COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Though Dale Murphy and Alan Trammell might never receive the honor of being immortalized in Cooperstown, John Smoltz will enter Baseball's Hall of Fame on Sunday with fond memories of the impact both these men had on the earliest portion of his career.
As an incentive to sign and decline his commitment to attend Michigan State, the Tigers allowed an 18-year-old Smoltz to make a road trip with the Major League club before he played his first professional game. The Michigan native savored the opportunity to be around his childhood heroes and gain a glimpse of why Trammell has long been so well-liked within the baseball community.