Barring injury, the Red Sox are pretty sure that Josh Beckett, John Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Tim Wakefield are the front four in the 2009 pitching rotation. That leaves one spot up for grabs, and there's a raft of talent competing for the job. John Smoltz, a future Hall of Famer, is part of th...

It’s time for another installment of movers and shakers on the Mock Draft Central Average Draft Position Report. Headed Up Andy Pettitte | New York Yankees | +7.7% - You knew the Pettitte re-signing would begin his slow rise in ADP. This is his second consecutive week with a 7+ percentage poin...

Got an image you'd like to see in here first thing in the morning? Send it to tips@deadspin.com. New York Yankees fan and Deadspin reader Vincent sends along this picture from last night's Georgia Transplant Foundation fundraiser featuring Red Sox pitcher John Smoltz (that feels weird to type). Shou...

Wed Jan 14th 2009 The news that Derek Lowe decided to sign with Atlanta hardly fazed or surprised the New York Mets. They had been preparing for this for nearly a week, after the Braves felt compelled to act boldly when John Smoltz left for the Red Sox, and they have a backup plan. That involves goi...

Thu Jan 8th 2008 John Smoltz has reached preliminary agreement on a contract with the Boston Red Sox, who also agreed Thursday to a one-year contract with outfielder Rocco Baldelli. A person familiar with the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity because the final paperwork had not been c...

It was another day of turmoil in the capital. The Federal Reserve chairman again tried to reassure jittery markets. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he wanted more troops in Afghanistan to put down the growing insurgency. And just before 4 p.m., President Bush stepped onto the South La...

Which starting pitchers, currently in the majors or recently retired, are shoe-ins for induction into the baseball Hall of Fame? It’s a debate myself and my friends had over a few beers last night that quickly got heated. Everyone has loyalty to their hometown teams. Being from Boston I lobbie...

They may have lost their shot at Johan Santana, but the Empire Emeritus may have a shot at another Cy Young Award winner, if The New York Times—which says you can all but thank Victor Martinez for the opportunity—can be believed. An elbow injury to Martínez all but ended the Indians’ ...

John Smoltz was always one of my favorite pitchers growing up. His tenacity on the mound, as well as his ability to work through tough jams and deep into games is what I will always remember about him. I would love nothing more than for him to return to the Braves, then leave the game on his own ter...

Two pitching shoulders are set for season-ending surgery, both of them may prove to be career-ending procedures—may—and each in different ways provokes a sense of loss. Not to mention a warning toward those whose responsibility it is to shepherd the Joba Chamberlains among us. John Smolt...