Maddux ready for 20th

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005 | 10:28 a.m.

Greg Maddux, who believes the Houston Astros will beat the Chicago White Sox in the World Series, said he hasn't regretted spending the last two seasons back in Chicago with the Cubs, and he's looking forward to next season.

In September speculation circulated around the Windy City about his possible retirement at the end of the season. Before hitting his home course for 18 holes at Spanish Trail on Thursday, he contradicted that speculation.

"That was just the media being the media," Maddux said. "They get a whiff of something, then make it out to be bigger than it actually is. I don't blame 'em. They have a job to do, too.

"I look forward to another good year next year. It would be nice to win, too."

The '06 season will be the 20th for the Valley High graduate, and he'll turn 40 just a couple of weeks into it.

Maddux hasn't helped the Cubs reach the playoffs since he returned to the franchise that drafted him in 1984, but said he cherishes every start he makes at Wrigley Field.

And the stretch in Chicago has provided him with invaluable time with his wife, Kathy, and children Amanda and Chase.

"I've had a great time," Maddux said. "Anytime you have (all those) day games, you can spend more time with the wife and kids. That was accomplished.

"Next year, I'll do what I can to help them win. I'll take care of myself.

"Even though we haven't won, I have enjoyed playing there, enjoyed going back and enjoyed living there. Wrigley is the greatest park in the majors."

$9 MILLION MAN

That's the contract Maddux secured for 2006 when he pitched his 188th inning in 2005. Before '04, he signed a two-year, $15 million pact with the Cubs in which a third season, at the above rate, would be guaranteed if he threw 400 total innings those first two years.

He logged 212 2/3 innings in '04 and 225 in '05.

"They wanted it," Maddux said of the 400-inning stipulation. "I just knew it covered the club. The last thing they wanted to do was sign a guy like me, at that age ... all that money, and have me not able to play. I understood that."

ROLLING 15s

His major league-record streak of consecutive seasons with at least 15 wins ended in October, at 17, when he finished '05 at 13-15. As the season was winding down, manager Dusty Baker juggled his rotation to give Maddux a shot at continuing the impressive run.

"I had my chances," Maddux said. "I felt like I pitched well enough to get there, but I also blew a couple of games myself. I felt I let two or three games get away from me in the sixth or seventh innings. But I went out there 35 times.

"Hopefully, I'll have 35 starts next year and have a chance to win 20, not 15."

JERSEY MATES

With 3,052 strikeouts and 907 walks, Maddux will have an opportunity to become only the second player to have 3,000 whiffs and fewer than 1,000 free passes in his career.

The other, like Maddux, wore No. 31 on his Chicago Cubs' jersey.

Hall-of-Famer Fergie Jenkins was the first.

SORRY, OZZIE

Maddux, with some hesitation, picks Houston to beat the White Sox in the World Series.

It's a difficult situation, he said, because of his current city of employment and because Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen played for the Atlanta Braves with Maddux for part of 1998 and all of '99.

"But having been in the National League for 20 years, it's just kind of tradition," Maddux said about rooting for the senior circuit.

He likes Houston's pitching over Chicago's and believes the lineups are about equal.

"Chicago probably plays a little better defense than Houston. But, you know, it's baseball," Maddux said. "I thought St. Louis had the best team two or three weeks ago, then Houston beats 'em pretty good. Houston handled them.

"So ... Houston."

Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at miech@lasvegassun.com