[Athletic] Joe Maddon Sounds off on Analytics

[Angelsjunky]

https://theathletic.com/3568605/2022/09/06/joe-maddon-analytics-baseball/

While at first glance he sounds a bit bitter and "don't tell me what to do," reading his overall point, I kind of agree with him. There is a balance between "people stuff" and math. Spin rate is useful information, but a pitcher should also be paying attention to the feel of the ball (yes, as it comes out of the hand).

Don't let the nerds win.

[Inside Pitch]

Dude talks out both sides of his mouth.  The short version is..  I like stats, but on my terms.   Openly admitting he was at odds/argued with Friedman, Theo and now Misanian -- but yeah.  Everyone else is the problem.

Maddon: “I still love the information. I utilize the information. Information is good. It’s the imposition. I mean, it’s to the point now where actually, our general manager had an analytical guy dressing in the coaches’ room. I mean, that shouldn’t occur. That’s an imposition.”

But it’s an imposition Maddon has no interest in signing up for again. If he gets to run another team, “I want analytics,” he said. But he wants that data presented to the coaching staff so the staff can implement it. And that, he warned, is not how the game is trending.

Maybe the reason they had a guy dressing with you and another on your bench is because they saw you ignore defensive data for two years because reasons.

[BigVladdy]

 

58 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

There is a balance between "people stuff" and math.

Been saying this for lase several years. I like the info (Math) that we now have available but sometimes you just gotta go with the "eye test" and feel.

[BTH]

It’s pretty clear from this interview (and others) that Joe and Perry were not on the same page.

What’s odd to me, though, is that Perry was clearly very emotional and sad at the press conference discussing Maddon’s firing.

Was it an act? It doesn’t seem like you’d be that emotional in firing a guy who you were clearly in disagreement with.

[Angel Oracle]

I just want the FO and mgr/coaching staff to be on the same page again.

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, Trendon said:

It’s pretty clear from this interview (and others) that Joe and Perry were not on the same page.

What’s odd to me, though, is that Perry was clearly very emotional and sad at the press conference discussing Maddon’s firing.

Was it an act? It doesn’t seem like you’d be that emotional in firing a guy who you were clearly in disagreement with.

You can disagree and still like someone/be sad to see them go.  He could have been sad he wasn't able to make it work.   But if you're trying to build something and you have someone running interference the entire time -- I imagine that would get old no matter how much you like a guy.

A lot of this analytics stuff is about trusting the process.  Maddon says he believes in the stuff, but he has his own view of how the process goes.  I just doesn't seem like it was ever going to work between them.   I genuinely wonder if he didn't throw Eppler under the bus.

[Stradling]

5 minutes ago, Trendon said:

It’s pretty clear from this interview (and others) that Joe and Perry were not on the same page.

What’s odd to me, though, is that Perry was clearly very emotional and sad at the press conference discussing Maddon’s firing.

Was it an act? It doesn’t seem like you’d be that emotional in firing a guy who you were clearly in disagreement with.

You’ve never been at odds with someone that you liked or cared about?  It literally happens all the time in leadership. 

[Inside Pitch]

3 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

I just want the FO and mgr/coaching staff to be on the same page again.

The last time we saw that was during the Stoneman/Scioscia run and it went from rookie ball all the way up.

[Inside Pitch]

Just now, Stradling said:

You’ve never been at odds with someone that you liked or cared about?  It literally happens all the time in leadership. 

Yep, I've had to fire guys I liked.  it's never easy.

[Lou]

Just now, Inside Pitch said:

Yep, I've had to fire guys I liked.  it's never easy.

Not really.

[Lou]

Maddon went from a good coach to a caricature of himself to a bitter old man...

 

 

 

with a stupid mohawk. 

[m0nkey]

6 minutes ago, Lou said:

Madison went from a good coach to a caricature of himself to a bitter old man...

 

 

 

with a stupid mohawk. 

I thought Madison went from good pitcher and postseason hero to mediocre (at best) pitcher

[Stradling]

Maddon being upset that Montgomery was in the dugout is the funniest thing I have read.  Fuck off Joe!  I am glad you are bitter.  

I need to apologize again, because I used to say that Maddon was a more quotable Scioscia.  I am sorry I ever thought Maddon was in the same ballpark of manager as Scioscia.  

If there is one take away from Maddon’s time as manager here it should be that, he was not in fact, the brain trust behind the 2002 championship team.

[Lou]

2 minutes ago, m0nkey said:

I thought Madison went from good pitcher and postseason hero to mediocre (at best) pitcher

Be nice. I'm typing with one eye. 

[Taylor]

9 minutes ago, Lou said:

Madison went from a good coach to a caricature of himself to a bitter old man...

 

 

 

with a stupid mohawk. 

James Madison?

[Lou]

Just now, Taylor said:

James Madison?

Asked and answered.

[BTH]

What‘s funny about Maddon’s qualms here is that the Angels are probably towards the bottom of the league in terms of analytics usage, yet he still had qualms with it.

The only org I can think of that’s sort of anti-analytics would be the Rockies, who are just an inept organization starting at the top.

[BTH]

The transcription on The Athletic got messed up during parts of the interview.

If you listen to the interview, he was upset that Perry and Alex Tamin were in the clubhouse, and mentioned them both by name. He didn’t mention Montgomery by name.

[Inside Pitch]

9 minutes ago, Trendon said:

The transcription on The Athletic got messed up during parts of the interview.

If you listen to the interview, he was upset that Perry and Alex Tamin were in the clubhouse, and mentioned them both by name. He didn’t mention Montgomery by name.

Yes, apparently he never thought that maybe those guys wanted to see how he and his coaches were going about "implementing" the information they were giving him.  Guess they didn't like what they saw.

[cals]

You ladies sound like a bunch of bitter hens comforting a friend over wine after a breakup.  Again. 

[Stradling]

1 hour ago, cals said:

You ladies sound like a bunch of bitter hens comforting a friend over wine after a breakup.  Again. 

Says the guy defending the real bitter hen. 

[cals]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

Says the guy defending the real bitter hen. 

I'm defending the ex-boyfriend.

[ten ocho recon scout]

17 minutes ago, cals said:

I'm defending the ex-boyfriend.

You're still using Joe's Netflix password, aren't you.

[cals]

4 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

You're still using Joe's Netflix password, aren't you.

The password is “Chardonnay”

[Revad]

One thing that stood out to me on the podcast- Joe thinks players get too much information- players need nuggets not dissertations.