ARLINGTON – The hottest coach in Dallas-Fort Worth is sitting in the first-base dugout at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, deflecting praise, crediting others and punctuating every sentence with a spit of chew.

He is not one coach, Mike Maddux explains. Rather, he is 12 coaches in one, employing a different approach for each pitcher on the roster.

"You can't cookie cut anything," the Rangers pitching coach concludes.

Does he deserve credit for the early-season success of a surprising Rangers staff that had ranked last in the major leagues in ERA since the start of the millenium?

"Nope," he says. "Players do."

If Mike Maddux, 47, is short on words, he has been long on work. That was his method of operation in a 15-season major league pitching odyssey in which he made 10 stops, playing for nine teams. Used mostly in relief, he averaged a smidge more than 2 ½ wins and exactly 1 1/3 saves per season.

"Journeyman?" he says, repeating a word from a question. "How about competitor?" he countered.

Mike's brother Greg, five years younger, was the pitching prodigy in the Maddux family. He won 355 games and a future place in baseball's Hall of Fame. Mike Maddux nods when Greg's name is mentioned. Everything his brother does, he does well, he says.

It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Maddux has arrived in the dugout from the bullpen, where he watched pitchers throw. The Tuesday game against the Blue Jays is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Maddux has been at the Ballpark since 10. He might leave around midnight. Same as yesterday. Same as every day.

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

The first-place Rangers have had surprising early-season pitching success under Mike Maddux, but the Texas staff isn't the first to respond favorably to his guidance.

Maddux was wooed to Arlington this season by the Rangers, who signed him away from Milwaukee, where he spent six seasons. Under his guidance, the Brewers' staff posted the second-best ERA in the National League last season.

Maddux arrived in Milwaukee after getting his coaching start at Double-A Round Rock, a Houston Astros minor league team, in 2000. The team is owned by Nolan Ryan, who now doubles as the Rangers' president.

Maddux signed with the Rangers about two weeks after Jackie Moore was hired on as bench coach. Moore was the manager who hired Maddux in Round Rock. It was Moore who offered Maddux the best coaching advice he ever received.

"Baseball is a people business," Maddux repeats the words in the dugout. "Don't ever forget it."

"Mike knows what he is talking about, and he can relate to people," said Moore, who has been managing and coaching for 41 seasons. "In this business, that's rare. Very rare."

Maddux describes himself as an "old school" pitching coach who concentrates on basic mechanics, with little use for the latest theories or fads.

"I'm not a research scientist," he offers.

Maddux begins his work day by watching video of the previous game. Then there is a meeting with the catchers, whom he considers "the heartbeat" of the pitching staff.

That's followed by time spent with that night's starter and a trip to the bullpen to work with "rehab" guys. Then comes work with other starters, watching relievers work and, finally, meeting with that day's starting pitcher and catcher.

Regular visitors to the Rangers' clubhouse say Maddux can often be spotted flitting around the room cornering pitchers with ideas and advice.

Reliever Eddie Guardado, in his 17th major league season, rates Maddux's communications skills as "awesome."

"He doesn't think he knows everything," Guardado says. "He listens and offers feedback."

That's part of Maddux's formula. He doesn't demand. He suggests. And waits.

Maddux says his phrase of choice is, "Have you ever tried this? If you do, it might work for you."

Sooner or later, even the most grizzled veteran will try it, Maddux said.

When Darren O'Day arrived from the New York Mets earlier this season, Maddux approached him about moving a few inches over on the rubber when he pitches.

"Before he even saw me throw in person, he told me it would make it harder for right-hand hitters to see the ball," O'Day said. "It was very simple. It was a very good idea. And he was right."

Maddux preaches that his charges work fast "and command the baseball," which translates not into throwing strikes, but throwing the ball where they want it "with conviction." It's a philosophy that has been credited with helping starters Brandon McCarthy and Scott Feldman improve their effectiveness this season.

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux (center) is earning respect from the players with his communications skills.

Maddux insists it is the pitchers who should be credited for whatever improvements they have made over seasons past.

"They are a bunch of guys who pitch with heart and fortitude," he said. "They grind to be the best pitcher they can be that day. ... The mark of a good pitcher is not how successful they can be on a good day, but what they can give on a bad day between the lines."

He is insistent that the upgraded Rangers infield and catching defense is key to the improved pitching results.

Manager Ron Washington has been impressed with the coach imported to help the Rangers cause. Washington says that during games, Maddux is "constantly reminding pitchers of what we need to do to get people out, and what we may have done wrong so we can correct it."

In addition, Maddux advises the manager which pitchers should be used in different situations during games.

"He's making me very comfortable because he's always ahead of the lineup," Washington said. "He knows who he wants to attack ... with what pitchers we have available down there, and he's made it very simple for me to be that far ahead in the game."

How much room for improvement is there for the pitching staff of the American League West-leading Rangers?

"That's not up to me," Maddux says. "That's up to them."