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The Maddux Brothers Want Their Pitchers to Laugh

Mike and Greg Maddux are keeping things light — very light — while rebuilding the Texas Rangers pitching staff through fundamentals and fielding drills.

Mike Maddux, left, is back as the pitching coach of the Texas Rangers, a team he previously coached from 2009 to 2015. His brother, Greg, right, is helping out during spring training.Credit...Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers, via Getty Images

SURPRISE, Ariz. — It was just past 7 a.m. on a recent Saturday, and the day ahead was tightly scheduled. But before they got to meetings, bullpens, pitchers fielding practice, a Cactus League game against Kansas City and the day’s assorted jokes that keep things crisp, the Maddux brothers sat together in a room at the Texas Rangers’ complex here, momentarily pausing to consider the jargon of their craft.