Texas Rangers Add Greg Maddux to Formidable Coaching Staff

Greg Maddux was one of the best pitcher's of his generation—if not all time—over his 23-season Major League career spent mainly with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves.

Now it's time to see if Maddux can lend some of his pitching prowess to the Texas Rangers' staff as he has reportedly been hired to be a special assistant and coach to complement pitching coach (and older brother) Mike Maddux.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson (via Twitter), the Rangers have added the future Hall of Famer, 355-game winner and four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux to their coaching foray.

Maddux will join the team in a yet unspecified coaching role. It is speculated that he'll help with pitching development and evaluation.

Wilson also noted that Maddux should travel with the team to spring training in February.  

The elder Maddux has been the Rangers' pitching coach for the previous three seasons and has been paramount to the Rangers' pitching staff improvement.  

As recently as a few weeks ago, it appeared as though Mike might not be returning to the Rangers as he was a hot commodity as a potential manager for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs.

Mike, who has two daughters that attend college in the Dallas-Fort Worth area at TCU and SMU, backed out of manager consideration in favor of returning to the two-time defending AL Champion Texas Rangers in his previous role of pitching coach.

Had Mike been offered and accepted the Cubs' job as manager, he would have joined Greg on the team.

Alas, it wasn't meant to be and instead of a family reunion in the Windy City, it will be in Texas where the Maddux brothers can instill their coaching magic side by side in the Lone Star State.

Greg had been the Chicago Cubs' special assistant to the general manager for the last two seasons.

With a pitching staff in flux, all the coaching help will be greatly appreciated.

With Texas' No. 1 starter C.J. Wilson a possible free-agent casualty, and former closer Neftali Feliz making the transition from closer to starter, Greg will have his work cut out for him as a key piece in the Rangers' coaching staff. 

The Rangers registered the fifth-lowest ERA (3.79) in the American League under Mike's tutelage during the 2011 regular season en route to their second straight World Series appearance.

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