Dave Maddux's son had attracted the attention of MLB scouts. That son was Mike Maddux. When scouts came to check out Mike, who was indeed drafted in 1982 (and became a venerated pitching coach), Dave told scouts they would be back later for his younger son. That son was Greg Maddux.
Dave's words proved prophetic, as his son Greg is a former Major League Baseball player with few peers. Greg Maddux is maybe the best pitcher of his era, and his skills earned him a net worth that's worthy of Cooperstown.
Early Life and Career
RELATED: "Chicks Dig The Long Ball" Remains Baseball's Best Commercial
Gregory Alan Maddux was born in San Angelo, Texas but spent a chunk of his childhood in Madrid, Spain because his father was in the Air Force. When the family returned to the United States, they settled in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Greg and Mike began learning the art of pitching from MLB scout Ralph Meder.
Maddux went to Valley High School, where he posted incredible numbers. Still, there were questions about him as a pitcher because of his body measurements. Unlike his counterpart Randy Johnson, who was a physically-imposing hurler that could practically reach home plate with his arm, Maddux was a hair under 6 feet tall and not exactly burly. His nickname "Mad Dog" was at least somewhat tongue in cheek, though his "The Professor" moniker fit a little better.
The Chicago Cubs took a shot on Maddux in the second round of the 1984 MLB Draft, and he made his MLB debut in 1986. At the time, he was the youngest player in the majors. By 1992, he was the best pitcher in the National League and probably in all of baseball.
That year, he won his first NL Cy Young Award and only one with the Cubs. After that 1992 season, he signed a five-year deal with the Atlanta Braves worth $28 million. It paid off more than anybody could have imagined. Maddux proceeded to win the NL Cy Young for three consecutive years. Yes, he won four straight Cy Youngs. Only one other player has done that: the aforementioned Randy Johnson.
Greg Maddux, Two Seamers. #MadduxMonday pic.twitter.com/jrnYnqV0Ln
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) January 25, 2021
The 1995 season saw Maddux join forces with Tom Glavine, another future Hall of Famer, to lead Atlanta to a win in the 1995 World Series over the Cleveland Indians. While Maddux wouldn't win another Cy Young or World Series with Atlanta, he stuck around all the way until 2003. Despite being in his late thirties, though, he did not retire. He instead signed a deal to return to the Chicago Cubs.
After a couple years with the Cubs, Maddux concluded his legendary career with brief stints for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. He was 42 when he played his final season with the Dodgers in 2008. He managed to win the Gold Glove that year, marking his 18th Gold Glove, the most of any player in MLB history.
In addition to the 18 Gold Gloves and the four Cy Youngs, Maddux was an eight-time All-Star. He also led the majors in ERA and innings pitched four times. To the surprise of nobody, "Mad Dog" was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, the first time he was eligible. Maddux is considered the best control pitcher to ever take the mound and for good reason. He's the only pitcher with over 300 wins, 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 career walks.
In total, he raked in more than $153 million in contract earnings during his MLB career.
Greg Maddux Net Worth
Like his brother Mike, Greg has done some work in baseball after his career, including serving in the front office of both the Cubs and Dodgers. Not at the same time. That would be a conflict of interest.
Maddux also spent some time as the pitching coach at UNLV. He and his wife Kathy Maddux have two children, daughter Amanda Paige Maddux and son Chase Maddux, also known as "Satchel." Chase was a pitcher for UNLV under his dad.
Just Greg Maddux watching Greg Maddux highlights ... before talking to & taking questions from the ?First Pitch Dinner? attendees! #UNLVbaseball ????? #MadDog #HallOfFamer pic.twitter.com/AB2OxEhb0w
— UNLV Baseball ?? (@unlvbaseball) February 8, 2019
Maddux probably didn't need the money after an accomplished career at an All-American pastime. Maddux boasts an estimated net worth of $70 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Let's see an actual professor make that kind of money. Or an actual mad dog.
