I love Greg Maddux.
I'm upset that he retired. I will definitely miss him.
He represents every positive aspect of a ballplayer and professional athlete. He's a fantastic pitcher who simply goes out there and does the best he can every time he takes the mound. He's low-key and under the radar.
He was the type of guy you can build a team around. He reminds me a lot of Cy Young. Here are just a few of the similarities between the two.
1. They flat out won games.
Young 15 straight seasons 15+ wins.
Maddux 17 straight seasons 15+ wins.
Young 13 seasons top five in wins.
Maddux 15 seasons top five in wins.
Young led league in winning percentage twice.
Maddux led league in winning percentage twice.
Young career winning percentage .618
Maddux career winning percentage .610
2. They were dominant. Both Young and Maddux are consistently ranked in the top 10 all-time in lists of the greatest starting pitchers.
Young career ERA 0.99 better than the league.
Maddux career ERA 1.00 better than the league.
3. They had incredible control. Young and Maddux were each the best control pitcher of their time, averaging just one or two walk per game for the majority of their careers. Neither struggled with their control at any point of their career, but each did post their four highest single-season walk totals in their first four seasons.
From there on out, they settled down.
Young 14 seasons leading league in fewest walks per game.
Maddux 9 seasons leading league in fewest walks per game.
4. They both pitched forever. Both Young and Maddux started about the same year, just about one hundred years apart from one another. Each threw a complete game win in their first major-league start.
Young 1890-1911 (22 seasons).
Maddux 1986-2008 (23 seasons).
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