Pitching discussion (was: When is the last time you've seen a NCAA Football team...)

[selmaborntidefan]

Re: When is the last time you've seen a NCAA Football team have four straight shutout




Follow me in this.


1988 (18-8, 3.18 ERA)
Lost 3-0 to STL in the 11th inning after he held them to two hits through 10
Leaves with a 2-1 leave on PIT, Pirates tie it but Cubs win later, Maddux ND

So basically, a hit and a decent pen and Maddux goes 20-7 in 1988. He won't win the Cy (Orel was lights out that year) but that increases his win total by two. But we're just getting started.

1989 (19-12, 2.95) - Cubs win NL East pennant
pitches a complete game three-hitter and loses, 1-0, on a double and error in the 8th
Maddux pitches 5 good innings and leaves leading, 3-0, and the bullpen blows it, 4-3 ND
first three batters get three hits and two runs, Maddux gives up 2 hits the rest of the way - and loses, 2-1
pitches 8 innings and gets pinch hit for in a 2-2 tie, Cubs score 3 in the 12th to win but Maddux ND

A little offense - two hits per game - and Maddux is suddenly 21-10 (and probably wins the CYA - he finished 3rd behind reliever Mark Davis and 20-game winner Mike Scott, but I think 21 wins on a division winner would have given him the award)


The problem is.....this is just a microcosm. Maddux's entire career from 1988-2001 is FULL of things like this.


In 1990, he wasn't quite as good. He was 15-15 with a 3.46, but remember he got a late start because of the lockout that year. It helped power pitchers throw a bunch of no-nos, but it hurt control pitchers like Maddux, who found their groove later.

Anyway, I could go on forever, but I concur with the above points.

At this point, we have 3 more Maddux wins with 2 fewer losses (1988-90)

GREG MADDUX
1991 - 15-11, 3.35 ERA, led league in IP

May 17 - Maddux throws nine shutout innings and allows only four hits, but the Cubs fail to score off Philly nobody Pat Combs. Cubs lose, 1-0, in the 16th

May 27 - Maddux pitches awesome for six innings, gives up single runs late, loses 3-1

June 1 - Maddux gives up a run in the first when Delino DeShields performs a Rickey (Henderson) rally (single, steal second, move to third then score on two out plays). He leaves for a pinch-hitter trailing, 1-0, in the 8th, and the Cubs win late, 2-1. Expos pitcher? A mediocrity named Chris Nabholz.

June 11 - to be fair, Maddux gets bombed for 5 runs early, but the Cubs bail him out though lose late.

August 14 - in a 4-batter sequence in the third, Maddux surrenders consecutive triples and then a single to lose, 2-0.

I'm willing to grant Maddux the May 17 and June 1 games as wins, given he had no offense. Indeed, in many other games, Maddux basically tried to pitch too late into the game and gave up the insurance runs (or more often put them on base and the pen failed). So we can grant him two here, so he's 17-10. Maddux is up five wins with just tiny bit of offense in four years.

1992 - 20-11, 2.18 ERA (his first CYA)

April 25 - Maddux gives up 4 hits in 8 innings and loses, 1-0, when a bizarre baserunning sequence leads to the only run for the Pirates

May 11 - Maddux gives up 4 hits and 1 run in 9 innings, leaves with a tie game - and Cubs lose in 10th.

May 16 - Maddux gives up 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings, leaves trailing 1-0, and the Cubs lose, 2-0

May 22 - Maddux pitches 7 shutout innings, surrenders 2 runs on 3 hits in 8th, loses, 2-0.

Aug 11 - Maddux gives up 4 hits and 2 runs in 8 innings, leaves tied, Cubs lose, 3-2, in 17th

Aug 21 - one out from a complete game win, Maddux surrenders a single and double allowing LA to tie it; Cubs win, 3-2, in 12th

Sep 25 - Maddux is pulled in 7th with 3-2 lead, Cubs blow lead later, lose in 10th

Seriously, Maddux could have had 25 wins in 1992 with a minimally competent offense. Only 3 teams scored fewer than Chicago's average of 3.66 runs per game (LA, San Fran, and the Angels)

We'll look at the Braves era next, but Maddux at this point should be about ten wins ahead of where he is career-wise. If I recall his Braves tenure as well as I think I recall it, the final number will be interesting.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

1993 - 20-10, 2.36 ERA

April 10 - Maddux goes 9 and gives up one run on five hits, but Orel Hershiser matches him pitch for pitch. Braves lose in the 10th, 2-1, when the bullpen loses it.

Apr 30 - Maddux gives up 2 runs on 5 hits in 10 stellar innings, but Mike Stanton gets the win on a Damon Berryhill walkoff in the 11th

May 5 - Maddux gives up 2 runs in 7 innings, gets lifted for Ryan Klesko as pinch-hitter trailing, 2-1, and Braves errors put the game out of reach in the 8th. (In these 3 games, Maddux has received a total of four runs of support while pitching 26 innings that gives him 2 NDs and a loss).

May 10 - Maddux gives up 2 runs on 3 hits and leaves with a tie game that the bullpen blows.

Sep 18 - one out from a 2-0 win, Maddux gives up 2 singles and a walk and gives way to Greg McMichael, who - needing one out - gives up 2 singles (one infield hit) for a tie and blows it in the 10th. To be fair, Maddux struck out 10 but ALSO gave up 10 hits and played with fire all day long.

Sep 28 - once again getting no offense at all, Maddux leaves after 7 innings trailing, 2-0, and the bullpen blows the loss wide open.

In the above six games, Maddux pitched 48.2 innings (averaging 8 innings per start), surrendered 11 runs (less than 2 per game), got only 8 runs of support, and was saddled with two losses and four no decisions. If the Braves had only had the offense they got after Fred McGriff arrived, Maddux would have easily won 25 games and been within shouting distance of 30. We can easily credit him with five wins the team lost for the poor fella in 1993.

This would put him at 370 wins, which would be fifth all-time (he's 8th as it is).

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I'm a MASSIVE Greg Maddux fan and I somehow never knew that he did this until I just saw this video....

I always thought all those little body movements were just part of his routine and had no idea that's how they were calling pitches!!

He really was 'The Professor'.

 

[B1GTide]

Amazing - thanks for sharing. I had no idea, and I watched every game that he pitched as a Brave.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Amazing - thanks for sharing. I had no idea, and I watched every game that he pitched as a Brave.

I’ll have more soon - when I’m near Wi Fi….

 

[selmaborntidefan]

1994 - 16-6, 1.56 ERA

Immediate questions arise when you look at the above statistics, the most obvious being, "How is it possible a guy who AVERAGED giving up less than 2 runs per game lose nearly 1/4 of his starts?"

Let's take a look.

April 19 - Maddux fell behind the Cardinals, 2-0, early thanks to a Todd Zeile solo shot and a two hits plus a walk score, but the Braves went ahead, Maddux taking a 4-2 lead into the 7th. Maddux scattered six hits and was pitching well. What happened? Well, after Luis Alicea singled to open the inning, Erik Pappas bounced a weird one to third that Terry Pendleton attempted to backhand in hopes of getting the double play. Instead, the ball short hopped him and went off his glove, putting 2 on and nobody out. Gerald Perry doubled to right, scoring both runners to tie the game, and Mike Stanton surrendered the runner charged to Maddux for a loss. I won't credit Maddux for a win here; it is far from certain that he would have won, and as Don Sutton pointed out right before the error, the Cardinals had the type of patient hitters that could give Maddux trouble. They gave him enough trouble to win this one. Two of the three runs charged to Maddux in the 7th were unearned.

April 30 - were he any other pitcher than Greg Maddux, this would have been a very good start. 7 1/3 innings, 7 hits, 3 walks, 5 Ks, and only two runs surrendered. But a then unknown Denny Neagle pitched EVEN BETTER, giving up only four hits and making only one bad pitch that Javier Lopez drilled for a solo homer. Again, Maddux did well and some Braves offense would have won it, but you have to give Neagle credit, too.

May 17 - Maddux goes 8 innings and leaves with a 3-2 lead only to see the bullpen (McMichael) give up the tying run with two outs in the ninth (a Barry Larkin RBI single). To make it better, McMichael then committed TWO ERRORS ON ONE PLAY in the bottom of the 10th, setting up the Reds to win and wasting a magnificent effort by Maddux, who got a no decision. (Credit win)

June 6 - Maddux is pulled for a pinch-hitter to lead off the 8th, trailing 2-1. The Braves rally to take a 3-2 lead into the 9th. Once again, Greg McMichael blows the game. The reason I won't give Maddux a phantom win here is because Andy Benes of the Padres DID outpitch Maddux. Again - he was only "off" by the standards of Mad Dog.

June 17 - Maddux is pulled after 7.1 with the Braves leading the Reds, 4-2. Steve Bedrosian gives up a two-out double to Kevin Mitchell that pulls the Reds to within one. ONCE AGAIN, Greg McMichael loses the game with a horrid effort as closer in the 9th. With one on and two out - needing one out to nail down the save - McMichael walked pinch-hitter Jacob Brumfield, gave up a single to Deion Sanders and a double to Barry Larkin, plating two runs and giving the Reds the lead and Maddux the ND. (Maddux was pulled after getting Barry Larkin out in the 8th.....) - Credit win - Braves did win the game in a walkoff.

(Seriously - at this point, if the Braves just had a closer, Maddux has a 20-2 record in a strike season).

June 22 - perhaps tired of seeing Maddux hosed by the pen, Cox leaves him in the game with a 2-1 lead in the 8th. But a Maddux error with runners on 1st and 2nd and nobody out opens the floodgates to a four-run inning and Maddux loses, but his ERA doesn't suffer too much.

June 27 - Maddux takes a 1-1 tie into the 7th against Ken Hill and the Expos, when Maddux loses it, giving up 4 stolen bases in one inning and a 3-run bomb to Scott Fletcher.

July 8 - Maddux goes the distance and gives up 2 runs on only 6 hits. Unfortunately for him, Bob Tewksbury goes the distance and gives up 0 runs on 4 hits. Neither pitcher walks a batter. But given that Tewksbury had a 5.32 ERA on the season, we credit Maddux for a win and blame the anemic Atlanta offense for not giving the guy any run support.

(For those wondering, no, Eric Gregg was not even in the game).

July 26 - Maddux gives up only one earned run in 8 innings. Unfortunately, the Braves make 3 errors that lead to four Montreal runs in a 5-3 Braves loss.

In 1994, Maddux started 25 times and had a record of 16-6 with three no decisions. In the nine games in which he did not win, the Braves provided him with 22 runs of support in those 9 games, an average of just 2.4 runs per game. What makes this truly bizarre is that for the season, the Braves averaged 4.75 runs per game, fourth best in a 14-team National League.

Better yet, Maddux only surrendered more than three earned runs ONE TIME, the June 27 loss to Montreal. In 25 starts, he held the opposition to TWO OR FEWER RUNS no less than TWENTY times.

A pitcher with 4.75 runs of support who only gives up 2 runs per game is going to win damn near every game.

Looked at from macro analysis, we could revise Maddux's record to 20-2, but since micro analysis shows he WAS outpitched by both Denny Neagle and Andy Benes and drew a fluke performance from Bob Tewksbury, we will credit him with two additional wins in 1994.

(Note: I will of course have to evaluate his WINS closer and see how often Maddux "got lucky" such as leaving a game three runs down that they rally and win and you get it, but this is interesting to me).

 

[selmaborntidefan]

SIDE NOTE: ERIC GREGG CALLING MADDUX GAMES

1988
April 11 - Win (6-1, 4Ks vs 5)
May 11 - Win (Maddux CG 10 innings, 8 K vs 5)

1991
April 10 - Win (2-0, 8 IP, 5Ks vs 4)

1993
July 31 - Win (4-3, 8 IP, 4Ks vs 6)

1995
May 17 - Loss (6-5 vs Rockies, 8 IP, 7Ks vs 7)
Sept 27 - Win (6-0, 6 IP - pulled for playoffs)

1996
NLDS Game 2 - Win (3-2, 7 IP, 10Ks vs 7)

1997
May 21 - Win (3-2, CG, 6Ks vs 5)

Note: prior to the infamous game, Maddux was 7-1 all-time with Gregg behind the plate, his only loss due largely to his first appearance at Coors Field right after the long strike and his own battle with the flu.

Oct 12 - NLCS Game 5 - Loss (2-1, 7 IP, 9Ks vs 15)

1998
August 23 - Win - a wild game, Maddux gave up three bombs - and 10 hits - in just 5 innings while striking out 7, but long enough to get a 12-7 win.

Maddux Overall With Eric Gregg Behind Home Plate:
8-2
More Ks than the opposition in same number of innings four times, same number three times.

 

[BamaNation]

I'm a MASSIVE Greg Maddux fan and I somehow never knew that he did this until I just saw this video....

I always thought all those little body movements were just part of his routine and had no idea that's how they were calling pitches!!

He really was 'The Professor'.

Remarkable how he could do that in the heat of the summer and in the middle of the game. Such natural movements. He was playing 4D chess (along with Eddie) and most of the batters were playing pong on an old VCS machine.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

1995 - 19-2, 1.63 ERA

May 7 - while pitching a gem against the Phillies, Maddux collides with Dave Hollins on a play at first base, twisting his knee, and resulting in his removal from the game with a 4-0 lead against Curt Schilling. Philly pheasts on the bullpen and the Braves, just four outs from a win, lose, 5-4.

May 12 - Maddux is spotted a 3-0 lead and leaves with a 4-2 lead and runners on base, but the bullpen again implodes and the Reds win, 5-4.

I'm willing to spot Maddux a win on May 7, but he was pulled with the runners on in the 8th. Yeah, maybe the twisted knee did make him ineffective (no doubt it did), but that's still baseball unfortunately.

May 17 - Maddux gets ripped early and blows it late to the Rockies, 6-5. Note: I previously said that Eric Gregg was calling this game in Colorado. Gregg WAS calling the game, but it was in Atlanta.

June 3 - Maddux gives up one run on four hits in 8 innings and is pulled for a pinch-hitter when Mark Lemke's homer to right in the bottom of the 8th ties it. Atlanta loses, 2-1, but the simple fact is that Darryl Kile pitched better than Maddux even (8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 10 Ks, 1 BB).

June 9 - with a faltering bullpen, Bobby Cox opts to let Maddux close out a 2-1 win. But with two outs in the ninth and a runner on, Todd Zeile doubles to tie the game, leaving Maddux with nothing to show for a stellar effort. Ken Hill was not as good as Maddux - but he was close enough to help STL win.

July 6 - as shocking as this sounds, knuckleballer Tom Candiotti outpitches Maddux, who is pulled with two outs in the bottom of the 8th for a pinch-hitter in a 0-0 game. Atlanta wins in the 9th. This is the third time in a month Maddux gets a loss or no decision in a game where his ERA DECREASES.

July 24 - Maddux scatters 9 hits in 7 IP while striking out nine, but Esteban Loaiza matches his effort. Atlanta wins late and for the 4th time, Maddux's ERA goes down but he gets nothing good for it.

August 9 - Maddux can't find the plate and gets shelled, 9-3, by the Reds. He leaves trailing, 5-3, and the firemen turn to arsonists.

September 10 - Maddux pitches a great inning backed by a second-string squad after the Braves opted to give the regulars a bit of rest after the pennant clinching. But rain delays the game too long for Maddux to return, and after another rain delay removes closer Mark Wohlers, Florida scratches out a win.

So it all depends on how we look at it.

Maddux should have AT LEAST 4 more wins than he does - Atlanta's offense was horrendous for a championship team in 1995. AS GOOD as Peak Maddux was in 1995, his record should have been about 23-1 in a partial season. In all honesty, Atlanta should have had the talent to beat Darryl Kile as well, but I find it difficult to credit Maddux here. Kile wasn't an all-time great, but he was a good pitcher, and we have to credit him for rising to the occasion against Atlanta.

 

[BhamToTexas]

1995 - 19-2, 1.63 ERA

May 7 - while pitching a gem against the Phillies, Maddux collides with Dave Hollins on a play at first base, twisting his knee, and resulting in his removal from the game with a 4-0 lead against Curt Schilling. Philly pheasts on the bullpen and the Braves, just four outs from a win, lose, 5-4.

May 12 - Maddux is spotted a 3-0 lead and leaves with a 4-2 lead and runners on base, but the bullpen again implodes and the Reds win, 5-4.

I'm willing to spot Maddux a win on May 7, but he was pulled with the runners on in the 8th. Yeah, maybe the twisted knee did make him ineffective (no doubt it did), but that's still baseball unfortunately.

May 17 - Maddux gets ripped early and blows it late to the Rockies, 6-5. Note: I previously said that Eric Gregg was calling this game in Colorado. Gregg WAS calling the game, but it was in Atlanta.

June 3 - Maddux gives up one run on four hits in 8 innings and is pulled for a pinch-hitter when Mark Lemke's homer to right in the bottom of the 8th ties it. Atlanta loses, 2-1, but the simple fact is that Darryl Kile pitched better than Maddux even (8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 10 Ks, 1 BB).

June 9 - with a faltering bullpen, Bobby Cox opts to let Maddux close out a 2-1 win. But with two outs in the ninth and a runner on, Todd Zeile doubles to tie the game, leaving Maddux with nothing to show for a stellar effort. Ken Hill was not as good as Maddux - but he was close enough to help STL win.

July 6 - as shocking as this sounds, knuckleballer Tom Candiotti outpitches Maddux, who is pulled with two outs in the bottom of the 8th for a pinch-hitter in a 0-0 game. Atlanta wins in the 9th. This is the third time in a month Maddux gets a loss or no decision in a game where his ERA DECREASES.

July 24 - Maddux scatters 9 hits in 7 IP while striking out nine, but Esteban Loaiza matches his effort. Atlanta wins late and for the 4th time, Maddux's ERA goes down but he gets nothing good for it.

August 9 - Maddux can't find the plate and gets shelled, 9-3, by the Reds. He leaves trailing, 5-3, and the firemen turn to arsonists.

September 10 - Maddux pitches a great inning backed by a second-string squad after the Braves opted to give the regulars a bit of rest after the pennant clinching. But rain delays the game too long for Maddux to return, and after another rain delay removes closer Mark Wohlers, Florida scratches out a win.

So it all depends on how we look at it.

Maddux should have AT LEAST 4 more wins than he does - Atlanta's offense was horrendous for a championship team in 1995. AS GOOD as Peak Maddux was in 1995, his record should have been about 23-1 in a partial season. In all honesty, Atlanta should have had the talent to beat Darryl Kile as well, but I find it difficult to credit Maddux here. Kile wasn't an all-time great, but he was a good pitcher, and we have to credit him for rising to the occasion against Atlanta.

Simply amazing. What a year.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

1996 - 15-11, 2.72 ERA

April 6 - as a reminder, Jeff Blauser sat out the 1995 World Series with an injury which, despite an Opening Day home run, he had not recovered. Blauser's throwing error on the 2nd batter of the game wound up costing Maddux and the Braves two runs. Maddux pitched through the 9th, and Atlanta tied it with one out in the bottom of the 9th when Mark Lemke walked with the bases loaded. Once again, Atlanta's anemic offense cost Maddux a stellar pitching performance for the win. And once again, the bullpen lost the game in extra innings.

April 11 - Maddux gave up only two runs on five hits, but the Braves couldn't hit Andy Ashby and saddled Maddux with his first loss of 1996.

May 3 - Maddux took a 2-1 lead (and 3-hitter) into the 9th only to first give up the tying run and then surrender his first-ever regular season grand slam from Benito Santiago, en route to a 6-3 Braves loss against Philly.

May 7 - leading 2-0 in the 7th against the Rockies, Maddux implodes and gives up 4 runs on 5 hits. Atlanta recovers to take him off the hook for the decision, and the Braves win in the 10th when David Justice scores on a Javy Lopez double.

May 21 - Maddux goes 8 innings and leaves with a 2-2 tie. The bullpen collapses needing only one out to set the stage for the walkoff, and the Cubs win, 4-2.

May 26 - Maddux is pulled with a 3-1 lead entering the 8th for Greg McMichael, who gives up a run and is relieved by Mark Wohlers, who is back to his wild younger days. The Pirates tie it in the 9th, but the Braves win in the 13th on a 3-run shot by Marquis Grissom.

June 1 - a Chipper Jones error prolongs a Maddux first where he gives up 3 runs on 3 hits. In the next seven innings, Maddux scatters five hits and loses, 3-2.

June 12 - Maddux goes 7 innings and gives up 3 runs, outpitched by Mark Clark in a 3-2 Braves loss.

July 2 - after 3 straight wins, Maddux has a bit off an off-night. Only one run of support, but he gives up five in a 5-1 loss to Montreal.

July 20 - Maddux enters the bottom of the 9th of a 1-1 tie, but a single, sacrifice with a Fred McGriff error, walk and then steal due to indifference and a hit by Derek Bell plates the winning run in a 2-1 Astros win. A stellar Maddux performance is again not enough.

July 25 - Maddux doesn't have his best stuff and gives up a 2-run shot to Barry Bonds in the first to fall behind, 3-0. He gives up another run later and the Braves lose, 4-3. Note: the Braves did not score until Maddux was out, meaning in 7 innings (and yes, he wasn't great), he got ZERO support.

July 30 - Maddux gives up 1 run in 7 innings - but because he leaves trailing and the Padres add another run, he gets 0 support and loses, 2-1.

August 3 - Maddux is pulled after 7 and leaves with a 3-2 lead, but needing one out to close the deal, Mark Wohlers gives up a two-out triple to Raoul Mondesi and a single that ties the game. Atlanta wins, 5-3, in the 18th.

August 18 - Maddux gives up one run in 7 innings and leaves with a 1-1 tie. The Braves win, 2-1, in the 13th.

September 8 - Maddux gets hit early, 5 runs in 5 IP and loses - and gets 0 runs while he's in the game.

September 28 - Maddux is pulled after 2 as Bobby is setting the rotation for the playoffs and letting everyone get a workout. Atlanta wins, 4-0.

Note Well Again:
April 6 - 9 innings, 2 support runs
April 11 - 7 innings, 1 support run
May 3 - 8.1 innings, 2 support runs
May 21 - 8 innings, 2 support runs
May 26 - 7 innings, 3 support runs
June 1 - 8 innings, 2 support runs
June 12 - 7 innings, 1 support run
July 20 - 8.2 innings, 1 support run
July 25 - 7 innings, 0 runs
July 30 - 7 innings, 0 runs
Aug 3 - 7 innings, 3 runs
Aug 18 - 7 innings, 1 support run

12 games
91 innings pitched
18 runs of support

The Braves (in 1996) averaged 4.77 runs per game. If they had simply given Maddux FOUR runs of support per 9 innings, he wins AT LEAST SEVEN of the games above.

If Maddux attains another 7 wins, his 15-11 record is now something around 22-8 with a 2.72 ERA.

Now compare Maddux with that year's Cy Young winner (with this poor record, he tied Trevor Hoffman for 5th).

Theoretical Maddux: 22-8, 2.72 ERA, 245 IP, 11 HR, 28 BB (11 intentional), 172 K, 4 WP, 20 ROE*
Cy Young Winner: 24-8, 2.94 ERA, 253.2 IP, 19 HR, 55 BB (3 intentional), 276 K, 10 WP, 13 ROE

ROE - for those who don't know it is reached on errors.

See, that's the thing: John Smoltz won the Cy Young in 1996 - because he won 24 games and led the league in strikeouts. Don't get me wrong, I like him and he had one helluva year. But remember that Maddux had won four Cys in a row - and 22 wins would have gotten it for him again with the better ERA.

Even the year Smoltz won it, Maddux actually pitched better than Smoltz did. Smoltz only faced 17 batters more than Maddux did but gave up nearly twice as many walks, 8 more dingers, and six more wild pitches.

Look at some of the games Smoltz had and support (I only count support while he was pitching):

April 19 - 7 runs
April 24 - 7 runs
May 5 - 8 runs
May 10 - 11 runs
May 14 - 7 runs
May 19 - 8 runs
June 9 - 8 runs
June 19 - 5 runs
August 7 - 13 runs
September 7 - 6 runs
September 9 - 7 runs (and Smoltz STILL lost)
September 22 - 8 runs

In the above 12 games, Smoltz got 95 runs of support and it got him a record of 10-1. In most of those games, the Braves gave up quite a few runs, too, though Smoltz OVERALL pitched well.

What do you think his record would have been if those 12 games had given him 18 runs of support - like Maddux got?

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Now, I WILL have to go through and figure out how many times Maddux won a game he should have lost. Those will be fewer, but it happens.

But thus far, we can add approximately 28 more wins for Maddux over his career. That would boost him to 382 wins, which would be #5 on the list; if we can find two more, he'd be #3 all-time.

And if that had actually happened - I think more people would agree with his greatness, too.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I remember a Padres-Pirates game in the 90s in which Zane Smith brushed back Gary Sheffield and nearly hit him with a pitch. It really seemed to tick him off and he ended up homering in the same at-bat. Can you find this box score?

My apologies - I just now saw this.

You are referring to the May 25, 1992 game between San Diego and Pittsburgh, won by the Padres, 7-6.

Box score:
Retrosheet Boxscore: San Diego Padres 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 6

 

[selmaborntidefan]

1997 - 19-4, 2.20 ERA
Braves RPG average: 4.88

April 2 - Maddux gave up 4 runs early - he seemingly had trouble with a number of early season starts - and the Braves lost, 4-3. Maddux gave up 10 hits in only 6 innings.
Run support: 2 runs

April 12 - Maddux gives up 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings, but Atlanta waits until the 9th to win, 2-1.
Run support: 1 run

May 2 - Maddux gives up 4 hits and 2 runs in 7 IP, but leaves with a 2-2 tie; Braves lose, 3-2 in the 9th.
Run support: 2 runs

May 7 - Maddux gives up 2 runs in 7.2 IP and leaves leading, 2-1, with a runner on 2nd. Wohlers gives up a game-tying single and the Braves win it in 12.
Run support: 2 runs

June 2 - Maddux has an off day, giving up 5 runs in 7 IP and loses to Padre rookie Heath Murray, who is making his first career start.
Run support: 3 runs

June 13 - one bad inning undoes Maddux as he gives up 4 runs on 5 hits to Baltimore. 6 IP.
Run support: 1 run

Maddux won his next 8 games and five of those games saw Atlanta score 7 or more runs (he beat the Yankees, 2-0)

August 1 - Maddux goes 7 IP and gives up only 3 hits and 1 run, but leaves trailing, 1-0. Atlanta ties it in the 8th only to lose, 3-2, in the 12th.
Run support: 0 runs

August 6 - Maddux gets through 5 IP with 0 runs, but he gets shelled for 6 hits in the 6th, Bobby Cox ejected for arguing about the "changing strike zone." Atlanta wins it with a walkoff home run by Danny Bautista
Run support: 3 runs

August 11 - Maddux gives up only 5 hits and 1 run in 8 IP, but leaves a 1-1 tie that the Braves pull out in the 9th, 2-1
Run support: 1 run

August 27 - Maddux is pulled after 8 IP with a 3-1 lead only to watch Wohlers give up a triple, a game-tying homer, a single, a passed ball - and retire one batter. Atlanta loses, 4-3, in the 13th.
Run support: 3 runs

September 1 - Maddux gives up 3 runs in 7 IP, but the Braves only get him 2 runs in a 4-2 loss.
Run support: 2 runs

September 12 - Maddux scatters 4 hits and leaves after 8 IP with a 1-0 lead, but Wohlers and Cather implode, giving up 3 runs and losing the game, 3-1, and costing Maddux what would have been his 19th win.
Run support: 1 run

September 22 - Maddux goes 8 IP and gives way to a pinch-hitter (Keith Lockhart) with a 2-2 tie. The Braves win in extras.
Run support: 2 runs

Maddux lost the CYA to Pedro Martinez in 1997, who had the following numbers:

Pedro - 17-8, 1.90 ERA, 13 CG, 4 SHO, 305 K
Maddux - 19-4, 2.20 ERA, 5 CG, 2 SHO, 177 K

It's hard to say Pedro was undeserving, but let's note that while he gave up 42 fewer hits than Maddux did, he gave up nearly twice as many home runs (17-9), and walked three times as many batters. Voters did understand that PEDRO was hindered by poor run support.

But so was Maddux - which the 3 voters who voted him 1st (ahead of 20-5 Denny Neagle, who got ZERO first-place votes) understood.

13 games
93.2 innings pitched
23 runs support

1.77 runs of support by a team averaging 4.88 per game.

Again, just a four-run average and Maddux goes 27-2....and all the "but Pedro didn't get any run support" in the world wouldn't have changed the fact that in 1997, a 27-game winner gets the CYA.

Maddux pitched every bit as well in 1996 and 1997 as he did in the two strike shortened campaigns (his ERA probably would have been a tad higher those years with more starts). But his record of 34-15 should be something closer to 49-10, too.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

1998 - 18-9, 2.22 ERA (led NL in ERA)

In 1998, the Atlanta Braves won a franchise record 106 games in the regular season, an accomplishment completely unnoticed thanks to the Yankees winning 114, the Home Run Chase of Sosa and McGwire, and the (again) collapse of the Braves in the post-season once again. In 1998, the Braves averaged 5.09 runs per game. We will again proceed as if they'd only scored FOUR for Maddux what his record would be.

March 31 - Maddux goes 7 IP and gives up six hits but only one run, leaving with a no decision. Braves beat the Brewers, 2-1, in the 9th on a throwing error by Mike Matheny
Run support: 1 run

April 5 - Maddux goes 8 IP, surrenders 5 hits and 2 runs and loses to Curt Schilling, 2-1.
Run support: 1 run (no credit for Maddux here as Schilling was an excellent pitcher, too; I cannot assume the Braves should have scored 4 runs against Curt)

April 10 - Maddux goes 8 IP and gives up 5 hits and 0 runs and leaves a 0-0 tie that Philly wins in the 9th
Run support: 0 runs

Three games into the season, Maddux has a 0.78 ERA and has pitched 23 innings and given up only 2 runs and has 1 loss and 2 no decisions. Granted, he faced Schilling two of those games.

April 26 - (my brother was at this game with a church youth group) - Maddux gets shelled for six runs in the first three innings; the Braves rally but because they never tie the game, Maddux is saddled with the loss in a 7-6 Rockies win
Run support: 5 runs

May 16 - Maddux leaves after 7 innings in a 2-2 tie with Houston; Craig Biggio hits a walkoff homer in a 3-2 Braves loss; Maddux had no decision when he left versus Shane Reynolds
Run support: 2 runs

May 27 - Maddux beats the Expos, 2-0, when the Braves get only 3 hits against rookie Javier Vazquez.
Run support: 2 runs

June 12 - Maddux leaves with a 5-2 lead over the Expos after 7 IP; the bullpen gives up five runs in the top of the ninth and the Braves lose, 7-5. No decision
Run support: 5 runs

June 22 - Maddux is pulled after six with a 4-3 lead over the Yankees; El Presidente' comes on and after a controversial Derek Jeter bunt, Bobby Cox is run and the Yankees score three to win.
Run support: 3 runs

July 11 - Maddux gives up 2 runs on 4 hits through 7 but three singles and a sac fly in the 8th score two runs and the Marlins upend Maddux, 4-3.
Run support: 3 runs

July 21 - Kerry Wood outduels Maddux, 3-0, in a classic
Run support: 0 runs

July 26 - Maddux is bailed out by three 8th inning singles with the winning run in a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh
Run support: 2 runs

July 31 - leading 2-0 in the 6th, a Walt Weiss error on a Mark McGwire grounder leaves two on. Maddux leaves a pitch too high (by his own admission) to Ray Lankford, who jacks it into the seats for the first homer off Maddux in 84 innings. Cards win, 3-2.
Run support: 2 runs

August 12 - Maddux has an off game and loses to San Diego, 5-1
run support: 1 run (vs Andy Ashby)

August 28 - Maddux leaves with a 4-3 lead after 7. But two outs from a win, the bullpen blows it, giving up a game-tying home run to Fernando Tatis and losing the game, 5-4, in the tenth. Bizarrely enough, the Braves pitched to Mark McGwire - yes, in 1998 - and struck him out with the tying run at second only to lose on a two-out single by Ron Gant.
run support: 3 runs

September 2 - Randy Johnson wipes the floor with Maddux, who uncharacteristically gives up three bombs and loses, 4-2.
run support: 1 run

September 8 - Maddux gives up 4 in the first and 2 in the third in a forgettable outing to Montreal
run support: 3 runs

September 13 - Maddux is pulled after giving up just one hit in 6 IP with a 1-0 lead; Odalis Perez implodes and the Marlins tag a huge lead and hold on to win, 6-5.
run support: 1 run

September 18 - two errors (one by Maddux) and zero offense spell a 5-0 loss to Arizona
run support: 0 runs

The Braves scored 123 runs during the 251 innings Maddux was on the mound in 1998.

Math in next post.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I may need to go back and make this calculation for previous years because it drives home the point - Maddux won 355 games DESPITE getting BELOW AVERAGE support, which only shows how phenomenal he truly was.


Maddux threw 251 innings in 34 starts, an average of 7.38 (just short of 7 3/8 inning per start). The Braves scored 826 runs in 1998, only four of those in extra innings (826 - 4 = 822). So the Braves actually scored 822 runs in 162 regular 9-inning games, an AVERAGE of 5.07 runs PER GAME.

Because Maddux pitched 7.38 innings per game (on average), the Braves SHOULD have scored 4.17 runs PER TIME MADDUX WAS ON THE MOUND, which would have been a total of 141 runs. But the Braves not only fell short of 141 runs, they fell a full 18 runs short, more than 1/2 of a run per start. If Maddux had not thrown five shutouts, his record would have been horrible - but he still would have been a great pitcher.

(Note on the math: the average they should have scored for Maddux is derived by calculating that a team that scores 5.07 runs per 9 innings should - on average - score 4.17 runs per 7.38 innings, which was the Maddux average; if you remember "proportions," that's what we're doing here).

If the Braves had scored 4.17 runs PER START for Maddux's time on the mound, he would have won (all things being equal) AT LEAST 22 games in 1998 (that's the number of games Maddux held the opposition to 2 runs or less). With a minimally competent bullpen, Maddux would have gotten FOUR MORE wins (the games he gave up 3 runs or less). His record just in the "2 runs or less" games would have been an overalll season of 22-7 with a league-leading 2.22 ERA. If he had THOSE stats - he would have won the Cy Young yet again.

So who won the Cy Young in 1998? Maddux's teammate, Tom Glavine. Maddux finished fourth behind Trevor Hoffman's 53 saves and Kevin Brown's 18-7 season while Smoltz was fifth. Maddux led the league in ERA and shutouts - but his 18-9 record combined with "he didn't have a Greg Maddux year" cost him the award. And Maddux's ERA was BELOW 2.00 from May 27 to September 2.

What were his stats? 20-6, 2.47 ERA.
And what was Glavine's run support?

Glavine pitched 229.1 innings in 33 starts, meaning an average of 6.95 innings per start, meaning the Braves should have provided Glavine with 3.91 runs per starts. Multiplied times 33 starts, the Braves should have scored 129 runs for Glavine.

How many did they score for Glavine? 127, two runs below expected average. This DOES advocate Glavine had a very good year on the mound, which is not surprising.

But what would Glavine's record have been if the Braves had shorted him EIGHTEEN runs as they did Maddux? Well, he likely drops from 20-6 to about 14-12 - even with the same ERA.

I will not argue the 1998 Cy Young Award selection was bad, it wasn't.

But it is also true that Glavine was not even the best pitcher in the Atlanta locker room in 1998.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I may need to go back and make this calculation for previous years because it drives home the point - Maddux won 355 games DESPITE getting BELOW AVERAGE support, which only shows how phenomenal he truly was.


Maddux threw 251 innings in 34 starts, an average of 7.38 (just short of 7 3/8 inning per start). The Braves scored 826 runs in 1998, only four of those in extra innings (826 - 4 = 822). So the Braves actually scored 822 runs in 162 regular 9-inning games, an AVERAGE of 5.07 runs PER GAME.

Because Maddux pitched 7.38 innings per game (on average), the Braves SHOULD have scored 4.17 runs PER TIME MADDUX WAS ON THE MOUND, which would have been a total of 141 runs. But the Braves not only fell short of 141 runs, they fell a full 18 runs short, more than 1/2 of a run per start. If Maddux had not thrown five shutouts, his record would have been horrible - but he still would have been a great pitcher.

(Note on the math: the average they should have scored for Maddux is derived by calculating that a team that scores 5.07 runs per 9 innings should - on average - score 4.17 runs per 7.38 innings, which was the Maddux average; if you remember "proportions," that's what we're doing here).

If the Braves had scored 4.17 runs PER START for Maddux's time on the mound, he would have won (all things being equal) AT LEAST 22 games in 1998 (that's the number of games Maddux held the opposition to 2 runs or less). With a minimally competent bullpen, Maddux would have gotten FOUR MORE wins (the games he gave up 3 runs or less). His record just in the "2 runs or less" games would have been an overalll season of 22-7 with a league-leading 2.22 ERA. If he had THOSE stats - he would have won the Cy Young yet again.

So who won the Cy Young in 1998? Maddux's teammate, Tom Glavine. Maddux finished fourth behind Trevor Hoffman's 53 saves and Kevin Brown's 18-7 season while Smoltz was fifth. Maddux led the league in ERA and shutouts - but his 18-9 record combined with "he didn't have a Greg Maddux year" cost him the award. And Maddux's ERA was BELOW 2.00 from May 27 to September 2.

What were his stats? 20-6, 2.47 ERA.
And what was Glavine's run support?

Glavine pitched 229.1 innings in 33 starts, meaning an average of 6.95 innings per start, meaning the Braves should have provided Glavine with 3.91 runs per starts. Multiplied times 33 starts, the Braves should have scored 129 runs for Glavine.

How many did they score for Glavine? 127, two runs below expected average. This DOES advocate Glavine had a very good year on the mound, which is not surprising.

But what would Glavine's record have been if the Braves had shorted him EIGHTEEN runs as they did Maddux? Well, he likely drops from 20-6 to about 14-12 - even with the same ERA.

I will not argue the 1998 Cy Young Award selection was bad, it wasn't.

But it is also true that Glavine was not even the best pitcher in the Atlanta locker room in 1998.

I'm loving these series of posts btw, so thank you!!

Anyone would be hard pressed to find a bigger Maddux fan than me but I probably have a split take on 1997 and 1998.

I would say they got 1997 right because Pedro was so dominant and his ERA was a good bit lower and he also had 8 more CG.

But I agree that in 1998 that Maddux probably should have won for the same reasons.... Lower ERA and more CGs.

But the biggest thing that I admit being slow to realize in your breakdowns is that my goodness if Greg had gotten a bit better run support he very well could have won 400+ games and especially if you think about his Cub years.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I would say they got 1997 right because Pedro was so dominant and his ERA was a good bit lower and he also had 8 more CG.

But I agree that in 1998 that Maddux probably should have won for the same reasons.... Lower ERA and more CGs.

I won't argue that Pedro was undeserving of the CYA; his team averaged 4.26 runs per game, scoring exactly 100 fewer runs than the Braves did.

Look at their "every" stats against one another:

Pedro - 17-8, 1.90 ERA, 13 CG, 305 Ks, 67 BB, 4 SHO
Maddux - 19-4, 2.20 ERA, 5 CG, 177 Ks, 20 BB, 2 SHO

You're reading that number correctly - Maddux only walked 20 batters all year in 1997 - and six of those were intentional.

But with the numbers above, I agree with you - I would have had to have voted for Pedro as the better pitcher of the year even though Maddux was probably a BETTER PITCHER even in 1997. Two of Pedro's 8 losses were to the Braves

Here are Pedro's losses in 1997:
May 28 - Mets, 7-0 (the Mets got 5 unearned runs on an error early)
June 3 - Mets, 2-1 (Pedro gave up a solo shot to lose in the 8th)
June 20 - Marlins, 2-1
July 5 - Braves, 5-3 (Chipper's grand slam was the game)
July 18 - Astros, 2-0
August 14 - Dodgers, 1-0
September 4 - Phillies, 6-4 (Pedro gave up 3 bombs in this one)
September 20 - Braves, 3-1

In those 7 losses, Pedro threw 5 complete games and got a total of 10 runs of support (in 7 games).

So yes - he absolutely deserved the Cy.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

1999 - 19-9, 3.57 ERA

The 1999 Atlanta Braves had the best record in baseball (103-59).

Greg Maddux turned 33 years old early in the 1999 season, an important benchmark NORMALLY in assessing a player's career decline phase. There ARE exceptions - Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan are two - but the decline phase starts at 32 and can (if your name is Andruw Jones) begin even earlier. It can be rapid or slow - but it is inevitable. In 1999, Greg Maddux was STILL one of the best pitchers in baseball; he was just no longer the undisputed king in the NL. In fact, in 1999 - at least as far as the stats reveal - it can be argued that he wasn't even the best pitcher in his own clubhouse.

Maybe.

Maddux's ERA skyrocketed (for him), more than twice as high as his peak years (1994-95). It could have been disastrous for his record - but he finally got some run support.

Amazingly, Maddux still finished third in the NL in wins behind two Astros pitchers, Mike Hampton and Jose Lima. Yes, he won more games than CYA winner Randy Johnson, but the Big Unit had an ERA well over a run lower than Maddux did.

April 11 - a familiar pattern unfolds. Maddux is pulled after 8 innings trailing, 2-1, and the Braves rally to win, 3-2, when Arizona's bullpen collapses. There would be no shame in trailing Randy Johnson, 2-1, but this was Todd Stottlemyre.

April 18 - Maddux gives up 4 runs in 6 innings....but he wins when the Braves offense explodes for 20 runs off of six Colorado pitchers; it should be noted that Atlanta only scored NINE runs for Maddux and erupted for a 10-run ninth inning.

April 24 - Maddux gives up six runs in five innings thanks to 4 Atlanta errors, but the Braves score eight for him, and he escapes with a win.

May 4 - Maddux gets rocked for a 6-run second inning, 8 runs in only 4.1 innings and loses, 9-1

May 9 - Maddux gets 0 run support and gives up 4 ER (5 total) in a loss to Sterling Hitchcock and the Padres

May 15 - Maddux goes 7 innings and get rocked for 14 hits and 5 runs in a 5-1 loss to the Cubs.

May 20 - Maddux gets hit early for 5 runs but finds his groove, pulled when trailing, 5-4, after 7. The Braves lose to the Cubs, 6-5, on an error in the 12th.

After 10 starts in 1999, Maddux is 4-3, 5.02 ERA, given up 7 home runs and an astonishing 88 hits in 57.1 IP. To put it mildly, Maddux looks like almost any Braves starter from the 70s-80s.

May 25 - the old Maddux returns, both pitching and luck. Pulled after 7 with a 2-0 lead having pitched just a cut below his peak, the Atlanta bullpen holds the lead for only three hitters. The Braves win late, but Maddux is denied the decision.

May 30 - Maddux goes 7 and is pulled trailing, 4-1, but the Braves rally to tie it only to lose in 11.

June 5 - Maddux goes 8 innings and gives up 5 runs...but the Braves bail him out with a run in the top of the 9th and John Rocker holds on for the win for Maddux and his own save.

June 11 - Maddux takes a 1-0 lead into the sixth and gets bombed for 5 runs en route to a 6-2 loss to the Orioles

June 16 - the old Maddux is back, striking out 10 in only 6.2 innings and giving up only three hits in a 3-1 win over the Astros

For his next four starts, Maddux hit his stride: 4-0, 0.64 ERA, 28 IP, 2 ER, 7 BB, 14 K.

July 16 - the Yankees tear into Maddux for 5 runs in 3 IP, and he leaves trailing, 5-3. Atlanta rallies and drills El Dugue (Orlando Hernandez) and Ramiro Mendoza for 7 runs en route to a 10-7 win. Maddux is bailed out by a powerful offense.

July 21 - Maddux pitches one of his best games of the year, going the distance - and losing, 2-0. But Dennis Springer of the Marlins also went the distance and did better.

For his next 8 starts: 8-0, 2.84 ERA, 57 IP, 6 BB, 41 Ks

September 12 - Maddux goes five innings and gives up six runs (5 ER) in an 8-4 loss to the Giants, ending his winning streak

September 18 - Maddux goes the distance and scatters 8 hits - but THREE Atlanta errors give Montreal a 4-3 win and Maddux his 8th loss

September 29 - with the pennant clinched, Maddux takes a 2-1 lead into the 4th only to get waxed for seven runs, 4 on a grand slam by John Olerud in a 7-2 Mets triumph.


========================

Maddux was still a VERY GOOD pitcher in 1999, he just wasn't the Maddux of old. We should note that using one of Bill James's many theorems, Maddux SHOULD have had a record - based on his ERA and run support - of 16-8, meaning he OUTPITCHED his statistics even in 1999.

The following STARTING NL pitchers were - without question - better than Maddux at least in terms of on the mound accomplishment in 1999:
Randy Johnson
Kevin Brown
Kevin Millwood
Mike Hampton

He was about equal with Curt Schilling and John Smoltz this particular year, and though his record was worse, you would still have chosen him over Jose Lima and Russ Ortiz.

In the American League, Pedro Martinez (23-4, 2.07) is about where Maddux was in 1994-95.
He's about even with Mike Mussina in the AL.

Todd Ritchie (Pittsburgh) had one helluva fluke year that he never replicated. So did Omar Daal (Arizona) who had only one other year remotely close to his 1999. So taken in ALL OF BASEBALL, Maddux - despite a pretty horrid year by his standards - is still on his worst day one of the ten best pitchers in the game (admittedly not at Pedro level at this point).

WHAT DID THE ATLANTA BRAVES DO WELL IN 1999?

Okay, so you look at the pitching stats and other than Kevin Millwood, the Braves's mound staff was not even close to what it was just two years earlier. Maddux won the most games, Millwood was best overall, and Tom Glavine's ERA was 4.12....yet the Braves had the best record in baseball. How?

1) The Braves played situational baseball very well.
The Braves were below average - or at best slightly above - in nearly every offensive category. But they got a lot of doubles (5th in the league), were 4th in the NL in homers, they didn't strike out as often as other teams, and they didn't leave as many runners on base as most teams - and they bunted well.

2) Team speed
They had FIVE PLAYERS who could steal bases reasonably well and not leave that to one speedster. Brian Jordan, Brett Boone, Chipper, Andruw, and Gerald Williams. Unlike virtually every other team in the league, the Braves ran smartly aggressively - and didn't wait for the three-run Steroid Era bomb, although they had four guys who surpassed 20 bombs. Oh, and Otis Nixon stole 26 as a part-time player at age 40.

3) The pitching staff's ERA was more than one run below the league average.
The staff, top to bottom, had a 3.63 ERA, just slightly higher than Maddux for the year. But the AVERAGE in baseball was 4.70 thanks to the juicers and only 4 teams (Atlanta, Arizona, Cincy, Houston) had team ERAs below 4.00. Despite Maddux's regression, the overall pitching staff was still the best in the game. They struck out a lot of guys and didn't walk many. They were also very good at avoiding self-destructive acts like wild pitches and balks. One out of every ten walks Braves hurlers issued in 1999 was intentional (55 out of 507).

4) The Braves led all of baseball in putouts and were below league average in errors.

The Braves had 4413 putouts - 492 of which were run down by Andruw Jones in centerfield. The Braves did not get the ink the Mets did over their incredibly low error total (68 in 162 games), but Atlanta's approach was simple in 1999 - we have a decent offense and a pretty decent pitching staff; don't walk anybody, and if you put the ball in play, you have a vacuum cleaner at short (Weiss) and a superstar in centerfield to run it down. If we give up a few runs, we have a team good enough to come back and win, especially since we can steal a base with more than half the starting lineup and Otis if we really need it.

5) John Rocker
Yeah, I know it hurts to say, but this was BEFORE his racist remarks, so we had no idea. (I'd be willing to spot him grace now and just say he was a dumb 24-year-old except he continues). Rocker was by no means Mariano Rivera, but he was damn good. Rocker converted 38 save opportunities - only one off the then Atlanta record set by Wohlers in 1996 - so it was close to "lights out" when he came in with a lead. Rocker was fourth in the NL in saves - and two of the three above him are now in the Hall (Hoffman and Wagner).

In short, despite not having the eye-popping numbers of 1991-98 on the hill, the Braves were still the best pitching staff in baseball at the end of the decade.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

2000 - 19-9, 3.00 ERA

Greg Maddux turned 34 years old the day after his 3rd start of the 2000 season. And he was STILL a fantastic pitcher. It was not a crime that Randy Johnson won the Cy Young; the Big Unit played for a team that won ten fewer games than the Braves, but the ace D'backs starter led the NL in complete games, strikeouts, and his winning percentage with a 19-7 record was better than anyone. Tom Glavine wound up 2nd in the Cy vote, which was ludicrous. Simply compare Maddux and Glavine, and you'll see Tom wasn't even the best pitcher on his own team:

Maddux - 19-9, 3.00 ERA, 190 Ks, 6 CG, 3 SHO, 249.1 IP, 91 R, 4.37 RS
Glavine - 21-9, 3.40 ERA, 152 Ks, 4 CG, 2 SHO, 241.1 IP, 101 R, 5.4 RS

Glavine led Maddux in ONE CATEGORY, wins. And he got an average of one run PER START more than Maddux did, faced 10 fewer batters and gave up 5 MORE home runs. It's amusing how 21 wins was somehow enough for Glavine to finish ahead of MADDUX in the CYA but not Johnson. Johnson was the correct CYA winner, but Glavine finishing 2nd was insane.

April 13 - Maddux was pulled after 7 innings against the Cubs tied at two after he led off the inning with a double and was thrown out at third. Mike Remlinger lost the game in the bottom of the 9th thanks to two singles and a bunt.

April 18 - Maddux left after 7 in a 3-3 game that the Braves won in the bottom of the 12th against the Phillies.

May 3 - Maddux goes the distance and scatters six runs, but the Dodgers win, 6-4.

May 8 - a Rafael Furcal error leads to 2 unearned runs for the Marlins in the 1st. Atlanta ties it, and Maddux is again pulled after 7. Another Braves error (by Andres Galarraga) loses the game in the bottom of the 9th. Florida wins, 3-2, on 3 unearned runs.

At the end of May, Maddux is 7-1 with a 2.16 ERA.

June 3 - Maddux faces off against Roger Clemens. Both starters get bombed, Clemens for six runs in 5 IP and Maddux for 7 runs in 5.2 IP. But the bullpen does their job for Atlanta, and the Braves come back to win, 11-7, tattooing Jason Grimsley and Mike Stanton for five runs.

If you want to pinpoint where Maddux began his career decline, it is PROBABLY in the June 3, 2000 game against the Yankees. His career record after this game is 125-101.

Maddux surrenders 4 runs in each of his next two starts but wins. He's pitched poorly - especially for him - a number of times but has a series of no decisions bailing him out for a change.

On June 23, Maddux is 9-1 with a 2.98 ERA.

June 24 - Maddux and Jamey Wright duel, Maddux going the distance and getting a 2-1 loss thanks to a Jeremy Burnitz home run in the 4th.

July 1 - against the Mets, Maddux faces 15 batters - and 7 score in his briefest outing in a SCHEDULED FULL START (e.g. not including the late season starts where Cox is getting pitchers two innings of work for the postseason) since June 6, 1990, when the Pirates drilled him for five runs in 0.2 innings. In a word, he gets shelled. But he comes back to win the next 3 starts, too, raising his record to 12-3.

July 22 - Maddux goes 8 and gives up 3 single runs at a time to the Mets, who hold the Braves scoreless.

July 29 - with a 2-0 lead entering the sixth, the wheels come off as Maddux gives up 3 runs in both the 6th and the 7th, the last two unearned, as he takes the loss.

August 2 - Maddux pitches very well; Curt Schilling pitches better in a 2-0 Arizona win.

August 7 - Maddux pitches 7.1 shutout innings and leaves with a 2-0 lead. Two doubles, a Chipper Jones error, and a wild pitch tie the game in the 9th, and three singles - one a controversial catch/trap by Brian Jordan - and the Reds win, 3-2.

August 18 - in a horror show reminiscent of the 1997 NLCS Eric Gregg game, Maddux makes one bad pitch, a two-run home to Rich Aurilia in the fourth. But Livan Hernandez outpitches Maddux again, striking out ten and allowing only four hits in a 4-hit complete game shutout.

August 28 - Maddux gets shelled for five runs in the top of the first, including a leading off the game home run by Pokey Reese; the Braves score only 3 and Maddux is hit with his 8th loss of the year.

Just as he appears down with a 14-8 record and a 3.20 ERA, Maddux reels off 5 straight wins, including back-to-back complete game shutouts to run his record to 19-8 with a 2.91 ERA.

Entering the 4th inning of his final start, Maddux rings up a scoreless innings streak of 32 innings before he permits a run; the Braves lose, 8-2

This year is different; one can argue Maddux should have left the field with victories 3-4 times, but he also avoided getting saddled with losses when he didn't pitch very well this year, too. Maddux gave up 19 home runs this year, the most in his big league career - maybe because it coincided with his commercial with Glavine saying, "Chicks Dig The Long Ball."

Peak Maddux is done. At this point, he is playing for ADDING to numbers since he's already clearly a first ballot Hall of Famer, and the fact he plays for a decent team will aid his numbers.

But not really. In fact, the 2001 Braves will give Maddux less run support than any other team during his years in Atlanta.