End of A Golden Career

         Greg Maddux is set to announce his retirement on Monday, and this marks the end to a great historical career. Maddux is a lock to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. A master at locating his fastball and changing speeds to outsmart hitters, Maddux is one of the most consistent pitchers ever to play the game. He is the only pitcher in MLB history to win 15 games in 17 consecutive seasons.

              Greg Maddux won’t be leaving without marking his place in Major League Baseball History. He finished with a record of 355-227 with an ERA of 3.16. Maddux ends his career ranked 8th all time in wins, 13th all time in innings pitched, 10th is strikeouts (3327), and 1st all time in gold gloves with 18. He is a guy who will stand in the record books forever, and that isn’t even the best attribute of his lengthy resume. I have never seen such an intelligent, precise pitcher with pinpoint control on the mound. Maddux could be known as, “The Professor”, on and off the mound, as even after he aged he has been able to continue to produce, and also he has helped numerous younger pitchers in ways no other pitcher could. He played for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

            Maddux owned the decade of the 90s where he won 4 straight Cy Young Awards (92-95) and a World Series. In the 94 and 95 seasons with the Atlanta Braves Maddux put up incredible numbers. In the strike shortened 94 season he finished 16-6 with a 1.56 ERA and in 95 he finished 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA, two all time great seasons in MLB history. In the 1997 season Maddux finished 19-4 with a 2.20 ERA, but incredibly he finished with only 20 walks in just over 232 innings of pitching. We could go on forever with statistics and moments like this about Greg Maddux. And what’s even more special is Maddux put up these amazing numbers in a time where it was a hitter’s game. He has a squeaky clean image, throughout a time filled with cheaters and steroid users, and is ranked second in wins since 1920.

            So at the end of this tremendous career that has lasted my entire baseball watching life, the question arises will we ever see a pitcher like Greg Maddux again? Its doubtful if you ask me. Guys like Maddux come once a century. It has been a pleasure watching Greg pitch, as it’s a guy like him that truly defines that word.

            Peter Lomuscio