Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Elliott Maddox

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Elliott Maddox
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Memories of
Elliott Maddox

Elliott Maddox
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 207 of 1233 players

Elliott Maddox
Born: December 21, 1947 at East Orange, N.J.
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 5.10 Weight: 180

Elliott Maddox was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on October 1, 2011, October 6, 2017, June 20, 2021, and January 18, 2022.

First Mets game: April 25, 1978
Last Mets game: October 1, 1980

Share your memories of Elliott Maddox

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Mike
Maddox was a classy player for both the Mets and Yanks...and was treated like dirt by both.

Coach HoJo 20
March 22, 2001
Great pitcher who didn't have much luck at 3rd base.

Andy from Rego Park
June 6, 2001
The Mets second free agent signing (after Tom Hausman), oddly enough Elliot Maddox's most lasting contribution was not as a ballplayer, but as a litigator in the briefly precedential case Maddox v City of New York (66 NY2d 270). While still a speedy outfielder with the Yanks during their brief tenancy at Shea (circa 1975) Maddox tore up his knee in the outfield and sued the City claiming the field was unplayable. The city won, with the court ruling that because Maddox knew the condition of the field, and played anyway, he had assumed the risk of injury. I think Maddox himself is a member of the bar now.

Elliott
October 2, 2001
Elliott now lives in Coral Springs,Florida. If I am correct he either gets Workers Comp or SSDI and recently got in trouble because he runs some sort of sports camp and was witnessed running around and was accused of jaking the system. I met him before a Met game at Shea in 79 and spoke with him for about 20 minutes and of course started the conversation with the fact we have the same name. He is a really nice guy. He got trade by Billy Martin 3 times. Once from the Tigers, Once from the Rangers and Once from the stinkin Crankees. Billy and Elliott hated each other.

Alan
January 5, 2002
Boy did Billy Martin hate this guy. He was never the same after tearing up his knee.

STEVE B.
June 7, 2002
While the Yankees signed Catfish and Reggie, we were signing Tom Hausman and Elliott. We've been playing catch-up ever since. Sued the city for the conditions of the field at Shea, then signs a contract with us. Come to think of it Billy Martin did hate this guy!

Kiwiwriter
July 1, 2004
Fine ballplayer, who never recovered from the injury that cost him his job with the Yankees.
I always wondered what on earth he was doing at third base for the Mets, but EVERYBODY played third base for the Mets.
I believe one of the causes of his troubles with the Mets was that he had a white wife. His trouble with Billy Martin was that Maddox was and is an intelligent and articulate ballplayer, who could make light of Billy's guise. Billy disliked players and people who were more sophisticated than himself, because they revealed his massive insecurities and lack of class. On the ballfield, Billy could be king. Off the field, he was an intimidated drunk.

Jonathan Stern
June 17, 2005
Not only was Elliott Maddox's wife white, she was also Jewish - as was Maddox himself. He formally converted to Judaism in 1975, after feeling a natural affinity for the religion throughout most of his life up until then. His is an interesting story.
As I understand it, in the world according M. Donald Grant, a black man married to a white woman was bad enough. But for both of them to be Jewish? Oy vey!

Buzz
July 8, 2005
Maddox was a .300 hitter for the Yanks and a speedy centerfielder before he tore up his knee in the outfield. I think the Mets signed him as a free agent for $950,000 over 5 years and I thought maybe he'd regain his old form but he was never the same after that knee injury. He was like a mid-level free agent signing and that was a lot for the penny-pinching Mets back then.

Joe Figliola
July 21, 2005
Ironically, Maddox's all-time high in home runs comes in the year the Mets mustered a team-low 61 roundtrippers (remember the Mets vs. Maris chart that the Daily News used to run?).
At the time, I liked him and thought he was serviceable. He must have been a victim of the numbers game when the Mets released him. Still, it is mildly surprising that he would be let go considering that most of his 1980 numbers were nearly comparable to his 1974 stats with the Yankees (with the exception of his batting average).
My strong personal memories of Maddox include his 1978 Topps card (considering they doctored up his uniform to make it look like Mets garb, it's not that bad) and his collision in the outfield with Lee Mazzilli in 1979. I may have scored one of his two home runs in '78 as well. I think it came in a game where the Amazin's hit three solo shots and still lost!

Bob R
July 25, 2005
I seem to recall that he sued the Mets or the city because of an injury he sustained while playing at Shea. Back then the Mets shared the stadium with the Jets, and the field was less than ideal. I don't remember the outcome of his lawsuit.

jeff friedson
October 13, 2005
People forget he also moved Bobby Murcer out of CF for the Yankees. Gutsy move by Bill Virdon, and a great one. Elliott was a terrific player for the Yanks in 1974 and 1975 until his injury. Was compared to Paul Blair in CF. Absolutely a fantastic fielder. Hit over .300 for the Yankees in 74-75 and I believe finished in the top 10 MVP voting in 1974. His Met years were forgettable.

Will D
October 13, 2005
Nah, that injury happened while Elliott was with the Yankees. The last year they played at Shea before the move to the renovated stadium. He slipped on some wet grass and tore up his knee ending his season and for all intents and purposes his Yankee career. (Remember a guy named Mickey Rivers?) The guy never really recovered but what the hell, it's 1978 and Joe Torre can't seem to bring back Tommie Agee or Richie Ashburn. By the way, his suit was tossed out of court, and within two years, Elliott was out of baseball.

M. Scott
May 10, 2006
Elliot is a nice guy, a good player and father. But your comments on his personal life are laughable. Both of his wives were African-American. His first wife - my sister - were married during college and were still married when he played for both NY teams. Unfortunately it did not last. His girlfriend between marriages was white.

chuck
October 4, 2006
I would like to thank Elliott for giving his time to the youth of today. Elliott and Ron Blomberg are spending 2 weeks teaching young kids the art of baseball, in the Ron Blomberg Baseball Camp, at Camp Nah-Jee-Wah, New Jersey "Y" Camp, in Milford, PA (2006). My 9 year old has gained invaluable intangibles that will help him as a player he gets older and stronger.

Kevin
October 4, 2006
Had great line after leaving Mets: "Best things about New York was playing for Yankees and leaving the Mets." I still get a chuckle out of that.

K . Dillon
April 1, 2007
There is a story in "the bads guys won" about how when the writer was a kid in 1982 he threw a ball to Kingman for an autograph, and Kingman let the ball land in a puddle. I don't know how true that is, but Elliott Maddox did something similar to my friend in 1979.
We were hanging out near the box seats near the Mets dugout. Elliott walked by, my friend asked him if he would sign a ball. Elliott motioned to us to toss the ball to him. He did not catch the ball, let it drop, and asked "why did you throw that?" He then proceeded to argue with my friend, who was 10 at the time, that he did not motion for us to toss him the ball. We asked if he could at least throw it back. He told us "you threw it, you come get it." We told him we would be kicked out of the stadium if we went on the field. Eventually, a groundskeeper picked up the ball and gave it back to us.
I'm glad to hear Maddox did not win his lawsuit!

brian harris (boswell)
August 30, 2007
Let me tell you something, the man Elliott Maddox was a great ball player. Growing up in a small town in N.J. playing little ball, (Phillips Concrete) and having fun. Watching on t.v. along with all the greats like Mickey Rivers, Graig Nettles, Roy White, Lou Piniella, Lee Mazzilli. I remember going to the Yankee dugout and getting an autographed baseball from all the players, courtesy of Elliott Maddox himself. I will always cherish those moments as a child.

Vinny
October 27, 2007
Well here goes. First of all what difference does it make what color Elliott's girlfriend or wife was or is that's between two adults? Secondly as for his bout with the city that was embarrassing and costly for him; you would have to think that when someone goes to the extent to hire a lawyer and go to trial, they feel that they are just in their pursuit for fair justice. Billy Martin and the second and third liver crew didn't like Elliott because they couldn't deal with a classy articulate guy who wasn't in their clique. Elliott stepped up and gave 110% all the time even after the accident and playing in constant pain.
As for his coaching with kids, he probably helped more kids that any other retired professional in Florida. Elliott is one of the most patient gracious people I know and still delivers 110% of himself for the kids and the love of the game.
Elliott suffered a recent bout of colon cancer and licked it and is doing great. But even before he was given the "green light" he was back on the field coaching and teaching. Yes he may have been seen throwing and bending while on disability but that's Elliott who plays hurt for most of his career and even in retirement. As far as the kids and parents in South Florida are concerned Elliott Maddox is still the MVP to us and we are proud to be his friend.

Mets fan in Maine
November 21, 2007
Vinny, it's nice to read your positive comments about Maddox. Too often the postings here are negative (and I'm guilty of that). It's also good to read stuff about players' post-MLB activities. Maddox sure could play.

pockmarx
September 21, 2008
I remember after Elliot Maddox contract ran out with the Mets he was asked what he was going to do. Elliot said he was "sifting through his offers." One sifts through sand and dirt for small particles, not for major league jobs. Sometimes the delusions of washed up big leaguers borders on the sadly ridiculous.

Julia
April 16, 2010
Well, I don't know much about his career but I do know that his wife wasn't and still isn't white. She is Creole. I know this because I knew them personally when I was growing up. They are both beautiful people who loved their children very much.

Les s
August 9, 2010
I grew up playing with Elliot in Union, N.J. Amazing ballplayer. I was playing 2nd base against him one game. He hit a ball 10 feet over my head. The ball kept rising and rising and went over the center field fence, over 410 feet. He was only 14 years old. He was all wrist. He would snap his wrist and the ball would just take off. Did not have to swing hard. He could play any sport and play better then anyone. He had that gift you just can not explain. He also was a very nice person and very well liked.

Phil
March 17, 2011
Hello all. Funny, just ran into Elliott Maddox and came across this site. As a former NYC resident and Met fan, my father and I loved Elliot on the field. Didn't have any contact with Elliott other than being a fan. Moved down to Florida in 2002 and one day, a noticed my next door neighbor looked familiar however I could not place him. My son who was a teen then was a schoolmate of Elliott's son. Soon after I learned it was Elliott Maddox. I could not believe I was his neighbor! Real cool.
The most important part of this is that he is a kind, humble man and upon talking to him frequently, I learned how passionate he is with teaching kids and showing them the fundamentals of baseball. He always took the time to give professional pointers to my son. Mr. Maddox, you're a gentlemen and a scholar. God bless you always.

Mike McC.
June 15, 2018
Elliott Maddox was my first MLB autograph and the first Met I ever met at Shea. It has always stuck with me how nice he was to my siblings and I when we ran into him on the sidewalk after a game against the Cardinals. He was so friendly that my kid sister thought my dad knew him already.

Aaron Smith
September 24, 2021
My all time favorite player.