The Maddux Narrative

Watching the baseball stuff today I was amused by the talk about how Greg Maddux was calm and collected on the mound.  That is not the Maddux I remember from the Cubs years.  Whenever there was an argument with an umpire it was fairly common for cursing to be heard over the crowd mics.  Well, any Cubs fan who paid much attention in the late eighties should remember Maddux cursing whenever he missed his location.  It was easiest to hear in a road game with a sparse crowd.  The smaller the crowd (especially make up games or games interrupted by really bad weather), the more one could make out individual voices.  Maddux would let loose with G__Dammit! time and time again.  I never heard the broadcasters acknowledge this, and I have never heard anyone else talk about this, but it did happen.  He might have calmed down by his first Cy Young year, and probably seemed very mature when pitching with the Braves, but I remember the guy who was temperamental.

Back then Maddux was a half-season guy.  He would be spectacular for half a season, and then struggle to do anything right for the other half of the season.  I do not remember his debut season, but in 1988 he had one of the most spectacular pre-All Star Breaks halves that any pitcher has ever pitched.  15-3 record.  The only reason that he did not start the All Star Game is that he pitched the Sunday before-a win against the Padres if I am remembering correctly. [yes, i did remember] After the break he went 3 and 5.  I think it was less about the league figuring him out and more about Maddux losing his way with his control.  He would have similar years in 89-91, before his Cy Young season in 1992.

Two specific games involving Maddux stand out in my mind.  The first was when I saw him win against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.  Maddux was textbook Maddux.  Great fielder on the mound, and back then he made more of an effort at hitting, frequently legging out infield hits.

The second game was also against the Cardinals.  I think it was in that 1988 season.  Wow, I just found the box score for that game.  I must have been in school that day, but I must have gotten home just in time to see the end of the game, because I remember it clearly.  Or, at least, I thought I remembered it clearly.  According to the box score, Maddux pitched into the 11th inning.  Even more incredible, Maddux threw 167 pitches.  167 pitches!  Today, a manager would be fired for leaving a 22 year old in for 167 pitches.  Now I wonder if Maddux had a tired arm in the second half of the 1988 season.  Anyway, Maddux got the first two outs in the 11th.  Then after two singles, he gave up an infield hit to third base.  Even with the bases loaded, Zimmer left him in.  Which is a good thing, because Maddux forced a weak grounder to second-OH WAIT! THE BALL HIT THE SEAM AND BOUNCED OVER SANDBERG'S HEAD!  So that was one of the losses that Maddux had when he went 15-3 before the break.