Greg Maddux
Encyclopedia
Gregory Alan Maddux nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award
for four consecutive years (1992–1995), a feat matched only by Randy Johnson
(1999–2002). During those four consecutive seasons, Maddux had a 75-29 record with a 1.98 ERA
, while allowing less than one runner per inning.
Maddux is the only pitcher in MLB history to win
at least 15 games for 17 straight seasons. In addition, he holds the record for most Gold Gloves with eighteen. A superb control pitcher
, Maddux won more games during the 1990s than any other pitcher, and is 8th on the all-time career wins list
, with 355. Since the start of the post-1920 live-ball era
, only Warren Spahn
(363) recorded more career wins than Maddux. He is one of only 10 pitchers ever to achieve both 300 wins and 3000 strikeouts. He currently works in the Texas Rangers' front office
.
, but spent much of his childhood in Madrid
, Spain, where the United States Air Force
had stationed his father. His father exposed him to baseball at an early age, and kindled his passion for the sport. Upon his return to Las Vegas, Nevada
, Maddux and his brother Mike trained under the supervision of Rusty Medar, a former scout from the majors. Medar preached the value of movement and location above velocity, and advised throwing softer when in a jam instead of harder; Maddux would later say, "I believed it. I don't know why. I just did." Though Medar died before Maddux graduated from Valley High School
in Las Vegas, he instilled a firm foundation that would anchor Maddux’ future career. Maddux currently lives in the same community.
Mike Maddux
was drafted in 1982
. When scouts went to observe the elder Maddux, their father Dave told them, "You will be back later for the little one." Despite having a successful high school career, Maddux did not receive many athletic scholarship
offers to play college baseball
. This prompted Maddux to declare eligibility for the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft
after graduation. Some teams were unimpressed by Maddux' skinny build, but Chicago Cubs
scout Doug Mapson saw past the physique. Mapson wrote a glowing review that read in part, "I really believe this boy would be the number one player in the country if only he looked a bit more physical."
by the Cubs, and made his major league debut in September 1986; at the time, he was the youngest player in the majors. His first appearance in a major league game was as a pinch runner
(for catcher Jody Davis) in the 17th inning against the Houston Astros
. Maddux then pitched in the 18th inning, allowing a home run to Billy Hatcher and taking the loss. His first start, five days later, was a complete game
win. In his fifth and final start of 1986, Maddux defeated his older brother, Philadelphia Phillies
pitcher Mike
, marking the first time rookie brothers had pitched against each other. Mike Maddux was well used to his younger brother's competitive spirit, saying of their youth, "If Greg couldn't win, he didn't want to play, plain and simple."
In 1987, his first full season in the majors, Maddux struggled to a 6–14 record and 5.61 ERA, but he flourished in 1988, finishing 18–8 with a 3.18 ERA. This began a streak of 17 straight seasons in which Maddux recorded 15 or more wins, the longest such streak in history. Cy Young
ranks second with 15 straight 15-win seasons. A highlight of his 1988 season came on May 11, when he threw a three-hit, 10-inning shutout against the Padres.
Maddux established himself as the Cubs' ace in 1989, winning 19 games, including a September game at Montreal's
Olympic Stadium
that clinched the Cubs' second-ever National League Eastern Division championship. Manager Don Zimmer
tabbed him to start Game One of the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants
. He allowed eight runs
and was relieved after surrendering Will Clark
's grand slam
home run
with two outs in the fourth. Maddux believed that just before the grand slam, Clark was able to read his lips during a conference at the mound between Maddux and Zimmer. After that incident, Maddux always covered his mouth with his glove during conversations on the mound. Maddux took a no-decision in Game Four.
After consecutive 15-win seasons in 1990 and 1991, Maddux won 20 games in 1992, tied for the NL lead, and was voted his first National League Cy Young Award
. Free agency
was pending for Maddux, but contract talks with the Cubs became contentious and eventually ceased. Both Chicago general manager Larry Himes
and Maddux' agent, Scott Boras
, accused the other of failing to negotiate in good faith. The Cubs eventually decided to pursue other free agents, including José Guzmán
, Dan Plesac
, and Candy Maldonado
. After seven seasons in Chicago, Maddux signed a five-year, $28 million deal with the Atlanta Braves
.
, beating his former teammates 1–0. It was a good start to another strong Maddux season. He led the NL
in ERA for the first time while posting a 20–10 record. Maddux won his second straight Cy Young Award, and the Braves took their rotation of Maddux, 22-game winner Tom Glavine
, 18-game winner Steve Avery
, and 15-game winner John Smoltz
to the postseason. Maddux won against the Philadelphia Phillies
in Game Two of the NLCS
, but with Atlanta
trailing 3 games to 2, took the loss in the decisive Game Six.
During the strike-shortened 1994 season, Maddux posted an ERA of 1.56, the second lowest since Bob Gibson
's historic 1.12 in 1968, the last year of the elevated mound, and the lowest in the majors since Dwight Gooden
's 1.53 in 1985. It pleased Maddux that his 1994 batting average
(.222) was higher than his ERA (at least colloquially, if not mathematically). Maddux also led the National League in wins (with 16) and innings pitched (202) in his third Cy Young-winning year. Maddux also finished 5th in National League Most Valuable Player
voting in 1994.
In the following 1995 season, Maddux was 19–2 and posted the third-lowest ERA since Gibson's: 1.63. Maddux became the first pitcher to post back-to-back ERAs under 1.80 since Walter Johnson
in 1918 (1.27) and 1919 (1.49). Maddux's 1.63 ERA came in a year when the overall league
ERA was 4.23. Since the introduction of the live-ball era
in 1920, there have only been five pitchers to have full-season ERAs under 1.65: Gibson and Luis Tiant
in the anomalous 1968 season, Gooden in 1985, and Greg Maddux, twice. Maddux's 19 wins led the National League, for the third time in four seasons.
On May 28, 1995, he beat the Astros, losing a no-hitter
on an eighth-inning home run to Jeff Bagwell
. It was the only nine-inning one-hitter of his career. In June and July, Maddux threw 51 consecutive innings without issuing a walk
. Maddux pitched effectively in all three of the Braves' postseason series, winning a game in each. His Game One victory in the 1995 World Series
was vintage Maddux: 9 innings, 2 hits, no walks, and no earned runs in a 3-2 pitcher's duel with Orel Hershiser
. Maddux took the loss in Game Five, but the Atlanta Braves won their first World Series
championship two days later. Following the 1995 season, Maddux won his fourth straight Cy Young Award, a major league record, and his second consecutive unanimous award. (Randy Johnson
would win four consecutive Cy Young Awards from 1999–2002.) Maddux also finished third in that year's National League Most Valuable Player voting. The Atlanta Braves also made good on a preseason promise to their pitching rotation, installing a putting green in the locker room at the newly built Turner Field
following the World Series victory.
From 1996–1998, Maddux finished fifth, second, and fourth in the Cy Young voting. In August 1997, Maddux signed a $57.5-million, five-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid player in baseball. In February 2003, he avoided arbitration by signing a one-year $14.75-million deal. Maddux's production remained consistent: a 19–4 record in 1997, 18–9 in 1998, 19–9 in both 1999 and 2000, 17–11 in 2001, 16-6 in 2002, and 16–11 in 2003, his last season as a Brave. From 1993 to 1998, Maddux led the National League in ERA four times, and was second the other two seasons.
On July 22, 1997, Maddux threw a complete game with just 76 pitches, against the Cubs
. Three weeks earlier, he had shut out the defending champion New York Yankees
on 84 pitches, and five days before that, he'd beaten the Phillies with a 90-pitch complete game. Maddux allowed just 20 bases on balls in 1997, including six intentional walks. Ignoring those six intentional walks, Maddux only went to a 3-0 count
on one batter in all of 1997.
In 1997, Maddux carried a 1.65 ERA through late August, but a late-season slump caused his ERA to rise to 2.22 (still the lowest ERA in the NL). Only a spectacular year by Pedro Martínez
prevented Maddux from winning what would have been his fifth Cy Young Award in six seasons. Maddux threw a complete game 2–1 win against Houston
to open the NLDS
. The NLCS
was an assortment of extremes: Maddux posted a 1.38 ERA and had more strikeouts than baserunners, but suffered an 0–2 record. Five unearned runs cost him his first start, and he lost a bitter 2–1 decision in Game Five.
Maddux struck out
200+ batters for the only time in his career in 1998. He outdueled the Cubs' Kerry Wood
to clinch the NLDS
, but the Braves
were eliminated in the next round. The Braves returned to the World Series
in 1999. Maddux was the Game One starter, and took a 1–0 lead into the eighth inning before a Yankee rally cost him the game.
On June 14, 2000, Maddux made his 387th putout to break Jack Morris
' career record. In September 2000, he had a streak of 40 1/3 scoreless innings. He pitched poorly in his one playoff start of 2000. In May 2001, Maddux became the first Braves pitcher since 1916 to throw two 1–0 shutouts in the same month. The first included a career-best 14 strikeouts. In July and August of that year, Maddux pitched 72 1/3 consecutive innings without giving up a walk. In 2002, he won his 13th straight Gold Glove Award
, an NL record; Maddux tied Jim Kaat
's career record of 16 Gold Gloves after the 2006 season.
Throughout most of his years with the Braves, in the tradition of other pitching greats such as Steve Carlton
, Maddux often had his own personal catcher. Though the Braves' primary catcher during much of that time was Javy Lopez
, Maddux at various points used Charlie O'Brien
, Eddie Pérez, Paul Bako
, and Henry Blanco
, for the majority of his starts, which were generally regarded as Lopez's day off, though Lopez did sometimes catch Maddux in his post-season starts.
Maddux was the jewel in the much-vaunted Braves triad of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, who pitched together for over a decade, as the core of one of the best pitching staffs in the history of the game. The three were the linchpin of a team that won its division (the National League West in 1993 and the East from then on) every year that Maddux was on the team (1994 had no division champions). The three pitchers were frequently augmented by other strong starters such as Steve Avery
, Kevin Millwood
, Denny Neagle
, and Russ Ortiz
. In 1995, they pitched the Braves to a World Series title. In 29 postseason games with Atlanta, Maddux had a 2.81 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP
, but just an 11–13 record.
for his 306th win in the first National League matchup between 300-game winners in 113 years. On July 26, 2005, Maddux struck out Omar Vizquel
to become the thirteenth member of the 3000 strikeout club
and only the ninth pitcher with both 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts, having reached both marks against the San Francisco Giants
. Maddux finished as one of the four pitchers to top 3,000 strikeouts while having allowed fewer than 1,000 walks (he had 999). The other four pitchers who have accomplished this feat are Ferguson Jenkins
, Curt Schilling
, and Pedro Martínez.
Maddux's 13–15 record in 2005 was his first losing record since 1987, and snapped a string of seventeen consecutive seasons with 15 or more wins (Cy Young had surpassed the 15-win total for 15 straight years; both Young and Maddux reached 13+ wins for 19 consecutive seasons. This is even more impressive considering that Cy Young pitched in an era with no more than 4 regular starters that would average more than 40+ games per season, whereas Maddux pitched in an era with a 5-man rotation which results in a maximum of 32-33 starts per season).
to take sole possession of 10th on the all-time list. On September 30, 2006, Maddux pitched seven innings in San Francisco, allowing two runs and three hits in a 4–2 victory over the Giants, clinching a postseason spot for the Dodgers and notching another 15-win season. It was Maddux's 18th season among his league's Top 10 for wins, breaking a record he'd shared with Cy Young and Warren Spahn
, who did it 17 times apiece. However, the Dodgers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Mets; Maddux started the third and final game, throwing an ineffective no-decision. Maddux was honored with a Fielding Bible Award
as the best fielding pitcher in MLB for 2006.
On December 5, 2006, Maddux agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the San Diego Padres
with a player option for the 2008 season, an option that Maddux later exercised (at a reported $10 million). Maddux earned his 338th victory in the game that Trevor Hoffman
earned his milestone 500th save. On August 24, 2007, he won his 343rd game to take sole possession of ninth place on the all-time win list. He achieved another milestone with the same win, becoming the only pitcher in the major leagues to have 20 consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins and placing him second on the list for most 10-win seasons, tied with Nolan Ryan
and behind Don Sutton, who has 21. Also in 2007, Maddux reached 13 wins for the 20th consecutive season, passing Cy Young for that major league record. He finished the season with a career total 347 wins. Maddux won a record 17th Gold Glove award in 2007. On May 10, 2008, Maddux won his 350th game.
.
Maddux pitched his 5,000th career inning against the San Francisco Giants on September 19. On September 27, in his final start of the season, he won his 355th game, moving him ahead of Roger Clemens into 8th place in all-time wins. Maddux ranks tenth in career strikeouts with 3,371. His strikeout total is balanced against 999 walks. For the 2008 season, he posted an 8–13 record. His 1.4 walks per 9 innings pitched were the best in the majors.
After the Dodgers won the National League West
, Maddux was moved to the bullpen after manager Joe Torre
decided to go with a three man rotation. Maddux pitched four innings of relief during the series (which the Dodgers lost), allowing no runs.
Maddux received his 18th Gold Glove Award
in November 2008, extending his own major league record. A month later, he announced his retirement.
. In his return to Chicago, his focus is on developing pitchers' styles and techniques throughout the organization, including minor league affiliates.
and four-seam fastball
with an excellent circle changeup
. Though these served as his primary pitches, he also utilized a cutter
, a curveball
, and a slider
.
Maddux was renowned for focusing on the outside corner. This approach was emphasized under former Atlanta Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone
. He would begin by throwing strikes with his fastball down and away, then expand the strike zone with his changeup—sometimes obtaining borderline strike calls from umpires simply on the strength of his reputation. To complement this strategy, Maddux would throw his two-seam fastball inside (especially to left-handed hitters), obtaining many called-third strikes to keep hitters guessing. In addition, his propensity for throwing strikes and avoiding walks kept his pitch counts low; Maddux would routinely reach the seventh or eighth inning with pitch counts below 80, a rarity in the modern era.
Dodgers general manager Fred Claire
admired Maddux's pitching consistency, saying "It's almost like a guy lining up a 60-foot-6-inch putt... he is just so disciplined, so repetitive in his pitches." Speaking about Maddux's accuracy, Orel Hershiser
said, "This guy can throw a ball in a teacup." Baseball Hall of Famer
Wade Boggs
talked about facing Maddux: "It seems like he's inside your mind with you. When he knows you're not going to swing, he throws a straight one. He sees into the future. It's like he has a crystal ball hidden inside his glove."
, in anticipation of facing Bagwell in the playoffs months later. Maddux felt Bagwell would instinctively be looking for the same pitch again, which Maddux would then refuse to throw. On another occasion while sitting on the bench, Maddux once told his teammates, "Watch this, we might need to call an ambulance for the first base coach." The batter, Los Angeles' José Hernández
, drove the next pitch into the chest of the Dodgers' first base coach. Maddux had noticed that Hernandez, who'd been pitched inside by Braves pitching during the series, had shifted his batting stance slightly. On another occasion, a former teammate, outfielder Marquis Grissom
, recalled a game in 1996 when Maddux was having trouble spotting his fastball. Between innings, Greg told Marquis, "Gary Sheffield is coming up next inning. I am going to throw him a slider and make him just miss it so he hits it to the warning track." The at-bat went as Maddux had predicted.
Early in the 2000 season, Maddux was asked by sportswriter Bob Nightengale what had been the most memorable at-bat of his pitching career. Maddux said it was striking out Dave Martinez
to end a regular season game. Nightengale was surprised Maddux hadn't picked a postseason game, or a more famous player. Maddux explained:
Publicly, however, Maddux is dismissive of his reputation, saying, "People think I'm smart? You know what makes you smart? Locate your fastball down and away. That's what makes you smart. You talk to Sandy Koufax
, Bob Gibson
, or Tom Seaver
. They'll all tell you the same thing. It's not your arm that makes you a great pitcher. It's that thing between both of your ears we call a brain."
To this day, Maddux maintains Koufax, Gibson, and Seaver are the three best pitchers of the "live ball" era of baseball. Informed by "The Sporting News" he had been voted best pitcher of the 1990s, he replied, "It [the award] could have gone to Glavine or Smoltz just as easily and each would have deserved it. They're both great pitchers."
Maddux never walked more than 82 batters in any season of his career, averaging fewer than 2 walks per game. In 1997, Maddux allowed 20 walks in 232+ innings, or 0.77 per 9 innings. In 2001, he set a National League record by going 72 1/3 innings without giving up a walk.
In addition to his pitching skills, Maddux was an excellent fielding pitcher. He won 18 Gold Gloves, the all time record for any position. Of his 18 total awards, Maddux won 10 with the Braves, five with the Cubs, two with the Dodgers and one with the Padres. Maddux was also a reliable hitting pitcher, with a career .172 batting average including four seasons batting .200 or better.
Maddux pitched in 13 Division Series contests, 17 League Championship games and five World Series games. He has a 3.27 ERA in 198 postseason innings, including an outstanding 2.09 ERA in 38.7 World Series innings. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team eight times.
Maddux won 20 games only twice, in 1992 and 1993. However, he won 19 games five times (including the 1995 season which was reduced to 144 games from the strike of 1994), 18 games twice, and 16 in the strike shortened 1994 season (which was reduced to 115 games). He won four ERA titles (in 1993-1995 and 1998), and led the NL in shutout
s five times. He holds the major league record for seasons leading his league in games started (7). He also holds the record for most seasons finishing in the top 10 in the league in wins (18).
In his 2009 book, "The Annual Baseball Gold Mine" baseball statistics guru Bill James found Maddux to be far and away the most underrated player in baseball history. The methodology for this included the fact that though Maddux only won 20 games twice, he five times won 19 games. He also had only one season of 200 or more strikeouts but had seasons of 199, 198 and 197 respectively which diminished his reputation as a strikeout pitcher. In addition to that James also argued that although he had 18 seasons of 200 or more innings pitched, he also had three seasons of 199.1, 198 and 194 innings pitched.
In 1999, Maddux ranked 39th on The Sporting News
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranking pitcher then active. He was also nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball
All-Century Team. However, when TSN
updated their list in 2005, Maddux had fallen to number 51.
The Cubs retired jersey number 31 on May 3, 2009 in honor of both Maddux and Ferguson Jenkins
. The Atlanta Braves retired Maddux's number 31, on July 17, 2009.
"I get asked all the time was he the best pitcher I ever saw," Braves manager Bobby Cox
said. "Was he the smartest pitcher I ever saw? The most competitive I ever saw? The best teammate I ever saw? The answer is yes to all of those" at the banquet to induct Maddux into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta on July 17, 2009.
. He is married to Kathy; the couple has 2 children; a daughter, Amanda "Paige" (born 12/9/93), and a son, "Satchel" Chase Maddux (born 4/19/97.)
In 2002, in the episode "Take Me out of the Ballgame," of the TV series Do Over
, the main character lost a baseball game to a young Greg Maddux, who was played by Shad Hart. Greg Maddux remains involved in the Las Vegas community.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
for four consecutive years (1992–1995), a feat matched only by Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
(1999–2002). During those four consecutive seasons, Maddux had a 75-29 record with a 1.98 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, while allowing less than one runner per inning.
Maddux is the only pitcher in MLB history to win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
at least 15 games for 17 straight seasons. In addition, he holds the record for most Gold Gloves with eighteen. A superb control pitcher
Control pitcher
A control pitcher is a pitcher who succeeds mostly by using accurate pitches, as opposed to a power pitcher who relies on velocity. By issuing a below average number of bases on balls he exhibits good control of his pitches...
, Maddux won more games during the 1990s than any other pitcher, and is 8th on the all-time career wins list
300 win club
In Major League Baseball, the 300 win club refers to the group of pitchers—24 as of 2011—who have won 300 or more games. While the "300 club" is an informal group, becoming a member is among the highest accomplishments a starting pitcher can achieve. Several members retired soon after winning their...
, with 355. Since the start of the post-1920 live-ball era
Live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
, only Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
(363) recorded more career wins than Maddux. He is one of only 10 pitchers ever to achieve both 300 wins and 3000 strikeouts. He currently works in the Texas Rangers' front office
Front office
Front office is a business term that refers to a company's departments that come in contact with clients, including the marketing, sales, and service departments...
.
Early life
Maddux was born in San Angelo, TexasSan Angelo, Texas
San Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200...
, but spent much of his childhood in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain, where the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
had stationed his father. His father exposed him to baseball at an early age, and kindled his passion for the sport. Upon his return to Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Maddux and his brother Mike trained under the supervision of Rusty Medar, a former scout from the majors. Medar preached the value of movement and location above velocity, and advised throwing softer when in a jam instead of harder; Maddux would later say, "I believed it. I don't know why. I just did." Though Medar died before Maddux graduated from Valley High School
Valley High School (Nevada)
For schools of the same name, see Valley High SchoolValley High School is a public school that also offers two widely recognized magnet programs: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and Middle Years Programme; and the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A,...
in Las Vegas, he instilled a firm foundation that would anchor Maddux’ future career. Maddux currently lives in the same community.
Mike Maddux
Mike Maddux
Michael Ausley Maddux is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and the pitching coach of the Texas Rangers. He is the older brother of four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux....
was drafted in 1982
1982 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1982 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*Barry Bonds was drafted by the Giants in the 2nd round of the 1982 amateur draft, but did not sign...
. When scouts went to observe the elder Maddux, their father Dave told them, "You will be back later for the little one." Despite having a successful high school career, Maddux did not receive many athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
offers to play college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
. This prompted Maddux to declare eligibility for the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft
1984 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*Future Canadian Football League quarterback Damon Allen, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round, 182nd overall....
after graduation. Some teams were unimpressed by Maddux' skinny build, but Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
scout Doug Mapson saw past the physique. Mapson wrote a glowing review that read in part, "I really believe this boy would be the number one player in the country if only he looked a bit more physical."
Chicago Cubs (1986–1992)
Maddux was drafted in the second round of the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft1984 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*Future Canadian Football League quarterback Damon Allen, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round, 182nd overall....
by the Cubs, and made his major league debut in September 1986; at the time, he was the youngest player in the majors. His first appearance in a major league game was as a pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
(for catcher Jody Davis) in the 17th inning against the Houston Astros
1986 Houston Astros season
-Regular season:* Kevin Bass had a twenty game hit streak during the season.* Dave Smith set a club record with 33 saves in one season.* September 24, 1986: Jim Deshaies set a record for the most strikeouts to start a game...
. Maddux then pitched in the 18th inning, allowing a home run to Billy Hatcher and taking the loss. His first start, five days later, was a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
win. In his fifth and final start of 1986, Maddux defeated his older brother, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
pitcher Mike
Mike Maddux
Michael Ausley Maddux is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and the pitching coach of the Texas Rangers. He is the older brother of four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux....
, marking the first time rookie brothers had pitched against each other. Mike Maddux was well used to his younger brother's competitive spirit, saying of their youth, "If Greg couldn't win, he didn't want to play, plain and simple."
In 1987, his first full season in the majors, Maddux struggled to a 6–14 record and 5.61 ERA, but he flourished in 1988, finishing 18–8 with a 3.18 ERA. This began a streak of 17 straight seasons in which Maddux recorded 15 or more wins, the longest such streak in history. Cy Young
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
ranks second with 15 straight 15-win seasons. A highlight of his 1988 season came on May 11, when he threw a three-hit, 10-inning shutout against the Padres.
Maddux established himself as the Cubs' ace in 1989, winning 19 games, including a September game at Montreal's
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Montreal)
The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...
that clinched the Cubs' second-ever National League Eastern Division championship. Manager Don Zimmer
Don Zimmer
Donald William "Popeye" Zimmer is a former infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball, currently serving as a senior advisor to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball organization...
tabbed him to start Game One of the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants
1989 San Francisco Giants season
The 1989 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses. It was their second division title in three years. The Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games in the National League Championship Series...
. He allowed eight runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
and was relieved after surrendering Will Clark
Will Clark
William Nuschler Clark, Jr. is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the San Francisco Giants from to .Will was known by the nickname of "Will the Thrill"...
's grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
with two outs in the fourth. Maddux believed that just before the grand slam, Clark was able to read his lips during a conference at the mound between Maddux and Zimmer. After that incident, Maddux always covered his mouth with his glove during conversations on the mound. Maddux took a no-decision in Game Four.
After consecutive 15-win seasons in 1990 and 1991, Maddux won 20 games in 1992, tied for the NL lead, and was voted his first National League Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
. Free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
was pending for Maddux, but contract talks with the Cubs became contentious and eventually ceased. Both Chicago general manager Larry Himes
Larry Himes
Lawrence Austin Himes was a general manager for two Major League Baseball teams: the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs . He is best known for trading for Sammy Sosa during each tenure...
and Maddux' agent, Scott Boras
Scott Boras
Scott Boras is an American sports agent, specializing in baseball. He is the founder, owner and president of the Boras Corporation, a sports agency based in Newport Beach, Calif. that represents roughly 175 professional baseball clients, including many of the game's highest-profile players...
, accused the other of failing to negotiate in good faith. The Cubs eventually decided to pursue other free agents, including José Guzmán
José Guzmán
José Alberto Guzmán Mirabal , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from -....
, Dan Plesac
Dan Plesac
Daniel Thomas Plesac is a former Major League Baseball pitcher with an 18-year career from to . He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Philadelphia Phillies...
, and Candy Maldonado
Candy Maldonado
Candido Maldonado Guadarrama is a former Major League Baseball outfielder from to for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers. Chris Berman, a fellow ESPN analyst, called him the "Candyman"...
. After seven seasons in Chicago, Maddux signed a five-year, $28 million deal with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
.
Atlanta Braves (1993–2003)
He made his Braves' debut as their opening day starter against the Cubs at Wrigley FieldWrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, beating his former teammates 1–0. It was a good start to another strong Maddux season. He led the NL
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in ERA for the first time while posting a 20–10 record. Maddux won his second straight Cy Young Award, and the Braves took their rotation of Maddux, 22-game winner Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
, 18-game winner Steve Avery
Steve Avery
Steven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
, and 15-game winner John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
to the postseason. Maddux won against the Philadelphia Phillies
1993 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1993 Philadelphia Phillies season saw the Phillies capture the National League East championship. The Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves in the 1993 National League Championship Series in six games, before losing the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays.-Regular season:After finishing in...
in Game Two of the NLCS
1993 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 6, 1993 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaCurt Schilling began the series spectacularly by striking out the first five hitters he faced. The game would be back and forth and low-scoring. A wild-pitch by Atlanta starter Steve Avery allowed Philadelphia to a...
, but with Atlanta
1993 Atlanta Braves season
The 1993 Atlanta Braves season saw the Braves finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In the waning weeks of the season, they engaged in a dramatic and exciting battle for the division title against the San Francisco Giants, who finished in second...
trailing 3 games to 2, took the loss in the decisive Game Six.
During the strike-shortened 1994 season, Maddux posted an ERA of 1.56, the second lowest since Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
's historic 1.12 in 1968, the last year of the elevated mound, and the lowest in the majors since Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
's 1.53 in 1985. It pleased Maddux that his 1994 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(.222) was higher than his ERA (at least colloquially, if not mathematically). Maddux also led the National League in wins (with 16) and innings pitched (202) in his third Cy Young-winning year. Maddux also finished 5th in National League Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
voting in 1994.
In the following 1995 season, Maddux was 19–2 and posted the third-lowest ERA since Gibson's: 1.63. Maddux became the first pitcher to post back-to-back ERAs under 1.80 since Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
in 1918 (1.27) and 1919 (1.49). Maddux's 1.63 ERA came in a year when the overall league
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
ERA was 4.23. Since the introduction of the live-ball era
Live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
in 1920, there have only been five pitchers to have full-season ERAs under 1.65: Gibson and Luis Tiant
Luis Tiant
Luis Clemente Tiant Vega , born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba, , is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels...
in the anomalous 1968 season, Gooden in 1985, and Greg Maddux, twice. Maddux's 19 wins led the National League, for the third time in four seasons.
On May 28, 1995, he beat the Astros, losing a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on an eighth-inning home run to Jeff Bagwell
Jeff Bagwell
Jeffrey Robert Bagwell , is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire fifteen-year Major League Baseball career as a first baseman for the Houston Astros and was a four-time All-Star...
. It was the only nine-inning one-hitter of his career. In June and July, Maddux threw 51 consecutive innings without issuing a walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
. Maddux pitched effectively in all three of the Braves' postseason series, winning a game in each. His Game One victory in the 1995 World Series
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
was vintage Maddux: 9 innings, 2 hits, no walks, and no earned runs in a 3-2 pitcher's duel with Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
. Maddux took the loss in Game Five, but the Atlanta Braves won their first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championship two days later. Following the 1995 season, Maddux won his fourth straight Cy Young Award, a major league record, and his second consecutive unanimous award. (Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
would win four consecutive Cy Young Awards from 1999–2002.) Maddux also finished third in that year's National League Most Valuable Player voting. The Atlanta Braves also made good on a preseason promise to their pitching rotation, installing a putting green in the locker room at the newly built Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
following the World Series victory.
From 1996–1998, Maddux finished fifth, second, and fourth in the Cy Young voting. In August 1997, Maddux signed a $57.5-million, five-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid player in baseball. In February 2003, he avoided arbitration by signing a one-year $14.75-million deal. Maddux's production remained consistent: a 19–4 record in 1997, 18–9 in 1998, 19–9 in both 1999 and 2000, 17–11 in 2001, 16-6 in 2002, and 16–11 in 2003, his last season as a Brave. From 1993 to 1998, Maddux led the National League in ERA four times, and was second the other two seasons.
On July 22, 1997, Maddux threw a complete game with just 76 pitches, against the Cubs
1997 Chicago Cubs season
The 1997 Chicago Cubs season was one of little success for the team. The Cubs never had a record above .500 at any point during the season, and finished last in their division. The season is probably best remembered for the miserable way in which the team began the season, losing their first 14...
. Three weeks earlier, he had shut out the defending champion New York Yankees
1997 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1997 season was the 95th season for theYankees. New York was managed by Joe Torre and played at Yankee Stadium. The team finished with a record of 96-66 finishing 2 games behind of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East...
on 84 pitches, and five days before that, he'd beaten the Phillies with a 90-pitch complete game. Maddux allowed just 20 bases on balls in 1997, including six intentional walks. Ignoring those six intentional walks, Maddux only went to a 3-0 count
Count (baseball)
In baseball, the count refers to the number of balls and strikes a batter has in his current plate appearance. It is usually announced as a pair of numbers, for example, 3-1 , with the first number being the number of balls and the second being the number of strikes.An individual pitch may also be...
on one batter in all of 1997.
In 1997, Maddux carried a 1.65 ERA through late August, but a late-season slump caused his ERA to rise to 2.22 (still the lowest ERA in the NL). Only a spectacular year by Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
prevented Maddux from winning what would have been his fifth Cy Young Award in six seasons. Maddux threw a complete game 2–1 win against Houston
1997 Houston Astros season
The 1997 Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League Central.-Opening Day starters:*Bobby Abreu*Brad Ausmus*Jeff Bagwell*Derek Bell*Sean Berry*Craig Biggio*Luis Gonzalez...
to open the NLDS
1997 National League Division Series
-Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves:-San Francisco vs. Florida:The San Francisco Giants made it back to the postseason for the first time since the 1989 World Series. The Florida Marlins were in the postseason for the first time ever.-Game 1, September 30:...
. The NLCS
1997 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 1997 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Marlins scored three unearned runs in the first inning off Greg Maddux, thanks to a Fred McGriff error, when Moisés Alou hit a bases-clearing double to left...
was an assortment of extremes: Maddux posted a 1.38 ERA and had more strikeouts than baserunners, but suffered an 0–2 record. Five unearned runs cost him his first start, and he lost a bitter 2–1 decision in Game Five.
Maddux struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
200+ batters for the only time in his career in 1998. He outdueled the Cubs' Kerry Wood
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood is a National Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Wood recorded over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003....
to clinch the NLDS
1998 National League Division Series
-Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres:-Game 1, September 30:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Braves faced the Chicago Cubs, who made it into the playoffs by beating the San Francisco Giants in a tiebreaker for the Wild Card spot. The Braves had sixteen more regular season wins and it showed in...
, but the Braves
1998 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:*November 17, 1997: Walt Weiss was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.*January 30, 1998: Dennis Martinez was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.*February 6, 1998: Curtis Pride was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves....
were eliminated in the next round. The Braves returned to the World Series
1999 World Series
The 1999 World Series, the 95th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, featured a rematch between the defending champions New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves during the month of October, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their second title in a row,...
in 1999. Maddux was the Game One starter, and took a 1–0 lead into the eighth inning before a Yankee rally cost him the game.
On June 14, 2000, Maddux made his 387th putout to break Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
' career record. In September 2000, he had a streak of 40 1/3 scoreless innings. He pitched poorly in his one playoff start of 2000. In May 2001, Maddux became the first Braves pitcher since 1916 to throw two 1–0 shutouts in the same month. The first included a career-best 14 strikeouts. In July and August of that year, Maddux pitched 72 1/3 consecutive innings without giving up a walk. In 2002, he won his 13th straight Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
, an NL record; Maddux tied Jim Kaat
Jim Kaat
James Lee "Jim" Kaat , nicknamed "Kitty", is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , and St...
's career record of 16 Gold Gloves after the 2006 season.
Throughout most of his years with the Braves, in the tradition of other pitching greats such as Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
, Maddux often had his own personal catcher. Though the Braves' primary catcher during much of that time was Javy Lopez
Javy López
Javier López Torres is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, Maddux at various points used Charlie O'Brien
Charlie O'Brien
Charles Hugh O'Brien is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Oakland Athletics , Milwaukee Brewers , New York Mets , Atlanta Braves , Toronto Blue Jays , Chicago White Sox , Anaheim Angels and Montreal Expos .While growing up in Tulsa, O'Brien attended and graduated...
, Eddie Pérez, Paul Bako
Paul Bako
Gabor Paul Bako II is a catcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. Bako is an example of a baseball "journeyman", having played for 11 different major league teams during his 12-year career...
, and Henry Blanco
Henry Blanco
Henry Ramón Blanco is a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He currently plays in Major League Baseball as a catcher and is currently a free agent...
, for the majority of his starts, which were generally regarded as Lopez's day off, though Lopez did sometimes catch Maddux in his post-season starts.
Maddux was the jewel in the much-vaunted Braves triad of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, who pitched together for over a decade, as the core of one of the best pitching staffs in the history of the game. The three were the linchpin of a team that won its division (the National League West in 1993 and the East from then on) every year that Maddux was on the team (1994 had no division champions). The three pitchers were frequently augmented by other strong starters such as Steve Avery
Steve Avery
Steven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
, Kevin Millwood
Kevin Millwood
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...
, Denny Neagle
Denny Neagle
Dennis Edward Neagle Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was last under contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during the season, but he did not play due to injury...
, and Russ Ortiz
Russ Ortiz
Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...
. In 1995, they pitched the Braves to a World Series title. In 29 postseason games with Atlanta, Maddux had a 2.81 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
, but just an 11–13 record.
Second stint with Cubs (2004–2006)
Maddux returned to the Cubs as a free agent prior to the 2004 season. On August 7, 2004, Maddux defeated the San Francisco Giants, 8-4, to garner his 300th career victory. In April 2005, he beat Roger ClemensRoger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
for his 306th win in the first National League matchup between 300-game winners in 113 years. On July 26, 2005, Maddux struck out Omar Vizquel
Omar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...
to become the thirteenth member of the 3000 strikeout club
3000 strikeout club
In Major League Baseball , the 3,000 strikeout club is a term applied to the group of pitchers who have struck out 3,000 or more batters in their careers. Walter Johnson was the first to reach 3,000, doing so in 1923, and was the only pitcher at this milestone for 50 years until Bob Gibson recorded...
and only the ninth pitcher with both 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts, having reached both marks against the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Maddux finished as one of the four pitchers to top 3,000 strikeouts while having allowed fewer than 1,000 walks (he had 999). The other four pitchers who have accomplished this feat are Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
, Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
, and Pedro Martínez.
Maddux's 13–15 record in 2005 was his first losing record since 1987, and snapped a string of seventeen consecutive seasons with 15 or more wins (Cy Young had surpassed the 15-win total for 15 straight years; both Young and Maddux reached 13+ wins for 19 consecutive seasons. This is even more impressive considering that Cy Young pitched in an era with no more than 4 regular starters that would average more than 40+ games per season, whereas Maddux pitched in an era with a 5-man rotation which results in a maximum of 32-33 starts per season).
Los Angeles Dodgers (2006)
Maddux's second stint with the Chicago Cubs lasted until mid-2006, when he was traded for the first time in his career, to the Los Angeles Dodgers. At the time, the Dodgers were in the thick of a playoff race. In his first Dodger start, Maddux threw six no-hit innings, before a rain delay interrupted his L.A. debut. In his next start, it took just 68 pitches for Maddux to throw eight shutout innings. On August 30, 2006, he got his 330th career win, passing Steve CarltonSteve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
to take sole possession of 10th on the all-time list. On September 30, 2006, Maddux pitched seven innings in San Francisco, allowing two runs and three hits in a 4–2 victory over the Giants, clinching a postseason spot for the Dodgers and notching another 15-win season. It was Maddux's 18th season among his league's Top 10 for wins, breaking a record he'd shared with Cy Young and Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
, who did it 17 times apiece. However, the Dodgers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Mets; Maddux started the third and final game, throwing an ineffective no-decision. Maddux was honored with a Fielding Bible Award
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process...
as the best fielding pitcher in MLB for 2006.
San Diego Padres (2007–2008)
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
with a player option for the 2008 season, an option that Maddux later exercised (at a reported $10 million). Maddux earned his 338th victory in the game that Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
earned his milestone 500th save. On August 24, 2007, he won his 343rd game to take sole possession of ninth place on the all-time win list. He achieved another milestone with the same win, becoming the only pitcher in the major leagues to have 20 consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins and placing him second on the list for most 10-win seasons, tied with Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
and behind Don Sutton, who has 21. Also in 2007, Maddux reached 13 wins for the 20th consecutive season, passing Cy Young for that major league record. He finished the season with a career total 347 wins. Maddux won a record 17th Gold Glove award in 2007. On May 10, 2008, Maddux won his 350th game.
Second stint with Dodgers (2008)
Maddux was traded back to the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 19 for two players to be named later or cash considerations by the San Diego Padres. His return to Los Angeles was unlike his debut, though, as he allowed 7 earned runs on 9 hits while taking a loss against the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
Maddux pitched his 5,000th career inning against the San Francisco Giants on September 19. On September 27, in his final start of the season, he won his 355th game, moving him ahead of Roger Clemens into 8th place in all-time wins. Maddux ranks tenth in career strikeouts with 3,371. His strikeout total is balanced against 999 walks. For the 2008 season, he posted an 8–13 record. His 1.4 walks per 9 innings pitched were the best in the majors.
After the Dodgers won the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
, Maddux was moved to the bullpen after manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
decided to go with a three man rotation. Maddux pitched four innings of relief during the series (which the Dodgers lost), allowing no runs.
Maddux received his 18th Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
in November 2008, extending his own major league record. A month later, he announced his retirement.
Post-playing career
On January 11, 2010, Maddux was hired by the Chicago Cubs as an assistant to General Manager Jim HendryJim Hendry
Jim Hendry is da greatest white guitar player there ever was. both herman li and thomas dookul and brandon co-oper agree...
. In his return to Chicago, his focus is on developing pitchers' styles and techniques throughout the organization, including minor league affiliates.
Pitching style
Maddux relied on his command, composure, and guile to outwit hitters. Though his fastball touched 93 mph in his first few seasons, his velocity steadily declined throughout his career, and was never his principal focus as a pitcher. Maddux was also noted for the late movement on his sinker (two-seam fastball), which, combined with his peerless control, made him one of the most effective groundball pitchers in history. While his strikeout totals were average, hitters were often unable to make solid contact with his pitches. Maddux alternated his two-seam fastballTwo-seam fastball
A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball, but the general movement of a screwball...
and four-seam fastball
Four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family...
with an excellent circle changeup
Circle changeup
In baseball, a circle changeup is a pitch thrown with a grip that includes a circle formation, hence the name. The circle is formed by making a circle with the index finger, holding the thumb at the bottom of the ball parallel to the middle finger and holding the ball far out in the hand...
. Though these served as his primary pitches, he also utilized a cutter
Cutter (baseball)
In baseball, a cutter, or cut fastball, is a type of fastball which breaks slightly toward the pitcher's glove side as it reaches home plate. This pitch is somewhere between a slider and a fastball, as it is usually thrown faster than a slider but with more motion than a typical fastball. Some...
, a curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
, and a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
.
Maddux was renowned for focusing on the outside corner. This approach was emphasized under former Atlanta Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone
Leo Mazzone
Leo David Mazzone is a former pitcher in minor league baseball and coach in Major League Baseball. He began working with the Atlanta Braves' organization in 1979.-Early life:...
. He would begin by throwing strikes with his fastball down and away, then expand the strike zone with his changeup—sometimes obtaining borderline strike calls from umpires simply on the strength of his reputation. To complement this strategy, Maddux would throw his two-seam fastball inside (especially to left-handed hitters), obtaining many called-third strikes to keep hitters guessing. In addition, his propensity for throwing strikes and avoiding walks kept his pitch counts low; Maddux would routinely reach the seventh or eighth inning with pitch counts below 80, a rarity in the modern era.
Dodgers general manager Fred Claire
Fred Claire
Fred Claire is a former major league baseball executive who served in numerous roles for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1969–1998 including the role of general manager from 1987–1998.-Early life:...
admired Maddux's pitching consistency, saying "It's almost like a guy lining up a 60-foot-6-inch putt... he is just so disciplined, so repetitive in his pitches." Speaking about Maddux's accuracy, Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
said, "This guy can throw a ball in a teacup." Baseball Hall of Famer
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
talked about facing Maddux: "It seems like he's inside your mind with you. When he knows you're not going to swing, he throws a straight one. He sees into the future. It's like he has a crystal ball hidden inside his glove."
Talents and accomplishments
Maddux has been credited by many of his teammates with a preternatural ability to outthink his opponents and anticipate results. Braves catcher Eddie Pérez tells the story of Maddux intentionally allowing a home run to the Astros' Jeff BagwellJeff Bagwell
Jeffrey Robert Bagwell , is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire fifteen-year Major League Baseball career as a first baseman for the Houston Astros and was a four-time All-Star...
, in anticipation of facing Bagwell in the playoffs months later. Maddux felt Bagwell would instinctively be looking for the same pitch again, which Maddux would then refuse to throw. On another occasion while sitting on the bench, Maddux once told his teammates, "Watch this, we might need to call an ambulance for the first base coach." The batter, Los Angeles' José Hernández
José Hernández (baseball)
José Antonio Hernández Figueroa nicknamed, "The Strikeout King" is a former Major League Baseball infielder....
, drove the next pitch into the chest of the Dodgers' first base coach. Maddux had noticed that Hernandez, who'd been pitched inside by Braves pitching during the series, had shifted his batting stance slightly. On another occasion, a former teammate, outfielder Marquis Grissom
Marquis Grissom
Marquis Deon Grissom is a former Major League Baseball player. He excelled in baseball at Lakeshore High School, under the tutelage of baseball coach Mike Juenger. He currently resides in College Park, Georgia...
, recalled a game in 1996 when Maddux was having trouble spotting his fastball. Between innings, Greg told Marquis, "Gary Sheffield is coming up next inning. I am going to throw him a slider and make him just miss it so he hits it to the warning track." The at-bat went as Maddux had predicted.
Dave Martinez
David Martinez is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for several teams from 1986 to 2001. He is currently the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays.-Career:...
to end a regular season game. Nightengale was surprised Maddux hadn't picked a postseason game, or a more famous player. Maddux explained:
- "I remember that one because he got a hit off me in the same situation (full count, bases loaded, two out in the 9th inning) seven years earlier. I told myself if I ever got in the same situation again, I'll pitch him differently. It took me seven years, but I got him."
Publicly, however, Maddux is dismissive of his reputation, saying, "People think I'm smart? You know what makes you smart? Locate your fastball down and away. That's what makes you smart. You talk to Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
, or Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
. They'll all tell you the same thing. It's not your arm that makes you a great pitcher. It's that thing between both of your ears we call a brain."
To this day, Maddux maintains Koufax, Gibson, and Seaver are the three best pitchers of the "live ball" era of baseball. Informed by "The Sporting News" he had been voted best pitcher of the 1990s, he replied, "It [the award] could have gone to Glavine or Smoltz just as easily and each would have deserved it. They're both great pitchers."
Maddux never walked more than 82 batters in any season of his career, averaging fewer than 2 walks per game. In 1997, Maddux allowed 20 walks in 232+ innings, or 0.77 per 9 innings. In 2001, he set a National League record by going 72 1/3 innings without giving up a walk.
In addition to his pitching skills, Maddux was an excellent fielding pitcher. He won 18 Gold Gloves, the all time record for any position. Of his 18 total awards, Maddux won 10 with the Braves, five with the Cubs, two with the Dodgers and one with the Padres. Maddux was also a reliable hitting pitcher, with a career .172 batting average including four seasons batting .200 or better.
Maddux pitched in 13 Division Series contests, 17 League Championship games and five World Series games. He has a 3.27 ERA in 198 postseason innings, including an outstanding 2.09 ERA in 38.7 World Series innings. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team eight times.
Maddux won 20 games only twice, in 1992 and 1993. However, he won 19 games five times (including the 1995 season which was reduced to 144 games from the strike of 1994), 18 games twice, and 16 in the strike shortened 1994 season (which was reduced to 115 games). He won four ERA titles (in 1993-1995 and 1998), and led the NL in shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s five times. He holds the major league record for seasons leading his league in games started (7). He also holds the record for most seasons finishing in the top 10 in the league in wins (18).
In his 2009 book, "The Annual Baseball Gold Mine" baseball statistics guru Bill James found Maddux to be far and away the most underrated player in baseball history. The methodology for this included the fact that though Maddux only won 20 games twice, he five times won 19 games. He also had only one season of 200 or more strikeouts but had seasons of 199, 198 and 197 respectively which diminished his reputation as a strikeout pitcher. In addition to that James also argued that although he had 18 seasons of 200 or more innings pitched, he also had three seasons of 199.1, 198 and 194 innings pitched.
In 1999, Maddux ranked 39th on The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranking pitcher then active. He was also nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Century Team. However, when TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
updated their list in 2005, Maddux had fallen to number 51.
The Cubs retired jersey number 31 on May 3, 2009 in honor of both Maddux and Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
. The Atlanta Braves retired Maddux's number 31, on July 17, 2009.
"I get asked all the time was he the best pitcher I ever saw," Braves manager Bobby Cox
Bobby Cox
Robert Joseph "Bobby" Cox is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. He first led the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985. He later rejoined the Braves in 1985 as a general manager...
said. "Was he the smartest pitcher I ever saw? The most competitive I ever saw? The best teammate I ever saw? The answer is yes to all of those" at the banquet to induct Maddux into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta on July 17, 2009.
Personal life
Maddux was born on April 14, 1966, the same day as former Braves teammate David JusticeDavid Justice
David Christopher Justice is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , and Oakland Athletics .-Early life:David was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Robert and Nettie Justice...
. He is married to Kathy; the couple has 2 children; a daughter, Amanda "Paige" (born 12/9/93), and a son, "Satchel" Chase Maddux (born 4/19/97.)
In 2002, in the episode "Take Me out of the Ballgame," of the TV series Do Over
Do Over
Do Over is an American comedy-drama/fantasy series created by Kenny Schwartz and Rick Wiener. The series, which was broadcast on The WB in 2002, stars Penn Badgley.-Synopsis:...
, the main character lost a baseball game to a young Greg Maddux, who was played by Shad Hart. Greg Maddux remains involved in the Las Vegas community.
See also
- 3000 strikeout club3000 strikeout clubIn Major League Baseball , the 3,000 strikeout club is a term applied to the group of pitchers who have struck out 3,000 or more batters in their careers. Walter Johnson was the first to reach 3,000, doing so in 1923, and was the only pitcher at this milestone for 50 years until Bob Gibson recorded...
- 300 win club300 win clubIn Major League Baseball, the 300 win club refers to the group of pitchers—24 as of 2011—who have won 300 or more games. While the "300 club" is an informal group, becoming a member is among the highest accomplishments a starting pitcher can achieve. Several members retired soon after winning their...
- List of MLB individual streaks
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- List of NL Gold Glove Winners at Pitcher
- Major League Baseball titles leadersMajor League Baseball titles leadersAt the end of each Major League Baseball season, the league leaders of various statistical categories are announced. Leading the league in a particular category is referred to as a title....
- MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListMLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListThis is a list of top 100 Major League Baseball pitchers who have the most hit batsmen of all time. There is an of hitters who have been hit by pitch the most times.Active players are denoted in bold text.-The List:* Bold denotes active player...
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeTop 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeIn baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter....