It’s an Atlanta Braves and Greg Maddux day on the MLB Network

Ready for a Greg Maddux fix? The Atlanta Braves will be mentioned a lot on the MLB Network today.

Atlanta Braves fans will have a chance to celebrate with Greg Maddux on Tuesday, April 14 as he turns 54 years old.  As part of that, the MLB Network is set to go All Maddux All Day.

Here’s what they are doing (all times Eastern):

• 10:00 a.m. – Chicago Cubs at San Francisco Giants, August 7, 2004 – Maddux wins his 300th career game in a Cubs victory.
  • That’s the only downer here – that both he and Tom Glavine got their 300th wins in other uniforms.
• 12:30 p.m. – Cleveland Indians at Atlanta Braves, 1995 World Series, Game One – Maddux throws a complete game in a Braves victory on 95 pitches.
• 3:00 p.m.  – Atlanta Braves at New York Yankees, 1996 World Series, Game Two – Maddux throws eight shutout innings in a Braves victory.
  • Have you heard this mantra that Maddux wasn’t any good in the post-season?  There are 2 games that should convince people otherwise.
• 5:00 p.m. – MLB Network Presents: Atlanta Rules, The Story of the ’90s Braves
  • Soak in all in.  It was all good back then.

Then they’ll show Bull Durham for the umpteenth time or you can replay anything from the day that you’ve saved on the DVR.

For those youngsters out there, you simply may not have ever known just how good Greg Maddux was.  His control was legendary.  The stories about how he planned out how and where he would get hitters out have achieved mythic status – no doubt some will be shared during the broadcasts on Tuesday.

Maddux finished his career with 355 wins.  That’s 8th all-time, but there’s more to that.

He ended up 1 short of another Brave:  Warren Spahn.  Nobody has more wins than this pair who pitched after the year 1930.  90 years ago.  Taking Spahn out of the equation, Maddux himself has more wins than anyone who’s pitched after 1965 – 55 years ago.

What’s more, those facts are never likely to change.  Pitchers don’t go deep into games.  There aren’t 4-man rotations.  “Wins” as a pitching stat are passe.

Here’s some things that aren’t old-fashioned about Maddux’ game:

• Lifetime 3.16 ERA.
  • 4th best ERA+ (132) among pitchers winning 200+ and starting after 1960.
• Lifetime 3.26 FIP.
• Lifetime K% 16.5%
  • That’s best of any 300 game-winner other than Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan.  And Maddux wasn’t really considered a “strikeout pitcher” like the rest of these.
• Lifetime BB% 4.9%
  • That’s lower than any 300 game-winner pitching in the past 100 years.
• Wins Above Replacement:  104.8
  • 8th best as a pitcher ever
• Average outing:  through two outs in the 7th inning.
• 6th most innings among pitchers winning 200+ and starting after 1960.

There’s little doubt that among the things that have changed the most in this great game, pitching certainly has.  Despite that, there are pitchers who clearly know about the art of pitching and that’s why Greg Maddux would have excelled in any era.

So Happy Birthday Greg:  here’s hoping you can enjoy it to the fullest as your fans celebrate your career today!