After just one major league start, Chuck James has drawn comparisons to another former great Atlanta Braves lefty-Tom Glavine.

After his team was dominated for eight innings by James in a 4-1 Braves win on Sunday, Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon jokingly compared the Braves' young left-hander to Glavine.

"Their guy, Glavine, pitched a great game tonight," Maddon said. "He did a really nice job. You know, he's done that in the past. He's a Hall of Fame pitcher. It's just going to happen once in a while."

As reported in the Town Crier in April, James' mother, Jacque (Rathbun) James, grew up in Cooperstown, and his maternal grandmother, Elnora Rathbun, still lives in Cooperstown.

Elnora said she watched Sunday's game and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"I was flabbergasted," she said. "I was so happy for him. I think he was pretty nervous for the first couple of innings, but then he settled down and was just unbelievable."

Thanks to an expected scoring change, James certainly has Hall of Fame credentials after just one Major League start. A Monday morning adjustment that justly gave Wilson Betemit an error erased the one earned run that James was charged in his eight-inning effort.

With two outs in the eighth inning, the official scorer originally gave Damon Hollins an RBI and double on easy pop fly that Betemit dropped in shallow left field. After reviewing the play again, the scorer charged Betemit with an error and gave James the impressive line (eight innings, two hits and no earned runs) that his effort deserved.

"I like watching James," another legendary Braves starter, John Smoltz, is quoted as saying on the Barves' official website. "I like watching batter after batter go back to the dugout just shaking their head after facing him."

Smoltz was with Glavine during their early years in the majors and said he sees some reason for comparison to James. Both are small in stature and possess a fastball-changeup repertoire that allows their 88 mph fastballs to look like they're 95 mph.

James' success doesn't come as a complete surprise. Since making his professional debut in the Braves organization during the 2003 season, he has been nearly unhittable. While posting a 2.12 ERA in 29 combined starts at three different Minor League levels last year, the 25-year-old southpaw limited opponents to a .179 batting average.

With the need to strengthen their bullpen, the Braves began James in a relief role this year. But in the middle of May, the decision was made to rebuild his endurance back in the Minors. Now back in the Majors, there seems little chance he'll be going back to the bullpen or the Minors any time soon.

"I just think [James] has a unique way about him that you can't explain right now," Smoltz said. "He has the perfect attitude and the perfect demeanor from the standpoint that he just pitches."

James, who will make his next start on Friday night against the Orioles at Turner Field, has received approximately 30 congratulatory phone calls from friends and family members.

"I guess a lot of calls are better than no calls at all," James said.

Similarly, Elnora Rathbun said many customers at the Church $ Scott pharmacy where she works have come in offering congratulations and saying they saw Chuck pitch.

"My grandson...," she said with astonishment. "He's made me one proud Grandma."