The many reasons to love Greg Maddux

[HoustonGM]

From Shysterball:

I can't let John Smoltz's comments from the Dan Patrick Show last week go unnoticed. Courtesy of an anonymous poster, Smoltzie had this to say about his good friend and former teammate Greg Maddux:

1. In spring training they drive rentals and Maddux would follow him around and rear end him at all the stop signs until his bumper fell off;

2. Maddux would get in Smoltz's rental car and spit tobacco juice all over and leave booggers all over;

3. Maddux likes to leave big loogies on the ceiling around the clubhouse in the hopes that they'd drip on pedestrians;

4. Maddux would just make **** up in the dugout. He'd say, "Any fly ball that hangs for 6 seconds has to be caught" and then everyone would start counting seconds and arguing about it.

As Tim Keown wrote of Maddux, Throws right, bats right, farts left.

[SoulMan]

I've heard he pees on rookies in the shower. It's gonna be a sad day when he calls it quits.

[HoustonGM]

I've heard he pees on rookies in the shower. It's gonna be a sad day when he calls it quits.

Greg Maddux? Quits? PLEASE! That'll never happen.

[TheNamelessPoet]

man i miss him on the braves

[Swampdog]

I wish I hadnt seen this thread. I used to like Maddux. I can picture some demented 11 year old admiring Maddux for these things.

[HoustonGM]

#1, #2, and #4 are just all things that a funny guy does, and aren't harmful to anything. #3 is kind of gross, but also, isn't it just as possible that Smoltz is pulling Maddux's leg by saying that? It seems the two have a very fun, prank-filled relationship.

[ohms_law]

This kind of thing isn't at all uncommon in Major League Baseball, either. At all.

[beerchaser]

I lollered. I was very happy when Ned Colletti traded for Maddux a couple years ago, and hated it when they let him go to SD. Definitely one of my favorite players, even though he's spent most of his career in a non-Dodger uniform.

[RedsoxRockies]

Its hard to picture Maddux doing this stuff lol

[Arctic Blast]

I still fondly remember Maddux and Glavine in those "Chicks did the long ball." commercials from many years back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ltD21rYWVw

(Jesus...how inadvertently hilarious is it now to see that McGwire-Nike billboard claiming that it's because of the shoes...)

And, actually, I've read a few different accounts of Maddux as the clubhouse prankster, so none of this really surprises me that much.

[HoustonGM]

I find it ridiculous that Maddux is swinging a bat into Glavine's nuts!

[Arctic Blast]

I find it ridiculous that Maddux is swinging a bat into Glavine's nuts!

Lol! I laughed at that scene again, as well.

[HoustonGM]

Yeah, that definitely helps your home run power. NUTSHOTS!

[Swampdog]

Ok, so if I follow someone around and rear end him at stop signs until his bumper falls off, thats what a "funny" guy does? If someone gets in YOUR car and spits tobacco juice everywhere and leaves boogers all over the car, thats funny to you? Its ridiculous behavior, as juvenile and inane as it gets. I see nothing at all "harmless" about hitting another vehicle at a stop sign. This reminds me of the movie "The Program", in which college athletes showed their bravery by lying in the middle of a highway, screaming while traffic roared past. Then, when a few kids in real life emulated this and tried this ****, and were killed, and others injured, they cut that scene from the movie, and it wasn't so "funny" or harmless" anymore.

[Alloutwar]

Well, I for one was assuming that it was sort of at harmless times - ie not in traffic, but at a stop sign outside the park or something. I am also assuming he ends up paying for all damages and cleaning and such, probably with extra for the trouble? Or maybe the team pays that, I have no idea.

Clearly, if he does all this with no concern for cleaning things up afterwards, or endangering people, that would be quite negative; but I'm assuming as a public figure (and easy-going ballplayer) he doesn't quite let this get that dangerous or anything.