"I don't care if we're out of it or not, if I've got a chance to pitch, I want to"
About this Quote
The key word is “chance.” It’s modest, almost bureaucratic, but that’s the subtext: pitching isn’t a theatrical privilege, it’s a responsibility you earn and then honor. Maddux, famous for control and craft more than spectacle, is telling you how he understands value - not as highlight-reel dominance, but as showing up to do the job cleanly even when no one’s watching. That’s a veteran’s ethos, and it also doubles as a quiet rebuke to a league increasingly shaped by pitch counts, innings management, and front-office risk calculus. He’s not arguing analytics; he’s asserting identity.
Context matters because baseball is built for slumps and dead stretches. A season contains whole months that feel like waiting rooms. Maddux refuses the waiting room. If there’s a ballgame and his arm can answer, he wants the ball - not to rescue a lost season, but to keep faith with teammates, routine, and the game’s old promise: play it like it counts even when it doesn’t.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sports |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Maddux, Greg. (2026, January 17). I don't care if we're out of it or not, if I've got a chance to pitch, I want to. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-care-if-were-out-of-it-or-not-if-ive-got-a-67041/
Chicago Style
Maddux, Greg. "I don't care if we're out of it or not, if I've got a chance to pitch, I want to." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-care-if-were-out-of-it-or-not-if-ive-got-a-67041/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I don't care if we're out of it or not, if I've got a chance to pitch, I want to." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-care-if-were-out-of-it-or-not-if-ive-got-a-67041/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

