This goes back a bit....

When Tom Glavine won his 300th game earlier this summer, I did linked to this post at Vegas Watch.

Who's Next to 300?

That post was in response to a host of articles talking about the possibility that Glavine may be the final member of the 300 win club.

Vegas Watch did a nice job of not focusing on pitchers like Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina. Those are the players who are closer to 300 wins, but may not have much time left to get there. Instead, Vegas Watch looked at pitchers in their mid-to-late 20s who are close to 100 wins. Like Roy Oswalt and CC Sabathia.

After reading that, I thought it might be a good idea to look back at some stories from when Greg Maddux won his 300th. I didn't do it...until seeing the story that Maddux won his 17th Gold Glove.

So, a quick google search found a few pay-per-view articles. But, here is a USA Today story by Mel Antonen from when Roger Clemens was nearing #300 in 2003.

300-victory club has short candidates' list

Assuming everything goes as expected, Roger Clemens in a few months will be the 21st pitcher to reach 300 career wins. By the end of next season, Greg Maddux should attain the momentous mark as well.
Enjoy it while you can. After Maddux, it could be a long wait before another pitcher stamps a Hall of Fame career with a history-making 300th win.

"I don't know about extinction, but the changing game makes it tougher and tougher for starting pitchers," says Mel Stottlemyre, the New York Yankees pitching coach. "The emphasis is on winning, but not necessarily with the starting pitcher. Staffs are different. Every team has setup guys and a closer. And relief pitchers are starting to show up on All-Star teams."

Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, a knuckleballer with 318 victories, said he could see the shift starting in the late 1980s: "When I pitched, starters were expected to pitch into the eighth or ninth inning to save the bullpens. Now starters pitch five innings and the bullpens take over to keep rotations fresh."

Compare that to this story from USA Today by Rick Gano after Glavine's 300th win.

Mets' Tom Glavine part of a dying breed: 300-game winners

Three-hundred wins has long punched a ticket to Cooperstown. One reason Tom Glavine could make that trip is his durability - he's never been on the disabled list in a career than began in 1987.

He's doesn't rely on an overpowering fastball to dominate hitters and doesn't tax his arm. Instead, he's brushing the outside corner, mixing pitches and speeds.

Late in his career, the 41-year-old left-hander worked with Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson to alter his approach and sequence of deliveries, making even more guesswork for hitters.

That is info about Glavine. Now here is the other stuff.

The game has evolved since Glavine broke in with the Atlanta Braves two decades ago. Five-man rotations are commonplace, reducing the number of starts. Bullpen specialists are everywhere.

So it's just possible Glavine could be the 23rd and final member of the 300-win club.

"Notice the dwindling number of 20-game winners you've seen over the years. That's a pretty good indication in itself," said Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella said, adding he doesn't see another 300-game winner on the horizon.

Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks is out with back problems and is almost 44. Even though he has 284 wins, the magic 300 is unlikely for the left-hander.

"I'm not saying I want to be the last one. I would love for someone to have this feeling and this sense of accomplishment," Glavine said after reaching 300 on his second try. "If I was the last one, I guess it would be pretty cool to be the last one to do something in the game."

For fun, here is the lede from a story after Nolan Ryan's 300th win back in 1990. The lede is free, the rest will cost ya.

300-Win Club Ryan, Blyleven Could Be Last

Don't look for the list of pitchers with 300 victories to expand any time soon. Nolan Ryan on Tuesday night became the 20th pitcher in baseball history to join the 300 Club. Bert Blyleven, with 279 wins, has a shot. After that, it could be a long, long wait.

I don't think that the gates are closed to this club. And I don't think that the wait will be as long as some may think.