Maddux to Bronx

a plane flight back to his home in Las Vegas, the Braves were able to unload lefthander Charlie Leibrandt’s $3.1 million contract on the Texas Rangers, thus freeing up the $28 million to sign Maddux.

“I knew the Braves had to unload Leibrandt,” said Michael, “so that’s why I kept calling them on him, hoping to delay them long enough to get Maddux signed.”

When Maddux landed in Las Vegas and Boras informed him of the Braves’ offer, he said: “That’s it. We’re taking it.”

Thus, for probably the only time in Boras’ history as an agent, a client of his took $9 million less to sign with another team.

“I was crushed,” Michael said. “I said to Greg: ‘Please give me a chance!’ He said: ‘You wouldn’t want me to go back on my word to the Braves, would you, Gene?’ And I said: ‘Yes I do!’ I have to say this: He never used us.”

Michael laughed at the memory of it. But the fact that Maddux went on to win four Cy Young Awards with the Braves en route to 355 career victories and becoming a slam dunk, first-ballot Hall of Famer also makes it a painful memory.

Who knows what Maddux would’ve done for the Yankees?

“I’ve thought about that a lot,” Maddux said. “As I said, my priorities were to stay in the National League and pitch for a team that had a chance to win. I got to do that with the Braves when we won it all in 1995. Had I had a crystal ball, I could have won four T World Series with the Yankees!” hat’s about Michael’s only “what might have been” consolation. The Yankee team he built without Maddux achieved more glory than anyone, even he, could have ever imagined.