Greg Maddux Honors Cubs By Selecting No Team Logo and Other Bullets

Jan 24, 2014

greg maddux rookie card There’s more prospect goodness on the way, as well as a begrudging update on the Tanaka bidding. Until then, enjoy your Bullets …

Greg Maddux has elected to enter the Hall of Fame as … a baseball player. The long-time Cub and Brave told MLB that he simply couldn’t choose to don the cap of one team over the other on his Hall of Fame plaque, so he will have no logo at all. His explanation, per MLB.com: “My wife Kathy and I grew up in baseball in Chicago, and then we had just an amazing experience in Atlanta with the Braves. It’s impossible for me to choose one of those teams for my Hall of Fame plaque, as the fans of both clubs in each of those cities were so wonderful. I can’t think of having my Hall of Fame induction without support of both of those fan bases, so, for that reason, the cap on my Hall of Fame plaque will not feature a logo.” As a Cubs fan, I can’t say how touching that is. Obviously Cubs fans have always loved Maddux, even long after he was gone and dominating in Atlanta. Then, when he returned? It was over-the-moon. This is a very cool thing for Maddux to do.

… but, man, Braves fans must be pissed. There can be no argument that the thrust of Maddux’s career – his most impressive accomplishments, and his longest stint – came in an Atlanta Braves jersey. Before Maddux’s decision, there was never any doubt or animosity that Maddux would enter the Hall as a Brave. So, if you can separate the Cubs fan from yourself for a moment, is this not the right decision? Players who’ve made significant contributions on multiple teams have always had the right to select no team logo for their plaque (folks remember the Andre Dawson thing, though he ultimately went in as an Expo – the Hall can make strong suggestions). Should the Hall have pushed Maddux harder to be a Brave?

Tony La Russa also elected to have no team logo, given his stints with the White Sox, A’s, and Cardinals (though about half of his career came with the latter organization). Baseball’s Best Fans were disappointed.

Bryan LaHair’s team in Japan has let him go. Perhaps he’ll try to come back to the States now.

I feel like I have to drop a Bullet on the Boycott-the-Rooftops thing that’s blowing up across the Cubs-related-net, but I actually don’t have much of an opinion. Obviously I’m very pro-renovation, and pro-Cubs-revenue (for use in supporting the baseball team’s performance), but I don’t really want to be an advocate on either side of this thing. The truth is, I still don’t feel like we know enough about the contract between the parties, and their actual arguments/positions, to know who is in the right. So how could I push for one side over the other, from a business perspective? Instead, I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve done: report on the story, offer my analysis and opinion, and cross my fingers that an appropriate resolution arrives that helps the Cubs get the renovation underway, and get the signage they need. (And, to be crystal clear, since I know some will think or mention it: no, I do not have an advertising relationship with any of the rooftops, and haven’t for quite some time now.)

Speaking of the rooftop buildings, one of them is for sale, if you’d like to make an offer. (I wonder: is this just a coincidence, or is this the start of a few of the rooftops deciding that now is the best time to get a reasonable price for a building that could soon – at least within ten years – lose a great deal of its value? By the way, Tom Ricketts was asked at the Convention why the Cubs don’t just buy up the rooftop buildings, and he indicated that, although it’s been a consideration, it’s not just as simple as writing a check. I’m guessing a number of the owners are not interested in selling at this time.)

written by

Brett Taylor

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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Greg Maddux Honors Cubs By Selecting No Team Logo and Other Bullets

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