Maddux enjoys late-career reunion with Cubs

When Greg Maddux signed with the Atlanta Braves following the 1992 season, he left Chicago with 95 victories and one Cy Young Award.

When he returned for the 2004 season, Maddux had 194 more wins, three more Cy Youngs and a space that was practically reserved in Cooperstown. And Maddux still had five more seasons of his Hall of Fame career remaining.

Maddux reunited with his original team on Feb. 18, 2004, when he agreed to a two-year contract with a vesting option for 2006. The contract would pay Maddux a reported $15 million over the first two seasons and $9 million in 2006 if he pitched at least 400 innings over the first two seasons.

Today, two 200-inning seasons for a soon-to-be 38-year-old pitcher seems farfetched. But for Maddux, it ended up being an easy hurdle as he worked 437.2 innings combined in 2004 and 2005.

“I’ve yet to think about retiring,” Maddux told the Chicago Tribune after agreeing to his new contract. “I still enjoy the game. I enjoy coming to the park, talking baseball. I love the atmosphere. The life is good.”

Maddux debuted with the Cubs in 1986 and defied projections that said his average fastball would not find success in the major leagues. But with pinpoint control and uncanny movement on his pitches, Maddux was an 18-game winner by 1988 and seemed to thrive on work. He led the NL in innings pitched five straight seasons (1991-95) and was almost untouchable from 1992-95, winning four straight National League Cy Young Awards and leading the Braves to the 1995 World Series title.

“You don’t win almost 300 games by not knowing how to pitch,” Cubs manager Dusty Baker told the Tribune after Maddux signed with the Cubs. “This is a guy who’s going to go down as one of the greatest pitchers of all time. I’m just glad he’s on our team.”

Some teams were hesitant to sign Maddux at that point in his career, but Cubs general manager Jim Hendry got the slow-moving deal done once he added the prospect of a third season.

“I woke up one day and said: ‘Man, wouldn’t that be something?’” Hendry told the Tribune about the possibility of signing Maddux. “I knew I didn’t have much money left. I thought I was dreaming.”

Maddux entered the 2004 season with 289 victories and picked up his 300th win on Aug. 7 against the Giants. He finished the season with a 16-11 record, the 17th straight year he posted at least 15 wins. Maddux sits atop that list, with Cy Young in second place with 15 straight 15-win seasons.

Maddux would go 13-15 in an MLB-best 35 starts in 2005 before being traded to the Dodgers after 22 starts in 2006, finishing that season with a 15-14 record. He would pitch two more years, wrapping up his career with a 355-227 record, 3.16 ERA, eight All-Star Game selections and a record 18 Gold Glove Awards.

Maddux was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014.

“It’s nice to be back,” Maddux told the Tribune as he returned to the Cubs. “I knew when I left Chicago, I wasn’t ready to leave the first time.”

Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum