Greg Maddux: from Cubs to Braves
 

I was just looking at Maddux's career stats, and remembered that I was always semi-curious about why he switched teams. I think I just started following baseball around then, and that was really just the Blue Jays, so I don't know anything about it.

Could someone tell me why he went from the Cubs to Braves? He won a Cy Young and had a great last year with the Cubs, and it looks like the salary increase wasn't that much... what was the reason? The Cubs didn't want to pay him any more money? Or did Maddux want a change of scenery?

I'm pretty sure he just wanted to go to a winning team. He also probably liked the idea of adding to an already great pitching staff. It certainly wasn't about money. The Yankees offered him a much higher deal which he rejected.

from wikipedia

During the 1992 season, negotiations between him and the Cubs became contentious and eventually broke off. Cubs' general manager Larry Himes claimed that Maddux and his agent, Scott Boras, made unreasonable demands, but Maddux and Boras insist that Himes and Tribune Company executive Jim Dowdle failed to work in good faith with them. After the 1992 season, Maddux filed for free agency and the Cubs decided to pursue other free agents, including Jose Guzman, Dan Plesac and Candy Maldonado. After seven seasons in Chicago, Maddux signed with the Atlanta Braves.

The Cubs didn't offer him enough money when he became a free agent. The Yankees had the largest offer, the Braves offered a bit less. If I remember correctly he wanted to stay with the Cubs, but they had a rather pathetic offer.

He supposedly chose the Braves because he prefered their situation, didn't want to pitch in New York, and didn't really feel like switching leagues.

Thanks, my curiosity is full. :)

Collusion, I think. The Braves broke ranks.

Actually what I think happened is the Braves just quit without saving and reran the FA stage as many times as needed until they got Maddux.

Hmm... maybe they did the same for each season after that too.

This deal almost didn't happen because of Barry Bonds. The Braves thought they had acquired Bonds in 1992 in exchange for Alejandro Pena, Keith Mitchell, and a PTBNL - in fact, Scheurholz and Pirates GM Ted Simmons had verbally agreed to the deal. But Leyland went ballistic on Simmons when informed of the trade, and reneged on the deal (at least, that's the version Scheurholz tells in his book). The Braves front office was prepared to give Bonds a big extension, which would have prevented them from signing Maddux the following year.

I can't imagine the league's best pitcher and best hitter being on the FA market at the same time now.

Well, ARod may be a FA at the end of the year, and Zambrano (assuming he rebounds) will likely be considered a top 5 starter since the Cubs don't appear to be in a position to finish the deal.

The Cubs sure got back at the Braves for this by stealing Jeff Blauser a few years later.

Larry Himes and Jim Dowdle will be among the most hated people in Chicago sports history for letting Maddux walk. All indications said - despite Maddux's choice of agent - that he was willing to sign a below-market deal to stay in Chicago. MFing Himes - DIAF.

I am SO glad this Bonds deal never happened.....I couldn't stand him then and well, my opinion is the same only multiplied now.

Maddux is the man

Scott Borass is his agent, need anything else be said?

Plus he knew the Braves had their own strikezone back then.

Awesome.

He goes to Atlanta and he never messes with the 'roids.

Even before the 'roids he was a jerk in how he treated fans and media. Whereas Maddux is an true class act w/o question. He was my favorite Brave the whole time he was w/ them.

No, agreed. He went where he needed to be and Maddux is one of my favourite pitchers of all-time, even if he was a Brave.

heres the real question:

how many wins would maddux have if he was a lifelong cub?

Less than 336 :)

118

he would have blown out his elbow in April of '93

He goes to Atlanta, still does 'roids, and the Braves decided that instead of going for a new ballpark, they need to spruce up Fulton County Stadium so that Bonds can break the record in the same park Aaron did.

Yes, and compounded this by signing Remlinger from the Braves a few years later.

OK - no more Braves, plz k thx.

Maddux definately ended up in the right place. I mean it was years of watching the Dale Murphy show while the Braves won 65 games, then in a year or two, BAM the team of the decade. I'm just glad my Reds picked off a series win in 1990.

Maddux was one of my favourite players when I first started paying attention to baseball. The Braves were my NL team.

Jeff Blauser was known as a "Cub Killer" when he was with the Braves. After he joined the Cubs, he did nothing to dispell that.

Certain names have a negative vibe with me. I don't know how to explain it, but two baseball ones that come to mind are Blauser and Knoblauch. It's like, you can use the words to say:

"Check out the blauser on that guy!"
"Check out the knoblauch on that guy!"

Yeah I remember Blauser always did play very well at Wrigley. But he would take a couple years off only to reawaken during his contract year. The Braves fell for it once, but the 2nd time they let the Cubs find out the hard way.