MLB Network Greg Maddux Special Airs Sunday

Sunday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. ET, MLB Network Presents returns with another must-watch special for die-hard baseball fans.

Greg Maddux’s incredible career spanned 23 years, amassing 355 wins, 3,371 strikeouts, and over 5,000 innings pitched. He won four Cy Young Awards and four ERA titles during an era known for high offense. With stats that seem almost unreal, he is often regarded as one of the greatest pitchers ever. When he was first eligible for the Hall of Fame, he received a whopping 97.2% of the vote.

CBS Sports had the chance to preview this special show and it’s definitely worth watching if you’re a big baseball fan.

Behind-the-Scenes Stories:

The real joy in these specials comes from the behind-the-scenes stories they share.

Maddux had two well-known nicknames: “Mad Dog” and “The Professor.” While “Mad Dog” came from his last name, “The Professor” fit him perfectly because he looked more like a college professor than a legendary baseball player. He was also incredibly smart on the mound. This special includes several great stories about him that fans will love.

Here’s a clip featuring Eddie Perez explaining why Maddux let Jeff Bagwell hit a home run: https://streamable.com/m/mlbn-presents-one-of-a-kind-facing-bagwell?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share

That’s some good stuff!

Another nickname or alias Maddux used was “Johnny Vegas” when checking into hotels. MLB Network highlights his Las Vegas roots by comparing him to a magician on the mound.

Former teammate John Smoltz said it best: “Everything he did on the mound was an illusion and he wanted it that way.”

Fans might think this shows just how clever Maddux really was.

The special covers Maddux’s journey from high school to getting drafted and playing in minor league towns before debuting at age 20 with the Cubs and pitching a complete game in Cincinnati. It also tells about Andre Dawson getting hit in the face with a pitch during his MVP season in 1987, leading to Maddux retaliating immediately and getting ejected—a move that earned him respect among teammates despite being sent back to minors by Cubs management afterward.

Then came superstardom—winning a Cy Young Award with the Cubs before joining the Braves where he won three more Cy Youngs along with other memorable moments:

– Allowing Will Clark’s grand slam in the ’89 NLCS.
– His free agency saga involving low offers from Cubs.
– Interactions with Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone.
– Getting booed at Wrigley Field after signing with Braves (and then dominating).
– Secretly calling his own pitches without other teams knowing.
– The trio of aces: Maddux-Smoltz-Tom Glavine.
– His rivalry with Barry Bonds; both breaking down their matchups was fascinating.
– And lastly—his legendary sense of humor!

Overall theme? How much of a professor Maddux truly was on that mound.

It wasn’t quite as thrilling as witnessing his career live but still plenty fun! What do you think?