From an article by Paul Sullivan in Friday’s Chicago Tribune:
Maddux, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July and eventually signed a two-year deal with the Padres, said Thursday he has no regrets about his second go-round with the Cubs, despite their downward slide after the final-week collapse in 2004.
"Not at all," Maddux said. "I was glad I did it. I felt fortunate and privileged to do it. Everyone treated me great over there, a lot of great memories, made a few friends ... nothing but positives for me."
The Cubs didn't look at re-signing Maddux during the off-season and he joked that his friend Jason Marquis "took my spot" in the rotation. It was Maddux, of course, who advised Marquis to see pitching coach Larry Rothschild in the winter to help fix his mechanics.
"Did he take my locker too?" Maddux asked. "Good for him. Larry's real good. Pitchers would be wise to listen to what he has to say."
Was Maddux surprised at the Cubs' off-season spending binge?
"I didn't see it coming, but good for them," Maddux said. "Looks like they've made a lot of good improvements. How could you not root for these fans?"
How could you not root for a player like this?
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