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Rozner: Maddux says short spring training no big deal

It seems hard to believe right now that real baseball games will be played before Memorial Day.

And even that might be optimistic.

But whenever baseball returns it will be with a very short spring training, as was the case in 1990 and 1995, the first truncated by lockout, the other by strike.

And it had absolutely no impact on one of the greatest of all time.

“It's not a big deal at all,” said Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, from his home in Las Vegas. “Spring training is too long anyway.”

After a 19-day camp in 1990, his first start was washed out at Wrigley Field, and four days later Maddux went 7⅔ in his first official start, on 94 pitches with 2 hits (singles by Barry Bonds), no walks and 5 strikeouts.

“So that's about 3 more starts you would make in spring training and instead you make them in the regular season,” Maddux said. “The pitch count was under 100, but we didn't even look at that then. If we got over 130 or 140, someone might talk about it.

“I don't know when pitch counts started,” Maddux laughed, “but we weren't there yet.”

Maddux said if he were an active pitcher, he would treat the time between now and the restart of camp as he generally did the month of January.

“I would do some throwing, probably twice a week,” Maddux said. “One day, long toss, another day off a mound. Do my workouts at the gym or a rehab facility.

“These days, everybody has a trainer they use. I would definitely work out four days a week and play golf, treat it as an extended off-season. Whatever I did in January, I would do that again until the phone rings and they say it's time to go to work.

“I usually started throwing around Christmas, and then got on a mound two or three times before spring training, but then you knew you were gonna have two weeks in spring training before (spring) games started.”

He understands not everyone will be able to take their time.

“After my first couple years and I knew I had a job, I was just trying to get ready for Opening Day,” Maddux explained. “Some guys are not in that situation.

“I had to be ready April 1, not March 1. Spring training was really just to get in shape mentally. You haven't seen a hitter or a catcher or an umpire since October.

“It's just getting your mind right and (location) right, and your mechanics aren't set yet from the layoff. You want your mechanics consistent so you can prepare for the season.

“And it was fun baseball. Winning didn't matter so you actually enjoyed it a lot more. I always enjoyed spring-training games. The results were meaningless.

“Spring training is too long for everybody but the starting pitchers. Hitters are ready. Relievers are ready.”

In 1995 with Atlanta, camp was again only three weeks, but that year Maddux had the added bonus of being quarantined at a hotel for 10 days because of the chickenpox.

“There was a minor-league catcher who had it, too,” Maddux said, “so I would go out on the back fields and throw to him.”

Pitching for Bobby Cox and with precious little spring work, Maddux still managed to be ready for Opening Day — coming off three straight Cy Youngs — and averaged 5⅓ innings and 72 pitches his first 3 starts, before his next 6 starts averaged 8⅔ innings and 98 pitches.

“Back then, he was probably building our pitch count up by adding 10-15 pitches a start,” Maddux said. “If you have three weeks of camp and you start at about 35 pitches, you can safely be over 80 pitches in a couple weeks.

“It'll probably be rushed when they come back this time. No sense burning days off calendar if you can get them going.

“I don't remember anyone being injured because of a short spring. I suppose it could have happened, but I don't remember it.”

Maddux has recently had his own plans canceled, his son Chase a senior pitching for UNLV and Greg the volunteer pitching coach. They were supposed to be in California over the weekend for games.

“A tough way to go out for the seniors, but they said seniors will have the option to play next year,” Maddux said. “For guys on the fringe who might get drafted, I could see it, but for those about to graduate and start their life, do you wanna go back to college and play baseball and not take classes instead of getting a job?”

Many people would say that sounds like a solid plan.

“OK, well, it all just happened,” Maddux chuckled. “So who knows what's going to happen.”

A golf addict who has become a huge hockey fan with the Knights a big deal in Vegas, Maddux is like the rest of us, missing some of his favorite viewing.

“It's weird,” he said. “Lot of Netflix, lot of binge watching.

“Playing golf every day, which is good. Don't even have to go inside the pro shop so you don't catch anything. Just go right to the first tee.

“You're outside and you keep your distance. Tell a guy, ‘Nice bird,' instead of high-fiving. Walked and played in 2½ hours today.”

As shutdowns go, that's a pretty sweet way to pass the time.

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