Glavine says he won't pitch in '09

[June 20, 2009]  ATLANTA (AP) -- Tom Glavine said Friday he plans to "hang out" for the rest of the summer but is not announcing his retirement.

The Atlanta Braves released the 43-year-old Glavine on June 3 after finishing rehabilitation from offseason surgery on his left elbow and shoulder.

Glavine sent a text message to The Associated Press on Friday saying he won't pitch this year. He says he will "evaluate things at the end of the season."

The two-time Cy Young winner's career record of 305-203 includes five 20-win seasons. He was the winning pitcher in the Braves' clinching victory over Cleveland in the 1995 World Series.

Glavine told MLB.com he will not follow through with plans to file a grievance against the Braves. He has said he believes he was released for financial reasons.

The Braves said Glavine was released because all the team's reports from his minor league rehab showed he could not succeed in the major leagues.

Glavine would have received a $1 million bonus if he had been activated from the disabled list. His release helped clear the way for the Braves to call up top pitching prospect Tommy Hanson and came on the same day the team acquired center fielder Nate McLouth from Pittsburgh.

According to the collective-bargaining agreement, players can't be released because of financial reasons.

"I don't believe for a minute that it was totally a performance-related issue, which I'm totally fine with, but I would have appreciated the honesty," Glavine said earlier this month.

Glavine pitched his first 16 seasons for the Braves, then signed with the New York Mets for a five-year stint beginning in 2003. He returned to Atlanta with a one-year deal last season.

Glavine's 2008 season ended with surgery on his left elbow and shoulder. His 2009 comeback suffered a setback in April when he experienced discomfort in the shoulder while pitching in a rehab game for Double-A Mississippi.

Glavine said two days after his release he had "a couple of phone calls in regards to pitching" this season. He wouldn't identify the teams but said he would be reluctant to leave his family behind in Atlanta.

"It's going to take a lot to get me away from that," he said. "I enjoy going to my kids' hockey games and ball games and all that other stuff. On the one hand, I'm kinda looking forward to having a summer for the first time in 25 years. It's just not the way I envisioned doing it."

[Associated Press; By CHARLES ODUM]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.