Philadelphia Phillies: 50 greatest players of all-time

Garry Maddox was drafted by the San Francisco Giants out of high school in 1968. After two years of military service in the Army during the Vietnam War, Maddox returned to baseball and made his Major League debut in 1972. After a solid rookie campaign, Maddox earned some MVP consideration in 1973 when he hit .319 with 76 RBI.

Maddox was traded to the Phillies in 1975 for Willie Montanez and began a streak as the best center fielder in the National League, if not all of baseball. He earned the Gold Glove award eight straight seasons through 1982.  Only six outfielders have won more than Maddox since the award was first given out in 1957.

While not one of the biggest threats at the plate, Maddox still had some solid seasons. In 1976, Maddox hit a career-best .330 and had a career-best 14 home runs in 1977.

From 1977 through 1980, he averaged 13 home runs, 70 RBI and 26 stolen bases per season. Maddox was a key piece to the 1980 World Series championship team and caught the final out in the 1980 NLCS against the Houston Astros.

Maddox retired early in the 1986 season with 1802 hits, 337 doubles, 248 stolen bases, and a .285 batting average. Surprisingly, Maddox never made a single All-Star roster despite his outstanding defensive play in center field. He was part of five NL East division title teams, two NL pennant-winning teams and one World Series.

Following his playing career, Maddox was a color analyst for the Phillies from 1987 through 1995. He is passionate about community service and is also a BBQ enthusiast, hosting the Garry Maddox Barbecue Challenge several years outside of Citizen’s Bank Park to raise money for charity.

Known as the “Secretary of Defense”, Maddox is the best defensive center fielder in franchise history and one of the best in league history. As Hall of Famer and former broadcaster Ralph Kiner once said, “two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water, the other one-third by Garry Maddox.”