Bill Madlock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Madlock |
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Madlock in 1983
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| Third baseman | |||
| Born: January 12, 1951 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: September 7, 1973, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| NPB: April 8, 1988, for the Lotte Orions | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: October 4, 1987, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| NPB: October 23, 1988, for the Lotte Orions | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .305 | ||
| Hits | 2,008 | ||
| Home runs | 163 | ||
| Runs batted in | 860 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .263 | ||
| Home runs | 19 | ||
| Runs batted in | 61 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. (born January 12, 1951) is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1987. Bill Madlock is famous for winning the National League batting title four times. This was a record for a third baseman until 1988. Only Tony Gwynn has won more National League batting titles since 1970.
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Growing Up: Bill Madlock's Story
Bill Madlock was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up in Decatur, Illinois. There he went to Eisenhower High School.
At school, he played basketball, football, and baseball. He received many scholarship offers for basketball and football. But he chose a baseball scholarship. He went to Southeastern Community College in Iowa. He preferred baseball because it was less dangerous. He once said he didn't want "6'5", 250-pound guys bearing down on me."
The St. Louis Cardinals considered drafting him in 1969. But he decided to sign with the Washington Senators team instead. Bill has four children: Sara, Stephen, Douglas, and Jeremy.
Bill Madlock's Amazing Baseball Career
Bill Madlock played for 15 seasons. He played in 1806 games. He had a .305 batting average. This means he got a hit about 30.5% of the time he tried. He also had 2008 hits and 163 home runs. He was nicknamed "Mad Dog."
Starting Out in Major League Baseball
The Washington Senators drafted Bill Madlock in 1970. He spent a few years playing in the minor leagues. These are teams where players develop their skills before joining the major leagues. He made his big league debut with the Texas Rangers on September 7, 1973. He played 21 games and had a great start, batting .351.
Before joining the Rangers, he was a top player in the minor leagues. He led his league in total bases and runs scored. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in October 1973. His new manager thought he was one of the best young hitters. Madlock became the Cubs' third baseman. In 1975, he won his first batting title with a .354 average. This means he had the best batting average in the league that year. On July 26, he got six hits in one game! He also played in his first All-Star Game.
Winning Batting Titles
In 1976, Bill Madlock won the batting title again. He had a .339 average. He beat Ken Griffey Sr. on the last day of the season. Madlock got four hits in his game, raising his average.
After the 1976 season, Madlock was traded. He went from the Cubs to the San Francisco Giants in 1977. He played second base for the Giants. He continued to hit well, with averages of .302 and .309.
In 1979, Madlock was traded again. He joined the Pittsburgh Pirates. He became their starting third baseman. That year, the Pirates won the 1979 World Series. Madlock batted an amazing .375 in the World Series!
In 1980, Madlock had a tough season. He was suspended for 15 games after an argument with an umpire. But he came back strong.
More Batting Success
Madlock won two more batting titles in 1981 and 1983. This made him the first player to win batting titles with two different teams. In 1982, he almost won a third straight title.
In 1985, the Pirates traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers were trying to win their division. They lost in the playoffs, but Madlock hit three home runs in those games. In 1987, he joined the Detroit Tigers. He hit .279 with 14 home runs. He even hit three home runs in one game on June 28, 1987.
After the 1987 season, Madlock played one year in Japan for the Lotte Orions. Bill Madlock's four batting titles are the most for any player not in the Hall of Fame.
"Mad Dog" on the Field
Bill Madlock had a strong personality on the field. He was sometimes involved in arguments. For example, in 1975, he was ejected from a game for arguing with an umpire. In 1976, he was fined for running towards the pitcher after a close pitch.
Over time, Bill Madlock became calmer. An umpire once said he had "changed, which is great." His agent said that Madlock started using his "charm" when he disagreed with umpires.
After Playing Baseball
After his playing career, Bill Madlock became a coach. In 2000 and 2001, he coached for the Detroit Tigers. He also coached in Panama in 2001. In 2003, he managed the Newark Bears, an independent league team.
In 2016, Bill Madlock was honored. He was inducted into the Decatur Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame. Today, Bill Madlock lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He teaches batting lessons to kids at the Vegas Valley Batter's Box.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- Major League Baseball titles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
Images for kids
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Madlock at bat in 1986
