"On the night that the 45-year-old Randy Johnson was scheduled to go after his 300th career victory, with all the accompanying fanfare, the 43-year-old Tom Glavine, the most recent pitcher to win 300 games, was being shown the door by the Atlanta Braves, the team that drafted him in 1984, cultivated him and provided the stage for most of his terrific career.

Glavine, who has 305 wins, had pitched four times in minor league games this year trying to come back from off-season shoulder and elbow surgery, but the Braves determined that he could not help them win this season and cut ties with him late Wednesday afternoon.

If Johnson's quest to get to 300 underlined just how long a pitcher can stick around if the consensus is that he can still get batters out, Glavine's release made clear the risk that any famous player takes in trying to get everyout of the tank. Instead of a final moment of glory, there may only be embarrassment.

Glavine met with Frank Wren, the Braves' general manager; John Schuerholz, the team president; and Manager Bobby Cox at 4 p.m. and was informed he was being let go by the team whose cap will be on the Hall of Fame plaque he is almost certain to earn. Glavine then left Turner Field without comment.

If the Braves had activated Glavine and put him on the roster it would have cost them $1 million, as part of his 2009 contract, but Wren said money was not the factor in letting Glavine go.

"Our evaluation was he would not be successful," Wren said.

The Braves are certain to take a public relations spanking in Atlanta for letting their long relationship with Glavine end on such a sour note. But they were moving ahead aggressively on Wednesday, landing a touted young center fielder, Nate McLouth, in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and announcing that the team's best pitching prospect, Tommy Hanson, would make his debut here Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers."