View From The Porch: How did I miss that?

Thursday, December 11, 2008

How did I miss that?

Mad Dog has retired.

And unlike certain other pitchers that are also lead-pipe cinches for Cooperstown, he did it after a scandal-free career and never broke into a 'roid rage at a press conference.

10 comments:

theirritablearchitect said...: ...and did it without having a huge arm. What was his fastball, mid eighties?

Instead, he had pinpoint control with excellent variety and always good selection for each batter. He always knew what to pitch to whom.; 10:29 AM, December 11, 2008
Tam said...: He threw a little harder when he was just starting out.

I remember a hitter being interviewed towards the end of Maddux's career, after being skunked by Mad Dog, saying "I can't imagine what it was like trying to hit him when he was throwing 90." :D; 10:34 AM, December 11, 2008
Brian J. said...: Not fair. He hadn't gotten around to pitching for my team yet.; 10:44 AM, December 11, 2008
Tam said...: I was fine with the Cubs-Braves-Cubs portion of his career trajectory; it was symmetrical and pleasant to see that, if he had to leave Atlanta after all those years, it was to go back to where he broke into the majors.

The last couple of years made me a bit sad, though.; 10:47 AM, December 11, 2008
Matt G said...: "I don't really know a whole lot about anything, but I feel like I know a few things about baseball."

That's refreshing to hear, in an era in which people commonly confuse celebrity with expertise on everything.; 12:10 PM, December 11, 2008
Tam said...: It's also classic Maddux, modest and self-deprecating from a guy who's been described as the most cerebral pitcher in baseball...

He's an odd duck in today's world of jockdom.; 12:22 PM, December 11, 2008
Anonymous said...: The Quiet Killer.

He was really something.; 4:06 PM, December 11, 2008
AnarchAngel said...: And unlike aforementioned scumbag... I mean pitcher; he never betrayed his team and teammates for more money.

... Nor did he disgrace himself by "retiring" and coming out of retirement multiple times, as a ploy for more money.

... Nor did he disgrace all of baseball by offering to change what uniform he would appear in at the hall of fame for a contract bonus.

Have I mentioned I'm a native Bostonian and lifelong Red Sox fan; and that my first disillusioning experience with professional baseball was Clemens antics.; 8:04 PM, December 11, 2008
the pawnbroker said...: back when talking baseball in fla meant talking about the braves...and talking about the braves meant talking about the dream rotation of smoltz, glavine, and my favorite, greg maddux...back when i still cared...maddux was a role model worthy of that role, amid a sea of worthless ones.; 8:16 PM, December 11, 2008
Anonymous said...: It was always fun going to a game in Atlanta to watch him work.

Gmac; 7:56 AM, December 12, 2008