Stuff

Here's a typically stupid refrain I heard this morning from a typically stupid person known as Steve Phillips on a typically stupid medium known as ESPN Radio:

Greg Maddux has excelled in the major leagues despite an unfortunate deficiency in "stuff."

Here's how the topic came about. Host Trey Wingo asked Phillips whom he considers the pitcher of this generation--Clemens or Maddux. (Who doesn't love vague, irreconcilable barstool debate at 8:30am?) I think Phillips answered Clemens although I'm not really sure because I don't really care. But that's when he pulled out the "stuff" stuff.

Paraphrased, Phillips argued that Clemens has always had better "stuff," but Maddux has had a remarkable career because of his smarts and guile and all sorts of other nebulous qualities that apparently don't qualify as "stuff."

Now anyone who knows me will attest that I revere Greg Maddux--unhealthily so. Therefore, no one is more inclined to paint Maddux's career as a moral triumph than I am, but please Steve (and others), recognize Maddux's strengths for what they really are--strengths.

Maddux has an innate ability to put a ridiculous amount of left-to-right movement on a fastball and middle-to-lower right movement on a changeup/sinker ever since he came into the majors. Moreover, he's done so with the ability to place those pitches within an inch of his intended spot on an ungodly consistent basis. Are these innate physical pitching abilities any less "stuff" than velocity or bite on a slider?

I'm not saying Clemens is a slouch when it comes to control, nor am I saying that Maddux's ability to understand the hitting patterns and swings of opposing hitters aren't rare and unique abilities that transcend typical evaluation of major league pitchers. I'm simply saying that I'm tired of people playing off like Maddux's success has been the result of some black magic or telepathic mind control.

Greg Maddux is a pitcher with phenomenal control, an excellent repetoire, and an incredible grasp on pitch sequencing--all in all, a vast wealth of "stuff."