I have a couple of quick questions about Greg Maddux.
What is his ethnicity? What kind of name is Maddux?
I don’t read the Chicago papers much, so I don’t get the extensive Cubs coverage that Chicago readers get. Anyhoo, is he known for being a “me-first” kind of guy? I ask because when the Cubs were rained out in Pittsburgh last Thursday, Maddux was on a plane home while the rest of team was still at PNC Park, doing some workouts & whatnot (this according to WGN announcers on today’s broadcast). Then yesterday, after he left the game, the camera showed him going right into the locker room (as opposed to sitting on the bench and watching the rest of the game). I got the impression that he really had no interest in watching the rest of the game (and thus whether or not the Cubs won). Of course, he might have had legitimate reasons for both of these incidents, so that’s why I’m asking.
2)Maddux is known as a joker in the clubhouse. The incidences you describe may be nothing more than his normal routine. Pitchers often have very specific routines for the days between outings. For instance, no work the next day, light throwing the day after that, and 59 pitches at 79% effort from the left handers bullpen mound the next day at 3:45pm.
So he may have been on a day off on the rainout day (plus that also means his spot in the rotation may have been pushed back a day as well). Also pitchers will usually go back to the clubhouse after leaving a game to get iced down. They will usually watch the game from the TVs in the clubhouse.
Pitchers often start traveling before the rest of the team. Many pitchers have pretty specific workout routines that they follow between starts, and it’s beneficial for them to get there early and get started. Also, if they’re starting a day game the next day, they want to be sure to get enough rest–sometimes team flights don’t arrive until very late. So I don’t think it’s any particular selfishness on Maddux’s part, just usual behavior for starting pitchers.
He has a rep of being a very focused, scientific, and cerebral player. It would not surprise me if he went into the clubhouse to watch some tape of his outing if he felt something wasn’t quite right, to get a handle on it immediatly.
Other than that I have never heard of him being selfish. he is usually represented as a total team player. One story I have heard about him is that he doesn’t care about stats. If he is throwing a potential no hitter with his team safely in the lead, he will throw a bad pitch to set the guy up for the next time they meet, so they can win then, rather than worrying about the no hitter or fancy stats.
You know, there are TVs in the locker room. Nolan Ryan usually went to workout in the locker room immediately after games - he insisted on finishing his bike routine before speaking to reporters after his 7th no-hitter. There’s a lot of physical therapy that pitchers undergo after starts, especially for someone as old as Maddux. With a win on the line, you can bet good money that Maddux was watching the game from the clubhouse.
I’m not sure about Maddux’s heritage. If you searched around, you might be able to find something. His brother, Mike, also pitched in the Majors.
I remember watching a Braves game when Maddux pitched, and the announcers mentioned at the end of the game, that they wouldn’t be having an interview with Maddux because he has a very strict routine of icing down his arm after he pitches.
Everything else people have said in this thread seems pretty accurate. It’s been a long time, and I was young, so I’m not positive on the details, but the reason Maddux left the Cubs the first time was that ownership decided to make Sandberg the highest paid player (at the time) rather than pay Maddux. It wasn’t totally about money though, because Maddux went to Atlanta, rather than the Yankees, who were offering more money. I think Maddux might have had some bigger offers than the Cubs’ on the table this past winter, but I’m not certain.
Nearly every pitcher that leaves the game goes back to the clubhouse to ice his arm. Sometimes they will come back after they get treatment, sometimes they don’t. Some managers want the players back on the bench, others don’t care.
He’s from Las Vegas and his age tells me he was born around 1960 or so,high school years must have been in the 70s.
From that timeframe he may well be Mormon or at least Mormon like in character.
You know,all american family type people.He seems to have a low profile life here.Only mention I’ve seen of him in print was “playing on a golf course” somewhere.
Never heard his name bandied about in casino circles I’m familiar with,where sports names are dime a dozen…Seems like a family man all the way.Just kind of focused on his own life.
I’m pretty sure Greg Maddux is not Mormon. Not that this proves he’s anything, but Mark Grace related a story about Maddux in an interview that he had to walk off the mound to calm down for a while because he realized he was having an erection on the mound.
Like most of what passes for homegrown here,(at least in the 60s/70s timeframe) ,his birthplace differs from his later formative years.
I recently read a stat showing upwards of 30% of the local population was born here.Has to be a highwater mark in a town/metro area that increased from well under 100k in the 50s to approaching 1.5 mil in the 2000s.Back then you had a probable 10/20 sq.mile area of habitation ringed by at least 100 sq mile or more desert.That ratio has completely flip flopped.What passes for desert now in any other town would probably be considered vacant lots.
LA area,I believe, showed similar stats in the period.
