Skip to main content

Sunday School: Phillies History Lesson 75

By
Garry Maddox was an outfielder with the Phillies from 1975-1986. Maddox entered the Majors with the San Francisco Giants, where he established himself as an everyday player in 1972.

In May, 1975 Maddox was traded to Philadelphia for outfielder/first baseman Willie Montanez. Upon joining the Phillies, Maddox quickly became a key part of the team.

In his first full season in Philadelphia, Maddox ranked third in the league in batting, with a .330 average, scored 75 runs and stole 29 bases to finish 5th in league MVP voting.

A superior defensive outfielder, Maddox was a nightly human highlight reel long before the national and regional cable sports shows were broadcast into millions of homes on a daily basis. He won many Gold Glove Awards during his 12 seasons in Philadelphia, earning him the nickname "The Secretary of Defense". Metropolitans broadcaster and Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner once summed up Maddox's abilities well by stating, "Two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water, the other third is covered by Garry Maddox."

The 1978 season was a solid one for Maddox as he strung together a 20-game hitting streak and led the team with 33 stolen bases. Unfortunately for Maddox, an uncharacteristic defensive miscue in the post-season became the more stand out memory of that year. In the 10th inning of game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, Maddox dropped a routine fly ball off the bat of Dusty Baker, allowing the winning run to score and allowing Los Angeles to clinch the series.

In 1980, Maddox won his 6th of 8 straight Gold Glove Awards and stole more than 20 bases for the 8th consecutive season. Maddox continued his 1980 contributions, redeeming himself in the MLB post-season, by driving in the winning run in the 10th inning of game 5 of the best-of-5 National League Championship Series against the Astros. The Phillies would go on to win their very first World Series title against the Royals.

Over 6 post-seasons with the Phillies, Maddox would post a .271 batting average with 1 homerun and 11 RBI in 29 games played.

Maddox would face injury problems in the later stages of his career, causing his playing time and production to decrease. Back surgery following the 1985 season led to him retiring in the opening month of the 1986 season.

During his career with the Phillies, Maddox batted .284 with 85 homeruns, 566 RBI and 189 stolen bases.

Maddox stays active in the community in his retirement. Each year he hosts a Barbecue Challenge, at Citizens Bank Park, that raises money for the Youth Golf & Academics Program, an enrichment program for Philadelphia youths.

_________________________________________


Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Diekman a Late Addition to Mesa AFL Roster

By
On Wednesday, Phillies lefty pitching prospect Jacob Diekman made his Arizona Fall League debut. Diekman, who was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 amateur draft, was assigned to Mesa late, in order to increase his 2010 innings total, according to Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent, who managed Diekman in Lakewood this past season. Diekman, 23, posted a 2-0 record with 1.90 ERA in 21 games with Class A Lakewood before being promoted to High-A Clearwater on June 24th. In 24 games with the Threshers, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Combined, Diekman tossed 55 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .187 batting average against at two levels in 2010. However, after not pitching in an official game since he threw a shutout inning to wrap up the Clearwater season on September 5th, Diekman was unable to record an out as all seven batters he faced reached base, six with hits, one on an error. Diekman was charged with 5 earned runs in the outing. Diekman had spent time at instructional ball from
Post a Comment
Read more

2022 Phillies Top Prospects Countdown: #24 RHP Cristian Hernandez

By
Venezuelan born right-hander Cristian Hernandez has begun to earn recognition as one of the Phillies most promising pitching prospects. Signed as a 16-year-old in 2017 for a reported $120,000, Hernandez got his professional career started the following summer as a starter for the Phillies' Red Dominican Summer League club.  There, in 13 starts, Hernandez tallied a 2-3 record with 2.57 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP as well as a 7.0 K/9 mark. An injury sidelined Hernandez in 2019 and the 2020 season was cancelled due to the global pandemic. In 2021, Hernandez saw his first regular season action in the United States, starting his season in Florida Complex League.  After two appearances there, the six-foot-three 185-pounder was promoted to the Class A Clearwater Threshers.  In 20 combined outings (17 starts), Hernandez notched a 2-7 record with a 3.57 ERA, a .228 batting average against and an 11.2 K/9 mark. Projectability is something that baseball folks like about Hernandez.  His size, consistent
Post a Comment
Read more

Who is Your Favorite Willie 'Mays' Hayes?

By
PhoulBallz.com is wondering which individual who has portrayed Willie "Mays" Hayes is the favorite of the public. Hayes, of course, is the character made famous in the Major League motion picture series. In Major League , Willie "Mays" Hayes was portrayed by budding Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, who would go on to action movie superstardom. Snipes has starred in major motion pictures like the Blade trilogy, Passenger 57 , Undisputed and many more. Snipes remains an impact Hollywood actor, despite legal troubles related to income tax evasion. Snipes was replaced for the sequel, Major League II when his busy career, and possibly the film's budget, would not allow him to return, by Omar Epps. Another budding actor, Epps had previously worked with director David S. Ward, on the film The Program , and landed the role of Hayes, who had become a Hollywood action star over the off-season that occured between the two films. Epps' career portraying athletes rolle
1 comment
Read more