On Sept. 4, 1916, the Cubs sent Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown to the mound to face the Reds and Christy Mathewson in a game the visitors won 10-8.
In a highly contrived move to drum up Labor Day attendance at Weeghman Park, the two future Hall of Famers and rivals had agreed to make that their final starts, against each other, so they could retire on the same day.
Nearly a century later, the Cubs’ Greg Maddux and the Astros’ Roger Clemens have no such understanding about their time-capsule matchup Wednesday night at Wrigley Field. But the occasion arrives enveloped in a sense of history and, perhaps, finality.
It conceivably could be the last time Cubs fans see Maddux pitch in the home pinstripes if he is dealt before what would be his next scheduled home start the weekend before the July 31 trading deadline.
It also could be the final chance for a Wrigley audience to watch Clemens pitch because the Astros don’t return this season and the right-hander, 43, is no lock to pitch next year.
Gentlemen, start you camcorders.
Former Astros pitcher and manager Larry Dierker, a baseball history buff, suggests taking a moment to appreciate Wednesday’s mound majesty.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” said Dierker, author of the recently released “My Team: Choosing My Dream Team From Forty Years in Baseball.” Not surprisingly, Dierker chose Maddux and Clemens and their combined 667 victories for his rotation. They have 11 Cy Young Awards between them.
Maddux, 40, has been depicted as a paint-by-numbers pitcher and Clemens portrayed as someone who uses nothing but bold brushstrokes.
“Roger’s more a finesse guy than people realize,” Dierker said. “He’ll try to hit the corner if he’s behind in the count 3-0 to the pitcher. And Maddux will come after you more than people think.”
Andre Dawson, a Maddux teammate with the Cubs (1987-92) who played with Clemens in Boston (1993-94), laughed recalling Maddux’s prankster personality, contrasting sharply with Clemens’ high-running motor.
“Clemens took the, I’m-going-to-come-after-you-and-you’re-g oing-to-have-to-adjust-to-me approach, while `Mad Dog’ was a craftsman who you had to get to early because he’d get better during the game. That could be intimidating too,” said Dawson, now special assistant to the president with the Florida Marlins.
So careful is Maddux that Dan Holmes, the Web producer for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, believes the right-hander suffers by comparison.
“Because he’s flashier and throws the ball harder, people automatically think Clemens is better than Maddux. But if the role of the starting pitcher is to keep a team in the game, then he’s right up there,” said Holmes, who conducted research and posted an article online last month titled, “Is Clemens Really Better Than Maddux?”
His findings showed that Clemens has 12 more quality starts in his career than Maddux (447-435) but has pitched the equivalent of one more full season. A quality start is defined by a six-inning outing giving up three runs or less. Holmes also pointed out that Maddux has more quality starts of nine innings or more–108-103–even if Clemens has 17 more career victories.
“I wasn’t trying to take anything away from Clemens,” Holmes said. “But the evidence shows that nobody should automatically say he is the best pitcher [of his generation] without considering Greg Maddux.”
A pair of aces
Future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens have remarkably similar statistics–if not similar styles. Clemens leads in winning percentage and strikeouts, while Maddux has a better ERA and has allowed fewer walks.
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MADDUX STAT CLEMENS
662 Games 677
325 Wins 342
199 Losses 175
3.07 ERA 3.12
4,523.2 Innings 4,731.2
4,214 Hits 4,023
311 HR allowed 349
929 Walks 1,528
3,120 Strikeouts 4,524
.248 Opp. avg. .229
Source: STATS
Through Tuesday
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dhaugh@tribune.com
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