John Smoltz may be dealing with unhappy fans more regularly as a broadcaster than he did as a Hall of Fame pitcher.



FOX’s lead baseball analyst and Joe Buck’s co-pilot, Smoltz is viewed by some as an old-guard representative who has not embraced today’s game as much as he should, particularly for someone in a role so prominent. That he is not helping the enjoyment or admiration of the sport.



“I wouldn’t still be in a game that I played for 21 years and loved,” Smoltz said. “If I didn’t love it, then I wouldn’t be involved in it.”



Even if you agree with the criticisms, there are simultaneous discussions to be had about Smoltz and what he represents inside the baseball and broadcasting landscape.



Smoltz does not appear to have wavered on the air, or become less forthright. In broadcasting, criticism can easily lead to change or retreat. A commitment to one’s own sense of direction, then,...