greg maddux, double dipper

[this is the thirteenth installment in the double dippers posts.  here are the previous posts - brett butler, omar daal, eric young, nick willhite, chris gwynn, mickey hatcher, dave anderson, don zimmer, rafael landestoy, dave hansen, hideo nomo, and jose vizcaino.]

greg maddux was acquired by the dodgers during the 2006 season in exchange for cesar izturis, making this 2007 topps card possible.

he had been double dipping with the cubs when the trade was made, and he started his time with the dodgers with a bang.  in his first start in dodger blue, he no-hit the reds for 6 innings when he was lifted.  two starts later, he gave up only 2 hits in his 8 innings of work against the giants. a few starts later, he held the padres to one hit in 7 innings pitched. 

maddux wound up making 12 starts for the dodgers during the regular season, and had a 6-3 record with an era of 3.36.  in the postseason, he made one start in the nlds against the mets and gave up 4 runs in 4 innings.  as shown on that card above, he won a gold glove, the 16th time in his career he had been so honored. 

after the season, maddux signed a free agent deal with the padres.  here's his 2007 upper deck card, showing him in padres' gear (thankfully not those sandy colored or camoflagued unis)

as a padre, maddux was 14-11 in 2007 with an era over 4.00.  he returned to sandy eggo in 2008, and was 6-9 with a 3.99 era when the dodgers brought him back into the fold.  all it cost was a couple of minor leaguers this time around.

down the stretch in 2008, maddux (shown on a 2009 upper deck sweet spot card)

was just 2-4 in 7 starts, although he deserved to win most of those starts. his final regular season start resulted in his 355th career win - a 6-inning, two-hit performance against the giants.  the dodgers made the postseason, but maddux was relegated to the bullpen.  he appeared in both the nlds and nlcs, pitching 4 innings without giving up an earned run. 

by returning to the los angeles to end his career, maddux joined a small group of hall of famers who came from somewhere else to go out as dodgers, including don sutton (a fellow double dipper), hoyt wilhelm, rickey henderson and eddie murray (another double dipper).  we were happy to have him.  both times.

here's to you, greg maddux!