Tom Glavine: Loyalty and Money

Tom Glavine was recently released by baseball's Atlanta Braves. A little background on Tom Glavine - He has won over 300 games as a pitcher (a watershed statistic for pitching greatness), two Cy Young awards (an award handed out to the best pitcher in the league), 10 times an all-star, and 1995 World Series MVP of Atlanta’s only world series in win in the 1990s. More than likely, he’s headed to the Hall of Fame.

Glavine had been with the Braves since being drafted in 1987. He left the Braves to sign a more lucrative contract with the rival New York Mets club in 2003. He re-signed with the Braves in 2008, pitched a few games, but hurt his throwing arm that year. He had surgery, and had been rehabbing since, hoping to return to the Braves in 2009. I read last week that his rehab start with the Braves minor league Single-A team in Rome Georgia went well. That same day when I went home, I was watching the MLB network and saw that the Braves released Tom Glavine. I was shocked.

Many have speculated why the Braves released Glavine, a veteran pitcher with a proven track record and lots of nostalgia attached to him of glory days of the past. Some have thought that the Braves wanted to get out of paying a $1 million bonus if Glavine pitched in the major leagues. Others thought that Glavine’s pitches were just not acceptable for major league pitching and that he just didn’t have what it took to pitch in the majors anymore. Some (and I put myself in this group) see that the Braves are just trying to move on, and use their high potential, youthful (and much cheaper) pitchers and start with them. They need “on-the-job experience” and no more training in the minors. It is probably no coincidence that if Glavine came to pitch in the major leagues, there would be no spot available for star phenom Tommy Hanson to move up from the minor leagues to the major leagues. It would cost more money to put Glavine in the majors and keep Hanson in the minors, and would somewhat slow down Hanson’s development into the star pitcher the Braves (and everyone else in major league baseball circles) thinks he will become.

My friends asked me how I felt about this, as they know I am a Braves apologist and an Atlanta Braves homer. What I told them: Loyalty always takes a back seat to youth and/or money. Back in 2003, Glavine left his loyalties behind and signed with the arch-rival New York Mets for more money. This year, the Braves left their loyalties behind to try and save up some money, and help the progress of their future by cutting ties with a player synonymous with the success of a decade ago, and promoting someone younger for success in the future.

Leaders sometimes have to face this same decision. They have to choose between loyalty of their people and cutting costs in dealing with the problems in their own organization. On a more personal level, sometimes they have to choose between staying loyal to their present company and the opportunity to make more money at another company. Glavine was an integral part of both scenarios during his career. The final outcomes of both have not been pretty for either side. Personal feelings aside, one can see that it boils down to “it’s just business.” Sad, but true commentary.