#666) MIKE GLAVINE

Mike Glavine was signed as a minor league free agent by the New York Mets on February 4, 2003. He was the younger brother of then Mets' pitcher, Tom Glavine who had only joined the team three months earlier. Mike was a left-handed hitting first baseman who had played eight years in minor league baseball. "I'm very realistic. and I know the situation," Mike would say. "Obviously, I'm not a young prospect coming up through the organization. I'm going in there ready to battle and looking forward to the opportunity to show what I can do." Glavine would play the season with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He was hitting .266 with five home runs and 17 RBIs when New York purchased his contract on September 12th. Thus making the Glavines the first brothers in Mets history. So it was only fitting that when Mike finally made his major league debut it would be pinch-hitting for his older brother Tom on September 14, 2003. He would ground out to second base, and the Mets eventually lost to the Montreal Expos 7-3. "I waited eight years for that at-bat." Mike explained. "I'm happy for him obviously." Tom would comment, "But not so happy for me and the team and the way things went. You look for a silver lining in all things, and today, I guess that was the silver lining." Mike appeared in a total of six games to close the season, and would register his first major league hit in his final at-bat of 2003. He would return to the Norfolk Tides to play the 2004 season.

After retiring from his playing career, Mike joined with fellow baseball player and friend, Marc Deschenes in opening a training facility in Dracut, Massachusetts. Future Stars was established in April of 2006 to teach baseball and softball skills to local youth. "We try to create a family atmosphere, so parents don't dread bringing their children here." Glavine explained, "They might even be able to get some work done." The state of the art facility is equipped with wireless internet.

Mike was inducted into the Northeastern University Hall of Fame on November 16, 2006. Beginning in 2007, he would take the position of assistant coach with his alma mater's baseball team.

Mike Glavine signed his card in the set for me from an autograph request sent to his home on February 27, 2010.