Twelve years after a bitter breakup that rocked a franchise, the Cubs and Greg Maddux are about to bury the hatchet.
Barring a last-minute breakdown in talks, sources say Maddux will sign with the Cubs, perhaps as soon as Wednesday.
The Cubs were believed to have been offering a two-year deal worth $15 million. But the Associated Press reported the contract is $24 million over three years, though the Cubs can void the final season if Maddux fails to pitch a predetermined number of innings in 2005.
When he arrives in camp for opening workouts, Maddux will become the final link in a dream-team rotation. The five golden arms will be joined together under a Cub-blue Arizona sky, a perfect postcard for chilled fans in Chicago, who may need photographic evidence to believe Maddux is truly back.
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry spoke with Scott Boras, Maddux’s agent, late Tuesday and apparently wrapped up a courtship that moved at a glacial pace over the winter. The saga entered another dimension last week when a low-fare airline made an open plea for Maddux to become a Cub through its TV and radio commercials. Rumors and speculation over where he would wind up continued through Tuesday when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner denied a television report he was about to add Maddux to his stable of All-Stars.
Though the Cubs made the first offer and were considered front-runners in the negotiations, Hendry was never overconfident. At the Cubs Convention last month, he addressed a question about Maddux from a fan by saying he didn’t want to answer questions all day about Maddux.
Strangely, Hendry didn’t even have Maddux on his radar screen last November when the free-agent season began. His early contacts with Boras concerned another of Boras’ clients, catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who quickly priced himself out of the Cubs’ range. After signing Boston infielder Todd Walker two days before Christmas, Hendry indicated his off-season work was complete.
Eventually, though, he had second thoughts on Maddux. After getting permission from Tribune Co. to extend the team budget from the mid-$80 million range to more than $90 million, Hendry called Boras and made an initial offer on Jan. 13. When the Dodgers expressed interest, Hendry sweetened the deal, virtually ensuring the Cubs would not be outbid by either Los Angeles or San Francisco, the two other apparent pursuers.
Maddux, 37, and the club parted on bad terms following the first of his four Cy Young Award-winning seasons in 1992. He led the Cubs in victories every year from 1988-92, but didn’t believe the organization was offering market value. In the end the Cubs and Atlanta wound up making similar five-year offers, but Maddux bolted for the Braves, citing their winning ways and commitment to excellence.
Like ex-Cub Lou Brock, who was traded to St. Louis in one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history, Maddux quickly became a symbol of all that was wrong with the Cubs organization. One Cubs executive fumed privately in ’98 that until the Cubs win a championship, “fans will never let us forget [losing] Maddux.”
Now the Cubs hope Maddux will push them over the top, putting closure on a 96-year championship drought.
Maddux joins Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Matt Clement and Carlos Zambrano, giving the Cubs the most promising five-man rotation in franchise history. With Houston stealing a couple of Yankee aces this winter, a three-game series pitting Wood vs. Roger Clemens, Prior vs. Andy Pettitte and Maddux vs. Roy Oswalt could be reality TV at its finest.
While 2003 was an off season by his own high standards, Maddux still managed to finish strong in Atlanta, going 9-3 with a 3.03 ERA after the All-Star break. He led the National League with only 3.26 pitches per batter last year, using the corners of the plate as he has since his days as a Cub. The Cubs fervently hope Maddux can influence Wood, always one of the most difficult pitchers to hit, but one who also experiences control problems at times.
Where Maddux fits in the rotation is to be determined by manager Dusty Baker, who could wait until the end of spring to announce the order. He could sandwich Maddux in between Wood and Prior, surrounding a finesse pitcher with two power arms.
Wood is expected to get the Opening Day call April 5 in Cincinnati. But if Baker goes with Wood, Prior and Clement as his opening-series starters, Maddux could make his first start on April 9 or 10 in Atlanta, facing the team that let him leave after 11 productive seasons.
Maddux will get back his old No. 31, a number worn by several pitchers since his departure, including Mark Guthrie, Donovan Osborne, Bobby Ayala, Kevin Foster and Fergie Jenkins (coach). With 289 victories, he also may get an opportunity to win his 300th game at Wrigley Field.
WITH CUBS (1986-92)
95-75, 3.35
Signed as free agent with Atlanta Dec. 9, 1992
WITH BRAVES (1993-2003)
194-88, 2.63
CAREER WINS
289
(23rd all time)
LIFETIME ERA
2.89
(3rd among active pitchers)
15-WIN SEASONS
16
(consecutive, 1988-2003)
CY YOUNG AWARDS
4
(1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
Keys to Maddux’s success
– Pinpoint control, uncanny movement, mastery of four pitches and an unsurpassed knowledge of how to pitch.
– He has the guts of a burglar.
– No pitcher is more consistently “on the black” (the outside of the plate).
– Natural movement on all his pitches, and his slider and cut fastball will dive out of the strike zone after a hitter has committed to a swing.
– A darting fastball and a dancing change-up round out his repertoire.
– Maddux is fearless on the mound: He’ll throw any pitch on any count to any hitter. And he’s economical: In his prime he was the master of the two-hour, 84-pitch complete game.
Pitches by location
VS. LEFT-HANDERS
VS. RIGHT-HANDERS
Pitches by type
Fastballs
Thrown: 70%
Opp. BA: .287
Sliders
Thrown: 9%
Opp. BA: .263
Changeups
Thrown: 18%
Opp. BA: .214
Note: Pitch data based on 4,817 pitches scouted in 2002 and ’03; percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.
Source: Inside Edge.
See microfilm for complete graphic.
