On This Date in Sports: July 22, 1997: Efficiency
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux, known for his impeccable control, needs just 76 pitches to throw a complete game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Maddux allows one run on five hits as the Braves beat the Cubs 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field. Greg Maddux strikes out six batters with no walks. Maddux did not even get to a three-ball count, as only two batters got to ball two (Mark Grace in the second and Sammy Sosa in the seventh).
Greg Maddux, the premier pitcher of the 1990s, was born on April 14, 1966. He spent much of his youth living abroad as his father was stationed with the Air Force in Madrid. Along with his brother Mike, Greg Maddux was a top pitching prospect while playing American Legion ball in Las Vegas. When his older brother was drafted in 1982, Maddux's father told scouts they would be back for his younger son.
The Cubs drafted Greg Maddux in the second round of the 1984 draft. He made his debut two years later, pitching against his brother Mike who was also a rookie with the Philadelphia Phillies. Maddux struggled in his first two seasons, posting a record of 6-14 in 1987 as his ERA was a hefty 5.87. He turned things around in 1988, making his first All-Star appearance while posting a record of 18-8 with a 3.18 ERA. Over the next four seasons, Maddux was known for his excellent fielding and began to collect Gold Gloves, eventually setting a record with 18. In 1992, he won 20 games for the first time and the first of four consecutive Cy Young awards in his final season with the Cubs.
In 1993, Greg Maddux joined the Atlanta Braves, signing a record five-year contract worth $28 million. He made his debut in Atlanta by blanking the Cubs 1-0. Maddux became the anchor in the Braves' potent rotation, not with impressive strikeout numbers but by pitching like a chess master with his incredible ability to hit the corners and throw strikes, as batters were forced to swing at his pitch, usually leading to a soft fly ball or an easy grounder. The Braves won the World Seris in 1995, and the the National League pennant in 1996, as Maddux saw the Cy Young go to teammate John Smoltz.
Greg Maddux was having another strong season at 13-3 when he started the first game of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. The Braves gave Maddux a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Ryan Klesko. The Cubs got their first hit in the third, and tied the game in the fourth inning as Shawon Dunston had a leadoff single, stole second and scored on a grounder by Sammy Sosa. Atlanta quickly regained the lead on a sac-fly by Chipper Jones in the fifth, scoring Jeff Blauser who it a leadoff double. In the seventh inning, Michael Tucker capped the scoring with a two-run home run, as Gerami Gonzalez took the loss for Chicago, in a game that took just over two hours to complete.