Pitching wins championships. I know, Greg, that you might be a little bit skeptical of that, since your Braves teams so routinely won the National League East during your 11 seasons in Atlanta — and so routinely didn’t capitalize on regular season success in the postseason. I bet in 1995 you thought that, after taking down the Indians, greener pastures and more World Series titles were in the offing. Your 1.63 earned run average that year was good enough for your fourth straight Cy Young award, and you earned your sixth straight Gold Glove.

Alas, Ted Turner’s 25 have been back to the Fall Classic just once since, a 1999 loss to the Yankees, a series in which you lost your only start.

Now, the Braves are old and continually retooling, and baseball’s terminally ill economic structure is forcing more-than-serviceable right arms like yours away from the teams that cherished them for so long.

It’s too bad you have to go from the place you’ve built your entire career. But since you’re job-hunting, I’d like a couple minutes of your time to explain why you ought to seriously consider — and then accept — a two-year deal worth at least $13 million from a team you may have heard of:

The Chicago Cubs.

I don’t have to tell you, naturally, that this Cubs team is loaded, especially after Mark Prior — in his second season in the majors — completely dominated your club in your only playoff appearance this year. You already know all that.

And I also don’t need to tell you that you shouldn’t go anywhere you’re not wanted. You’re intelligent and you’ve been in this business far too long to jump at a deal without considering your place on the club and your reputation with a city’s fans.

It’s a concern for you, I’m sure. The last time you wore Cubbie blue, you were winning your very first Cy Young award way back in 1992. Then, there was the free agent business that offseason.

Let’s not belabor that point.

Greg, I know a lot of Cubs fans are still dealing with festering resentment from that winter. Yes, Cubs management was to blame for the ugliness that ended with you displaced to the southeast, but we Cubs fans are illogical about things like this and we’re liable to send a lot of anger your way too, deserved or no. Ask Steve Bartman or Leon Durham or maybe Don Young about that — if you can find them.

I know your numbers have been slipping of late — you haven’t won 19 games since 2000, and this summer you recorded your highest ERA since your 1987 rookie campaign. Haven’t hom-ered since 1999.

But 16-11, 3.96 is nothing to be ashamed of, especially for a seasoned player like yourself who will be 38 by the time this season gets rolling.

You are not the pitcher you once were, and for some reason that makes you damaged goods in some fans’ eyes.

“I’ll take Wood or Prior or Zambrano or even that wiry Clement kid over that pompous Maddux any day,” they say. “They’ve even proved it.”

I’ll admit it. When Prior wrapped his 133-pitch masterpiece against you in October, and Wood finished the Divisional Series win two nights later, I had a good laugh at your expense.

It was because I remembered 1998, the Cubs’ magical Wild Card year that ended with a series sweep, clinched by your 6-2 mastery of Wood, then a rookie, at Wrigley Field.

It felt like we’d never be able to beat you, and beating you was all that mattered, because you stood the Cubs up. Greg, I was despondent about this, and I was too dumb to be paying attention in 1992 — I missed the original jilting. It still drove me crazy to see you beat the Cubs. And then this fall, they finally got you.

And, Mr. Maddux, it’s time for you to come back. I want you in Chicago when the Cubs go all the way.

You’ll have to fight for a starting job with Juan Cruz, Kent Mercker, Ryan Dempster and maybe Sergio Mitre, but I’m pretty confident you can still get people out and, more importantly, win games. I could check, but I’m not familiar with any pitcher who’s been on the scene since 1988 and hasn’t had an ERA above 4.00 in any of those seasons.

Because of the competition I just mentioned, Dusty Baker can protect your health in preparation for a pennant charge and playoff run, just like he did with the ’03 Cubs. You don’t need to start every fifth day, although we’d take it. You don’t have to go past six innings, not with LaTroy Hawkins joining an underappreciated relief staff.

And if you’re still worried about grudge-holding Chicago fans — well, first of all, realize that we’d have loved Ty Cobb if he put on pinstripes and beat out a few bunts for us way back when.

And, secondly, all is forgiven around August when you record your 300th career win, wearing a Cubs uniform.

Hope to hear from you soon.