Greg Maddux documentary on MLB.tv -- available for streaming now!

[CaptainLaddie]

This looks fucking *amazing*.

https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/one-of-a-kind-greg-maddux-mlbn-doc.html

I've only seen the clips and it aired on MLB network tonight, but holy shit. I am so goddamn into Maddux and his pitching brain.

Reactions?

Edit: from below:

If you have MLB.tv you can now watch it. Just scroll down to the "MLB Presents" content. I've been waiting for it to show up and will watch it this weekend.

 

[santadevil]

Thanks for pointing this out
I'm going to see if it's going to be shown again soon so I can watch it

I really like Greg Maddux

 

[Just a bit outside]

I heard it was supposed to be filmed 16:9 but it ended up18:9 to give him a couple more inches on the outside.

 

[trs]

I heard it was supposed to be filmed 16:9 but it ended up18:9 to give him a couple more inches on the outside.

Username, aspect ratios, mid-90s umpiring, and the release of a documentary all aligned at this special moment in time to give us all this comment.

You were born for this.

 

[Winger 03]

I heard it was supposed to be filmed 16:9 but it ended up18:9 to give him a couple more inches on the outside.

Bravo!

 

[ThePrideofShiner]

I saw clips of it on various social media channels and the one about how he called his own pitches was crazy. Really want to watch the entire documentary.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-79cmnoXfmg

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Maddux's 92-98 (190 ERA+/54.7 bWAR) is probably the closest thing to Pedro's seven-year stretch from 97-03 (213/57.3), especially since Maddux missed about 40% of a season over two years to a strike. I never thought Pedro's stretch could be topped in any way, but Maddux actually had more WAR per team game in their respective eras.

 

[Trlicek's Whip]

His July 2, 1997 game at Yankee Stadium was amazing; I remember watching it. Jos Posnanski wrote about it:

First batter: Maddux struck out Derek Jeter on three pitches, and I recall the last being a classic Maddux strike, outside to Jeter, outside corner to the umpire. It was obvious from the start: Maddux was bringing his whole bag to this game. He got Joe Girardi to ground out to second. Then, he went to a full count against Paul O'Neill before getting him to ground out to second. The full count was significant. No Yankees batter would have three balls on him the rest of the game.

Maddux got Tino looking in the second. The Yankees looked dull and a step slow. In the third Hard Hittin' Mark Whiten cracked a single up the middle and got to second on a groundout. Maddux promptly picked him off. That too was significant. No other Yankee runner would reach second base.

The final numbers: nine innings, three hits, no walks, eight strikeouts, one pickoff, one double play, 84 pitches. The whole thing took two hours and nine minutes, or 23 minutes less than "The Dark Knight" movie.

 

[Bergs]

His July 2, 1997 game at Yankee Stadium was amazing; I remember watching it. Jos Posnanski wrote about it:

I liked this bit:

With Pedro, you understood, the guy threw gas too only he also had the sick change-up, looked just like the fastball until you swung 12 minutes before the ball arrived, plus he would change arm angles and every now and then he would throw a hard slider because he did not want to strike out batters, he wanted to have them committed to an asylum.

Edit: As for Maddux, the NL strike zone really was a lot different than the AL before interleague. If Peak Clemens was getting the calls Maddux got, he might've had a no-hitter every 10 starts.

 

[mauidano]

I was fortunate to have a good friend who pitched in relief for the Braves in '95 & '96. His name is Brad Clontz. He was a submarine pitcher who was mostly the setup guy for Mark Wohlers who was the closer for the Braves. We did a few road trips with the Braves and I got a chance to meet a few of the players like Maddux. It was s such a thrill at the time. Just trying to be normal and cool. But even then I knew I was witnessing greatness. So I saw him pitch live a few times and of course on the Superstation TBS!

 

[SemperFidelisSox]

Right after the doc aired last night, MLB Network had his 14K game vs Milwaukee in 2001. It looked like he was just soft tossing with the catcher on a throw day but the Brewers hitters were completely baffled.

 

[brandonchristensen]

His July 2, 1997 game at Yankee Stadium was amazing; I remember watching it. Jos Posnanski wrote about it:

He’s such a great writer.

 

[opes]

I saw clips of it on various social media channels and the one about how he called his own pitches was crazy. Really want to watch the entire documentary.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-79cmnoXfmg

Holy shit thats crazy. Never heard that before.

 

[CantKeepmedown]

Another crazy story involving Leo Mazzone and Chipper Jones. Bobby Cox had Mazzone go out to the mound to have Maxxux IBB Luis Gonzales. Maddux refused to do and asked for just two pitches to make him pop out.

Bobby cox sent Leo Mazzone to the mound so he could tell Greg Maddux to walk Luis Gonzalez. Mad Dog refused to do it, told Leo give me two pitches and I’ll make him pop up to 3b. Two pitches later, pop up to chipper jones at 3rd. Unbelievable story from “one of a kind”

 

[Sandwich Pick]

I heard it was supposed to be filmed 16:9 but it ended up18:9 to give him a couple more inches on the outside.

"He's earned that resolution"

- Skip Caray

 

[CarolinaBeerGuy]

Any way to watch this if we don’t have MLB Network?

 

[santadevil]

I watched last night. It was very good and I learned a lot watching it

 

[canderson]

Any way to watch this if we don’t have MLB Network?

I want to use this opportunity to post that IT IS INSANE a MLB.tv sub doesn’t incluxe MLBN streaming within the app.

 

[CarolinaBeerGuy]

I want to use this opportunity to post that IT IS INSANE a MLB.tv sub doesn’t invoice MLBN streaming within the app.

Agreed 100%. MLB is pretty bad at getting their product to their fans.

 

[LogansDad]

Agreed 100%. MLB is pretty bad at getting their product to their fans.

It's even more annoying because the product is generally awesome these days.

 

[worm0082]

The story about how Maddux intentionally gave up a HR to Bagwell was amazing. Because they were gonna face the Astros in the playoffs and set him up to look for that pitch. Guy was a baseball genius. And that other story about calling pitches using the location of his glove when getting the ball back.

 

[curly2]

The stuff on Maddux was great, but I loved that his father spent 20 years in the military to set himself up for his dream job as a poker dealer.

 

[Remagellan]

I want to use this opportunity to post that IT IS INSANE a MLB.tv sub doesn’t include MLBN streaming within the app.

They do have a lot of the MLBN content available (on the Roku version of the app at least if you scroll down past the game recaps for the MLB and MiLB), but this episode of MLB Network Presents is not. They have other full episodes of MLB Presents (Brett, Bench, The Story of Billy Bean, Donnie Baseball, The Forever Brothers, Birds of a Different Feather), and highlight clips of the Maddux one, but not the whole episode. And I HAVE MLB Network on Xfinity as well, and it does not have ANY of their content OnDemand. It is like MLB goes out of their way to frustrate their fans.

 

[Max Power]

I watched this last night. I think my favorite part was watching both him and Barry Bonds separately break down an at bat, mostly saying the exact same things. They both knew exactly what the other was thinking and going to do and it was a matter of getting lucky for each side.

I found out that Maddux pitched to Pete Rose in his rookie season when Rose was a player-manager. Rich Hill relived Maddux in his debut, Maddux pitched against Rose, Rose played in a few games against Stan Musial, who made his debut in 1941. Four guys connect to the current Red Sox to the year Ted Williams hit .406.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

To take it a little further, Paul Waner played against Musial, and Waner also played against Babe Ruth in the 1927 World Series.

 

[Brand Name]

Only need 11 connections and names to get from Rich Hill to baseball's true beginnings with guys like Joe Start who played with Enterprise of Brooklyn in the late 1850s if just going by overlapping careers with the ones already mentioned here.

Hill
Maddux
Rose
Musial
Waner
Ruth
Jack Quinn
Wagner
Jack Beckley
Either of Harry Stovey/Tim Keefe
Start (to finish, heh)

 

[Max Power]

Only need 11 connections and names to get from Rich Hill to baseball's true beginnings with guys like Joe Start who played with Enterprise of Brooklyn in the late 1850s if just going by overlapping careers with the ones already mentioned here.

Hill
Maddux
Rose
Musial
Waner
Ruth
Jack Quinn
Wagner
Jack Beckley
Either of Harry Stovey/Tim Keefe
Start (to finish, heh)

The one trick is that they have to appear in the same game, either as teammates or opponents.

 

[simplicio]

I'd be curious what a pitcher-catcher-pitcher-etc chain would look like, using only guys that had been a battery together.

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

I'd be curious what a pitcher-catcher-pitcher-etc chain would look like, using only guys that had been a battery together.

I don't have time to keep going – and the latest link is inconveniently a short one – but this is what immediately sprung to my mind:

Jose Trevino → Bartolo Colon
Bartolo Colon → Pat Borders
Pat Borders → Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan → Elrod Hendricks
Elrod Hendricks → Moe Drabowsky …that gets you back to 1956.

EDIT: I think this one fizzles out because Clyde McCullough caught his last game a couple of weeks before Drabowsky's debut. Otherwise, it would continue from McCullough → Charlie Root and get you back to the 1920s.

 

[LogansDad]

I posted in the Rich Hill thread (I think), 8 games to get to 1897 or something. Will see if I can find it.

 

[LogansDad]

Here it is, was in response to Hill's first appearance being in a game that Maddux pitched, funnily enough.

Meanwhile, Greg Maddux made his debut on Sept 3, 1986, taking the loss in the 18th inning of a game that was started on September 2, but suspended in the 14th inning. The starting pitcher for the Cubs' opponent that day was Nolan Ryan.....

Who made his debut for the New York Mets on Sept 10, 1966, in a relief pitching appearance against the Atlanta Braves. The Braves third baseman that day was Eddie Matthews....

Who made his debut on April 15, 1952 against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Pitching for the Dodgers that day, was Preacher Roe....

Who made his debut on August 22, 1938 against the Cincinnati Reds. Catching for the Reds that day was Ernie Lombardi...

Who made his debut on April 15, 1931 against the Boston Braves. Playing SS for the Braves that day was Rabbit Maranville....

Who made his debut on September 10, 1912 against the Chicago Cubs. Playing left field for the Cubs that day was Jimmy Sheckard, who debuted in 1897.

Hill -> Maddux -> Ryan -> Matthews -> Roe -> Lombardi -> Maranville -> Sheckard

8 total games linking baseball today to baseball in the 19th century.

Yes, I am bored, and yes that's as far as I am going to take this.

I would absolutely bet on @Brand Name being able to do better than I was, though.

 

[gammoseditor]

For anyone that missed this, like I did, it’s on the MLB network Sunday morning at 10:30 am. DVR set.

 

[ledsox]

For anyone that missed this, like I did, it’s on the MLB network Sunday morning at 10:30 am. DVR set.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Max Power]

There's another path through Warren Spahn, who faced Rose in the 60s. His teammate in his rookie year was Johnny Cooney, who made his debut in 1921. That's 103 years for Cooney > Spahn > Rose > Maddux > Hill.

Cooney relieved Rube Marquard, whose teammate in 1908 was Fred Tenney, a player for the 1894 Boston NL team. Box scores are not available back then, so I think that's as far as I can go. 7 games get you from last night to 1894, the first season pitchers threw from 60' 6".

 

[cannonball 1729]

Well, here's one that bends the rules a little bit, if we change "appeared in the same game" to "appeared at the same game" (i.e. were both in uniform at the same game but may not have actually entered the game):

Rich Hill pitched for the Cubs against the Mets on May 16, 2007. Appearing in the opposing dugout for the Mets - but not playing in the game - was Julio Franco. Franco played the game before and the game after against the Cubs, but the 16th was a rest day for him.

Franco played on June 20, 1983 against Yaz.

Yaz doubled off of Satchel Paige in Paige's final game on September 25, 1965. Satch was allegedly 59 years old at the time (though no one ever knew Satch's real age).

Paige was a teammate of Bill Gatewood on the 1927 Birmingham Black Barons.

Gatewood is known to have played for the Leland Giants in 1907 along with HOFer Pete Hill. They also both played for the Cuban X-Giants in 1906.

Hill played for the Pittsburgh Keystones in 1899.

So we have Hill -> Franco -> Yaz -> Paige -> Gatewood -> Hill, bookended by Hills on either side.

It's also believed that Paige faced Babe Ruth in exhibition games. Paige himself denied it, but Ruth's daughter claimed that Paige had dominated Ruth in an exhibition series in Brooklyn, and Buck O'Neil used to tell a story about how Ruth hit a ball so far off of Satch that Satch waited at home plate to shake Ruth's hand after Ruth rounded the bases.

Ruth's major league debut on July 11, 1914 came against Nap Lajoie, who himself debuted in 1896.

That gives Hill -> Franco -> Yaz -> Paige -> Ruth -> Lajoie.

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

I'd be curious what a pitcher-catcher-pitcher-etc chain would look like, using only guys that had been a battery together.

I have no way to prove it, but I assume Verlander-Rodriguez-Ryan has to be the longest link in baseball history, covering 58 years with just two batteries. An old Jack Quinn pitching to a young Al Lopez covers a few decades of baseball, but I wasn't as successful branching it out from there. So while it's certainly possible there's a shorter battery lineage I've missed, here's Justin Verlander to Old Hoss Radbourn in ten steps:

1 Justin Verlander → Ivan Rodriguez (1991)
2 Ivan Rodriguez → Nolan Ryan (1966)
3 Nolan Ryan → JC Martin (1959)
4 JC Martin → Early Wynn (1939)
5 Early Wynn → Rick Ferrell (1929)
6 Rick Ferrell → Rip Collins (1920)
7 Rip Collins → Wally Schang (1913)
8 Wally Schang → Eddie Plank (1901)
9 Eddie Plank → Morgan Murphy (1890)
10 Morgan Murphy → Old Hoss Radbourn (1881)

I found another branch off of Rick Ferrell that might get to 1880 in ten steps, but it's impossible to say without box scores. We can presume even without box scores that Murphy definitely caught Radbourn many times in 1890. I was hoping I could get back to the beginning of the National League (1876) with one more step, but Radbourn never had a veteran catcher until he was well into his own career, so I didn't bother beyond that point. Also, this kind of muddy when it reached Rick Ferrell – he actually began his career as Wally Schang's backup, so every pitcher on the team who made a few appearances will link the two, but I couldn't link any of them to a catcher who went back further than Schang.

 

[Andy Merchant]

I recorded this and watched it after the Pats game. I really enjoyed it and looking back at his stats is just ridiculous. Crazy, the guy was even effective at age 43 throwing 80 mph.

I also thought Maddux looked kinda old, was surprised he's only 58.

 

[MuzzyField]

If you have MLB.tv you can now watch it. Just scroll down to the "MLB Presents" content. I've been waiting for it to show up and will watch it this weekend.

 

[ElcaballitoMVP]

If you have MLB.tv you can now watch it. Just scroll down to the "MLB Presents" content. I've been waiting for it to show up and will watch it this weekend.

Thanks for this, I was just coming in here to find out how to watch it.

 

[LogansDad]

If you have MLB.tv you can now watch it. Just scroll down to the "MLB Presents" content. I've been waiting for it to show up and will watch it this weekend.

Thank you! Can't wait!

 

[canderson]

If you have MLB.tv you can now watch it. Just scroll down to the "MLB Presents" content. I've been waiting for it to show up and will watch it this weekend.

Thank you! I'll watch Sunday night.

 

[LogansDad]

Any chance @CaptainLaddie or a mod can adjust the thread title to maybe get more people to see that it is available?

 

[CaptainLaddie]

Any chance @CaptainLaddie or a mod can adjust the thread title to maybe get more people to see that it is available?

Done!