Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux seeks out advice before UNLV job

By Jacob Unruh, The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City (TNS)

Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux had a request for Oklahoma City Dodgers pitching coach Matt Herges before Thursday's game against Round Rock.

He wanted to know how to teach a slider.

Yes, Maddux, who won 355 games and four Cy Young Awards, was asking for advice on a pitch.

"I just wanted to pick his brain a little bit, and even some of the pitchers here throw sliders," Maddux said. "What's your grip? What do you do? You find out everybody's got a different grip, everybody's got a different mindset, so you want to have three or four or five different ways to teach the same kids that may click for somebody."

Maddux, who pitched 23 years in the major leagues (21 seasons with the Braves or Cubs), is now a special assistant to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. He's soon to be a volunteer assistant pitching coach at UNLV.

He's visiting the OKC Dodgers for their four-game homestand at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, where he's spending time with the pitchers and staff learning even more about the game he dominated while also delivering some of his knowledge and experiences.

And he's getting a good feel about how to be a pitching coach like his older brother Mike, the pitching coach for the Washington Nationals.

"I was with him the last four years in Texas and I learned a lot from him," Maddux said. "I'll see if I learned it well enough. Obviously, he has good pitchers around him and he's making them better. That's the sign of a good pitching coach."

Maddux said he's learning that planning is key. It's no longer just breaking down mechanics and watching bullpen sessions.

But he also said he's looking forward most to less travel, which is why he joined UNLV. He said he is yet to think about possibly coaching with Team USA in the Olympics like he did in the World Baseball Classic. Baseball returns to the Olympics in 2020.

"I love baseball, I love being out here, I enjoy coaching," Maddux said. "I want to get a little more involved and I think UNLV's going to fit that for me personally right now. We'll see where it leads. I think I might like it, so I'm going to volunteer and try it."