Greg Maddux Stats & Facts
Greg Maddux
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-0, 170lb (183cm, 77kg)
Born: April 14, 1966 in San Angelo, TX
Draft: Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2nd round of the 1984 MLB June Amateur Draft from Valley HS (Las Vegas, NV).
High School: Valley HS (Las Vegas, NV)
Debut: September 2, 1986 (15,238th in major league history)
vs. HOU 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 1 ER, L *
(*game was a suspended game and the player actually debuted the day following the day listed.)
Last Game: September 27, 2008
vs. SFG 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 1 ER, W
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2014. (Voted by BBWAA on 555/571 ballots)
View Greg Maddux’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Full Name: Gregory Alan Maddux
Nicknames: Mad Dog or The Professor
Pronunciation: \MADD-ucks\
Twitter: @gregmaddux
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Mike Maddux
Nine Players Who Debuted in 1986
Rafael Palmeiro
Barry Bonds
Fred McGriff
Barry Larkin
Bobby Bonilla
Ruben Sierra
Mark McGwire
Greg Maddux
David Cone
The Greg MadduxTeammate Team
C: Eddie Perez
1B: Fred McGriff
2B: Ryne Sandberg
3B: Chipper Jones
SS: Nomar Garciaparra
LF: Andre Dawson
CF: Andruw Jones
RF: Sammy Sosa
SP: Tom Glavine
SP: John Smoltz
SP: Steve Avery
SP: Kerry Wood
SP: Mark Prior
RP: Lee Smith
M: Bobby Cox
Notable Events and Chronology for Greg Maddux Career
Biography Intro
The pitcher with the school teacher appearance, Greg Maddux won four straight Cy Young Awards in the 1990s, leading the Atlanta Braves to the post-season 11 straight seasons from 1993-2003. Four times in his career he posted an ERA two runs below his league’s average, and he won at least 15 games in 16 consecutive seasons, tying a mark held by Cy Young. In five World Series starts, Maddux fashioned a 2.09 ERA, and his 176 victories were the most in the 1990s.
The man with more victories (355) than any other starting pitcher whose career began after 1950, Greg Maddux was a study in consistency, posting at least 15 wins a record 17 consecutive times during his 23-year major league career. Although he possessed neither an overpowering fastball nor a particularly sharp-breaking curveball, Maddux achieved greatness through his pinpoint control, outstanding ball movement, and cerebral approach to his craft, which usually enabled him to anticipate the opposing hitter’s thought process. Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs marveled, “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.”
Maddux’s skill and guile helped make him one of the most successful and decorated pitchers in baseball history. One of only two hurlers to win four consecutive Cy Young Awards (Randy Johnson is the other), Maddux led his league in wins three times, ERA four times, innings pitched and shutouts five times each, and complete games three times. Although he won as many as 20 games only twice, the righthander surpassed 18 victories another seven times. He also compiled an ERA below 2.50 on six separate occasions, twice posting a mark lower than 2.00. Since the so-called “live ball” era began in 1920, only Warren Spahn (363) won more games than Maddux.
Biography:
Born in San Angelo, Texas on April 14, 1966, Gregory Alan Maddux spent much of his childhood in Madrid, Spain, where the United States Air Force stationed his father. After being exposed to baseball at an early age by his father, Greg and his older brother Mike began training under the supervision of former major-league scout Rusty Medar when the family returned to the States during his teenage years. Maddux attended Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he starred for the team as a pitcher. In spite of the success he experienced in high school, Maddux’s skinny 6’0″, 170-pound frame prevented him from receiving many college scholarship offers to play baseball after he graduated in June of 1984. As a result, the 18-year-old Maddux declared himself eligible for that year’s Major League Baseball Draft. Looking past Maddux’s unimpressive physique, Chicago Cubs scout Doug Mapson urged his team to draft the youngster, writing in his report to the club, “I really believe this boy would be the number one player in the country if only he looked a bit more physical.”
At Mapson’s behest, the Cubs selected Maddux in the second round of the draft. The righthander then spent the next two years in the minor leagues, before joining Chicago for the first time in September of 1986. Maddux pitched poorly over the season’s final month, then continued to struggle throughout the 1987 season, posting a combined record of 8-18, while compiling an ERA in excess of 5.50 each year. However, everything started to come together for Maddux in 1988, when he finally mastered control of his pitches. The 22-year-old righthander not only learned how to spot his pitches to the corners, but he also mastered the art of breaking his fastball back towards the plate after initially releasing it towards the batter’s waist.
Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn discussed the strategy Maddux used to baffle opposing hitters: “He’s like a meticulous surgeon out there. He puts the ball where he wants to. You see a pitch inside and wonder, ‘Is it the fastball or the cutter?’ That’s where he’s got you.”
His new technique perfected, Maddux won 37 games for the Cubs over the next two seasons, before having his greatest year for the team in 1992. Maddux finished 20-11, to tie for the league-lead in victories. He also topped the circuit with 268 innings pitched, while placing among the leaders with a 2.18 earned run average, en route to winning the N.L. Cy Young Award for the first time. After becoming a free agent at season’s end, Maddux signed on with the Atlanta Braves, joining a staff that already included standouts Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. Maddux surpassed both his new staffmates in his first year in Atlanta, capturing his second straight Cy Young Award by compiling a record of 20-10 and leading the league with a 2.36 ERA, 267 innings pitched, and eight complete games.
Smoltz was among those who Maddux impressed immediately with his cerebral approach to pitching. Said Smoltz: “Every pitch has a purpose. Sometimes he (Maddux) knows what he’s going to throw two pitches ahead. I swear, he makes it look like guys are swinging foam bats against him.”
Yet Maddux considered his plan of attack to be quite simple, noting, “I try to do two things: locate my fastball and change speeds. That’s it. I try to keep it as simple as possible. I just throw my fastball to both sides of the plate and change speed every now and then. There is no special food or anything like that. I just try to make quality pitches and try to be prepared each time I go out there.”
Maddux also constantly strove to attain an extremely high level of consistency, stating, “Consistency is something you can always improve on. You can be more consistent with your mental approach, the things you do physically on the mound. Instead of doing five good pitches an inning, try to make six. You can always do more of what you are doing well and try to be as consistent as you can be.”
Maddux won his third straight Cy Young Award in 1994, going 16-6 with a league-leading 10 complete games and 1.56 ERA during the strike-shortened campaign. He followed that up with arguably his greatest season, becoming the first pitcher to capture four consecutive Cy Youngs by topping all league hurlers in every major statistical category. Maddux finished the 1995 season with a 19-2 record, a 1.63 ERA, 210 innings pitched, 10 complete games, and three shutouts. His extraordinary performance earned him a third-place finish in the league MVP voting and helped lead the Braves to their first in a long string of N.L. East titles. Maddux then excelled for Atlanta during the postseason, compiling a combined record of 3-1, while posting an ERA of 1.13 against Cincinnati in the NLCS and a mark of 2.25 against Cleveland in the World Series, which the Braves won in six games.
Maddux had another solid year for Atlanta in 1996, before pitching brilliantly again in both 1997 and 1998. In the first of those years, he finished 19-4, with a 2.20 ERA. He followed that up by going 18-9, with a league-leading 2.22 ERA in 1998.
Maddux’s continued excellence earned him the admiration and respect of everyone around the game, including the sport’s other top hurlers. Randy Johnson suggested, “Greg Maddux is probably the best pitcher in all of baseball, along with Roger Clemens. He’s much more intelligent than I am because he doesn’t have a 95 or 98 mph fastball. I would tell any pitcher who wants to be successful to watch him, because he’s the true definition of a pitcher.”
Although Maddux’s earned run average rose sharply in 1999 and 2000, he still managed to win 19 games and place among the league leaders in innings pitched each year. He pitched extremely well in 2001 and 2002, combining for 33 victories, while posting ERAs of 3.05 and 2.62, respectively. However, even though he won 16 games in 2003, Maddux finished the year with a 3.96 ERA, signaling that his period of dominance had ended. After becoming a free agent at the conclusion of the season, Maddux returned to the Chicago Cubs, with whom he went 16-11 with a 4.02 ERA in 2004.
Although Maddux was well past his prime by the time he began his second tenure with the Cubs, the righthander continued to impress his teammates with his intellectual approach to his craft. Cubs righthander Ryan Dempster commented, “Any pitcher on this team should have the pleasure of parking their butt next to him on the bench during games and learning whatever you can from him and then watching him when he is pitching.”
Chicago outfielder Juan Pierre said of Maddux, “He’s the definition of pitching. He’s not overpowering, he doesn’t have tremendous stuff, but he gets it done every day, day in and day out. It’s good that I can tell my grandkids that I had the chance to play behind Greg Maddux, the Hall of Famer.”
Maddux spent most of the next two seasons with the Cubs before joining the Dodgers towards the latter portion of 2006. He then split his last two seasons between Los Angeles and San Diego, finally retiring at the end of the 2008 season with a career record of 355-227 and an ERA of 3.16. In addition to winning four Cy Young Awards, Maddux placed in the top five in the balloting another five times. He also appeared in eight All-Star Games and won more Gold Gloves (18) than any other player in history.
The Atlanta Braves inducted Maddux into their Hall of Fame during a ceremony held at Atlanta’s Omni Hotel on July 17, 2009. Longtime Braves manager Bobby Cox commented during the banquet festivities, “I get asked all the time was he the best pitcher I ever saw. 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.”
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Factoids, Quotes, Strange Things
Best Season, 1994
Despite the strike-shortened season, Maddux proved to be baseball’s most commanding pitcher by becoming the first hurler in history to capture three straight Cy Young Awards. He Led the league in ERA with a 1.56 mark and was named The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year. In 25 starts, he compiled the third lowest ERA in the majors since 1919. Maddux’s ERA was 2.65 runs below the National League ERA of 4.21, the greatest differential in modern day history. He Started for the NL in the All-Star Game, and for the season he walked just 32 batters in more than 200 innings pitched.
Awards and Honors
1990 NL Gold Glove
1991 NL Gold Glove
1992 NL Cy Young
1992 NL Gold Glove
1993 NL Cy Young
1993 NL Gold Glove
1994 NL Cy Young
1994 NL Gold Glove
1995 NL Cy Young
1995 NL Gold Glove
1996 NL Gold Glove
1997 NL Gold Glove
1998 NL Gold Glove
1999 NL Gold Glove
2000 NL Gold Glove
2001 NL Gold Glove
2002 NL Gold Glove
2004 NL Gold Glove
Factoid
From July 31, 1993, through August 4, 1995, a two-year period, Greg Maddux started 57 games and posted a qulity start 56 times! In 36 of those qulity starts, Maddux pitched eight innings or more.
Where He Played: Starting pitcher; Maddux appeared in relief four times for the Cubs in his first two seasons in the big leagues and has never relieved again in the regular season. In Game Five of the 1998 NLCS, Maddux came in from the bullpen on one-days rest to record the final three outs and save a 7-6 win. In Game Three of the 1999 NLDS against the Astros, Maddux entered the game with a runner on second in the seventh inning and yielded a walk to Craig Biggio before being replaced. The Braves won the game in extra-innings.
Big League Debut: September 3, 1986
Maddux made his big league debut as a pinch-runner in a wild 18-inning game that spanned two days, beginning on September 2. The game was suspended in the top of the 15th with the score 4-4 on Tuesday, September 2, in what began as an afternoon game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Picking up the next day prior to the regularly scheduled game, the Astros scored three runs in the top of the 17th inning but Chicago answered with three in the bottom of the inning, all of the runs scoring on Keith Moreland’s home run. In that inning, Maddux entered the game as a pinch-runner for catcher Jody Davis, but was stranded at second. Maddux entered the game as a pitcher in the 18th and surrendered a home run to Billy Hatcher, which proved to be the vital run in the ‘Stros 8-7 victory. Maddux had his first loss in the big leagues, having suffered it in an 18-inning game that featured 30 hits, 53 players, 17 pitchers, and took five hours and 14 minutes to play.
Post-Season Notes
Some critics might say Maddux has been disappointing in the post-season, where he has been 10-10 with a 3.22 ERA in 31 games. But in 29 career post-season starts, Maddux has produced 21 quality starts, and in the World Series he has a 2.09 ERA in five starts. His mediocre won-lost record is a reflection of his team’s under-achievement in the post-season.
Feats: From June 27, 1994, through April 11, 1996, Maddux posted a perfect 18-0 record on the road. Over that stretch, which encompassed 154 2/3 innings, Maddux allowed just 17 earned runs for an ERA of 0.99. His streak ends in San Diego, where he is the hardluck loser in a 2-1 game.
Milestones
On August 7, 2004, Maddux earned his 300th victory, defeating the Giants in San Francisco, 8-4. He became the 22nd pitcher to reach the milestone… He won his 200th game on August 18, 1998, also against the Giants, and also by the score of 8-4… On May 31, 1993, Maddux beat the Padres, 2-1, to win his 100th game… On July 26, 2005, Maddux fanned Omar Vizquel of the Giants to record his 3,000th strikeout. He became the ninth pitcher to reach 3,000 K’s and 300 victories.
Transactions
After being traded to the Dodgers at the July trade deadline in 2003, Maddux made his first start for LA on August 3rd. In that game, facing the Reds, Maddux pitched six hitless innings before a rain-delay halted the game. When the game resumed, Maddux did not return to the mound.
Good Company
Maddux extended his unprecedented string of Cy Young Awards by winning his fourth consecutive in 1995, his second consecutive year with unanimous selection by the BBWAA. Sandy Koufax remains the only other pitcher unanimously selected for two consecutive years, with Steve Carlton the only other four-time winner in the Senior Circuit.
Factoid
In 2006, Greg Maddux participated in his 84th double play, breaking the record for pitchers previously held by Phil Niekro.
How Low Can You Go?
Maddux enjoyed seven straight seasons where he posted an ERA more than one full run below the league average. That’s the longest such string in baseball history:
7 – Greg Maddux 1992-1998
6 – Walter Johnson 1910-1915
6 – Lefty Grove 1928-1933
6 – Carl Hubbell 1929-1934
6 – Red Ruffing 1935-1940
6 – Kevin Brown 1995-2000
5 – Cy Young 1892-1896
5 – Christy Mathewson 1909-1913
5 – Grove 1935-1939
5 – Sandy Koufax 1962-1966
5 – John Smoltz 1995-1999
5 – Randy Johnson 1997-2001
5 – Mike Mussina 1997-2001
From 1992-2002, Maddux posted an ERA at least one run below league average in 10 of 11 seasons.
Quotes About Maddux
“He’s like a meticulous surgeon out there, he puts the ball where he wants to. You see a pitch inside and wonder, ‘Is it the fastball or the cutter?’ That’s where he’s got you.” — Tony Gwynn
“Every pitch has a purpose. Sometimes he knows what he’s going to throw two pitches ahead. I swear, he makes it look like guys are swinging foam bats against him.” — John Smoltz
“Maddux is so good, we should all be wearing tuxedos when he pitches” — scout Phil Favia
“Greg Maddux could put a baseball through a life saver if you asked him.” — Joe Morgan
“(He has) talent I’ve never seen anyone else have. He has a back-door sinker and wisdom to actually outsmart anybody in the game. I’m so glad somebody small, someone looking like me, actually did it. I’m very happy for him and I wish him all the best and I hope he doesn’t stop there.” — Pedro Martinez, on Maddux’s 300th victory
“He was the smartest pitcher I’ve played with or against.” — Ozzie Guillen
“Any pitcher on this team should have the pleasure of parking their butt next to him on the bench during games and learning whatever you can from him and then watching him when he is pitching.” — Cubs teammate Ryan Dempster
“He’s the definition of pitching. He’s not overpowering, he doesn’t have tremendous stuff, but he gets it done every day, day in and day out. It’s good that I can tell my grandkids that I had the chance to play behind Greg Maddux, the Hall of Famer.” — Juan Pierre
Quotes From Maddux
“I could probably throw harder if I wanted, but why? When they’re in a jam, a lot of pitchers try to throw harder. Me, I try to locate better.”
“You play the game to win the World Series. Cy Young Awards are nice, they really are. They’re great and I’m proud of them…but easily the biggest thing I’ve accomplished is getting that World Series ring.”
Hall of Fame Artifacts
The Hall of Fame and Museum has several items from Maddux’s career in its’ collection, including: his cap from a game against Clemens on April 29, 2005, the first meeting between two 300-game winners in 18 years; Cubs cap and spikes from his 300th win (August 7, 2004); spikes from his 200th win; spikes and glove he wore during the 1995 World Series; signed ball from Game One of the 1999 World Series; and a ball from his 15th win in 15 consecutive seasons (2003); the jersey from his 3,000th K in 2005.
Matchup Data
The Diamondbacks are the only NL team that Maddux has a losing record against. He has a 1-6 record in 11 starts, with a 4.20 ERA against Arizona, through 2004.
All-Star Selections
1988 NL
1992 NL
1994 NL
1995 NL
1996 NL
1997 NL
1998 NL
2000 NL
Replaced
Dennis Eckersley, who was dealt to the Oakland A’s and went on to considerable stardom himself.
Best Strength as a Player
Command of his pitches.
Largest Weakness as a Player
None
Other Resources & Links
Baseball-Almanac.com Razzball Retrosheet WhatIfSports: Greg Maddux