Editing Greg Maddux (section)

==Pitching style==
Maddux relied on his command, composure, and guile to outwit hitters. Though his fastball touched 93&nbsp;mph in his early years,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/pro-sports/greg-maddux-brings-his-pitching-wisdom-to-round--1/nRnX7/ |title=Greg Maddux brings his pitching wisdom to Round Rock |author=Kirk Bohls |date=May 5, 2012 |work=[[Austin American-Statesman]] |access-date=October 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014001950/http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/pro-sports/greg-maddux-brings-his-pitching-wisdom-to-round--1/nRnX7/ |archive-date=October 14, 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> his velocity steadily declined throughout his career, and was never his principal focus as a pitcher. By the end of his career, his fastball averaged less than 86&nbsp;mph.<ref name="brooks">{{cite web|url=http://brooksbaseball.net/player_cards/player_card.php?player=118120|title=Brooks Baseball · Home of the PitchFX Tool – Player Card: Greg Maddux|publisher=Brooks Baseball|access-date=August 23, 2012}}</ref> Maddux was also noted for the late movement on his sinker (two-seam fastball), which, combined with his control, made him known as an excellent [[groundball pitcher]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/22/sports/no-outfield-needed-with-maddux.html |title=No Outfield Needed With Maddux |date=October 22, 1996 |work=[[New York Times]] |author=Murray Chass |access-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref> While Maddux was not known for his strikeout totals, his strikeout totals have often been undersold because strikeout rate has often been measured per nine innings, rather than per batter faced.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-greatness-of-greg-maddux/|title=The greatness of Greg Maddux |date=January 8, 2014 |work=[[Fangraphs]] |author=Dave Cameron|access-date=April 13, 2015}}</ref> Maddux alternated his [[two-seam fastball]] with an excellent [[circle changeup]]. Though these served as his primary pitches, he also threw a [[curveball]] and a [[Cutter (baseball)|cutter]].<ref name="brooks" /><ref name="JamesNeyer2004">{{cite book|last1=James|first1=Bill|last2=Neyer|first2=Rob|title=The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7FfRLE6I5EEC&pg=GBS.PA287.w.1.11.0|access-date=August 23, 2012|date=June 15, 2004|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9780743261586|pages=287–288}}</ref>

Maddux was renowned for focusing on the outside corner. This approach was emphasized under former Atlanta Braves pitching coach [[Leo Mazzone]]. He would begin by throwing strikes with his fastball down and away, and then expand the strike zone with his changeup—sometimes obtaining borderline strike calls from umpires simply on the strength of his reputation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/19/sports/sports-of-the-times-all-slutskaya-wants-is-a-level-skating-field.html|work=[[New York Times]]|title=Sports of The Times; All Slutskaya Wants Is a Level Skating Field|date=February 19, 2002|author=Harvey Araton|access-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref> In complement with this strategy, Maddux popularized a tactic of throwing his two-seam fastball off the plate inside to left-handed hitters, only to have the ball break back over the inside corner for a strike.<ref name="Verducci">{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/tom_verducci/12/06/maddux/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208003855/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/tom_verducci/12/06/maddux/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2008|title=Appreciating the genius of Greg Maddux|last=Verducci|first=Tom|date=December 7, 2008|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date=August 23, 2012}}</ref> Maddux said of that pitch, "That was just my normal fastball that did that. ... I always had it. The pitch really started to work for me when I ... learned how to throw a cutter, it made that pitch more effective."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=31294925&topic_id=6003532|title=Video: Greg Maddux on entering Hall of Fame in 2014|date=January 9, 2014|work=[[MLB.com]]|access-date=January 10, 2014|archive-date=January 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110090356/http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=31294925&topic_id=6003532|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In addition, his propensity for throwing strikes and avoiding walks kept his pitch counts low. On July 2, 1997, he won a game against the New York Yankees, for example, with the numbers "nine innings, three hits, no walks, eight strikeouts, one pickoff, one double play, 84 pitches ... [in] two hours and nine minutes".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/joe_posnanski/08/27/greg.maddux/index.html#ixzz29nK4165k|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080903073714/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/joe_posnanski/08/27/greg.maddux/index.html#ixzz29nK4165k|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 3, 2008|title=The Master. July 2, 1997|date=August 27, 2008|access-date=October 19, 2012|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|author=Joe Posnanski}}</ref> Dodgers general manager [[Fred Claire]] admired Maddux's pitching consistency, saying "It's almost like a guy lining up a 60-foot-6-inch [[Golf swing#Putt|putt]] ... he is just so disciplined, so repetitive in his pitches."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/17/sports/koufax-in-the-60-s-and-maddux-in-the-90-s-unequaled-mastery-on-the-mound.html|work=The New York Times|title=Koufax in the 60's and Maddux in the 90's: Unequaled Mastery on the Mound|first=Murray|last=Chass|date=August 17, 1997|access-date=May 4, 2010}}</ref> Speaking about Maddux's accuracy, [[Orel Hershiser]] said, "This guy can throw a ball in a teacup."<ref>{{cite video|people=Orel Hershiser|title=1995 World Series – Atlanta Braves vs Cleveland Indians|medium=VHS|publisher=Polygram USA Video|location=Atlanta, Cleveland|date=1998}}</ref> [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Famer]] [[Wade Boggs]] talked about facing Maddux: "It seems like he's inside your mind with you. When he knows you're not going to swing, he throws a straight one. He sees into the future. It's like he has a crystal ball hidden inside his glove."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/greg_maddux_quotes.shtml|title=Greg Maddux Quotes|access-date=December 27, 2008|work=Baseball Almanac}}</ref>

Maddux was also known for intensely studying hitters in preparation for his starts. He would often watch hitters take their warmup swings or read their [[body language]] to gauge their mentality.<ref name="Verducci" /> Teammate [[Tom Glavine]] said, "I think the hitters think he can go back and recall every pitch he has ever thrown. That's not the case, but I think he's probably better at remembering things than most people are. He's definitely better in the course of the game at making adjustments on a hitter based on what he's seen, whether it's one swing or a guy's last at-bat."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/greg_maddux_quotes.shtml|title=Greg Maddux Quotes|work=[[Baseball Almanac]]|access-date=August 23, 2012}}</ref>

Finally, Maddux has been praised for his superior [[Pitcher#Pitching biomechanics|pitching mechanics]], helping him avoid serious arm injuries throughout his lengthy career.<ref name="Verducci" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/7726953/a-comparison-stephen-strasburg-greg-maddux-pitching-mechanics-espn-magazine|title=A comparison of Stephen Strasburg and Greg Maddux's pitching mechanics|last=Berra|first=Lindsey|date=March 23, 2012|work=ESPN.com|access-date=August 23, 2012}}</ref> His only stint on the 15-day disabled list was in 2002, due to nerve inflammation on his back. One analyst of pitching mechanics wrote, "Maddux's sterling reputation for pitching mechanics is more than justified. He could repeat his delivery as well as any pitcher that I have ever seen, with consistent timing and positioning that persisted regardless of pitch type or pitch count, giving the impression that he was never [[fatigue (medical)|fatigued]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=19173|title=Raising Aces: The Good Old Days: Greg Maddux|last=Thorburn|first=Doug|date=December 14, 2012|publisher=Baseball Prospectus|access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref> Maddux was also a highly durable pitcher, leading the National League in [[innings pitched]] in five consecutive years. He pitched at least 194 innings for 21 consecutive seasons, and finished with the lowest [[BB/9]] ratio in the National League nine times.