Wilmington Evening Journal - April 15, 1980

Maddox signs with Phillies

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA – Outfielder Garry Maddox has signed a five-year, multi-million-dollar contract with the Phillies, the Associated Press learned today.

A source said Maddox' contract had been sent to the National League office in New York for approval.

The Phillies are expected to announce the agreement, probably tomorrow, in St. Louis, where they are playing the St Louis Cardinals.

While there were no official figures, it is believed the Gold Glove center fielder will receive in the neighborhood of $700,000 a year.

Maddox, through his agent Jerry Kapstein, has been negotiating with the Phillies since January of 1979. During the recent spring training, the player and the club announced that they had reached an impasse and that he would play out his option and become a free agent at the end of this season.

Paul Owens, the Phillies' player personnel director, said at that time he might have to trade Maddox.

"I'm not going to lose him for nothing," Owens said, referring to the amateur draft choice the Phillies would receive if they lost Maddox in the re-entry draft.

Maddox, however, who has settled in the Philadelphia area and admittedly does not want to leave, had Kapstein reopen negotiations in Florida with Phillies' owner Ruly Carpenter.

At the time of the announced negotiating impasse, Maddox reportedly was asking for $1 million per year for five years. He denied that figure.

Maddox did say, however, that the Phillies told him he was worth what he was asking for, but that they weren't going to pay it.

Only last week, Owens said that he expected to get permission from Carpenter to make a serious effort to trade Maddox, indicating that they were still too far apart to reach an agreement.

Kapstein and Carpenter negotiated into the season, which opened last week, and finally came to an agreement in which both sides obviously compromised their positions. There are believed to be a number of incentive clauses involved in the contract, which apparently requires league approval before the signing can be announced.

Maddox said Saturday that Carpenter had told him to forget the contract negotiations and to just concentrate on playing baseball.

In the first three games of the season, the outfielder hit .364 with one home run and three runs batted in He played his usual impeccable center field.

Maddox, 30, was acquired by the Phillies from the San Francisco Giants for Willie Montanez May 4, 1975. He has a major league career batting average of .293 and has won five Gold Gloves for fielding.

Last season, he hit .281 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI.