Greg Maddux (2014)


Date of Birth: 4/14/1966
Birthplace: San Angelo, Texas

Greg Maddux, whose brother Mike Maddux has had a long career as a pitching coach, started playing baseball at an early age. His father arranged for his sons to have professional training from former MLB scout Ralph Meder.

Chicago Cubs

Maddux was drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Cubs. He played in the Cubs' minor league system from 1984 through part of 1986, joining the Cubs for six games in 1986 at the age of 20.

Maddux pitched in 30 games in 1987, his first full season in the major leagues. He didn't have a good first year, ending with a 6-14 record and a 5.52 ERA, but in his second full season, he had an 18-8 record with a 3.18 ERA.

An outstanding fielder, Maddux won his first of 18 Gold Glove awards in 1990. That year, he made 55 assists and 39 putouts with no errors in 35 games. He finished the season with a 15-15 record and a 3.46 ERA. The next year, he led the NL in innings pitched with 263.0. He had 15 wins and 11 losses and a 3.35 ERA in 1991.

In 1992, Maddux became the National League's top pitcher, winning his first of four consecutive Cy Young awards. That year, he pitched a career high 268.0 innings in 35 games and he finished with a 20-11 record, 199 strikeouts to 70 walks, and a 2.18 ERA. He led the National League in wins, a feat he would repeat two more times (1994, 1995). He also led the NL in innings pitched in 1992.

Atlanta Braves

Maddux signed a five-year, $28 million contract with the Atlanta Braves in December, 1992. The following season, he led the National League in ERA, innings pitched, and complete games, and he won his second Cy Young award and a fourth Gold Glove. In 1993, he pitched 267.0 innings in 36 games and he finished the season with a 20-10 record and a 2.36 ERA. He pitched 8 complete games.

In 1994, Maddux again led the league in wins, ERA, innings pitched, and complete games, and he won another Cy Young award and a fifth Gold Glove award. In 1994, he had a career low ERA of 1.56. He finished the season with 16 wins and 6 losses in 202.0 innings in 25 games. He pitched 10 complete games.

Maddux repeated his success of 1994 in 1995, winning the Cy Young award and a Gold Glove and leading the National League in wins, ERA, innings pitched, and complete games. He finished with a 19-2 record and a 1.63 ERA in 209.2 innings in 28 games. He pitched 10 complete games in 1995.

In August, 1997, Maddux became the highest paid player in major league baseball when he signed a five-year, $57.5 million contract extension with the Braves. The following season, he earned his salary with a career high 204 strikeouts to 45 walks, an 18-9 record, and a 2.22 ERA in 34 games. He led the NL in ERA in 1998, and he won the Players Choice Outstanding Pitcher of the Year award. An excellent defensive player, Maddux led NL pitchers in assists in 1998 with 63 assists.

Maddux's ERA went up to 3.57 in 1999. He had 19 wins and 9 losses and 136 strikeouts to 37 walks in 219.1 innings in 33 games. His ERA dropped down to 3.00 in 2000. That year, he again had 19 wins and 9 losses in 249.1 innings in 35 games. He had similar numbers in 2001, when he finished with 17 wins and 11 losses and a 3.05 ERA in 233.0 innings in 34 games. In the latter two years, he led all NL pitchers in assists with 68 in 2000, and 54 in 2001.

Maddux had a 2.62 ERA in 34 games in 2002. He finished the season with 16 wins and 6 losses and 118 strikeouts to 45 walks in 199.1 innings. The following season, his ERA went up to 3.96 with 16 wins and 11 losses in 218.1 innings in 36 games. Defensively in 2003, he again led NL pitchers in assists with 58.

Return to Cubs

Maddux returned to the Cubs in March, 2004. In his first season with the Cubs, he had a 16-11 record with a 4.02 ERA. His numbers in 2005 were poorer, with a 13-15 record and a 4.24 ERA. After 22 games with the Cubs in 2006, they traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished the 2006 season with a 15-14 record and a 4.20 ERA.

Final Years as a Player

In December, 2006, Maddux signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the San Diego Padres. After a season and a half with the Padres, he was traded to the Dodgers in August, 2008. He finished his major league career with the Dodgers, retiring in December, 2008.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL Cy Young award (4 times)
  • Sporting News Pitcher of the Year (4 times)
  • Players Choice Outstanding Pitcher of the Year (3 times)
  • Baseball Digest Pitcher of the Year (2 times)
  • Gold Glove (18 times)
  • Led the NL in wins (3 times)
  • Led the NL in ERA (4 times)
  • Led the NL in innings pitched (5 times)
  • Led the NL in complete games (3 times)
  • Most MLB career putouts by a pitcher (546)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Maddux in 22 full seasons (1987-2008) in the major leagues include:

  • 20 seasons with 30 or more games, with a high of 37 in 1991
  • 18 seasons with over 200 innings pitched, with a high of 268.0 in 1992
  • 2 seasons with 20 wins (1992, 1993)
  • 11 seasons with over 150 strikeouts, with a high of 204 in 1998
  • 10 seasons with an ERA of 3.00 or less, with a low of 1.56 in 1994
  • 4 seasons with no fielding errors

Career pitching statistics for Maddux include:

  • 744 games played
  • 5,008.1 innings pitched
  • 3,371 strikeouts to 999 walks
  • 355-227 win-loss record
  • 3.16 ERA

Career fielding statistics for Maddux include:

  • 744 games played
  • 1,194 assists
  • 546 putouts
  • 53 errors
  • .970 fielding percentage

Postseason statistics for Maddux include:

  • 13 postseasons
  • 35 games played
  • 197.2 innings pitched
  • 11-14 win-loss record
  • 125 strikeouts to 51 walks
  • 3.28 ERA

Post Playing Career

In 2010, Maddux was hired as an assistant to the Cubs' general manager. Two years later, he joined his brother in the Texas Rangers' organization. He was the pitching coach for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Three years later, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as a special assistant to the President of Baseball Operations.

Maddux left major league baseball in July, 2016, to become the pitching coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Most likely, that decision was affected by the fact that his son was playing on the school's baseball team.

Maddux was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2014 on the first ballot with 97.2% of the vote.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Greg Maddux
ESPN - Greg Maddux
Baseball Reference - Greg Maddux

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