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 The eyes have it Atlanta's Greg Maddux 'sees' improvement
Posted: Friday September 10, 1999 08:06 PM
Greg Madduz is considered one of the best baseball pitchers to ever take the mound. Opponents have rarely been able to find a chink in his armor. If Maddux had a weakness, it was his eyesight, But thanks to some special surgey at midseason, life is good again. CNN/SI's Nick Charles sat down with the four-time Cy Young winner to ask him about dominating on the mound and seeing clearly. Nick Charles: Greg, what was behind your decision to have the LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) operation? Greg Maddux: I couldn't see. I had a hard time with contacts, was the thinking. I didn't mind wearing glasses. I saw fine out of my glasses. Contacts? I had no chance. I had one work, one didn't. Next inning the other one would work the other one wouldn't. I just had bumpy eyes I guess. My eyes were bumpier than the normal person. I was a tough fit for contacts. So why not? Let's go for it. Let's go down and see if I'm a candidate for the surgery. I was as low-risk as you could get and I trusted my doctor. Charles: Any trepidation doing it in midseason? Maddux: I trusted my doctor. I had 100% confiidence in him. I believed him. I had friends that had gone throught it. Guys were getting it done Friday and playing golf on Saturday. So, everyone knows golf is harder than pitching (laughs). Anybody that golfs knows that. I said why not? Let's give it a go. Charles: Greg, this last monday night against St. Louis, you retired the last 23 batters you faced. What is it about you that makes you so dominant?
Maddux: The reason I think I'm a good pitcher is I locate my fastball and I change speeds. Period. That's what you do to pitch. That's what pitchers have to do to win games.They have to do just those two things: locate a fastball and change speeds. If you do it enough times without making mistakes you've got an excellent chance to win. Charles: You got off to a slow start. All athletes lose it at one time. Did you ever doubt yourself as say I'm though? Maddux: I didn't think I was done. Because my stuff was OK. I really believed and I've always believed that when I get hit 9 out of 10 times, it's location. And I knew first-hand that my location was terrible. Remember the two things, you have to locate your fastball and change your speeds. There was nothing wrong with my fastball. I had movement. I had the velocity. Not that it's good but it's where its always been. And I was still able to throw my slider, change-up, curveball. But my location was terrible. I was making too many mistakes over the middle of the plate. Charles: How has the surgery affected your pitching? Maddux: I don't believe for one second that the eye surgery has helped me on the mound. I don't believe that for one second. I think it's helped me off the field. I think it has helped me with my personal life. Does that make you a better pitcher? Maybe. It's not going to hurt. But I went in before the surgery 100% convinced that it's not going to make me a better pitcher. I didn't do it to become a better pitcher. I did it for me. I did it for the same reason I got a golf membership, or got married (laughs), or bought a car. I did it for those reasons. I did it for pure convenience for me. Charles: I know your are happy with this surgery Greg but you are not going to miss this "Clark Kent" look? Becaue a lot of people like it. Maddux: (laughs) Nah, I'm not going to miss it. I never mind looking like the dork or the geek or whatever, or the accountant or all that. It didn't bother me one bit. It's a lot hassle-free now. I have no hassles with my eyes other than the normal stuff. Maybe the sun is too bright.
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