July 23

John Smoltz was a major part of the Atlanta Braves championship teams of the 1990s.

Smoltz was born in Michigan in 1967. His favorite team, the Detroit Tigers, drafted him in 1985 but traded him to the Braves two years later, a move they’d regret many times. For 21 seasons, he was one of the most dominant pitchers, the only one in major league history to record both 200 wins and 150 saves.

Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux were one of the best pitching trios in history, leading the Braves to 14 consecutive division titles, five league pennants, and a World Series title in 1995.

An eight-time All-Star, Smoltz threw more than 3,000 strikeouts, won the Cy Young Award in 1996, and holds the Braves season records for wins, strikeouts, and saves, and struck out more batters and saved more games than any pitcher in Braves history.

The future Hall of Famer made his major league debut with the Braves on July 23, 1988, Today in Georgia History.