The New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves dominated the baseball world in the 1990s, as they were the two most successful franchises of the decade. Of course, the Yankees dynasty of the 90s was known for their homegrown core of players, such as Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. The Braves dominated the National League thanks to one of the best starting pitching rotations that baseball fans will ever see, featuring Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, though they were defeated by New York twice in the World Series. But, what if someone like Maddux, perhaps the best pitcher of his era, was on the Yankees instead? According to Maddux himself, he almost joined the Yankees in 1992 but the deal fell through for a shocking reason. Appearing on the Talkin' Yanks podcast, Maddux revealed the shocking reason why his deal fell through with the Yankees.
Greg Maddux had every intention to sign with the Yankees in 1992, but he says he never received a contract offer because one of the Yankee front office members had a heart attack
(via @ToeingTheSlab) pic.twitter.com/fz6qo05A8J
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) January 18, 2022
Per Braves legend Greg Maddux himself, he “went there to sign with the Yankees”, but never received an offer. Maddux received the typical New York free agent treatment, as he went to a show and dinner in the city, with the Yankees informing him that they'd be in touch.
The offer never came. Maddux shockingly revealed that it was because one of the “higher-ups” in the Yankees' front office suffered a heart attack. The Braves legend then received an offer from Atlanta and elected to re-sign with the Braves.
However, the Yankees were oh-so-close to adding Maddux, who won four Cy Young Awards in the 1990s, atop their rotation.
Of course, Maddux's career went just fine for the Braves, but it is quite interesting to imagine the Yankees, who went on to win four World Series from 1996 to 2000, adding one of the best pitchers ever before their dynasty even peaked.
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