by Sam Brean

Created on: June 17, 2008

San Diego Padre pitcher Greg Maddux has a nickname is baseball circles: "Mad Dog." "Mad Dog?" Holy Cow! Mr. Maddux, adorned in his professor-style eyeglasses, resembles everyone's high school science teacher more than anyone's mad dog.

On the pitcher's mound, the seemingly mild mannered geek look-a-like transforms into a fierce competitor; a no-nonsense professional athlete who will do anything to win a baseball game. He's won more than 350 games in his career, subtly becoming one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.

Only eight pitchers have won more games in their career than Greg Maddux and one of them, Roger Clemens, is less than a handful of victories ahead. Maddux is pitching well enough during the 2008 season to surpass Clemens, given ample support from his Padres' comrades.

There is a touch of awkwardness to calling Maddux a Padre. We baseball fans think of him as an Atlanta Brave, the leader of one of the most effective starting pitching triumvirates ever: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. The staff of aces led the Braves through a stunning era of Georgia success, winning their National League East Division championship with borish regularity.

Maddux spent eleven seasons with the Braves; during that time the team won ten division titles, three National League pennants, and a World Series. Ironically, Greg's before-and- after-Atlanta lives were spent with the lowly Chicago Cubs, the antithesis of success.

Wherever Greg Maddux has pitched there has been one constant: Greg Maddux. His style of pitching is that of command and control of pitches; throw strikes, don't walk anyone, paint the corners of home plate, change speeds and don't give-in to hitters; remember the "Mad Dog" bit? The book on the art of pitching was written by Maddux, with his masterful strokes of finesse. He has outdueled the most powerful arms in baseball for twenty-three seasons.

The Cy Young Award is reserved for the best pitcher in each league every season. Greg Maddux has won four. Only Clemens and Steve Carlton can make the same claim.

In 1995, one of his Cy Young seasons, Maddux racked up an eye-popping record: 19 wins, 2 losses, and a paltry 1.63 Earned Run Average. The ace of aces led the Braves that season to the East Division championship; a National League Championship Series win over the Cincinnati Reds; and a six-game World Series victory against the Cleveland Indians.

A prideful professional, Greg Maddux has worked throughout his career to become an exemplary fielder of his position, and a more than adequate hitting pitcher. He has won eleven consecutive Gold Glove awards. One of his personal goals each season is to attain a batting average higher than his ERA: mission accomplished in 1994 with a batting average of .222 and a 1.56 ERA.

In an era of fallen and falling stars, "Mad Dog" remains unscathed from the maddening disease of cheating by major league ballplayers. We have hope he'll remain on top of the heap as the best pitcher of his time, and one of the best of all-time.

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