For more than two decades, MLB hitters longed to get inside the mind of Greg Maddux as he left them flummoxed and pitched his way to a dominant Hall of Fame career.
Now, 16 years after Maddux last toed the rubber, a new documentary will finally give people the chance to get inside that pitching-genius brain and find out what made The Professor tick as he conducted class from atop the mound.
"One of a Kind," a feature-length documentary detailing Maddux's journey from struggling rookie to all-time great pitcher, will air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on MLB Network. The program features interviews with Maddux, along with contemporaries including Randy Johnson and Barry Bonds, as well as Hall of Fame teammates Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz and longtime batterymate Eddie Perez.
The film will delve into topics including Maddux's approach to pitching, his ascension through the Minors in the Cubs’ organization, his early struggles and how he ultimately became one of the best pitchers in baseball history.
One highlight of the film features Maddux and Bonds separately breaking down a few Bonds at-bats, for which both players discuss their role in the mental chess matches that unfolded through the years. Bonds was Maddux's nemesis, hitting .262 and clubbing eight homers off him across 154 plate appearances. But like any great sports rivalry, Maddux would often get the best of Bonds in their ongoing battle of wits.
Such mental games were the norm for Maddux.
"It was just trying to understand how hitters see the ball, and then what can I do with the ball to try and trick them," Maddux says in the film. "You can't go fishing without bait. You've got to bait the hook."
More often than not, it seemed, Maddux would get the best of just about everyone.
"I never saw so many hitters get so frustrated," longtime Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone says in the film.
Along with detailing Maddux's vast success on the mound, "One of a Kind" also delves into his upbringing, his relationship with brother and fellow big leaguer Mike Maddux, and his unique clubhouse personality that has become the stuff of legends in Atlanta.
Maddux, who played 23 seasons with the Cubs, Braves, Dodgers and Padres, won four straight National League Cy Young Awards from 1992-1995 and was an eight-time All-Star, four-time ERA leader, 18-time Gold Glove winner and 1995 World Series champion with Atlanta. He also led the NL or MLB in innings pitched five straight years from 1991-1995 and won at least 15 games for 17 consecutive seasons. He finished his career with 355 wins (eighth most all time) and a 3.16 ERA, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
"I never got to see van Gogh paint, but I got to see Maddux pitch," veteran baseball writer Tom Verducci says in the documentary. "And that's what it was like. You're watching an artist at work."
After the premiere of "One of a Kind," MLB Network will air Maddux's 14-strikeout performance against the Brewers from May 2, 2001, for anyone who'd like to know what it was like to attend one of The Professor's classes.