"Maddox was the key to the Yankee turnaround. The team became a serious contender after manager Bill Virdon made him the regular center fielder, pushing Bobby Murcer to right. Elliott solidified the defense and hit better than anyone could have expected - he batted .303 with 45 RBIs and 75 runs scored.
'He's in the middle of every rally,' says Virdon. An outstanding defensive player with fine instincts and an excellent arm, Maddox doesn't fit the mold of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.
'I'm aware of the folklore that goes with being the Yankee center fielder,' he says. 'The team leader, the big home run hitter thing. But that isn't the case anymore.'
Born in East Orange, New Jersey, Elliott was a Big Ten batting champion while attending the University of Michigan. Drafted by the Tigers, he went to the Senators in the Denny McLain deal, and was acquired by the Yankees prior to the 1974 season."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1975 Edition
"The success story of 1974 was Elliott Maddox. Seemingly doomed to a return trip to the minor leagues after many years of irregular duty with the Tigers, Senators and Rangers, Maddox was sold to the Yankees during spring training. The deal aroused no one's interest and made no headlines.
By season's end, Elliott had finished eighth in the Most Valuable Player voting in the American League and had batted .303. It took the old center field star of the Pirates, manager Bill Virdon, to see that Maddox was some kind of fielder.
'If he hits .250, he's my regular center fielder,' said Bill, and boy, did Elliott answer the bell when his chance finally came.
Maddox, a schoolboy star at Union High School in New Jersey, went on to play at the University of Michigan before signing with Detroit. He received his degree in pre-law and was one of the players involved in the Denny McLain trade with Washington. Unable to break into the regular lineup there, he was delighted to join the Yankees. Little did he realize what the future held for him!"
-The New York Yankees Official 1975 Yearbook
"The purchase of Elliott Maddox from Texas last spring training failed to produce many headlines, but by the time the year was over, Elliott was the number eight finisher in the American League MVP voting.
He was a classic case of giving a man a chance to show what he can do. Recognizing his outstanding defensive ability, Bill Virdon used him more and more in the late innings until May 26, when he sat Bobby Murcer down and put Maddox in center. Two days later, Murcer returned to the lineup as the right fielder, and the Yankee outfield defense was set.
'If Maddox can hit .250, he'll remain in center,' said Virdon, who is certainly one to recognize center field prowess. All Maddox did was bat .303, never falling below .300 from June 1 on. Great catches became a regular part of his game, and his 18 assists were second in the league. Elliott had a 15-game hitting streak in June. He didn't hit his first home run until August 18, but he wasn't looked to for power. He has good speed and can also play the infield.
Elliott is an East Orange, New Jersey native (Union High School) who signed with Detroit out of the University of Michigan after his pre-law studies. He went to Washington as part of the six-man 'McLain Trade' of 1970 and outlasted all those involved on the Washington side, moving with the club to Texas.
He underwent a hernia operation after the '74 season to correct a game-incurred injury. Elliott spent his winter in New Jersey and became a popular banquet speaker."
-1975 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide
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