Latest news with #JohnSmoltz
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
MLB first-round pick Jeff Francoeur talks fatherhood in youth sports, Pete Rose, potential baseball lockout
Jeff Francoeur, in his own words, "know[s] baseball backwards and forwards." A former first-round pick once dubbed "The Natural," Francoeur is now an analyst for his former Atlanta Braves while doubling up as a dad to athletes. An expert of the game, it would be easy for him to take charge of his children's ball games. But he wants to let his kids be kids. "Take the parents out of [youth sports] and the kids usually have a great time," Francoeur told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "I coach a 12U travel softball team for my daughter – all the parents think their kid should be hitting third, playing here, being this. If you took all the parents out and asked those girls to make a batting order, I bet you they can do a pretty good job of making what the batting order should be." Francoeur knows that there are a ton of parents out there who choose to live vicariously through their kids when it comes to athletics (he even admitted he can "get carried away"), and he's not afraid to put those parents to the test. "The first question I ask a lot of parents is, 'What do you want out of sports for your kids?' My mom and dad wanted me to learn to be a great teammate, how to have [a] work ethic, overcome adversity," he added. "Parents now, there are still plenty that look at it like that, but so many look at it as a 'win at all costs' at such a young age. [Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz] said it best on the podcast. He said, 'I wish there were more coaches that have the balls to worry about development over winning, especially at the younger ages.' That gets lost, man. So many people care about the bottom line and winning. Have you ever thought 'what's best for my kid?'" In fact, one of Francoeur's kids "hates baseball" and plays lacrosse. "Even though I know baseball backwards and forwards, and I'd love for my son to play, this is his passion, this is his dream. Who am I to sit here? I used to have to drag him to baseball practice. Lacrosse, he can have practice from 6 to 8, he's got his stuff laid out, he's pumped, man." Among his involvement in youth sports, he started the "Pure Athlete" podcast, which highlights youth sports, its parents and how it all can be pure once again. His brand recently partnered up with D1 Training to help those younger athletes be in sports for the right reasons. "When we do this podcast stuff with young athletes, you're trying to kind of navigate that journey. There's so many avenues, right? There's so many places that you can go to train, to do this, people that sell you. For me, [D1 founder] Will [Bartholomew] and those guys, though, they do it the right way, man, and they got the right people connected with them," Francoeur said. "I love how they personalize everything; everything is specific to what you're trying to do. "If you're looking at trying to get the next step in advance, that's such a big part now. We talk to all these athletes, man, even for my career, if I look back, if there's one thing I could have done better, it's take care of your body, right? Train better, agility, nutrition, all that. I just think D1's on the cutting edge of a lot of what they do." Pete Rose is now eligible for the Hall of Fame. If, and likely when, he makes it, he won't see it. He died last September. Rose was placed on baseball's ineligible list in 1989 after it was rumored he bet on baseball while he was with the Cincinnati Reds. Fifteen years after the ban, he finally admitted to doing so as a manager. It's since been reported he gambled as a player, but he denied that. It may be tough for some to give "Charlie Hustle" the benefit of the doubt, but Francoeur said he's talked to more Hall of Famers that are on the side of letting him in than not letting him in." "I got so many mixed feelings about that. There's no right answer to that. It's kind of like, man, really? You're going to wait until he died to do that?" Francoeur said. "It's so funny, because you remember Pete Rose said before he died, 'When I die, they'll make me eligible.' Sure enough, he called it. I mean, they did." Rose's Cooperstown fate will likely be decided in 2027 by the Classic Baseball Era Committee, which considers players whose careers ended more than 15 years ago. He would need 12 of the 16 votes to get in. The current collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2026, and the threat of a lockout is certainly real. Players and owners agreed to a deal after a lockout of a little more than three months, from late 2021 into early 2022. After the lockout came numerous rule changes that baseball purists may hate, but the numbers don't lie. Attendance has increased in each of the last two seasons and ratings have been adequate. Francoeur said "the pitch clock was the greatest thing [MLB Commissioner Rob] Manfred ever did." But he said the game cannot fumble the momentum it has gained in recent years. "To be honest with you, the only thing I think can screw this up are two things. The TV deals, we've got [to] make it better for fans to watch baseball again. I still have 1,000 people in Atlanta [saying], 'How do I watch the Braves?'" Francoeur said. But it looks like players and owners will be battling for even longer if a deal is not reached in the next year and a half. "And the second, I hope the union and the owners can figure it out, but it doesn't sound great after 2026. I know deadlines drive deals, but I wish there would be more dialogue now. Let's start talking about this now. We have 18 months to figure out what we need to do to make sure there's not a work stoppage. Attendance is up, stadiums have so much now, but trying to figure that out is important." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Can John Smoltz Finally Win Celebrity Golf's Top Prize?
Atlanta Braves great and Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz will look to win the American Century ... More Championship for the first time in 2025. (Photo by) John Smoltz wants to accomplish on the golf course what he once accomplished on the baseball diamond — win a championship. The Atlanta Braves great and Hall of Fame pitcher has participated in the American Century Championship in 13 of the past 14 years and first participated in the celebrity golf tournament back in 2000. However, he's never actually won the tournament, with his best finish being second place back in 2021. The 58-year-old will once again participate in the tournament in July in Lake Tahoe with more than 90 celebrities and athletes involved. The tournament will see some of the familiar faces including former champions such as Mardy Fish, Steph Curry, Tony Romo and Mark Mulder. "I feel like I'm in the top five here every year," says Smoltz in a one-on-one interview. "I should be in the top five. I have high expectations. I'm usually in the top 10, but I'm trending in the right direction. I get too geeked up for this tournament. I got to learn how to just slow it down right before Tahoe, I will know if I made the US Open or not. "I've got a qualifier one more round to get through, and I could play in my second Senior Open, which has really helped me navigate tournament golf," Smoltz continues to say. "Tournament golf is so different than what I play, because what I play is fast, chaotic. Race to the ball, play as fast as you can. That is not tournament golf. As it leads up into Tahoe, I will take more time to play golf and get ready for that pace." Smoltz finished in the top four in three of the past four years. He says Mulder is the best former baseball player on the course, with the former two-time All-Star pitcher having won the tournament three consecutive years from 2015 until 2017. "There's some baseball players that can flat out play, and I can hang a little bit more now that I'm getting a little bit longer," says Smoltz. "I'm working out These guys used to bomb it way by me, but now I'm going to be able to stay in their area code, but Mark Mulder has a similar game to Marty fish, just right handed versus left handed. Baseball players have been known to — for the sport collectively — have the most players that play in the sport, depth wise. We've got a good roster of baseball players when put together in the same tournament, it's going to be a fun watch." The 1996 NL Cy Young Award winner details why pitchers transition well to the golf course and how batters have a similar type of advantage due to their hand-eye coordination. He also says that hockey players do well on the golf course — like former Dallas Stars veteran Joe Pavelski -- due to how they shoot the puck in hockey. Smoltz also says field goal kickers in football tend to do well on the golf course. It all comes down to hand-eye coordination and time. "A lot of us pitchers have time to play, so we put a lot of time in between starts to play and hand eye coordination for a lot of hitters who bomb it like Aaron Hicks, Derek Lowe, there's so many golfers that flat out move the golf ball, and they're just sneaky strong because of the way they handle the bat," says Smoltz. While Smoltz mentions Mulder and Romo among the best players in the tournament, he singles out Fish — the former tennis standout -- as the very best in this field. Fish has won twice, including last year. "Mardy Fish," says Smoltz when asked who's the best golfer in the tournament. "Mark Mulder's had success here, he's won multiple times. Tony Romo has dominated this event a couple times. Mardy Fish really has the elite celebrity kind of game. The only way that you can beat Mardy Fish is that it's super windy and he doesn't have that majestic ball that he plays." Smoltz goes into further detail why Fish is such a standout on the golf course, giving him credit and saying that he could make noise at the "next level." "He's got a pretty swing," says Smoltz. "Once you've been there done that, you become comfortable with the environment. He is comfortable playing golf. I don't think he wants to go anywhere else. But if there was a player that could maybe tempt with making some tournaments and making some noise at the next level, I think Mardy Fish is one of those guys." The American Century Championship's total purse is $750K with first place getting a $150K payout in the most prestigious celebrity tournament in golf. The first round will start on July 11 and the event will conclude on July 13, with the tournament being broadcast on NBC. "This is the greatest tournament that the celebrities get to play in, it's a perfect venue," says Smoltz. 'Perfect place to kind of showcase something we do on the side. All walks of life come together, some really great golfers in the field, and it's just the perfect week for me. Obviously, I have to do the MLB All-Star game afterwards (as a broadcaster), but to play golf and Tahoe and to compete -- I am going to be the oldest winner at some point. Just don't know when that is, it could be this year. But it's one of the greatest events we get to play in.'
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Q&A: John Smoltz has a solution to fix the Pirates and keep Paul Skenes in Pittsburgh
Q&A: John Smoltz has a solution to fix the Pirates and keep Paul Skenes in Pittsburgh Show Caption Hide Caption John Smoltz thinks a Paul Skenes trade could happen Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz explains why it's not so crazy to think the Pirates should trade Paul Skenes, and pitches a potential solution for Pittsburgh. When John Smoltz took the mound for Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS to help power the Atlanta Braves past Barry Bonds and the Pittsburgh Pirates in a walk-off classic, there was no way he could have known that more than three decades later Pittsburgh would never get back to that stage. In fact, in the 33 years since that game sent the Braves to their second of five trips to the World Series in a nine-year span, the Pirates haven't so much as won a playoff series in three trips (unless you count the 2013 wild card game). Their current playoff drought is likely to reach 10 years this season. It's a decline Smoltz believes is bad for baseball. "I think baseball is better when Pittsburgh is relevant," the Hall of Famer told FTW in a conversation about his upcoming participation in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship on July 11. That's why the 2024 arrival of flame-throwing ace Paul Skenes had Smoltz pulling for a Pirates turnaround. There were parallels between the situation in Pittsburgh and the one Smoltz faced in 1988 when he joined the Braves, who were suffering through a similar drought of success. Now, however, as a second straight Cy Young-worthy season for the 22-year-old Skenes is circling the drain, Smoltz is beginning to accept things may never turn around for the moribund Pirates. And though general manager Ben Cherington said Thursday the team isn't discussing trading Skenes, Smoltz doesn't think the suggestion is so crazy. "I thought this year would have an impact where they could improve their team," Smoltz said. "And now, what you just asked is more reasonable than not, you know? I mean, this organization has not shown that they can, A. Keep players. B. Put players together to win. And it's been a tough run for a Pirate fan." Below is our full conversation with Smoltz, including the radical split-season change he would make to the MLB schedule to help teams stuck in neutral like Pittsburgh compete, and how the 58-year-old is feeling ahead of the American Century Championship -- a tournament he's looking to win for the first time after two runner-up finishes. FTW: You've come close to winning the American Century Championship a few times. How do you feel going into this year's tournament? JS: Yeah, my biological clock is running out of time, right? I'm going to be the oldest winner at some point, so I just don't know when. But no, it's going great. I've got a brand new body, two new hips. Those are great. I've been working out again, trying to get stronger. So, a lot of things that I couldn't do the last couple of years, I'm able to do now. I can hit balls all day. Doesn't hurt. I can practice. I got one more qualifier to get through to hopefully get back to the U.S. Open for the senior U.S. Open Champions Tour. But things are going great, and I'm always excited anytime we get close to Tahoe. That anxiety, that wanting to win and that desire to compete is still burning deep within. FTW: Who are some of the best non-PGA players you've played with? JS: Celebrity golf is getting so good, right? Guys have put in their time after they retired. Of course, Steph Curry was defending champ and had to play in the Olympics [last summer], so he hasn't really had a chance to defend his championship. Mardy Fish is going to win just about every other year it seems like. Tony Romo, Joe Pavelski, Mark Mulder. There's so many good golfers now that when you go to this tournament, of the 90 players or so -- used to be about 10 that could really have a chance to win, and I'd say that number is increasing. So you know, people who go for the first time, it's a little unfair for them, because it's so out-of-body experience, but the seasoned vets that know how to play Tahoe, Mardy Fish, by far, is always going to be ranked number one because he's had so much success. FTW: If you're betting on the next major [The Open], are you picking one of Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler or taking someone in the field? JS: No, you got to look at one of those two guys. The world's been lifted off of McIlroy now that he's got the grand slam. I still think he's going to be freed up and win multiple majors before his career is over. But Scottie Scheffler is the GOAT right now. He's the guy that he just does his thing. When he's off, he shoots 2-under. When he's on, he shoots 6- to 9-under. And I just think, look, day in and day out, the guys on the PGA Tour are used to this. The four rounds, they're every week. The LIV players, I know there's a sprinkle of some of them having success, but they haven't had much success based on the four rounds and the majors. Scottie showed what four rounds is all about [at the PGA Championship]. [Jon] Rahm obviously had a great run until the end, and so did [Bryson] DeChambeau, but I still trend to root for the guys on the PGA that have stuck in there and are grinding it out every single week for four rounds. John Smoltz favors McIlroy, Scheffler over LIV Ahead of the American Century celebrity golf tournament, baseball hall of famer John Smoltz breaks down the best celebrity golfers and why he favors the PGA over LIV. FTW: What are the top storylines so far in the MLB season? JS: Yeah, those storylines change a lot. I mean, the storyline that everybody talked out of spring training was the Dodgers are so good, they're going to repeat. Now, they've had a ton of injuries. They're really good. They're still in first place. They've got 14 guys, 14 pitchers -- hard to believe -- some point on the IL. They're still the team to beat. The Detroit Tigers are having an incredible start to what was an incredible run at the end of last year. I don't think many people expected them to have the best record in baseball a couple of days ago. And I think the New York Yankees, not signing Juan Soto, are about as complete of a team as they've been in a long time. And that's with Gerrit Cole being out all year. So, I think what the Yankees have done -- of course, the Mets stole all the headlines with getting Soto -- I think what the Yankees have done has put them in a great position to go back to defend the American League and possibly break their long run that they have now without winning a World Series. FTW: How real do you think the Tigers are? JS: I'm not a big carryover effect guy, but I am a carryover effect guy when you do something for the first time. And what they did at the end of the year was so improbable, like 1.8% chance or less to make the playoffs, 30 games to go in the season. What they did has and will have a carryover effect for their team, because now it's not a fluke-ish thing, right? If they would have started out 10-25, you could say, yeah, last year was fluke. But now they have young marketable players that are having really good years, and their pitching staff has been really, really good, and they have an experienced manager. So, look, that's where I'm from. I was a former Tiger. I got drafted [by Detroit]. They've been down and out for a long time. And I did say a couple years ago at an event in Lansing, Michigan, that I had, he said, "how far are the Tigers out?" I said, I wouldn't be shocked if they make a run at the playoffs last year. I didn't think it was going to be like that, but now they're in a position to what's turned into a really good division. I didn't think people thought that it would be this balanced, as far as the winning records. And I think it's going to be a fun race to the end of the year. FTW: You had similar hopes for a Pirates turnaround, and that hasn't happened yet. Would it be crazy for them to consider trading Paul Skenes? JS: Well, nothing's crazy with the Pittsburgh Pirates. I haven't liked their trend over the last five years. They've accumulated a ton of draft picks. They've not poured anything into making a run. I thought this year would have an impact where they could improve their team. And now, what you just asked is more reasonable than not, you know? I mean, this organization has not shown that they can, A. Keep players. B. Put players together to win. And it's been a tough run for a Pirate fan. I'm going to be honest, I think baseball is better when Pittsburgh is relevant. And for Paul Skenes, to even think that he would go somewhere else right now is inconceivable, but we all know the track record is he is going to be somewhere else at some point. He's not going to stay there. They haven't shown any evidence that that's what they're going to do. Matter of fact, there's been some dominant pitchers around the league that have all started with the Pittsburgh Pirates. So, it's unfortunate. I've always maintained I want to see in the future a first half, second half schedule where you can compete for a first-half playoff spot and a second half. That would change the model, I think, for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over the 162, they haven't proven they can compete. But in a first half or second half, 100% they can compete in that model, and they would keep more players than they would trade. FTW: The Braves weren't good when you got there. Do you see any parallels with the Pirates that fans can pull hope from for an eventual turnaround? JS: Well, that's what I thought. That's why I thought highly of them coming into this year with their pitching staff. But it hasn't materialized offensively. They haven't put it together, and they've gotten off to a really rough start. But I hope that doesn't change the direction of where they're going, because you can't keep shuffling the deck of having these draft picks and then not keeping them. You just can't. Your fanbase won't stick in there. And I hate the model the analytics has turned everybody into believing that you just stink for seven years, rebuild everything and then that's your window of opportunity. That is not a good philosophy, but it's one that's tricked fans into believing. Because look how many teams have been stuck in that scenario for too long, and the fans are going, when are we going to get to the other side? When we beat Pittsburgh in 1992 in that epic game, I never dreamt that they would only be in (three) postseason (appearances) since 1992. I think that's the number. I think they played in two wild card games. Never thought that would ever be the case. And so, again, baseball is more relevant, more enjoyable when the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the mix. They got a great fan base in that city. It's a good sports city, and they got to start talking about something other than football. FTW: Are there any teams you expect to cool off in the second half of the season, or slow-starting teams that might pick it up -- like maybe the Orioles? JS: I mean, the Orioles would have the case if they could find pitching and get healthy again in the rotation, because their offense is good enough. You just can't keep scoring 7, 8, 9 runs to win a game. I mean, it's demoralizing what's happened to them. Unfortunately, their manager had to pay the penalty. It wasn't his fault. They just didn't do a good job in the offseason getting their pitching together, and some of the signings just haven't worked. I think that the Texas Rangers are an interesting team because their pitching is so good. I don't know what happened to their offense. I just think they're stuck in neutral offensively right now. If they score at all, they're going to be a tough team to beat. Seattle, on the other side, has scored runs more than they have in the past. I think Seattle is the most dangerous team that could trend in the right direction if they keep scoring. And I think the team that's gotten off to a really fast start that maybe you could see them slowing down a little bit might be the Tigers, but I don't think they're going anywhere. I think they're playing the kind of brand of baseball that you need to see. And then people would say, can the San Francisco Giants keep up and the Padres keep up with the Dodgers? That's a tough, tough ask. The Dodgers would have to come down and be a little more mortal for those teams to compete at the end of the year, in my opinion. But big props to them right now and what they're doing.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB legend visits the Upstate
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Former Atlanta Braves John Smoltz visited the Upstate! Smoltz was spotted Tuesday at the Cliffs at Mountain Park in northern Greenville County. The MLB Hall of Famer was a participant in the Links Ryder Cup Event. During the event, 7NEWS SPORTS asked Smoltz his thoughts on a new computerized umpiring system to call balls and strikes that being tested during spring training. 'I'm only in favor of it if its casual. I don't want it all the time,' Smoltz said. '…so I'm not in favor of it ever replacing umpires but for the egregious calls or the calls that somebody makes as a mistake.' Smoltz spent 20 of his 21 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
John Smoltz using AI-powered hearing aids after golf ball hit him in the face
ORLANDO, Fla. – John Smoltz never saw it coming. The skulled wedge shot that nailed him right above the eye last summer during a round of golf at Atlanta Athletic Club left a baseball-sized welt. Smoltz said when his playing partner yelled 'Fore!' he only had time to turn his head slightly before impact, estimating that the ball was traveling about 100 mph. The Hall of Fame MLB pitcher described it as the scariest moment of his life. Incredibly, Smoltz called a baseball game the next day from the booth, telling the astounded makeup artist to do the best she could. At this week's LPGA season opener, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, Smoltz, a two-time winner of the celebrity division, is wearing hearing aids to help the lingering effects of the accident. He's had them in a couple of months now and is thrilled to be able to hear his grandkids again. 'My description of it is it's like being underwater,' said Smoltz. 'I can't clear my ears, and I can't hear certain tones. Everybody was like talking in a can to me, and my voice cracks – to me.' The hearing aids use AI to adjust to Smoltz's environment, toning down loud noises and bringing up the low ones. 'I think when it's super windy, I probably, you wouldn't wear them because I can hear the wind rattle in my ear,' said Smoltz, 'and then if I don't turn off my app, I'll get phone calls in my ears.' Smoltz currently sits in share of ninth, six points behind leader Joe Pavelski.
