Greg Maddux will not be a unanimous Hall of Famer

By Aaron GleemanJan 7, 2014, 11:40 AM EDT
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If you were wondering whether Greg Maddux–clearly one of the handful of greatest pitchers ever–might get voted into the Hall of Fame unanimously in his first time on the ballot … well, the answer is no.

MLB.com published the ballots of their various BBWAA-member writers and this is what Dodgers beat reporter Ken Gurnick said:

KEN GURNICK, Dodgers beat reporter
Jack Morris

Morris has flaws — a 3.90 ERA, for example. But he gets my vote for more than a decade of ace performance that included three 20-win seasons, Cy Young Award votes in seven seasons and Most Valuable Players votes in five. As for those who played during the period of PED use, I won’t vote for any of them.

Jack Morris. And only Jack Morris. What a world. Chipper Jones was right.

Jordan Hicks throws 105 MPH twice against Phillies

Scott Kane/Getty Images
By Bill BaerMay 20, 2018, 8:25 PM EDT
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One likely wouldn’t guess it based on his strikeout rate, but Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks is one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the game. The right-hander hit 105 MPH on the radar gun twice during Sunday’s appearance against the Phillies, according to Statcast.

Hicks was asked if he could throw harder than 105 MPH. He said, “I surprised myself yesterday (when he reached (103.8 MPH), I surprised myself today. We’ll see.”

Hicks got the final four outs of Sunday’s 5-1 victory over the Phillies. He walked two and struck out one. He carries a 2.05 ERA but has only nine strikeouts and 16 walks in 22 innings this season.