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I was 8 years old in 1985. On weekends (and the occasional school night), my family - or sometimes just Dad & me - would head down to Riley Park to watch the Sumter Braves. I don’t remember much from those games, but I do remember being there. In 1985, there were a number of players on that Sumter Braves team that would go on to play in Atlanta. One was a young pitcher named Tom Glavine.

When the Atlanta team started winning in 1991, the small town of Sumter took great pride in the fact that it had been a minor league home to many of these players. We followed these players’ careers and bragged to non-Sumter folk about how we knew them before they were stars.

Fast-forward 22 years…

Last night, my dad, my second cousin, and I sat in a light drizzle at Turner Field as the public address announcer directed our attention to the screen in the outfield for a special video presentation. They reviewed some key moments in Tom Glavine’s career and then congratulated him on his 300th win. The crowd cheered, and Glavine stepped out of the dugout, tipped his cap, and then stepped back into the dugout.

The crowd continued to cheer, and Glavine again stepped up and acknowledged the crowd. This applause continued, and Glavine came up onto the field, turned to wave to all parts of the stadium, and then retreated to the dugout steps. They had a camera on him, so we could all see him very clearly on the huge screen. He mouthed “thank you” and looked as if he may have burst into tears.

It was a special thing to be there for that moment. I’ve enjoyed seeing Glavine go from a young prospect to a seasoned veteran and a probable member of the Hall of Fame. I’ve even got an autographed ball of the 1985 team (including Glavine) that is one of my most cherished items in my autograph collection.

Seeing Glavine at the end (nearing the end) of his career last night made me think about how time has passed. The game of baseball has changed in the last 22 years, and it’s not all been a change for the good. I’m encouraged to see that there are still players like Glavine to balance out the Barry Bonds type of players in the game.

I hope Glavine takes the time to teach some young pitchers a thing or two before he retires. And then I hope he goes on as a pitching coach to build a pitching staff full of pitchers like him - for Atlanta.