[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 133 (Thursday, September 25, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11978-S11979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO GREG MADDUX

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to salute a great Nevadan, a 
great human being and a great athlete, my friend, Greg Maddux.
  Mr. Maddux pitches for the Atlanta Braves baseball club. Since he 
went to Atlanta almost 11 years ago, the

[[Page S11979]]

Braves have won their division every single season.
  This is no coincidence. Greg Maddux has been the heart and soul of 
the Atlanta Braves, and the key to their remarkable string of success.
  From 1992 through 1995, he won the Cy Young award, as the best 
pitcher in baseball, four years in a row. No other pitcher has ever 
accomplished that and I doubt anyone else ever will.
  He finished the 1990s with a 2.54 earned run average for the decade. 
Only two pitchers had posted a better ERA over a decade since 1910--
Hoyt Wilhelm and Sandy Koufax. That is pretty good company. And in 
1995, Maddux became the first pitcher to log back-to-back seasons with 
an ERA under 1.80.
  From 1990 through 2001--12 consecutive years--Greg won the National 
League Gold Glove as the league's best-fielding pitcher.
  He pitched nine scoreless innings in Game One of the 1995 World 
Series, leading the Braves over the Cleveland Indians.
  Greg could have retired years ago, and he would still be assured of 
entering the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first day he is eligible.
  But he keeps pitching, and he keeps setting a new standard of 
excellence.
  Sunday, he broke a record that had been held by the great Cy Young 
himself, winning at least 15 games for the 16th consecutive season. 
Young's record of 15 games for 15 seasons had stood for 98 years, since 
1905.
  For a major league pitcher, winning 15 games in a season is a feat 
that only the best will ever accomplish. To do it for 16 straight years 
is almost unthinkable.
  They say records are made to be broken. Well, I think this one will 
stand for a long, long time.
  The success of Greg Maddux is even more amazing when you consider 
that he doesn't have overwhelming speed. In an era of 100 mph 
fastballs, his clock in the mid-80s. He doesn't try to overpower 
hitters; he just outsmarts them.
  Maddux is an unsurpassed student of the game who relies on his 
pinpoint control and his unyielding determination. He never gives in to 
hitters. He makes them swing at his pitches.
  After he defeated the Florida Marlins to break Cy Young's record, 72-
year-old Florida manager Jack McKeon said, ``He doesn't get you out--he 
makes you get yourself out.''
  Anybody who is a baseball fan, as I am, would be proud to know Greg 
Maddux. But he is more than a great athlete. He is a great person.
  He is a devoted family man, married to a wonderful wife, Kathy. They 
have a daughter Amanda Paige, and a son Chase Alan.
  Obviously, the Maddux family could live anywhere they want to. I am 
proud that they have chosen to live in Las Vegas, where Greg grew up 
and graduated from Valley High School.
  Greg doesn't endorse commercial products, and he has no interest in 
the glamorous life of a celebrity. Instead, he and his family live 
quietly, giving generously of their time and money for causes that 
benefit our community.
  Kathy and Greg lead the Maddux Foundation, which is involved in 
several charitable activities in Las Vegas and Atlanta. The Foundation 
supports children's homes, domestic crisis shelters, and boys and girls 
clubs. In recent years, the Madduxes have expanded their philanthropic 
efforts, helping even more kids.
  Greg's brother Mike also has a foundation that helps children. And he 
happens to be a pretty good pitcher in own right.
  Mike Maddux began his major league career in 1986 with the 
Philadelphia Phillies, and played in the big leagues for 15 seasons. 
He, like his brother Greg, is a role model for Nevadas' and our voting 
youth.
  Both of the Maddux brothers are great baseball players, but even more 
important, they are great neighbors.
  Baseball fans all over America know Greg Maddux as one of the 
greatest pitchers in the history of the game.
  In southern Nevada, we know him as a devoted family man, a positive 
role model for kids, and a generous contributor to our community.

                          ____________________