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Glavine to miss Maddux ceremony
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ATLANTA — Tom Glavine said Monday family obligations will prevent him from attending next week when former Atlanta Braves teammate Greg Maddux has his number retired by the team.

The Braves will retire Maddux’s number before a home game against the New York Mets on July 17. Maddux also will be inducted into the Braves’ Hall of Fame.

Maddux, Glavine and John Smoltz were the leaders of the team’s pitching staff through most of the 1990s, including their 1995 World Series championship.

The Braves released the 43-year-old Glavine on June 3, prompting a bitter reaction from Glavine. But Glavine said Monday his unexpected release would not have prevented him from supporting Maddux next week if not for the family obligations.

"Unfortunately, we’ve got dueling events next week," Glavine said. "I’ve got one boy going to Boston for a hockey tournament and one boy going to Florida for a baseball tournament."

Glavine said he will tape a video message this week that will be played at the ceremonies. He said he plans to talk with Maddux "and let him know firsthand why it is I’m not there."

"I certainly would have been there for Greg, no question about that," Glavine said. "That would have been an important thing to be a part of. For somebody I had so much fun with as a teammate and off the field with, knowing what we all meant for each other, yeah I would have certainly been there for Greg, absolutely."

Maddux’s No. 31 will join Hank Aaron (44), Eddie Mathews (41), Dale Murphy (3), Phil Niekro (35) and Warren Spahn (21) as only the sixth Braves’ number to be retired. Glavine’s 47 likely will join the list.

Maddux won the 1992 Cy Young Award with the Cubs before signing with the Braves and winning the next three Cy Young Awards. He was the first pitcher to win the award in four consecutive seasons.

Maddux retired last December as the eighth-winningest pitcher in major league history with 355 victories. The Cubs retired the No. 31 worn by Maddux and Ferguson Jenkins on May 3.

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