Maddox was born in East Orange, New Jersey and grew up in Vauxhall, New Jersey. He graduated from Union High School in Union County, New Jersey. As a senior, he was selected by the Houston Astros in the fourth round of the 1966 Major League Baseball draft, but chose to attend the University of Michigan, instead. As a sophomore in 1968, he won the Big Ten batting title with a .467 batting average. In June 1968, he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the first round (20th pick) of the draft (secondary phase). He converted to Judaism in the 1970s.\n', '

Maddox spent just two seasons in the Tigers\' farm system, never playing higher than high A ball, before making his major league debut as a 22 year old in 1970. An exceptional all around fielder, Maddox split his minor league career between the outfield & third base. Likewise, when he joined the Tigers, he served as both a fourth outfielder & third baseman Don Wert\'s backup. He batted .248 with three home runs and 24 runs batted in his only season in Detroit to earn "Tigers Rookie of the Year" honors from the Detroit Sports Broadcasters\' Association. The day after Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn lifted former Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain\'s indefinite suspension from Major League Baseball, Maddox was packaged with McLain, Wert & pitcher Norm McRae, and shipped to the Washington Senators for pitchers Joe Coleman & Jim Hannan, and infielders Ed Brinkman & Aurelio Rodríguez.\n', '

Maddox spent much of the 1971 season batting below .200. He was batting .171 with one home run & twelve RBIs at the All-Star break, but managed to bring his average up to .217 with a hot August (.357 avg.) & September (.273 avg.). While he began the season in a similar utility player role to that which he had in Detroit, as he began to hit toward the end of the season, Manager & baseball legend Ted Williams began using him in a lefty/righty platoon with Del Unser in center field, where he led all American League outfielders in range factor per 9 innings (3.05). On September 30, the last day of the season, Maddox drove in the final run in franchise history.\n', '

Return to Elliott Maddox Autograph Profile