Bill Madlock

Lore & Background

Bill Madlock was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but grew up in Decatur, Illinois, where he graduated from Eisenhower High School. At Eisenhower High he played basketball, football and baseball. He received 150 scholarship offers for his skills as a basketball player, around 100 for his skills as a football player and two for his skills as a baseball player. He accepted one of the two baseball scholarships, at Southeastern Community College in Keokuk, Iowa, because of his preference for playing a less hazardous game. He was considered for the baseball draft by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969, but would not sign with the Cardinals. By the time Madlock was ready to sign with a major league baseball team, he had decided to go with an offer from the Washington Senators organization. Madlock has four children with his late wife Cynthia: Sara, Stephen, Douglas and Jeremy.

Reader's Guide

Madlock was drafted by the Washington Senators in the 5th round of the secondary phase of the 1970 amateur draft. After spending a few years in the minor leagues, with a season with the Ossining Oxen in the team's only season, he made his debut with the Texas Rangers on September 7, 1973, and played 21 games with them, batting .351. He was traded along with Vic Harris from the Rangers to the Chicago Cubs for Ferguson Jenkins on October 25, 1973. Madlock replaced Ron Santo as the Cubs' third baseman and hit .313.

In 1975 Madlock won his first batting title with a .354 average. In 1976 Madlock repeated as batting champion with a .339 average. Madlock and Rob Sperring were dealt to the San Francisco Giants for Bobby Murcer, Steve Ontiveros and minor-league right-handed pitcher Andy Muhlstock on February 11, 1977. Madlock was acquired along with Lenny Randle and Dave Roberts by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Giants for Al Holland, Ed Whitson and Fred Breining on June 28, 1979.

He batted .328 with the Pirates during the regular season and .375 in the World Series. Madlock won two more batting titles, in 1981 and 1983, making him the first player to win multiple batting titles with two different teams. In August 1985 the Pirates traded him to Los Angeles. In 1987, the Dodgers released Madlock, who signed a few days later with the Detroit Tigers. Madlock became a free agent at the end of the 1987 season and played for the Lotte Orions in Japan in 1988.

Did You Know?

• Madlock's four batting titles is the most of any player in major league baseball history who is not enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
• He is one of 102 players in MLB history with 2,000 hits and a batting average of .300.
• Madlock was ejected from 18 games as a player and three games as a Tiger coach.