Greg Maddux To Retire Monday

[Greg Maddux's Biggest Fan]

This was just posted on the Current Events thread, but since he's the most obvious future HOF'er you'll ever see, thought I would post here too. Courtesy of runningshoes...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3748227

Never thought this day would come.

Greatest pitcher ever.

[AstrosFan]

My favorite pitcher. I'm going to miss him so much.

First in with 100% of the vote! Make it happen, BBWAA!

[DTF955]

If anyone deserved it, he does. And, if the BBWAA decides to give more weight to pitchers becasue of the seroid era, he might just do it.

Now there's an interesting what-if challenge; get him to break Cy Young's record. I don't know if I could do that one, though he could possibly have gotten to 400 wins with a lot of luck. Such as slightly different philophy - early 1980s stays with more emphasis on complete games, but he had more than most anyway in his day.)

[SABR Matt]

Maddux was a gem...for a thinking fan...thinking man's pitchers are always fun. :)

Seeya in Cooperstown in five years Greg!

[brett]

I always thought he would pop back into '94/'95 form for a late great year. He doesn't really have one year out of place in his career graphs which to me is a sign that he got the maximum out of his stuff every year.

[SABR Matt]

heh...indeed. Look at the smoothness of Maddux' career:
Yr Wins DIO PCABA
1986 -0.02 103 0.222
1987 1.16 487 0.248
1988 5.88 740 0.304
1989 3.93 709 0.279
1990 4.83 723 0.291
1991 6.20 781 0.304
1992 8.75 777 0.337
1993 8.52 787 0.333
1994 11.28 585 0.418
1995 13.67 602 0.453
1996 8.99 728 0.348
1997 10.07 686 0.372
1998 9.31 731 0.352
1999 2.45 682 0.260
2000 8.32 736 0.337
2001 5.97 692 0.311
2002 3.01 590 0.275
2003 2.69 648 0.265
2004 3.89 631 0.286

Aside from his down-blip in 1999...it's a near-perfect curve. That's rare for a pitcher.