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The Smartest Pitcher Who Ever Lived

Greg Maddux - Future Hall of Fame Pitcher
Greg Maddux RHP

(The Professor, Mad Dog)

Rob Neyer tabbed Greg Maddux "The Smartest Pitcher Who Ever Lived"

Greg Maddux won 355 games!

Maddux is one of only 10 pitchers to achieve both 3,000 strikeouts and 300 wins. Plus he won the Cy Young Award in four consecutive years! 

Personally, I think that Greg Maddux should be elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. 


Maddux was a good natural athlete who won 18 Gold Glove Awards.

David Schoenfield writes ...

If you're too young to have seen Maddux pitch, go over to YouTube and check out some highlights. Here he is pitching eight shutout innings in Game 2 of the 1996 World Series. He threw a low-90s fastball with great movement, making it cut or sink, but with impeccable command and precision. 

In 1997, he issued just 14 unintentional walks in 232 2/3 innings; I'm sure several of those were intentionally unintentional. He varied his speed so every pitch was a different velocity from the previous one. He mixed in a changeup to further keep hitters off-balance. My old colleague Rob Neyer tabbed him The Smartest Pitcher Who Ever Lived, an apropos moniker; he was always one step ahead of the hitters, even if he didn't have the overpowering fastball of Roger Clemens or Randy Johnson

Fans don't show Greg Maddux respect
Dec 2, 2013, ESPN


Leo Mazzone on Maddux:

"He is so smart, he makes everything so simple,'' Mazzone said. "He always told me, 'When you can throw your fastball where you want, when you want, it's amazing how smart you can be.' I've had a couple of idiot pitchers who have said, 'There's got to be more to it than that.' He's the smartest pitcher I've ever seen. He's the greatest pitcher I've ever seen. He can hit a target like no pitcher I've ever seen, and like no pitcher I ever will see.'' (ESPN)



Career statistics
Win–loss record355–227
Earned run average3.16
Strikeouts3,371



Greg Maddux Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com


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Articles


Neyer: Maddux one of greatest since World War II - ESPN


Many years ago, not even halfway through his career, I hailed Maddux as the smartest pitcher who ever lived.


Maddux's success driven by his impeccable control - MLB - ESPN



.......
Craig Breslow LHP - 
Breslow was given the nickname "smartest man in baseball" by Minneapolis Star Tribune Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal III
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