Kokomo Tribune Sunday Newspaper Archives March 17, 1996 Page 15

Kokomo Tribune Sunday (Newspaper) - March 17, 1996, Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo Tribune sunday March b7 think if you do everything mechanically Correct its impossible for the Ball not to go where you want by Paul Newberry a sports writer the greatest Pitcher in Ilic Florid is Tio Lilin court in the bullpen Early one morning g Reg Maddux Hast even slipped on his deals cd still when lie docs Hie rubber in i Tennis shoes anal begins a Cussion Riboul his Favorule Mounds in Hie National league in Doest Lake Long to draw an audience Journeyman Hod Nichols watches intently youngsters Tom Liobe and Chris 13rock wander it perhaps hoping that some of Maddus Genius will rub off on them this is where it All begins for the greatest Pitcher in the world Fiven in the Early Days of Spring training with the Atlanta braves Maddux is seeking perfection thai moment in time when he puts together the perfect Windup the perfect delivery the perfect follow through i think if you do everything mechanically Cor rect its impossible for the Ball not to go where you want he said it really is its just like a Golf swing if you make the absolute perfect Golf swing the Ball is going to go where youre aiming it pitching is no different if you make the absolute per feel Windup and delivery whatever the Ball is going to go where i want it to it has of course perfection is an elusive thing while Maddux May be coming off the two greatest seasons in pitching history its right there in the numbers but More on that late theres always some Little nuance some Little movement that can be done just a Little bit better Hes the most intelligent individual in pitching that Ive Ever been said Leo the braves pitch ing coach his thought process about the game of baseball about How he approaches hitlers knowing How hitters approach him and How he thinks about what there thinking is the smartest Ive Ever been around what separates him is his Maddux also conceals a fiery temper beneath the shoulder shrugging who me Persona thai makes him one of the most approachable players in the club House fans Silling behind Home plate have been warned to expect a flurry of expletives when Hes on the Mound Kven on swinging strikes Hes liable to curse himself unmercifully because the Pilch want in the exact location where he walled in Here is a Guy who Doest have that Many bad said teammate Tom Glavine the last Pitcher to win the no by Young before Maddux began his amazing Streak in 1992 he Doest on appear to throw too Many pitches the Road Hes not Happy with but when to his fourth he does you know about it consecutive by he can have a temper Young award in 1995 Tantrum with the Best of Greg Maddux stopped at the Overall statistics w i id Kra j is ii ii 1jh so Jinjr 1995 19 2 905 28 28 147 23 181 8 career Iso 93 617 301 297 1877 561 1471 108 top of nearly every National league pitching category at first glance Hes an unlikely Star his fastball is Only average his physique is slight but Maddux has tricks of his own his Circle change is possibly in baseball and his control Means he can hit the Corners of the plate almost at will fueling it All is a fiercely competitive drive wit each Here is a Guy who Doest have that Many bad said teammate Tom Glavine the last Pitcher to win the no by Young before Maddux began new season Maddux clinches his the greatest Pitcher in the world his amazing Streak in 1992 he Doest appear to throw too Many pitches Hes not Happy with but when he does you know about it he can have a temper Tantrum with the Best of temper tantrums from a Pitcher who is most dominating in the history of the game sometimes you say to yourself How can this Guy be so mad Hes just had 14 Complete games in a Row he has his first bad game and he gets mad like that that just tells you what kind of competitor he is he expects himself to go out there and do it perfect All the Glavine said standing 6 feet tall and weighing 175 pounds Maddux hardly looks like the greatest Pitcher in the world with ins glasses Maddux wears contacts on the lie could pass for an accountant or High school history teacher on his Way to a game he can Stop at Wendy for a hamburger without fear of being mobbed by autograph seekers instead of being limited by his uni posing physique Maddux turned it to his advantage instead of trying to throw harder he Learned to throw softer everybody is capable of doing he said with shrug you cant learn to put More on the Ball thais a different kind of thing but any body can learn to Lake More off some just do it better than no one does in Bel Ter than Maddux two years ago Maddux had a Era r while the cumulative no average was staggering differential is the Best Ever recorded the second Best came last year 4 when Maddux had a below the league average of mentally you really have to Trust he continued it takes a Little More Trust in yourself than throwing hard i lost enough games trying to put More on the Ball so finally i said maybe i should try to take More off if you get beat enough trying to do some thing you eventually change i was pretty much forced to Maddux inherited some skills from his older brother Mike who pitched for the red sox last year and picked up a Sally sense of humor too the vulgar humorist is just As much a part of Maddus Persona As the soft spoken bespectacled Man who enjoys sitting at Home with his 2yearold daughter watching to and playing video games you begin to realize there Are no set definitions to Maddus psyche just As there Are no set Pat terns to the next pitch he might in Row its All part of being the greatest Pitcher in the world i National league Iii Icid run pet allowed Greg Maddux Hideo Nomo Andy Sliby Maddux 224 Hideo Nomo 270 Ismael Valdes 277 ratio Greg Maddux 19 Pete Schourek 18 Ramon Martinez 17 Coni Lihe Maddux Shane Reynolds Joey Hamilton walks per 9 in Greg Maddux 10 Mark loiter 7 Ismail Vales 6 Maddux Shane Reynolds Denny Neagle 1 9 baserunners per 9 in Greg Maddux 3 Hideo Nomo 3 10playerstied with 2 innings Maddux Hideo Nomo Pete Schourek Home runs per 9 in Greg Maddux Denny Neagle Ramon Martinez 206 1 win loss percentage Greg Maddux Pete Schourek 720 Dave Burba 714 Maddux 343 to Glavine 408 Pat Rapp 538 a allowed scoring pos Maddux 157 Chris Hammond 184 Hideo Nomo 192 b a by la batters Greg Maddux Shane Reynolds Pete Schourek sinking pet Maddux 194 Hideo Nomo 199 Pedro Martinez 219 Era on the Road Greg Maddux 258 Hideo Nomo 286 torn Givine Maddux to Glavine Jim Bullinger workhorses most innings pitched Greg Maddux David Cone Mark Langston Topnotch starters lowest Era for any Pitcher since 1920 who worked at least 200 innings w Kra Pitcher in year outperforming the league Era 0 1994 1995 1995 situational stats w l Era in Hume 2 13 layout by Ricky to Wissar photos and graphics by Edda Gasero source stats inc Hes the most intelligent individual in pitching that Ive Ever been pitching coach Leo Mazzone control the name of the game in Oval Maddux waiting to Bat against the Montreal expos during an Early Spring game Maddux and John Smoltz watch teammates going through workouts during a Spring training session at municipal stadium in West Palm Beach Florida Maddux has probably the Best Circle change in base Ball 1the Ball is gripped with the two Middle lingers the Index linger is Laid along the outside of the Ball forming the letter 0 with the thumb that aimed directly at Ilic Cule Lur 2the hand automatically comes Over the Ball creating a screwball Type movement the pitch at fastball Speed Breaks Down and away from a left handed Batter How often he throws strikes percent t f All pitches first pitch ahead behind o ;