Always loved Maddux and his pin point precision pitching. Not sure if there was ever a pitcher that caused more ground outs than him.
dude can still pitch. That's why I am glad to see him go now. I don't want a 4-14 season with a 5.84 ERA to be what lets him know it's time to go. He pitched well last year and won another Gold Glove. It's a good time to go.
Maddux had a lot longer prime then Pedro did. The ERA's that Maddux posted year after year after year were incredible. If there was a stat for it, the low pitch count...low hit type complete games have to be some kind of record. In modern baseball I dont think there has ever been a guy who could pitch a complete game with so few pitches time and time again. Its even more incredible when you think of the all time greats. Most of them were hard throwers with tons of strikeouts. Maddux was neither but he is definitely one of the top 10 pitchers of all time. I would rate him higher than Pedro.
When looking at it as career as a whole, I agree that he should be looked at more favorably that Pedro. However, for the 5 or so years that Pedro was at his peak there may not have ever been anyone better. He was unhittable. That's isn't to say that Maddux didn't have an outstanding peak in his own right. 4 Cy Young's in a row is nothing to sneeze at. Throw in his longevity and gold gloves and Maddux has a career that is difficult to match by anybody.
