Garry Maddox:The Secretary of Defense

Garry Maddox was an underrated star for the Philadelphia Phillies during their successful run starting in the late 70's. On a team loaded with stars, Maddox was often overlooked. Twenty three years after he retired, he was the center of attention, when I met him in Oaks (PA) last October!
In a room for of great former athletes and some celebrities, too, Maddox was one of the most popular guests and rightly so. He played 16 years in the majors, amassing 1802 hits, while winning 8 Gold Gloves.
I talked to Maddox about how he seemed to always play well against the Cubs (he hit .298 against them in his career). Maybe it seemed everyone played well against the Cubs back then. He got a good laugh out of that and thanked me for acknowledging his efforts despite cheering for the team he was beating (so often).
Maddox is one of those players who I really like. He was an excellent player, although never a superstar. He is the kind of player who would just show up and get the job done year after year. Oh how I wished the Cubs had a guy like him back then (or even now).

Garry Maddox and me in Oaks, PA-October 2009.