Mad Dog by the Numbers

Greg Maddux Career Retrospective

Greg Maddux was drafted out of Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 1984 June Draft. Thirty players were drafted ahead of Maddux.

The Mets chose outfielder Shawn Abner with the first pick. Abner hit only .227 with 11 homeruns during 840 career at bats.

The Mariners used the second pick to select Bill Swift as the first pitcher in the draft. Swift won 21 games in 1993, but placed second in Cy Young Award balloting to none other than Greg Maddux. Swift also got one shot at a title, but his Rockies lost to Maddux and the Braves in the 1995 division series.

There were some big names taken ahead of Maddux - most notably Mark McGwire, who went tenth overall - but no one drafted that year carved out their place in history the way Mad Dog did.

On Saturday night, Maddux beat the Colorado Rockies to become the ninth player in history to reach 350 career wins. Roger Clemens hit that number last season, but after Maddux did it Saturday night, with fans seeing that milestone reached for the second consecutive season, it will be at least a decade or two before we see anyone reach it again - that is, if anyone ever does.

Take a look at the leading victory totals among active players: Tom Glavine (303), Randy Johnson (286), Mike Mussina (255), Jamie Moyer (232), Curt Schilling (216), Kenny Rogers (213), John Smoltz (210), Pedro Martinez (209), and Andy Pettitte (204).

None of those guys can get there.

Tim Hudson is the first name you get to who you expect to have some good seasons ahead of him - but he only has 140 career wins. Hudson would have to win 20 games a season for the next decade just to get to 340.

Roy Oswalt has 115 wins, Roy Halladay has 114, and then . . . who, Barry Zito with 113?

None of those guys are going to put up the numbers Maddux has - but then very few players have ever put up Maddux-type numbers.

His Hall of Fame selection will be a mere formality. Take a look at his career using Sports by the Numbers:

1 The number of World Series titles (1) won by Greg Maddux. He gave up only nine hits in 16 innings as the Braves beat Cleveland in the 1995 World Series.

2 The number of 20-win seasons (2) for Maddux - they came consecutively, in 1992-93. He also won 19 games in five different seasons.

4 He won (4) consecutive Cy Young Awards from 1992-95. He also earned The Sporting News N.L. Pitcher of the Year four consecutive seasons from 1992-95.

5 The number of career homeruns (5) for Maddux. He hit two for Atlanta in 1999, the same season he hit his first career triple. Maddux got a career high 19 hits for the Cubs in 1988.

8 Only (8) players in history have more career victories. Maddux will almost certainly surpass the 354 total held by Roger Clemens - and there is an outside chance he can get to the 361 total held by Kid Nichols.

11 He won (11) games in the post-season. His total is tied with Curt Schilling for the fifth most in baseball history. Maddux won one game in 11 different playoff series.

15 The number of pitchers (15) selected ahead of Greg Maddux in the 1984 June Draft. He wasn't even the first pitcher drafted by the Cubs - Drew Hall was. Hall, the third overall pick, was 9-12 in his career with five saves.

17 He has won the Gold Glove (17) times - every season except for one, in fact, from 1990-2007. Mike Hampton won the award in 2003.

109 Maddux tossed (109) complete games - including a career high ten in 1994 and 1995. He has thrown 35 shutouts.

143 The approximate dollar amount in the millions ($143) that Maddux has earned in his career. He is getting an even $10 mil from the Padres this season.

156 He posted a career best (1.56) ERA in 1994 - it was the second of four seasons that he led the league in ERA.

176 He has (176) career sacrifice bunts - the third highest total among active players.

181 He has only given up (1.81) walks per nine innings for his entire career - one of the top 60 ratios in baseball history.

204 He struck out a career high (204) batters in 1998 - and his career total of 3,299 is among the top 15 in history.

218 He posted a (2.18) ERA during his first Cy Young season in 1992. It was only the third best ERA in the league, but it was the first of seven consecutive seasons that Maddux posted an ERA under 2.75 and placed among the top three league leaders.

258 The career batting average (.258) for Cesar Izturis. The light-hitting infielder is only getting into the Hall of Fame like the rest of us - if he buys a ticket - but he can lay claim to something no one else in the game can, as he is the only player Greg Maddux was ever traded for.

268 He tossed a career high (268) innings in 1992 - and his career total of more than 4,860 innings is among the top 20 in history.

334 The post-season ERA (3.34) for Maddux. He did even better in the World Series, where he posted a 2.09 ERA in five starts.

350 It took Maddux five starts after he won number 349 to get career win number (350) - but if the Padres can get some offense going this season Maddux might make a run at 360. He did, after all, win 14 games last year - and he has won 13 or more games a record 20 consecutive seasons. If Maddux wins 13 this season, he will finish the year at 360 on the number.

617 He is among the top 75 in history with a (.617) career winning percentage.

811 Maddux was 19-2 in 1995 and he led the league with an (.811) WHIP. His .905 winning percentage that season led the league and remains the sixth best in history - and his WHIP also led the league and remains the fifth best in history.