Greg Maddux Video: Pitching in Cubs’ Class-A game in 1985

In tribute of Greg Maddux’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, we present to you the very beginning of Maddux’s Hall of Fame career, reaching into the VHS bin to bring you footage of a 19-year-old Maddux pitching for the Cubs Class-A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs.

The video (courtesy of YouTube user NicholasDad77) shows Maddux taking his 11-4 record and 3.17 ERA against the Angels Class-A affliliate, the Quad City Angels along with other future Big Leaguers like Rafael Palmeiro, Hector Villanueva, Rick Wrona and Jeff Pico.

He finished that 1985 season going 13-9 in 27 starts with Peoria, recording a 3.19 ERA with a then-career-high 125 strikeouts.

Maddux eventually made his debut with the Cubs on September 3, 1986, pitching an inning in a suspended game against the Astros, getting a strikeout while allowing a hit and an earned run in the Cubs 8-7 loss (his first official decision in the Majors.)

He would earn his first victory in his first official start just a few days later (W vs. CIN, CG, 11 H, 3 ER, 4 K, 3 BB) and start a journey where Maddux would have a career 355-227 record with a 3.16 ERA and 3,371 strikeouts in a 23-year MLB career.

Maddux’s regular season success didn’t fully translate over to the postseason, where he went just 11-14 with a 3.27 ERA in 35 career postseason appearances (30 postseason starts).  He had his best playoff pitching performance in the 1995 postseason, going 3-1 in four postseason starts as he helped guide the Braves to the World Series title over the Cleveland Indians.

Maddux would help get the Braves to two more World Series appearances, but lost both of those World Series starts  to the New York Yankees both times (1996,99).  His last postseason appearance came with the L.A. Dodgers in the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.

Maddux’s career includes four Cy Young Awards, finishing in the top-five in the nine nominiations), eight-All-Star appearances and 18 Gold Glove Awards.