The Professor, Greg Maddux, Returns to the Windy City

It didn’t take Greg Maddux long to return the game once his playing days were over.

ESPNChicago.com reported earlier that Maddux, the four-time Cy Young winner, who began his Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Cubs, has signed on as an assistant to general manager Jim Hendry.

“We are thrilled to have Greg back with the Chicago Cubs,” Hendry said in a statement. “He has such a vast knowledge of all phases of the game and the ultimate respect of everyone from the players to the front office. The addition of Greg Maddux makes us a better organization.”

According to the Cubs, his primary responsibility is to become a lead instructor to minor leaguer’s as well as major leaguer’s during spring training.  Maddux will also scout during the season.

Instructing aside, Maddux will have Henry’s attention when discussing possible trades and evaluating free agents, additionally providing evaluation on minor league affiliates.

“Mad Dog”  is a tremendous addition for the Cubs.  His instinctive ability to read hitters, and situations is the exact qualities one looks for when assessing current and future talent for your organization.

It is unknown whether this is gateway into the coaching ranks, though his comments mirror those of a future teacher:

“I’m just going to do what I can to learn how both sides of the game work this year and then kind of make a decision after that,” Maddux said when asked if his new job would be a stepping stone to other baseball opportunities

“I’m grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to learning things about the game that I never thought I had to learn, and at the same time trying to pass down what I’ve learned the last 20 years to the players that are going to play hopefully for the next 20 years.”

Whether he stays behind the scenes or does take a coaching position, we will have to wait and see.

However, the 18-time gold-glove winner, can be an integral part to any club who is lucky enough to receive his services.

Baseball has been called an exact science, and what better way to discover its inner workings than by having a “Professor” by your side.

This article can also be found on The GM's Perspective