While Barry Bonds is bearing down on Hank Aaron’s all-time home-run record, he may well be passed one day by Alex Rodriguez.
But there’s a very real chance that Tom Glavine, with two more victories, will be the last pitcher to win 300 games.
“I’m not going to lie to you and say I hope they [his 300th and Bonds’ record-breaker] happen on the same day,” said the Mets lefty, who goes for No. 299 tonight against the Pirates at Shea.
“I’m aware of what Barry’s doing. It’s hard not to pay some kind of attention to it. [But] I’m not glued to it by any means. Beyond catching an occasional at-bat or hearing what he did the night before, I’m not really too consumed with what he’s doing.”
Glavine yesterday remained modest in his pursuit of his milestone, insisting he believes he won’t be the final one to reach 300 – putting Randy Johnson, with 284 wins, at the top of that list.
“I still think Randy’s got a good shot,” Glavine said. “I know he’s slowed down a little with injuries, but I haven’t heard any talk of him retiring.
“I think he’s determined to get there, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he does.
“There’s been all kinds of speculation whether anyone else will get there, but my thought on that is, 19 years ago, nobody thought I’d be having this discussion, so I find it hard to believe there’s nobody out there who doesn’t have a shot at it.”
Glavine looks to rebound from one of the worst starts of the year, when he gave up six runs and 10 hits in just two innings in Los Angeles. That came after he shut down the Reds in his previous start, surrendering just one run in eight innings.
If he is able to win tonight, he would likely go for 300 for the first time in Milwaukee.
“I’d love to be able to do it at home,” Glavine said. “But it’s not like I’m going crazy over that. I’m certainly not going to pass up the opportunity to win it anywhere else.”