Just worth looking at and remembering this guy
It looks like he placed a very high priority on maintaining posture and a consistent delivery. He sure made me a believer about sinker ballin and the beauty of a great moving change. It got him 300+ wins 3000+ k’s, Cy’s…it was 20 years of real fun baseball.
But he could barely break 90 MPH!!!
/sarcasm
I noticed something in the three clips of Maddux. In the first clip he is
shown warming up using the far right side of the rubber, but in his warmups in the game he is using the middle of the rubber. In the second
clip his is using the far right side again. And in the third clip he is using
the rar left side of the rubbber. It would be interesting to find out the reason why the differences. But it seems to put a hole in the idea that some people have of right handers only throwing from the right side of the rubber.
I think he switches positions on the rubber depending on the batters he has to face. Makes sense. 8)
That would make sense, anything to add deception right? That’s just part of that Maddux craftiness that won him those 300+ games. I miss this guy.
There was a posting I did a long while ago about working along the rubber - left/right/center, and how each angle of attack can produce a variety of influences on various batting sweeps across the plate. Also, depending on the batter order logic, these angle of attack influences can give you a higher or lower rate of probability for getting the desired results after your pitch.
Very good observation on your part. Your attention to detail is going to serve you well in this sport, and espeically at the pitcher’s position.
Coach B.
Another point to note is that he’s working low and outside in both shots where you can see the catcher.
To me it’s like I can almost hear his mind calibrating his sequencing, like he’s mentally checking every watch point along the way. This is the example, if you will, of why you don’t have to work at full speed every second while in the pen. It’s very obvious, to me anyway, that he was concerned about having his body in sync. I believe in my mind that he knew that once he had his posture and delivery sequence correct and smooth, that his velocity would be in the range he wanted for a given day.
To me it also, in a way, validates drill work.
JD, please check your PMs
I love how Greg Maddux knew how to pitch, and didn’t rely on just throwing the baseball.
Greg Maddux could throw 90-93mph if he wanted to, when he first broke in the league, he was throwing 92 with average control, I believe(correct me if needed, I never saw him pitch in the early days for the Cubs). He pretty much was average. Then he put together a string of good seasons with the Cubs, and signed in free agency with the Atlanta Braves.
Leo Mazzone, the Braves’ pitching coach at the time, was ecstatic when the Braves signed Maddux. Leo knew Maddux was a good pitcher, but he made him great. Leo schooled Maddux mentally, particularly in the approach of throwing low&away, and getting movement on fastballs. For Maddux to get the best control, he softened his velocity, and relied on less effort when pitching.
In my opinion, Maddux has the best mechanics/brains of any pitcher who ever stepped on the mound. He made pitching easy. After all, it’s not hard to throw an 86mph two-seam, mixed in with an 88mph 4-seam, is it??
That changeup he threw helped also. 
His first year and a half he was much like his brother Mike, a journeyman, nothin special 5-7 year career guy. The actual thing he accredits as making him step to the next…next and ultimately pinnacle levels was seeing a sports psychiatrist who got him to alter his perspective and his goals…he absolutely never looked back.
I watch that video all the time it’s what inspired me to look at the mental side of pitching and it really does make a noticable difference on your performance.
Scouts overlook that part of the game these days.
Nowadays the highschooler throwing 90 who is 6’3 is going to be a better fit than the 4 year college starter who is 5’11 and throws 85 but has a career 3.33 era
Scouts look for talent and makeup. Most MLB players are “natural”. They have unbelievable tools, “makeup”, genetics…whatever you want to label it. There is a level of manifest destiny going on. You add a mental aspect to all that talent and it’s no wonder Maddux was argueably the greatest pitcher of his era.
I relate it to music or art. You know the master when you see his work. 