Goodbye Greg Maddux. Could you please take Dusty Baker with you?

Saturday, July 29, Greg Maddux pitched his last game as a Chicago Cub. And it was almost vintage Maddux as he painted the corners, worked quickly and kept his pitch count low. The Cubs would beat the Cardinals that day, on the way to sweeping the Cards in four games and providing one of the few highlights of a dismal season. Two days later, Maddux became a Dodger in exchange for a light-hitting, middle infielder because, apparently, the Cubs needed another one. Maddux would make his Dodger debut by pitching six, no-hit innings.
I've always been a fan of Greg Maddux, even after the Cubs let him getaway the first time. Maddux was a student of the game. He didn't have a fastball that would overpower a hitter, but he understood the art of pitching. Using the corners, working effectively and letting the hitter basically get himself out. And his stretch from 1992 to 1998 (mostly for the Braves) in one of the best in recent memory.
As a Cub fan, I only got to see Maddux pitch once, oddly enough against the Dodgers. It was back in 1990 and wasn't one of his better games as I believe he lost 8-0. The Cub highlight was the return of Mitch Williams as he made his first appearance after returning from the disabled list. However, Maddux was one of the few pitchers that seemed to handle Wrigley Field and it was a disappointment when he signed with Atlanta.
Unfortunately, the second time around wouldn't be as sweet. Occasionally we'd see flashes of vintage Maddux, but he didn't dominate as he once did. The strikeout totals were decreasing while the ERA was increasing. And the pitchers he was to tutor spent more time on the DL in the last 2 1/2 years than Maddux did in his career.
So the best of luck to Greg Maddux as a Dodger and future Hall-of-Famer. You always seemed to be a class act. A student turned teacher of the game. And as to the Dusty Baker comment, that's another post for another time.