Randy Johnson: Old and Full of Crap

Old schooler Randy Johnson, who joined the San Francisco Giants this winter, claims the elusive 300th win is not what made him return to baseball once again for the 2009 season.

"Winning 300 is important, but it is not the [sole] reason I am playing this game," he said.

Bologna.

The Big Unit needs only five more victories to reach the milestone, which only 17 other big leaguers have accomplished in the modern era. Most recently it was Tom Glavine in 2007, and before him Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens in '04 and '03, respectively.

Mad Dog no Glory

Greg Maddux to the Dodgers. Did that make you shudder? Well, get used to the idea.

The 353-game winner is headed back into the pennant race, according to an anonymous source familiar with the deal. Maddux, who is ninth on the all-time wins list, needs just two more victories to pass Roger Clemens. And he'll get them in LA.

Glad We Didn't Hold Our Breath on Maddux

Congratulations to future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux for finally getting enough run support to halt a career-worst 14-start winless skid with an 8-5 victory over Micah Owings and the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday night.

The 42-year-old San Diego Padres righty, who had gone 0-5 with 9 no-decisions since his 350th win on May 10th, passed up Hall of Famer Phil Niekro for 10th place on the all-time strikeout list. He fanned four and walked no one, scattering four runs on nine hits over five innings.

Man, he is getting way old.

[AP] | [Gaslamp Ball] | [Dugout Central]

Somebody Get This Guy Some Run Support

Greg Maddux is going through withdrawal.

The San Diego Padres 350-game winner, who hasn’t tasted sweet, sweet victory since May 10th -- that's 14 starts -- had another letdown on Wednesday, watching his lead disappear just one pitch after his exit.

On This Date...

On this date in 1926, Babe Ruth pulled a stunt at Mitchell Field in New York, catching a baseball that was dropped from an airplane traveling at 250 feet.

That was probably super awesome. Someone should recreate that moment. Kenny Rogers perhaps?

Or not... he's just the only recent gold-glove pitcher besides Greg Maddux and Mike Mussina I can think of at the moment... and neither of them are as fat as The Gambler.

It's About Damn Time

After five failed attempts, San Diego Padres veteran Greg Maddux has finally earned his 350th victory.

Just the ninth pitcher in big league history to reach the mark, the future Hall of Famer improved to 350-217 over 23 big league seasons. This is just one more milestone to accompany his four NL Cy Young Awards, a World Series ring and a record 17 Gold Glove Awards.

Maddux (3-3, 3.60 ERA) pitched six solid innings against the Colorado Rockies for a 3-2 victory, retiring his first seven batters and finishing with no earned runs on 3 hits and a strikeout.

"It was kind of cool," said the 42-year-old righty. "I don’t want to make it out to be nothing, but it is May and we haven’t been playing that good... We need to start winning as a team and hopefully tonight is the start of things to come."

Yeah, just kind of cool. If "kind of cool" means fricking amazing.

Spankin' new catcher Luke Carlin, who made his big league debut Saturday just a day after his contract was purchased from the AAA Portland Beavers, said he’ll never forget catching both Maddux and old school closer Trevor Hoffman during his first day on the job.

"I was happy for him," Maddux said. "Your first day in the big leagues, trust me, is a lot more special than things you do later in your career."

Sadly, it was just the fifth win in 23 games for the 13-24 Padres, who own the crappiest record in baseball.

[Union Tribune]

Padres Re-Sign Mad Dog

The San Diego Padres agreed to a $10 million, one-year deal with veteran pitcher Greg Maddux Monday, ensuring a third talented hurler in their rotation next to Jake Peavy and Chris Young for the 2008 season.

Mad Dog, who will turn 42 next April, went 14-11 with a 4.14 ERA in his first season with the Pads, who fell one win short of their third straight postseason. The future Hall of Famer boasts 347 career wins, four Cy Young Awards and a World Series ring that dates back to 1995 with the Atlanta Braves.

Rookie Card Champion Of The World

The much-anticipated day of crowning has arrived.

Ladies and gentlemen, your Rookie Card Champion of the World, Greg Maddux.

After 23 seasons in the big leagues, Maddux has accomplished such feats as passing the 300 wins milestone and joining the elite 3,000 career strikeout club while issuing less than 1,000 walks (the only hurler to ever do so.)

He may have lost the porn stache' that earned him this honor along with the speed of his pitches over time, but Mad Dog has managed to hold onto his commanding presence on the mound and pinpoint precision.

With 4 Cy Young Awards, 16 gold gloves and 8 trips to the Mid Summer Classic, Maddux has the great readers of Babes Love Baseball and SOX & Dawgs to thank for this most recent accomplishment.

With 41% of the vote, he beat out the hot seduction of Rondell White, the skinny bird lips of a young Terry Francona, a Billy Corgan-esque Jason Giambi and a man muscle-less Joe Mauer. He made it past a smaller version of Big Papi, Mariano Rivera's pressed slacks, and Manny's New Edition card.

Congratulations, Greg Maddux! It was a landslide victory with a record number of votes, making your 1987 Donruss card the sweetest of them all.

Thanks for voting!

[All Rounds]

Greg Maddux Has Still Got It

After 685 major league games, Greg Maddux has still got it.

The veteran righty pitched his first complete game in two years last night, in a 7-1 San Diego Padres victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Spring Fever: Padres Cream Rangers

Padres 24, Rangers 7

That's not a typo. The Texas Rangers actually allowed the San Diego Padres to score 24 runs on Tuesday.

Greg Maddux looks as ready as he'll ever be to begin the season, after his longest outing of the spring. The veteran gave up four hits and struck out five over six innings, while the Padres nailed a spring-high 25 hits.

Texas' pitching might need some work, however. With 30 mph gusts of wind, your starters better have some control and location. Kevin Millwood gave up 12 hits and nine earned runs over 4.1 innings and reliever Eric Gagne allowed four runs and five hits in one 20-pitch inning. Lefty reliever Ron Mahay got just one out while getting roughed up for seven runs of his own.

Russell Branyan had four hits and five RBIs for San Diego, including his fourth and fifth homers of the spring. Adrian Gonzalez and Terrmel Sledge each had three hits, with Gonzalez hitting his fifth spring homer and driving in three runs.

[MLB] | [MiLB]