Greg Maddux Announces His Retirement

On December 8, 2008, Greg Maddux announced his retirement during the winter meetings in Las Vegas, ending a 23-year career that produced 355 wins, four consecutive Cy Young Awards, and a pitching style that valued precision over velocity.

Maddux won his first Cy Young with the Cubs in 1992, then signed with the Braves as a free agent. In Atlanta, he won the award again in 1993, 1994, and 1995, posting ERAs of 2.36, 1.56, and 1.63 over those three seasons. His 1994 and 1995 numbers rank among the best back-to-back seasons any pitcher has produced since the end of the dead-ball era.

He threw his fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s, slow by modern standards. His dominance came from movement, location, and an ability to read hitters that teammates and opponents described as uncanny. Maddux expanded the strike zone by consistently hitting the edges, training umpires over the course of a game to call borderline pitches in his favor.

The defensive side of his game was equally sharp. He won 18 Gold Glove Awards, more than any other player at any position. He set all-time records for putouts by a pitcher with 546 and double plays with 98. Opposing hitters who tried to bunt against him found themselves retired more often than not.

Maddux pitched for four teams over his career. He started and finished with the Cubs, spent 11 seasons with the Braves, and closed out with stints in Los Angeles and San Diego. He reached the postseason 11 times, winning the 1995 World Series with Atlanta.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014, receiving 97.2 percent of the vote. Only two pitchers in the modern era had won more games at the time of his retirement.