By I.J. Rosenberg
Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer
There he was, perhaps the greatest pitcher of our time, standing in line earlier this week at a downtown Cincinnati food court, waiting to order, yes, a greasy chili dog.
No one was begging him for autographs.
Nobody even recognized him with his glasses on and tie knotted neatly.
This is the way Greg Maddux likes it, quiet and private.
But these last few days, the Braves right-hander has been unable to escape another crowd. The media. They no longer ask him about his incredible control and what will be a fourth straight Cy Young Award. Instead, they pitch the question everyone wants to know:
Why don't his postseason numbers reflect his regular-season statistics?
In six playoffs games, Maddux has a 2-2 record and 6.62 ERA. In the two postseason games this season, he is 1-0 but has allowed seven runs in 14 innings, a 4.50 ERA. Compare that to a 35-8 record and 1.60 ERA over the last two regular seasons.
Is their a problem?
"The numbers are crappy," admits Maddux, but, "I pitch the only way I know how, whether it is April, June or October. In the playoffs, things happen in such a short period of time that you have guys hitting .500, but the stats don't really mean that much. In the regular season, stats really don't mean much until after the All-Star break when you've played enough for them to be cumulative."
What has happened is that Maddux's performance has caused others to have almost unrealistic expectations. If he's not perfect, people worry.
It is not as if he has been hit hard in the postseason. Of the seven runs he has allowed, five have come on two swings, one on a two-run homer by Vinny Castilla and the other on a half-swing three-run homer by Dante Bichette that barely went over the right-field fence.
"We're so spoiled, me included, by what he does that we don't expect him to give up anything," said Braves manager Bobby Cox. "Really though, he's pitched pretty good."
Said Maddux, "I don't feel like I have made any more mistakes than I did during the season. I'm just paying for them."
Tom Glavine defends his teammate. The left-hander also has had problems at times in the postseason.
"The level of competition is better in the playoffs, and I don't know if his numbers are so bad in the playoffs," Glavine said. "It's just that his numbers are so good in the regular season. Seven innings pitched and three runs allowed is a hell of a game, especially in that ballpark [Coors Field in Denver], but for Greg it's not. When he's not shutting people out everybody wants to know what's wrong, but you have to give credit to players on opposing
teams."
Maddux also is unconcerned. He said he doesn't care about the numbers as long as his teams wins.
"There is so much more satisfaction in throwing a 4-3 game than 8-0," Maddux said. "What all the people write and ask, I don't worry about. [The postseason] is what you play for. The game I threw in Atlanta the other day was the most enjoyable one I have pitched all season."
Maddux does get a tough draw tonight. He is 9-10 lifetime against the Reds.
He was 2-1 against them this year in four starts. May 12 in Atlanta, he didn't get a decision when he went 7 2/3 innings and gave up three runs. June 20 in Cincinnati, he won, throwing six scoreless innings, but was hit hard here on Aug. 2, when he went 6 2/3 innings and gave up five runs. In his last start, Sept. 16 at Riverfront, he won again when he went seven innings and allowed just one run.
The Reds will try to be aggressive against Maddux, much as the Rockies did in the division series.
"I think if we can get him early in the count and get those pitches that he gets over for the first strike, and get a couple of base hits here and there and run around the bases, we can take him out of his ballgame pretty early," said Reds left fielder Ron Gant. "But we're going to have to be aggressive."
Added Reds manager Davey Johnson, "I don't know any other way to get to Maddux other then to get runners on base and put pressure on him, which may make him change his rhythm."
Said Maddux on his strategy tonight, "I'm going to go out there and pitch my game, locate the fastball and get ahead in the count. I thought I pitched well against Philly and Colorado, and I'm not going to worry tomorrow about whether I gave up a grand slam to Will Clark in the playoffs eight years ago or any of that stuff."
August 13, 1995 by Dave Kindred in Fastball:
The Picasso of pitchers is self-assured, low key
By Dave Kindred
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
So Greg Maddux, the ballplayer's ballplayer, walks off the mound to talk to his second baseman, Mark Lemke, who is fiddling with a contact lens.
"You OK?" Maddux says.
"Yeah," Lemke says.
"You sure? Can you see?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm OK."
"Just wanted to be sure you can see," Maddux says, smiling now, "because this guy, last time up . . . "
Last time up, the guy set off a rocket toward the right side. That rocket took one evil hop and disappeared into Lemke's body. There it rattled around against copper pipes, elbow joints and other plumbing fixtures.
These events of a delicate nature might have been ignored, except that everyone has an eye on Greg Maddux these days and wanted to
know what high-level technical talks he had convened at second base that night.
Which is how Maddux came to reveal Lemke's temporary distress, a story which provokes wonder on two counts.
In this summer of Selig/Fehr purgatory, it's a wonder to find ballplayers having fun, even laughing. The greater wonder is that anyone could hit a rocket off a Greg Maddux pitch.
Maybe he's the best ever. Maybe he's the best right-hander ever. Maybe he is the best of his generation. "I don't want to get caught up in all that," he says. He speaks softly and with certainty. No need to shout when you're sure of who you are. "It's nice, but it won't make me a better pitcher."
The larger truth is nicer. Maddux does more than throw baseballs. What Larry Bird did, what Joe Montana did, Greg Maddux now does. He sees possibilities no one else sees and he makes them real in ways that create beauty.
"It's a feeling, a reflex," Maddux says of how he chooses which pitch to throw and where to throw it, each decision growing out of the last, each dependent on circumstances that change with every pitch.
"Picasso had it, Maddux has it," says George Zubow, a veteran scout working for the Seattle Mariners. "Some artists will make a brushstroke and stand back and look, 'Is that all right?' Picasso just does it and it's done, a masterpiece. That's Maddux. Before he throws a ball, he knows where it's going. I'm in awe."
Some stuff resists explanation. As surely as we know Greg Maddux is great at what he does, we can not be sure of why. He comes with physical gifts, though they seemed limited. At 6-feet and 170 pounds, Maddux, like most pitchers, looks like the guy the real ballplayers beat up. Hundreds of pitchers come with talent, but only one becomes Maddux.
As Bird and Montana made decisions, intellectual and instinctive, that raised their games to levels beyond their apparent physical gifts, so does Maddux. "Greg is the thinking man's pitcher," says the Atlanta catcher, Charlie O'Brien. "Only he doesn't think as a pitcher. He thinks as a hitter."
Pitching coach Leo Mazzone: "Greg's always watching, always looking for an edge." Clarence Jones, hitting coach: "In the dugout, he'll ask, 'Is that guy trying to go the opposite way? Or is he just late?' " He wants to know why a hitter swings at one change up but not another. He wants to know who's aggressive, who's a first-pitch hitter, who's good behind in the count.
Maddux's locker is next to Jeff Blauser's. "Jeff told me once that after a low fast ball, it's awful hard to lay off a forkball," Maddux says.
A scrap here, a scrap there. Soon enough, when Barry Bonds is at bat, you follow a low fast ball with a forkball in the dirt. You may not know how you knew to do that. You just knew. And you could do it. "You can be the smartest guy there is, but you still have to throw the ball," Maddux says.
Two out of three times on a good day, Maddux says, he throws a pitch where he wants it. Some days he works with the utter arrogance of a Bird or Montana in the zone, and on those days his buddies in the dugout make bets: On 2-2, betcha Maddux throws it away so he can get him with a 3-2 change.
"Greg gets more strikeouts looking than any pitcher I've seen in 35 years of baseball," says Bobby Cox, the manager. "He just outsmarts 'em."
Maddux doesn't waste pitches. Even going to first, he wastes nothing; every throw is shoulder-high: "If you pick off one guy in 50 throws, that's not worth the risk of throwing away two. I don't believe in beating myself."
(Not in golf, either. The pitcher John Smoltz laughs. "A 2-handicap and he'll cry about how he can't play, like a bogey is great. He's a conniver.")
Maddux reads the newspapers for quotes. "A guy hit a home run off me and said it was a fastball. A fastball? It was a change. If he thinks that's my fastball, next time I'll run my real fastball at him."
What kind of hitters give him trouble? "It doesn't matter. I really believe good pitching beats good hitting most of the time. But I'm a terrible hitter, and I've got a home run. I respect everybody and fear nobody."
Ernie Johnson, the old pitcher now doing Atlanta telecasts, has a story: "San Francisco, bases loaded, 3-0 count, and Maddux gets a fastball strike, 3-1. Then he comes with a curve the guy can't believe, 3- 2. And then what's he do? A change! Stee-rike three. A master."
It has been 35 years since any Braves pitcher did for four years what Maddux has done in the last four. That great man is Warren Spahn, a Hall of Fame left-hander now 74 years old and mostly grumpy about today's game.
"Pitchers don't pitch the way I think they should," Spahn says. "Hitters have no discipline. Managers have no control of the ball club. But Maddux, I like him. My kind of guy. Doesn't mouth off much. Classic pitcher. Got all the pitches. The control. In and out. Uses the whole plate. Breaks bats. Lets hitters know he's out there. Lets 'em know he's Greg Maddux."
May 9, 1995 by Joe Strauss in Fastball:
Maddux has become thinking-man's pitcher
By Joe Strauss
Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer
The pain in his wrist and the knot on his leg remind Greg Maddux, league leader in base-running calamities and shots to the mound, just how human he is. But no one else is listening.
Fueled by accounts in Sports Illustrated, on ESPN and in countless daily publications -- and by mind-boggling statistics -- the Legend of Maddux has grown exponentially this season, depicting him as some card-counting, scratch-golfing savant with a Zen-like touch for his craft.
"It's weird. When you're pitching well, everybody makes you out to be a better card player, a better golfer and nice to kids," says Maddux, who carries a single-digit handicap but pleads innocent to counting cards. "I'd like to think I'm the same guy I've always been."
Which makes him different enough. A journey to Maddux's locker has become a pitching pilgrimage for the national media. All want to speak to the unassuming guy with a crooked grin who lacks a straight pitch and an outsized opinion of what he is doing.
Though accommodating, Maddux doesn't revel in his visibility. He has no intention of parlaying his success into an endorsement windfall -- "I make my money on the field," he says -- and covets the day he might return to Las Vegas for a relatively anonymous 18 holes.
Maddux has only his success to blame.
"I know it's a big deal to some people, but I'm trying to keep things in perspective," he says. "Our season's not over, we haven't accomplished our goal yet and I don't want this to get in the way of anything. If you get caught up in it, you get burned out."
Not physically intimidating
Physically, Maddux is the least impressive of the Braves' most-recognized starting pitchers. John Smoltz has his oaken legs, Tom Glavine his broadened back and Steve Avery his statuesque height. Maddux walks somewhat pigeon-toed and, except when pitching, wears glasses that give off a decidedly, well, "Ernie" look. By mussing his hair, Maddux in street clothes and glasses often slips unnoticed through hotel lobbies while the other starters are mobbed by Braves fans.
"Those guys have been here longer. It's easier for Braves fans to spot them," says Maddux, as if triple Cy Young Awards carry no pull.
There is universal agreement that what separates Maddux rests behind the glasses. Manager Bobby Cox simply states, "He's different." Teammates swear he can remember the type of pitch, the location and the count of every hit he has surrendered to every active player.
"He knows a lot," says Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone, "and he wants to know more. He's never satisfied. And if he asks for your opinion, he doesn't want something wishy-washy."
An 18-game winner at 22, Maddux has matured at 29. "I don't make as many mistakes," he says. "I have more to draw on. You observe and you work at making yourself better. The two go together."
So much has been made of Maddux's march toward a fourth consecutive Cy Young Award and possible recognition as National League Most Valuable Player that little is said of his workday routine. During his side sessions between starts, Maddux will exceed the 15-minute limit if a single pitch misbehaves.
"If your mechanics are correct, it is impossible to throw a pitch anywhere except where you want it to go," he says.
With Maddux, there is no boast to the statement, just an undeniable truth. The NL is batting .198 against Maddux (18-2) as he makes his final start of the season tonight in Philadelphia.
Always seems in control
Not only has Maddux won a record 17 consecutive road decisions, but his ERA away from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium stands at 1.18. When on carpet, the figure shrinks to an unfathomable 0.99.
Regardless of where he pitches, Maddux is the game's most efficient craftsman. In addition to allowing a mere 23 walks in 203 2/3 innings pitched -- an average of 1.1 per nine innings -- Maddux has hit only three of 766 batters faced and thrown one wild pitch. Despite his league-high number of complete games, Maddux hasn't gone beyond 120 pitches in any start.
Of the 766 to face him, Maddux has started 12 with three consecutive balls compared to 161 with two strikes in a row.
"You try to be aggressive with him because he's always around the strike zone," says New York Mets first baseman Rico Brogna. "But he throws a little in, a little out. His ball sinks a little or cuts. It's never down the middle. It's tough to get the head of the bat on the ball."
"Every hitter has a weakness," says Mets manager Dallas Green, who as general manager of the Chicago Cubs drafted the era's dominant pitcher in 1984. "Every hitter has a location that gives him trouble. He puts it right there. Maddux challenges you with stuff that's not the best stuff in the league."
Saving that 'certain pitch'
Therein lies Maddux's potion. Lacking a dominant pitch, he uses unmatched control and varies his sequence, only complicating a hitter's task. Few fastball pitchers can equal the number of called third strikes Maddux earns.
"If a guy looks bad on a certain pitch, you remember that," Maddux says. "You save it for when you need it again. It might be late in the game with runners on base. It might not be until the next time you face that team. It might not be for two years."
Indoctrinated by pitching coach Billy Connors while with the Cubs, Maddux's core belief is never to pitch to a hitter's strength. But there is nothing wrong with coming close.
The average pitcher throws about 16 pitches per inning; Maddux uses only 12.52, each with purpose.
Told earlier this season that Montreal outfielder Moises Alou was hitting .520 when he put the first pitch in play, Maddux turned the tendency in his favor. Instead of retreating, he fed Alou first-pitch strikes just outside the hitter's comfort zone. Alou popped out twice and grounded out once. "You just pitch like it's an 0-2 count. You just tell yourself to make a better pitch," Maddux says. "It's not brain surgery; it's common sense."
Greg Maddux Personal Information on ESPNet:
Atlanta Braves #31 Pitcher
1995: Dominated the National League once again, posting Cy Young numbers for the fourth straight season ... With his 1.63 ERA, Greg became the first M.L. pitcher since Walter Johnson in 1918-19 to have an ERA less than 1.80 in two consecutive seasons ... Led the Majors in ERA and tied the lead with 19 wins ... His ERA was at .55 below the league average 4.18 ... Has now lead the league in ERA for the third straight year ... Tossed 51.0 consecutive innings without allowing a walk June 3 to July 13 ... Walked just 23 batters the entire season in 209.2 innings pitched, an average of 0.99 free passes per 9.0 innings, tops in the majors ... Had a career-best and NL best 10-game winning streak from May 23 to August 4 ... Greg is 18-0 in his last 20 roads starts with an 0.99 ERA (17 ER, 154.2 IP) dating back to July 2 ... Selected to the NL All-Star team, but did not pitch ... Concluded the season with 21.0 consecutive scoreless innings September 16-27 ... Became first pitcher in history to post a .900 winning percentage (905) with 20 or more decisions ... Was second in the Majors with a .197 opponents batting average against ... Also, ranked tied for first in the NL in IP (209.2) shutouts (3) and third in strikeouts (181)
1994: Became the first pitcher to win three straight Cy Young Awards ... Led the Major Leagues with a 1.56 ERA ... Compiled the third-best ERA in the majors since 1919 (Bob Gibson, 1.12, '68; Dwight Gooden, 1.53, '85) ... Established a major league record by finishing 1.09 ahead of Oakland's Steve Ontiveros, who had the second-best ERA in the majors at 2.65 ... The previous mark was 0.48 in 1968 (Gibson, 1.12 and Luis Tiant, 1.60) ... His 10 complete games are a career-high and more than any other NL team except the Dodgers (13) ... Was the starter for the National League at the All-Star game ... Ranked first in the league in innings pitched (202.0), tied for first in wins (16) and shutouts (3), third in strikeouts (156) and fewest walks per nine innings (1.4).
1993: Spent his first season with the Braves after signing as a free agent Dec. 9, 1992 ... Became the fifth player in major-league history to win two Cy Young Awards in a row ... named Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News ... Was only the second player to win the award with two different clubs ... Led the league with a 2.36 ERA and 267 innings ...won 13 of his last 15 decisions, with a 1.85 ERA ... The Braves scored just 15 runs in his 10 losses ... Pitched more than 230 innings for the sixth straight year ... Won his fourth straight Gold Glove Award.
1992: In his seventh and last season with the Cubs, went 20-11 with a 2.18 ERA ... Won his first Cy Young Award ... After the All-Star break, he went 10-3 and maintained a 1.93 ERA ... Became the first Cub since 1977 to win 20 games ... Posted a 12-4 record and a 1.91 ERA at Wrigley Field ... In his 11 losses, the Cubs scored just eight runs and were shut out seven times ... Led the league with 268 innings pitched ... Allowed just seven home runs in those 268 innings ... Signed by the Atlanta Braves as a free agent on Dec. 9, 1992.
1991: Led the National League with 37 starts and 263 innings pitched ... Finished 15-11 with an ERA of 3.35 ... Posted a 2.92 ERA in his last 18 starts ... Struck out 198 batters, second most in the National League, and walked only sixty-six.
1990: Compiled a 15-15 record and a 3.46 ERA ... Opened the season by winning four of his first five starts, then lost eight in a row from May 11 to July 14 ... Followed that losing streak by winning his next five starts ... Won the first of four consecutive Gold Gloves ... Started a league-high 35 games and completed eight.
1989: Won 19 games, second most in the NL, and posted a 2.95 ERA ... Finished third in NL Cy Young voting ... Started twice in the NLCS vs. San Francisco, going 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA.
1988: Was 15-3 going into the All-Star break, including a nine-game win streak from May 22 to July 10 ... At 22, became the youngest Cub named to the All-Star team... Named Pitcher of the Month for June after going 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA ... Pitched 26 2/3 straight scoreless innings from May 6-17 ... Finished the season 18-8 with a 3.18 ERA.
1987: Began the season at Class AAA Iowa before being promoted to the Cubs' starting rotation ... Finished the year 6-14 with a 5.61 ERA ... Lost his last six decisions.
1986: After spending most of the year at Iowa, saw his first major league action Sept. 2 against Houston at the age of 20, becoming the youngest Cub in the majors since 1967 ... Won his first start Sept. 7 in a complete game against the Reds ... Finished the season with a 2-4 record and a 5.52 ERA.
Personal Information
Married, wife's name is Kathy ... Has one daughter, Amanda Paige ... A 1984 graduate of Valley High School (Las Vegas), where he was All-State in Baseball in his junior and senior seasons ... Played on the Major League All-Star team that toured Japan after the 1988 season ... Hobbies include golf and Nintendo.
Height: 6-0 Weight: 175
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Born: April 14, 1966 in San Angelo, TX
College: None
Drafted: Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 1984 free-agent draft.
Acquired: Signed by the Atlanta Braves as a free agent on Dec. 9, 1992.
Bermanism: Greg Appa Maddux