Agent: This may be end for Maddux

Greg Maddux, the best major league player to come out of Las Vegas, appears on the verge of retirement after a 23-year pitching career that produced 355 victories and four straight National League Cy Young Awards.

Maddux's agent, Scott Boras, said Monday that the certain Baseball Hall of Fame inductee is close to retiring, according to reports by the New York Post and Yahoo.com.

"He hasn't made a final decision, but for now it is doubtful he will play (any longer)," Boras said of Maddux on the first day of the major league general managers' meetings in Dana Point, Calif.

"As it stands now, he is not going to play."

There was no word from Maddux, who turns 43 on April 14, but Boras said the right-hander indicated at a charity event last week that this past season was his last.

Maddux won the Cy Young Award in 1992 with the Chicago Cubs and the next three seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He was 8-13 with a 4.22 ERA for the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers this year, bringing his career record to 355-227. His victory total ranks eighth all time, one ahead of Roger Clemens.

Maddux, a Valley High graduate, made his last start for the Dodgers on Sept. 27 at San Francisco, and made three playoff relief appearances.

Among Maddux's other career highlights are three ERA titles, 17 Gold Gloves and three times leading the NL in wins. He was third in the NL Most Valuable Player voting in 1995 when he went 19-2 with a 1.62 ERA for the Braves.