown team was a dream come true as I said. I had a unique situation where I got drafted the last day before you go to college. Imagine getting drafted and going to the team you idolize and staying with them for 35 days in the big leagues. I got a chance to see what big leaguer life was- instead of going to rookie ball I went right with the big club, and got a chance to see what the heroes of my generation were doing in their locker room, in their home. And I gotta say this: as odd, and as in awe as I was of these guys, I remember sitting in the locker room at Tiger Stadium, a fish out of water, scared to d**h. And a Hall of Famer in my mind, a guy that I will never forget in making the first impression in my big league career. Alan Trammell came up to me and said, "Hi, I am Alan Trammell. Anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask. This house is your house." And I will never forget. I thank you, Alan Trammell, for teaching me what a professional baseball player is all about. It was as if he had introduced and gave me a baton and said now pay this forward every chance you can, because this game has a chance to impact a lot of people. And I have done that to the best of my ability thanks to Alan Trammell's imprint in my life. Just that five to twenty second time of his day he took to welcome a newcomer to the game. I also want to thank a good friend of mine, Bruce Fields, taking me into an instructional league. Right after big leagues I went into an instructional league and I worked, 6' 3", 185. I went into the home of three veterans and they helped nurture me for the big leagues that I was about to take on that quest. And thanks to his wife Julie, they put twenty pounds on me, that instructional league that I desperately needed. Now onto the trade. The trade, the most infamous trade I guess in Atlanta Braves history. I can't spend enough time talking about this gentleman. I will hear about it later, I know, from the fellow Hall of Famers that I respect but Bobby Cox is every single thing to me on why I stand up here today. He was the general manager that took the chance and made the trade and got me over to Atlanta. And yes they were the worst team in baseball at the time. It was the most devastating time in my life but I realized that I would have an opportunity to pitch at a young age in an organization that desperately needed pitching. I also used to only think about that trade as myself and what it did for me and Tom Glavine reminded me that that trade opened up a spot for him in the big leagues, and he never looked back. So I'm thankful that two-for-one worked out really well. Bobby became my manager, he's the reason that I stayed in the organization for twenty years, I would rather go nowhere else. As I said time does not permit to tell you what an incredible manager- the history that I was able to watch. He empowered people, he gave you confidence when you didn't have it, he was a tremendous leader, and I owe a great amount of my career to this man. Because of the faith that he had in me was the reason that I was able to make the transition from starter to closer, and then back to starter. He believed in everything that I did, he knew my personality. He allowed me to play golf, which always puts a smile on my face, and it's the reason that the three of us were able to play for as long as we did. The starting rotation will be talked about for the rest of time and maybe always compared to things, but to do something and to make it come full circle. To talk about the two greatest teammates, the two greatest pitchers who got inducted, as I was sitting at the MLB Network watching them absolutely rip me a new one and enjoying every second of it, I thought we would go back in time and just do this for a second. [Puts on a wig.] Glav, Maddux, back when I had hair, we had the time of our lives. It's the only time, Greg, you're not going to be able to talk about my bald head. So what I want to talk about is the time that we had both playing golf and pitching. What you don't know about Greg and Tom is that you know that all the statistics got him here and they got them here for the Hall of Fame. But they did things behind the scenes for me that I will never, ever forget. When I lost my changeup they were there helping me to find it. When I lost my golf book, which was the prized treasure of what I had because I was the golf concierge, they looked tirelessly and helped me find it. Recently I've lost twenty pounds, and they helped me find it. Thank you guys. [Takes off wig.] I cannot say enough about them and as time permits, obviously you know how much we have been together: Tommy for fifteen years and Greg for ten. To Chipper Jones, soon to be inducted in the Hall of Fame, another one of the Atlanta Braves. I'm not gonna say anything about him because he'll have the mic last. Would somebody please steal his Twitter account, please. That would help. Thanks to all the trainers who worked so hard, I'm a miracle, I'm a medical miracle that stands before you today. I spent more time in the training room, I can't thank them for their patience, I know I drove them crazy. Dave Pursley, Jeff Porter, Jim Lovell, and everybody else that had a hand in my career. I can't thank you all enough, and like I said I hope to one day be able to give you something special. To Chris Burnham, Peter Hughes, you were invaluable in my career, and crucial for the day-to-day, what it took to get to the mound. To all the doctors in Atlanta, I spent a lot of time counseling with you and seeing how it was gonna be possible to throw another pitch. But one doctor I spent the most time, and the most pa**ionate doctor as Tommy said last year and even Greg, Dr. Joe Chandler, there is no possible way that I could have done this without you, I can't thank you enough. You are everything that I could ask for in your profession. You watched the medical miracle keep existing. We had many times at your house, in your office, and I can't thank you enough for the time that you spent with me. It's invaluable. To all the pitching coaches that I had, I had roving pitching coaches in Detroit, John Hiller and Ralph Treuel, thank you for bearing with the wild stallion. Thank you to Bruce Dal Canton, my first pitching coach. And then Roger McDowell of course, but my first encounter of Leo Mazzone was when I came over from the Detroit Tigers in the trade. He helped simplify my mechanics, simplify my ability to pitch. And with the throwing program that we were able to use over the last fifteen years of our career is the reason why we stayed so healthy. Thank you, Leo, for your patience and for your diligence in seeing something through and making it work. To my good friend Greg Olson, who's here today. We hit it off right away, on the field and off. His upbeat attitude helped me get through so many of my tough games. I'll never forget him jumping in my arms against the Astros, sorry Greg, and the first time we were able to get to the playoffs. And he jumped into my arms, I never anticipated after going nine innings and he was pretty heavy but at that time he felt pretty light. We got a chance to do it again in Game 7 after the unbelievable game of Steve Avery, 1-nothing gem in Pittsburgh. He jumped in my arms again and we were on to the World Series. This all happening after a 2-11 first start, and then Bobby's patience and faith of a 12-2 second half allowed this all to be possible. We never planned it, but however we were working on the trifecta in Game 7 against Jack Morris. We were one run away from that happening, it didn't happen, my idol growing up, Jack Morris ruined that incredible opportunity to have three times, you jumping in my arms. Thank you Oley for all that you did and what we continue to do in our friendship. And all the catchers that I've had. I was not an easy person to catch. I can't thank them enough for their willingness to get me through a game. To Brian McCann, breaking him in, and now with the New York Yankees. It truly was a privilege to teach him what I had learned from a lot of the other catchers in our game. To all my teammates, I can't name you enough, I thank you for what it was that we had in an incredible run. My goal in life was to be the teammate that I possibly can. That meant caring for you on and off the field, being their for you, doing my best to be prepared, laughing, joking, golfing, whatever it took. I cared about each and every one of them, that was our family away from our family, and we spent a lot of times and good times together. A special thanks to the greatest center fielder that I've ever seen in Andruw Jones. Andruw Jones caught more fly balls that I threw than probably anybody else, and he was truly a pleasure to play behind. To the Atlanta Braves organization, to wear this great uniform, and represent the great state of Georgia, I never took one day for granted. Wearing this uniform, I played every game as if it was my last. The Braves uniform became such a platform for not only your foundation, but my later foundation that I formed in the charities that we are able to touch. I can't wait to represent these organizations in the future as now representing the greatest team behind me in the Hall of Fame. A special thank you to the Boston Red Sox for taking a chance on a broken-down guy recovering from a shoulder surgery, I can't thank you for that experience. Giving me another opportunity, although I did not do very well, I am so sorry for that. But giving me that opportunity, you showed me what another organization's view is like and the rich history that you had. To the Saint Louis Cardinals, I will never thank you for giving me that chance after being released by the Boston Red Sox, and deservingly so by the way. For giving me an opportunity to end my career in what was an improbable and unbelievable fifteenth playoff season. For Tony La Russa, I can't thank you for making me feel like one of your own, and entrusting me with the ball in some of the big moments. I will never forget these two organizations, because I would retire after wearing the Cardinals uniform in 2009. Last but not least, I want to steal a little bit of what- I think Craig Biggio saw my speech, I wanted to thank the clubhouse guys. They are the heart and soul of our team. They are the heart and soul of every junk that we bring to them, and I watch these kids grow up from kids to adults to now having families. It started with Casey Stevenson, Chris Vanzant, Ben Acree to name a few. Bill Acree, for all the things you did away from the game, the game consumes you and you need things to be in the proper order and the right way. I can't thank you enough. John Schuerholz, Terry McGuirk, and the whole Braves organization, you treated me with the family that I now have in Atlanta, and will forever live there, Lord willing. John Holland, Fred Stone, on the visiting side and the Spring training. I had so much fun with the guys behind the scenes because they never get enough time to be noticed or even know that they're there. And sometimes get treated in a way that doesn't represent what the game is. Before I hand it over to the next inductee, I would be remiss if I did not talk about Tommy John. I've been given an opportunity as one of the only players, the only one right now to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with Tommy John surgery. It's an epidemic. It's something that is affecting our game. It's something that I thought would cost me my career, but thanks to Dr. James Andrews and all those before him, performing the surgery with such precision has caused it to be almost a false read like a band-aid you put on your arm. I want to encourage the families and parents that are out there to understand that this is not normal to have a surgery at fourteen and fifteen years old. That you have time, that baseball's not a year-round sport. That you have an opportunity to be athletic and play other sports. Don't let the institutions that are out there running before you guaranteeing scholarship dollars and signing bonuses that this is the way. We have such great, dynamic arms in our game that it's a shame that we're having one, and two, and three Tommy John recipients, so I want to encourage you if nothing else, know that your children's pa**ion and desire to play baseball is something that they can do without a competitive pitch. Every throw a kid makes today is a competitive pitch, they don't go outside, they don't have fun, they don't throw enough. But they're competing in maxing out too hard, too early, and that's why we're having these problems. So please, take care of those great future arms. To Tommy John, I can't thank you enough for the phone call, whether you were coerced or not, the phone call at the age of thirty-four meant the world to me. Emotionally, I'd given up. I had thought that no one would last and wait for a pitcher of my age on the last year of my contract. Thank you for encouraging me, that was pivotal part of my career, to push through what I thought might be a career ending. At thirty-four and fourteen postseason years and two-hundred postseason innings, is one of the reasons I believe that Tommy John, besides genetics, had happened to me. But because of Dr. Andrews and his brilliance and the team that had been before him, I had the confidence that the surgery would work, and the rest would write its story. Last but not least, or- close to last but not least, I want to thank Mike Nixon and Scott Runyon for taking our family up here in a plane, that was an absolute gift. And as you can see my family's huge, it takes an army. Thank you for your generosity. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is one of the greatest honors that I could have here on Earth. However, I know there's another one coming. The ultimate Hall of Fame. I want to thank God for the talent he has given me and the support system that I have. I would not be the man I am today if it were not for a couple people who sowed seeds into my life. Telling me about Christ and challenging me to take a deeper look into my faith. Jose Alvarez, Marty Clary, Sid Bream, Terry Pendleton, the list could go on, they took the time to not care not so much about my talent but about the heart in the man that I would become. Jacky and Ken Kendall, Mike and Kia McCoy, Walt and Patti Wiley, and last Tim Cash and Barb. These are the people, through the toughest times in my life, the intimacy of knowing what life has challenged you with. They've been in my every corner. And they've allowed me to know that I have more to live for than just the uniform that I was wearing. They gave me the greatest gift, to find my salvation in Christ and I can't thank you enough for caring so much to invest your time and your heart in me. I have a unique group of men that meets every Thursday in JR's. Jeff Foxworthy and the likes of so many men who have through those days taught me the impact that I can make, just beyond wearing a uniform. I'm so humbled to be a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I'm honored by so many of my family members. To be here in Cooperstown is not something I ever dreamt. I know along the way I forgot some people, but in my baseball career I've been around two men that I would entrust my children with, I would leave my children with, who have represented me in baseball with the first cla** and dignity that I always wanted my parents to be proud of. Myles Shoda and Lonnie Cooper. I cannot thank you for taking care of my needs away from the game and representing my intentions and not yours. It is so vital. To the guys that introduced me in transition to broadcasting, thank you for taking the time to take a simple-minded, no-vocabulary, accordion-playing player into transition to baseball. Thank you to the MLB Network, it started with TBS, and I can't thank them- think of another home that I'd rather be and take the abuse when I get back from a great organization like the MLB Network. I think I've covered it all. I am thankful and honored and blessed. Thank you very, very much.