Nicholas “Nick” Maddox burst on the National League scene in 1907. Born in Maryland on November 9, 1886, Maddox’ was born Nicholas Duffy, but adopted his stepfather’s name Maddox.
In 1906 the 19-year-old was given a trial in the spring with the providence Grays in the Eastern league. He was released before the season began and signed with the Cumberland Rooters in the Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League (POM). Maddox had played in 1905 for the Piedmont team in the semi-pro Cumberland and Georges Creek League.
He was the best pitcher in the POM; The Sporting Life said Maddox was 22-3 for the Rooters who finished the season in fourth place with a 50-45 record, and was “the fastest pitcher in the league.”
Nick Maddox
Maddox spent most of 1907 with the Wheeling Stogies of the Central League. He posted a 13-10 record and no-hit the Terre Haute Hottentots on August 22. Maddox was purchased by the Pirates the following month and made his big league debut on against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cumberland Times noted that he faced a “double-jointed hoodoo of commencing his National League career on Friday, September the 13th.”
The Pittsburgh Press said:
“Nick was ‘on the job’ yesterday from start to finish, and acted more like a man with many years’ major league experience than like a minor leaguer who has been in the business but a few seasons.”
Maddox shut the Cardinals out on just five hits, struck out 11 and got his first hit, a single in his first at bat.
Eight days later Maddox threw the first no-hitter in Pirates’ history, beating the Brooklyn Superbas 2 to 1—Brooklyn scored on two fourth-inning errors. Years later, Maddox said of his own throwing error that put Emil Batch on base:
“They scored me with an error, but hell man, I threw it straight to the first baseman (Harry) Swacina. Sure it went over his head but he should have jumped for it.”
Batch scored on an error by shortstop Honus Wagner. Maddox said:
“I don’t hold that against Honus, he saved my no-hitter in the ninth. A ball was hit right over my head and ‘pfft’ Wagner was over there to get it. I don’t think he ever held the ball, he just swooped it over to first.”
The rookie started six games Pittsburgh, won his first four, and finished with a 5-1 record with a 0.83 ERA.
The Pittsburgh Leader said Pirates’ President Barney Dreyfuss claimed Maddox would be “the sensation” of 1908. He wasn’t far off.
The 21-year-old was an impressive 23-8 with a 2.28 ERA with five shutouts. Despite his success there was concern about control—he walked 90 batters while striking out just 70 in 260 innings, and hit 11 batters.
After three second and one third-place finish the four previous seasons, Pittsburgh, and Maddox, came into 1909 with high expectations. The Pittsburgh Press said:
“Nick Maddox is facing a very successful summer, and with an even break and barring accidents he ought to push any other twirler in the National League for first honors. He has everything a pitcher needs, and youth with it.”
The Press also said he would “start out with good control” based on his performance in March games in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The Pirates lived up to expectations, taking over first place on May 5 and cruising to the pennant; Maddox did not.
The 22-year-old struggled for the first half of the season. The Leader said he was having “a hard time getting into condition,” and was wild as a March Hare.” Maddox got on track in July pitching a 2-hit shout against the Cincinnati Reds on the 6th, and four-hit shutouts against the Brooklyn Superbas and Boston Doves on the 14th and 23rd.
He ended the season 13-8 with a 2.21 ERA—overshadowed by teammates Howie Camnitz (25-6), Vic Willis (22-11), Albert “Lefty” Leifield (19-8) and rookie Charles “Babe” Adams (13-3 as a reliever and spot starter).
Babe Adams
Despite going into the World Series against the Detroit Tigers with such a strong pitching staff, Manager Fred Clarke opted for the rookie Adams in game one and he responded with a 4 to 1 victory.
The Tigers beat Camnitz 7 to 2 in game 2.
Three years later, Fred Clarke spoke to James Jerpe of The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times about his decision on a pitcher for game three:
“I was in an awful predicament. Adams had been used up. It was had been raining, and it was very cold. The chilly drizzle was something frightful. The ball would get wet and water-logged and the problem was to get a pitcher who could handle the wet ball. I looked the gang over. Adams was out of the question. He had been used up.
“I was figuring on the others, and I asked ‘Who can go out there today and handle a wet ball and win?’ Poor Maddox, sitting in a corner of the bench all bundled up with sweaters and other stuff, shed his extra clothes and jumped up. Grabbing a ball, he said: ‘Gimme a catcher till I warm up. I’ll handle this wet ball and beat them or break a leg.’ His confidence gave me a hunch, and I acted on it.”
Ring Lardner said of the game:
“Detroit’s record crowd, 18,277, saw the Tigers beaten by the Pirates 8 to 6, today in one of the most exciting and most poorly played world’s series games in baseball history.”
The Pirates scored five runs in the first inning off Detroit’s Ed Summers, and Maddox shut the Tigers down for the first six innings. Detroit scored four runs in the seventh, aided by two Pirate errors. Clarke said:
“Maddox wouldn’t have been in so much trouble if we had played ball behind him.”
The Pirates took a 8 to 4 lead into the ninth–Detroit scored two more runs, helped by another error—but Maddox held on and picked up the win.
He did not appear in another game during the series. The Pirates won in seven; with Adams picking up complete game wins in games five and seven.
1909 World Series Champion Pirates, Maddox is ninth from left.
The defending champions got off to a quick start again, but Maddox again started slow. By July, The Leader said:
“Nick Maddox should have rounded into form..He is big and strong this year, but does not seem able to pitch good ball for nine rounds.”
He never “rounded into form.” Maddox struggled all season. He started just seven games, pitched in relief in 13 others, and was 2-3 with 3.40 ERA.
By August, with the Pirates in second place, six games behind the Chicago Cubs, The Pittsburgh Gazette asked “what was the matter?” with Maddox and why the Pirates had not cut him loose.
He made his last appearance on September 12, giving up a run, a hit and walking two batters in two innings of relief during a 4-0 loss to the Reds. He was sold to the Kansas City Blues in the American Association 10 days later.
Maddox won 22 games for the Blues the following season, but continued to be plagued by wildness and arm trouble. His major league career was over, and he was finished professionally in July of 1914 at 27-years-old when he was released as manager and pitcher for the Wichita club in the Western League after posting a 3-13 record.
Fred Clarke was convinced Maddox’ career really came to an end on that rainy day in Detroit. James Jerpe of The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times said that in 1910 Dreyfuss asked Clarke to release Maddox long before he sold the pitcher to Kansas City:
“’Why don’t you let Maddox go? You aren’t pitching him.’
“’No,’ replied the Pirate Chief sadly. “I’m not pitching him. He ruined his arm helping Adams win the world’s series.’
“And Fred narrated (to Dreyfuss) more of Nick’s gameness on that bleak and drizzly October day in Detroit when he gave his arm for a championship. Nick was carried for a whole year and the club has been interested in his welfare ever since.”
Fred Clarke
Maddox, who lived in Pittsburgh, and worked for the Fort Pitt Brewing Company, after his retirement, lived long enough to listen on the radio to the last two innings of the next no-hitter thrown by a Pirate pitcher—Cliff Chambers defeated the Boston Braves 3-0 on May 6, 1951.
Nick Maddox died in 1954 at age 68.
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