Farewell Greg Maddux
The best pitcher of the live ball era is calling it quits. Despite posting solid numbers at 42, pitching in the playoffs for the 13th time, and sitting just 8 wins shy of Warren Spahn's live ball record of 363, Maddux is done. We will probably never see another pitcher quite like Maddux who had perhaps the best command in the history of the game pitching over 5000 innings while walking less than 1000. At his best, he walked 20 batters in 232 innings a microscopic 0.77 per 9 innings. Despite being around the strikezone so much, Maddux allowed very few long balls allowing just 9 homers in that 1997 season. Only once did he allow more than 30 homers in a season and in only 5 of his 23 season did the long ball tally top 20. Maddux also got a fair number of strikeouts for a control pitcher. He will finish his career 10th on the all time strikeout list with 3371 ahead of famed power pitchers Bob Gibson, Bob Feller, and Don Drysdale. Of the 16 members of the 3000 strikeout club, only Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez boast better K/BB rates.
Only Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Roger Clemens can match Maddux's peak during the steroid era, but each has their issues. Pedro was better at his best, but his best really only lasted 1997-2002 other than that he was very good then good, then mediocre and last year down right bad. Johnson didn't figure it out until he was 29 and although his Houston and Arizona years from mid 1998-2004 may have been the most dominating 6+ years in the history of baseball (ok, 6 since he missed most of 2003). They still were not as good as Maddux's 1994-1995 years and Maddux's pre 29 stats already included 131 victories, 1911 innings and a 3.02 ERA. Johnson's 30s and 40s may be the greatest for a pitcher in history with only Spahn and Grove having legit claims against him. Johnson had a gargantuan 3663 strikeouts after turning 30, a total that would place him 6th in history and is only rivaled by Nolan Ryan's 3629 (for now anyway). Still a players 20s count and Maddux was great for them. Clemens has the only statistical claim to be even clost to Maddux, but his peak years were not as good, his durability was not as good, and there's that whole Mitchell Report thing to consider (or does Mr. Clemens perhaps misremember that?).
You were the best I ever saw Greg, and you will be missed.
Only Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Roger Clemens can match Maddux's peak during the steroid era, but each has their issues. Pedro was better at his best, but his best really only lasted 1997-2002 other than that he was very good then good, then mediocre and last year down right bad. Johnson didn't figure it out until he was 29 and although his Houston and Arizona years from mid 1998-2004 may have been the most dominating 6+ years in the history of baseball (ok, 6 since he missed most of 2003). They still were not as good as Maddux's 1994-1995 years and Maddux's pre 29 stats already included 131 victories, 1911 innings and a 3.02 ERA. Johnson's 30s and 40s may be the greatest for a pitcher in history with only Spahn and Grove having legit claims against him. Johnson had a gargantuan 3663 strikeouts after turning 30, a total that would place him 6th in history and is only rivaled by Nolan Ryan's 3629 (for now anyway). Still a players 20s count and Maddux was great for them. Clemens has the only statistical claim to be even clost to Maddux, but his peak years were not as good, his durability was not as good, and there's that whole Mitchell Report thing to consider (or does Mr. Clemens perhaps misremember that?).
You were the best I ever saw Greg, and you will be missed.
Labels: all time greats, greg maddux
posted by Andrew Manning at
4:02 PM
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