Greg Maddux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greg Maddux |
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Maddux in 2009
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: April 14, 1966 San Angelo, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 1986, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 2008, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 355–227 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.16 | ||
| Strikeouts | 3,371 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2014 | ||
| Vote | 97.2% (first ballot) | ||
Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is a famous American former professional baseball pitcher. People called him "Mad Dog" and "the Professor" because of his smart way of playing. He played for 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs. He helped the Braves win the 1995 World Series.
Maddux was the first pitcher in MLB history to win the Cy Young Award four years in a row (1992–1995). Only one other pitcher, Randy Johnson, has done this since. During those four years, Maddux had an amazing record of 75 wins and only 29 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was a super low 1.98, meaning he rarely let opponents score.
He is the only pitcher in MLB history to win at least 15 games for 17 seasons in a row. Maddux also holds the record for the most Gold Gloves by any player, with 18. This award is given for excellent fielding. He is 8th on the all-time list for career wins with 355. He is one of only ten pitchers to get both 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. What makes him unique is that he's the only pitcher with more than 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts who also had fewer than 1,000 walks (he had exactly 999 walks).
After he stopped playing, Maddux worked as a special assistant for the Cubs and Texas Rangers. In 2014, he was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first try. A special baseball term, "Maddux," was even named after him. It means when a pitcher throws a complete game shutout (no runs allowed) in fewer than 100 pitches. Maddux holds the record for doing this 13 times!
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Maddux was born in San Angelo, Texas. He spent a lot of his childhood in Madrid, Spain, because his father was in the United States Air Force. His dad introduced him to baseball when he was very young.
When he returned to Las Vegas, Nevada, Maddux and his brother Mike (who also became a professional player) trained with Ralph Meder. Meder was a former scout who taught them that moving the ball around and placing it well was more important than throwing it super fast. Maddux always remembered this advice.
Even though Meder passed away before Maddux graduated from Valley High School in Las Vegas in 1984, his teachings stayed with Maddux. In high school, he helped his team win a state championship in 1983. Some scouts thought Maddux was too skinny, but Chicago Cubs scout Doug Mapson saw his talent. Mapson wrote that Maddux would be the best player in the country if he looked stronger.
Professional Career Highlights
Starting with the Chicago Cubs (1986–1992)
The Chicago Cubs picked Maddux in the second round of the 1984 Major League Baseball draft. He decided to sign with them instead of playing college baseball at the University of Arizona. He made his first major league appearance on September 3, 1986. He was the youngest player in the majors at that time. His first game was actually as a pinch runner! Then, he pitched in the same game and took a loss. Five days later, he won his first start. In his fifth start, Maddux beat his older brother Mike, who was pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 1987, his first full season, Maddux had a tough time. He was almost sent back to the minor leagues. During one game, he got into a fight after a teammate was hit by a pitch. Even though he was ejected, the Cubs kept him on the team for a while. He later improved and was quickly called back up.
Maddux became an All-Star for the first time in 1988, winning 18 games. In 1989, he won 19 games and helped the Cubs win their division. He started a playoff game, but it didn't go well. During that game, he thought an opponent might have read his lips when he talked to his manager. After that, Maddux always covered his mouth with his glove when talking on the mound.
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After winning 15 games in 1990 and 1991, Maddux won 20 games in 1992. He also won his first Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher in each league. After seven seasons with the Cubs, Maddux signed a big contract with the Atlanta Braves.
Dominating with the Atlanta Braves (1993–2003)
Maddux joined the Braves in 1993 and won his second straight Cy Young Award. He had a great pitching staff with teammates Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. They were known as the "Big Three" and were a huge part of the Braves' success.
In the 1994 season, which was cut short by a strike, Maddux had an amazing 1.56 ERA. This was one of the lowest ERAs in baseball history! He also led the league in wins and innings pitched, winning his third Cy Young Award.
The 1995 season was even better. Maddux had a 19–2 record and an incredible 1.63 ERA. He became the first pitcher in a long time to have two seasons in a row with an ERA under 1.80. Maddux pitched very well in the playoffs that year. He won a game in the 1995 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, giving up no runs. The Atlanta Braves went on to win their first World Series championship! After the season, Maddux won his fourth straight Cy Young Award, setting a major league record.
From 1996 to 2003, Maddux continued to be one of the best pitchers in baseball. He consistently won many games and had low ERAs. In 1997, he threw a complete game with only 78 pitches, which is incredibly efficient! He also set a record for the fewest walks allowed in a season. In 1998, he had over 200 strikeouts for the only time in his career. The Braves made it to the 1999 World Series but lost to the New York Yankees.
Maddux won his 13th straight Gold Glove Award in 2002, setting a new National League record. He often had his own personal catcher, like Eddie Pérez, who knew his pitching style very well. The Braves won their division every year Maddux was on the team, thanks to their strong pitching staff.
Back with the Chicago Cubs (2004–2006)
Maddux returned to the Cubs in 2004. On August 7, he earned his 300th career victory, a huge milestone for any pitcher. In 2005, he reached another big goal: he struck out Omar Vizquel to become the thirteenth member of the 3,000 strikeout club. He is one of only nine pitchers to have both 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. What's even more impressive is that he's the only one of those nine to have fewer than 1,000 walks.
In 2005, Maddux had his first losing record since 1987, ending a streak of 17 seasons with 15 or more wins.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006)
In the middle of the 2006 season, Maddux was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched very well for them, helping them get into the playoffs. He won his 330th career game, moving him up to 10th on the all-time wins list. He also won his 18th season with 15 or more wins, breaking a record he shared with other legendary pitchers. Maddux won a Fielding Bible Award for being the best fielding pitcher in MLB in 2006.
Time with the San Diego Padres (2007–2008)
Maddux signed with the San Diego Padres in 2007. He continued to climb the all-time wins list, reaching 343 wins. He also set a major league record by having 20 consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins. In 2007, he won his record 17th Gold Glove award. In 2008, he won his 350th game. He even became the oldest pitcher to steal a base at 42 years old!
Final Stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2008)
Maddux was traded back to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 2008. He pitched his 5,000th career inning, another huge milestone. On September 27, in his last start of the season, he won his 355th game, putting him in 8th place for all-time wins. He finished his career with 3,371 strikeouts.
After the Dodgers won their division, Maddux moved to the bullpen for the playoffs. He received his 18th Gold Glove Award in November 2008, extending his own major league record. In December, he announced his retirement from playing baseball.
Life After Playing Baseball
After retiring, Maddux continued to be involved in baseball. In 2010, he was hired by the Chicago Cubs as an assistant to their General Manager. He focused on helping young pitchers develop their skills. In 2012, he joined the Texas Rangers organization, where his brother Mike was the pitching coach.
He also served as the pitching coach for the USA team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In 2016, he became a special assistant for the Dodgers. He also worked as an assistant baseball coach for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where his son Chase was a pitcher. In 2023, he rejoined the Texas Rangers as a special assistant.
Maddux's Unique Pitching Style
Maddux was known for being a very smart pitcher. He didn't throw the ball super fast, but he used his control, calmness, and cleverness to trick hitters. His fastball usually moved a lot, especially his sinker (two-seam fastball). This made hitters hit the ball on the ground a lot, which is good for a pitcher.
He was famous for throwing pitches that looked like they were going to be outside the strike zone, but then they would curve back over the corner for a strike. He also studied hitters very carefully. He would watch their practice swings or their body language to figure out what they were thinking.
Teammates and opponents often talked about how smart he was. One Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs, said, "It seems like he's inside your mind with you." Maddux, however, would say that being smart just meant throwing your fastball low and away.
Maddux was also praised for his excellent pitching mechanics. This helped him avoid serious arm injuries throughout his long career. He rarely walked batters, which kept his pitch counts low and allowed him to pitch deep into games. He holds the record for the most "Maddux" games (complete game shutouts under 100 pitches) with 13. He was also known for finishing games very quickly. In 1998, he pitched a complete game shutout in just 1 hour and 46 minutes!
Awards and Achievements
Maddux was not only a great pitcher but also an excellent fielder. He won 18 Gold Gloves, which is a record for any position in baseball. He also was a good hitter for a pitcher, with a career batting average of .171 and 5 home runs.
He played in many playoff games, including 5 World Series games, where he had a great ERA of 2.09. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team eight times.
Maddux won 20 games only twice, but he won 19 games five times and 18 games twice. He led the National League in ERA four times and in shutouts five times. He holds the major league record for leading his league in games started (7 seasons).
In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Maddux as the 39th greatest baseball player, the highest-ranking active pitcher at the time.
Both the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves retired his jersey number 31 to honor him. This means no other player on those teams can wear that number.
In 2014, Maddux was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He decided not to have a team logo on his Hall of Fame plaque. He said it was impossible to choose between the Braves and the Cubs because the fans of both teams were so wonderful to him.
Personal Life
Greg Maddux was born on April 14, 1966. He is married to Kathy, and they have two children: a daughter named Paige and a son named Chase. They live in Las Vegas.
The song "Movement and Location" by the Punch Brothers was written about Maddux and his unique pitching style.
See also
- Atlanta Braves award winners and league leaders
- Chicago Cubs award winners and league leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career games started leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career innings pitched leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a pitcher leaders
