Friday, July 17, 2009
#31 Retired by Braves
It is now official. The number 31 will never be worn again by an Atlanta Brave. In a brief pregame ceremony, the Atlanta Braves retired the jersey of Greg Maddux. The 355 game winner was without a doubt, the best pitcher of his era. During his 11 seasons in Atlanta, Maddux won 194 games, along with 3 consecutive CY Young Awards. When he took the mound, you knew the Braves would win. The only question was, will the other team actually score? Maddux wasn't just great. The man was invincible. As the ceremony ended, he brought the crowd at Turner Field to their feet, saying "Thank you very much. Now, let's beat the Mets...just like old times."
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2 comments:
Maddux was a class act here and, I believe, probably everywhere he played. I'm glad that the Braves had such a night for him as he was a very integral part of the Braves during the hey-day. My best to him and his future endeavors.
BOP
BOP,
Well said. Do you think we'll see the Mad Dog get into coaching? He was a master strategist on the mound. Heard the local announcers commenting on how he set up Craig Biggio, while pitching in a blow out win for the Braves. It was late in the season, and Maddux and catcher Eddie Perez had discussed how Biggio excelled at hitting inside breaking balls. With a 7 run lead and 1 out in the ninth, Maddux threw a change up inside. Biggio drilled it for a solo HR. Perez wondered what Maddux was thinking. "I was setting him up. We may have to face them in the playoffs," said Maddux. 2 months later, the Braves did play Houston in the playoffs and Maddux owned Biggio. When Craig was looking for something inside, Maddux threw outside. The at bat, in which Biggio homered, set him up to look for a steady diet of inside breaking balls. Instead, Maddux deliberately pitched him differently. Biggio couldn't buy a hit. He had been outdone by one of the greatest.
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