Greg Maddux leaning toward retirement
A
third incarnation of Greg Maddux beginning a season on one squad and ending it in Dodger blue doesn't appear to be in the cards. In part because a second stint that produced a 2-4 clip and a 5.09 ERA didn't exactly scream, "One more time!!!" But also because Scott Boras told Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports that his 42-year-old client is leaning toward calling it a career. If that's the case, it kinda sucks to see him go out on "pen in the playoffs" note that's somewhere between anti-climactic and flat out unfitting of baseball's eighth-winningest hurler (355 in all). On the flip side, dude was still baseball's eighth-winningest hurler -- with four CY's and ERA titles to boot -- and were baseball writers not often knee-jerk contrarians for the sake of it, the prototype first ballot Hall of Fame lock. If you hear Ned Colletti rave about him, Maddux could enter Cooperstown simply on the strength of his brains alone. He might have been able to make it as a fielder, what with the 17 gold gloves and all. Either way, should Maddux decide to retire, best of luck to a universally respected legend who did the game right.
And speaking of future Hall of Famers, all eyes are even more fixated on Manny Ramirez now that the GM meetings have kicked off at a fancy-shmancy Dana Point hotel. Ned Colletti is looking to talk turkey with Boras some time this week, but that doesn't mean he's shining other potential FA's until they figure out Manny's story. Quite the opposite, in fact. Folks like CC Sabathia will see their services discussed and perhaps even acquired, even if doing so jeopardizes the filthy lucre available for 99. After all, this team has a fair amount of spots to fill (maybe one by Raffy Furcal?), cash doesn't grow on trees and there are risks involved with giving the sky to Ramirez, as discussed by MLB's Ken Gurnick.
Finally, welcome back Lenny Harris!
AK
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We need to push VERY hard to keep him in the organization as a coach. Seriously.
Posted by: DBrim | November 03, 2008 at 09:04 PM
As soon as he officially retires, I'm ready to can Honeycutt and hire Maddux instead. But I wish him the best of luck, wherever he ends up. He's truly one of the class acts in baseball, even if he does like to pee on rookies in the clubhouse.
Posted by: Eric B. | November 03, 2008 at 09:17 PM
Is he leaning on his walker?
Posted by: Benzo Jones | November 03, 2008 at 10:02 PM
Benzo, didn't you say you were the same age as Maddux?
Maddux as pitching coach=good for all. But isn't his brother a pitching coach somewhere? Detroit? Chi Sox? Well, I bet he gets a lot of coaching offers from around the league.
Can anyone tell me exactly how much we have to spend on payroll next year (after what is already committed), assuming $119 million is the limit again as it was this year?
Posted by: VA Blueblood | November 04, 2008 at 08:10 AM
I agree with the posters. Keep him as a coach, he can't do a worse job than Mueller did.
Posted by: Jess from SC | November 04, 2008 at 08:20 AM
Don't expect Manny to be done quickly, or at all. Boras will wait until the Yankees decide whether they prefer Manny or Tex, and that will not happen until after their pitching needs are finalized....probably not until mid-December. Colletti can't wait given the holes that need to be filled. McCourt thus has a "way out" and can tell the disappointed fanbase, "it's Boras fault"!!
Posted by: ariel | November 04, 2008 at 08:51 AM
sign "CC" and encourage him to grow dread-lox.....the main thing this off-season is not re-signing manny, but ensuring that right-wing, nut-job kent does not return!!!!
Posted by: backin09 | November 04, 2008 at 09:29 AM
I don't care about CC or any other Schmidt type expensive pitcher that could hurt their shoulder and who only pitch every five days. I want Manny. Manny plays every day, would draw about 500,000 more fans, and at about $75 per game worth of assorted revenue, that's 37.5 million. So if you give him an extra year or two, you're making money on him for sure the first couple of years, and Boras knows it. So never mind worrying about the length of the contract, and whether his legs will make it. Because we saw what the Dodgers were like before Manny, and that's the way they'll be with no Manny. Ned should have been fired for the Schmidt/Jones 83 million money blow, so I don't want to hear how he says he doesn't have an unlimited budget. People should not renew their season tickets unless they sign Manny. And if Ned can't sign him, he should be fired. Without Manny, this team, with everyone else they're losing (Kent, Nomar, Lowe, Park etc.) is a last-place team.
Posted by: richard baker | November 04, 2008 at 06:47 PM
Va Blueblood,
Mike Maddux (brother) played until 1999. Coached the Round Rock AA team (Astros) from 2000-01. Since
2002 he has been the pitching coach for the Brewers.
He just signed yesterday to coach the Texas Rangers'
pitchers. Nolan Ryan owned the Round Rock team.
Call it a reunion of sorts, no way would he have signed
with Texas absent the Ryan connection. :)
Posted by: tommex | November 05, 2008 at 03:33 AM
thanks tommex. With his brother in the Rangers system, my guess is that if Maddux wants to get in to coaching, his first call will be to Nolan Ryan to see what they have to offer. I bet the Braves, Padres, and Cubs would also be on his list, and that his move to coaching will be more about his professional connections than anything else. Not clear how strong his connections are to Blue management... but it would be great if we could find the right roll for him.
Posted by: VA Blueblood | November 05, 2008 at 11:52 AM
I should think Maddux's choices are also affected by geography: he wants to be close to home. Whoever locates a team in Las Vegas might have first crack.. But a team close to there, especially one that trains in Arizona, would have a good shot too. That means Dodgers, Padres, Giants, A's, Angels, and Rangers.
Posted by: SaMo | November 05, 2008 at 02:04 PM
It said in the paper today that Ned would like to have Maddux back. Why? He's been working with smoke and mirrors and is too expensive for his production. I would however, do everything to sign him as a coach or roving instructor.
Posted by: uclart47 | November 06, 2008 at 10:16 AM