Maddux pitches in minor league scrimmage for final spring start

KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA - Greg Maddux made his final start of spring training in front of about 20 fans, on an auxiliary field of the Atlanta Braves complex, with a high school softball tournament underway next door. <br> <br> At least he had catcher Henry Blanco behind the plate. <br> <br> Maddux pitched four innings for AA Greenville in a minor league scrimmage Wednesday, giving up one run and five hits to a team mostly made up of players from AAA Richmond. <br> <br> Maddux said, ``I feel good. I felt like I was better after the game than I was before, and that&#39;s what it&#39;s all about.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Slated to start Monday against the Montreal Expos in the season opener, Maddux threw 52 pitches while the rest of his major league teammates were in Vero Beach playing the Los Angeles Dodgers. <br> <br> Blanco, who serves as Maddux&#39;s personal catcher during the season, also stayed behind. <br> <br> Blanco said, ``His changeup was better than the last time he threw. That&#39;s a good sign.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Maddux didn&#39;t have much privacy between innings, with only a chain-link fence surrounding the dugout and a sidewalk right behind it. One of the softball players gave a shriek of surprise when she walked by and saw Maddux on the bench, and she hung around until he went back on the mound, her hands covering her mouth. <br> <br> After he was done, Maddux signed autographs for about ten minutes, including several for his teammates from Greenville. <br> <br> Maddux said, ``That caught me off-guard, to be honest with you. It was very flattering, and I was glad to do it.&#39;&#39;