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Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. (born January 12, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1973 to 1987. Madlock is notable for being a four-time National League batting champion. His four batting titles as a third baseman was a record until Wade Boggs attained his fifth in 1988. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has won more National League batting titles (eight). Madlock is also one of only three right-handed hitters to have won multiple National League batting titles since 1960, Roberto Clemente having also won four and Tommy Davis having won back-to-back titles in 1962 and 1963.
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. His reasoning was clear from what he later told a Sports Illustrated reporter: "I didn't want to have 6'5", 250-pound guys bearing down on me, so I decided to play baseball."
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.
During the advent of MLB Free agent following the 1976 season, Madlock demanded a multiyear contract with an annual salary of about $200,000, but was rejected by team owner Philip K. Wrigley who then announced that Madlock would be traded "to anyone foolish enough to want him." "Madlock Goes to Giants As Cubs Obtain Murcer," The Associated Press, Friday, February 11, 1977. Retrieved June 1, 2018. In what was considered one of the five worst trades in Cubs history by the Chicago Tribune's Chris Kuc in 2016, Kuc, Chris. "Top 5 best and worst trades in Cubs history," Chicago Tribune, Friday, July 22, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2018. 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, an average fielder at best, was moved to second base (the Giants already had Darrell Evans at third), and batted "only" .302 and .309 in 1977 and 1978 respectively.
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 in what Dave Kindred described as "a midsummer deal that still doesn't make sense." Guardado, Maria. "Bobby Bonds left; Kruk, Kuip & an MVP arrived," MLB.com, Monday, May 4, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2022. Kindred, Dave. "From Zoo to Heaven For Madlock in 1979," The Washington Post, Tuesday, October 9, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2022. He was a starting third baseman again on a ballclub that eventually won the 1979 World Series. Ranier, Bill and Finoli, David. When the Bucs Won It All: The 1979 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2018 He batted .328 with the Pirates during the regular season and .375 in the World Series.
In 1980 Madlock's average dropped to .277 as the Pirates finished third in the National League East, eight games behind the eventual World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. For Madlock, the season became infamous for an incident during a May 1 game against the Montreal Expos at Three Rivers Stadium. Madlock poked umpire Jerry Crawford in the face with his glove after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded. National League President Chub Feeney fined Madlock $5,000 and suspended him 15 games. Madlock appealed the suspension and remained in uniform before finally serving the suspension on June 6, after National League umpires threatened to eject him from every game he tried to play in.
/ref> In the 1987 ALCS, he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts as the Tigers lost to the Minnesota Twins. Madlock became a free agent at the end of the 1987 season and played for the Lotte Orions in Japan in 1988.
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.
As a player, Madlock was ejected from 18 games. He was also ejected from three games during his two years as a Tiger coach. Bill Madlock Retrosheet.org.
Over time, Madlock's approach to umpires changed. Umpire Jerry Crawford remarked after his 1980 dispute with Madlock that "there's no question Madlock calmed down. He's changed, which is great, because a guy of his ability doesn't have to do the things to umpires that he was doing." Madlock's agent, Stephen Greenberg, son of baseball great Hank Greenberg, added that "the Crawford incident was a benchmark. Now if he disagrees with an umpire, he uses his charm, which can be considerable."
On Saturday, August 27, 2016, Madlock was inducted into the Decatur Public Schools (Decatur, IL) Athletic Hall of Fame during its inaugural ceremony at Frank M. Lindsay Field at Millikin University during the annual MacArthur-Eisenhower Tate & Lyle Braggin’ Rights Football Game.
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