Greg Maddux, the Best of an ERA

After four failed attempts, Greg Maddux collected his 350th career victory over the weekend against the Colorado Rockies. Maddux improved to 3-3 on the season with a 3.60 ERA. To collect win 350 it was vintage Maddux as he allowed 3 hits in 6 innings on only 68 pitches. Maddux held the Rockies without an earned run, and as he has so often in his career, did not allow a walk.

My interest in baseball grew in the early 90s, in part from watching Greg Maddux throw ridiculously efficient games for the Cubs and Braves. When Maddux was on the mound I found myself turning the channel to another game or Indiana Jones replaying on TNT for the 80th time while his team was up to bat, but always flipped back for every pitch. Maddux has spent his entire career as a student to the game and while he has never had dominant pitches, he has had dominant command and strategy.

For his career Maddux has been the barometer for pitching efficiency. With a career average of 1.8 walks per 9 and a career ERA just over 3, all in an era when players like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire lit up the record books with juice-inflated numbers.

While at 42 years old Maddux no longer has the endurance to carry him into the late innings on a regular basis, the Mad Dog has compiled 35 career shutouts and 109 career complete games. That goes with 17 Golden Gloves and 4 Cy Young Awards. While on paper Roger Clemens put together a more dominant career, he will be remembered as the more skilled pitcher and Maddux will be the great pitcher. Clemens will be the cheater and Maddux will be the genius. Clemens' numbers will be recounted as being fueled by steroids, while Maddux's memory will be that of the most strategic pitcher in history.

While he will never admit to it, Greg Maddux is the greatest pitcher since Bob Gibson and Warren Spahn and will go down as one of the ten best pitchers in MLB history. Enjoy it while you can because Greg has all of his milestones and has his ring, he won't be around much longer.