Tom Glavine provided baseball with a much-needed chance to catch its breath.

Sunday, the night after Barry Bonds tied Henry Aaron with 755 home runs and two nights before Bonds jogged past Aaron to become the game's all-time home run leader, Glavine became the 23rd 300-game winner in major league history.

He provided an intermission to the emotional gamut of Bonds' pursuit of Aaron. He gave the game something to cheer about without hesitation.

Glavine understands he owes baseball as much as baseball owes him. Despite a career that has consistently had him in the public view, and not always in a feel-good moment, he has maintained his grace and dignity.

While Bonds is the only player ever to refuse to be a member of the Major League Baseball Players Association - he doesn't want to share any of his royalties, although before he become an established star, he never once turned down a royalty check that came his way, courtesy of others - Glavine has been a leader in the players' association.

He did not lose sight of the good of the game, though. In 2002, when baseball for the first time in three decades reached a labor agreement without a work stoppage, Glavine was the key.

He flew from Montreal to New York on his own plane, walked into the negotiating session that was about to fall apart and announced he wasn't leaving the room until the two sides reached a settlement. His common sense won out.

Maybe it is something in the water in Atlanta, where Glavine earned the first 242 of his regular-season victories. He was a part of arguably the most formidable decadelong rotation nucleus in history.

Three potential Hall of Famers shared the stage for the Braves from 1993 to 2002 - Glavine and Greg Maddux, who preceded Glavine into the 300-win club, and John Smoltz, who most likely would have won 300, too, had it not been for some physical challenges that led him to a stint in the bullpen.

Don't feel too sorry for Smoltz, though. He is the only pitcher in history to win more than 200 games and save more than 150.

How special were they? The trio won seven Cy Young Awards in the 1990s, including six consecutive beginning with Glavine in 1991.

"We don't realize how spoiled we were," veteran Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren said. "Every three days, Glavine and Maddux and Smoltz. . . . As people, I can't imagine them being any different than they were when they were 19 years old. You know how people can change with money and success? I've always admired that about Tom."

Overheard

• Oakland designated hitter Mike Piazza cleared waivers, opening the way for a deal with the Angels or Twins.

• Randy Smith, former San Diego and Detroit general manager and the Rockies' original assistant general manager, is rumored as a possible replacement for general manager Tim Purpura in Houston, where Smith's father, Tal, is the club president.

Sneak peek

With the revised rules involving baseball's draft, teams have until Wednesday to sign players selected this year or lose the rights to them. Only one of the top four draft picks - four of the top 12 - have signed so far. For a look at how each team has done in signing its top selections, check out the team-by-team notes at RockyMountain News.com/rockies.

Readers' turn

Bill Koerner writes: "Has there ever been another Hall induction (like this year's with Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr.) where the two players going in (in the same year) also had brothers that made the majors? What are the odds of that?"

Bill, in 1999, George Brett and Robin Yount were inducted. Brett's brother Ken was a longtime big-league pitcher. Yount's brother Larry pitched in one game with Houston in 1971.

The most famous brothers, though, would be Paul and Lloyd Waner, both elected to the Hall of Fame.

For responses to other questions or to ask your own question, check out the daily Rockies Pregame Report or the weekly Rockies Inbox at RockyMountain News.com/rockies.

Two cents' worth

Being a member of the 300-win club is among the more prestigious accomplishments in athletics. And with Glavine's enrollment came the curiosity of whether there will ever been another 300-game winner.

Unless Randy Johnson makes a miraculous recovery from his third back surgery, there isn't any in sight, but don't be too quick to declare the membership closed.

Glavine, Maddux and Roger Clemens became the three most recent members of the 23-man club. They attained No. 300 within a four-year, one-month, 23-day span of each other.

Clemens' 300th win, however, came 12 years, 10 months and 13 days after Nolan Ryan became the 20th 300-game winner.

When Ryan won his 300th game on July 31, 1990, with Texas, Clemens had a career record of 109-50, Maddux was 52-47 and Glavine was 29-35.

And think back 44 years.

When Early Wynn won No. 300 on July 13, 1963, Gaylord Perry had been in the big leagues for one year and three months.

Of the nine pitchers to join the 300-win club since Wynn, Perry is the only one who was in the big leagues when Wynn became the 14th 300-game winner in history.

MILE HIGH WATCH

• A year ago, the Rockies' primary offseason concern was its center field situation. This year, that appears toward the bottom of the to-do list.

As impressive as the credentials of Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter and Aaron Rowand are, the Rockies have to question if it really makes sense to get involved in the free-agent bidding in light of how their team is put together.

The argument can be made Willy Taveras might not be the same player as Jones, Hunter or Rowand, but he fits the Rockies' lineup better. He is a true leadoff man and a speed threat, something the Rockies desperately have lacked in recent years. They have big-time run producers who figure to get better in the next year or two.

If they make a major investment, the money would be better spent on a catcher, if one is available, and exploring multiyear possibilities with Matt Holliday.

• The Rockies have added veteran pitching depth at Triple-A Colorado Springs in the past two weeks with the signings of left-hander Dan Serafini and right-handers Todd Williams and Tim Harikkala.

Serafini, the Twins' No. 1 draft pick in 1992, hasn't pitched in the majors since 2003 with Cincinnati. He was 11-4 with Chiba Lotte in Japan two years ago but went 0-4 with a 9.97 ERA for Orix in the Japanese Pacific League last year.

Williams pitched in the majors with the Dodgers, Reds, Mariners, Yankees and Orioles. He was sent down by Baltimore earlier this year and was released after 11 2/3 shutout innings for Triple-A Norfolk (Va.). Harikkala pitched for Seattle, Boston and Oakland and went 6-6 in 55 games with the Rockies in 2004.

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com

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