1966-
Baseball Pitcher

While the late 1990s may have been the era of the long ball, the personal domain of home-run kings such as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, a quiet, humble, initially unimpressive pitcher became the dominant professional baseball player of the decade. His $57.5 mil-lion, five-year contract, begun in 1997, made him the highest- paid baseball player. Born 14 April 1966, in San Angelo, Texas, Gregory Allen Maddux began playing baseball when he was five years old. He attended high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1984. For two years he played in the minor leagues until he was called up by the parent club. Despite playing for the perennially cellar-dwelling club, in 1992 he won a Cy Young award, the symbol of the best pitcher in the National League (NL).

Strikeouts.

When he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves...