innonate

fromedome:

Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux, one of my childhood heroes, retired today after 23 seasons, including nine and a half with the Cubs.

Maddux, no. 13 on the all-time innings pitched list, was a control freak: He walked only 999 batters in 5008 1/3 innings. That’s an average 1.80 batters per nine innings pitched.

The next closest whose career overlapped at least one season with Maddux’s: Mike Mussina, no. 66 on the all-time innings pitched list, who is also retiring. Mussina walked 785 batters in 3562 2/3 innings, or an average 1.98 batters per nine innings pitched.

Neither compares to legend Cy Young, no. 1 on the all-time innings pitched list, who played from 1890 through 1911. Young walked just 1217 batters in 7354 2/3 innings pitched, or an average 1.49 batters per nine innings pitched.

But here’s a real freak: Tommy Bond, who played for the Brooklyn Atlantics, Hartford Dark Blues, Boston Red Caps and Worcester Ruby Legs in the 1870s and 1880s. Bond walked just 198 batters in 3628 2/3 innings (including three crazy seasons with more than 520 innings pitched). That’s an average 0.49 walks per nine innings pitched.

As a Cincinnati Reds fan growing up, it wasn’t hard to love Greg Maddux, despite being from oft-rival teams (Cubs & Braves, pre and post league reallignment, I think).

Anyway, he’s a childhood hero to anyone who grew up watching baseball in the late 80s and early 90s. Back then, he was super human.

He’ll always be super human.