OC Register: Former manager Joe Maddon repeats frustration in how Angels’ front office handled analytics

[Inside Pitch]

Just now, jsnpritchett said:

Nope.  Sorry, dude.

[Inside Pitch]

4 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Did anyone watch this?  If so, any highlights? Or lowlights?

 

Some of the responses to that tweet are comedy gold.

[BTH]

49 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Did anyone watch this?  If so, any highlights? Or lowlights?

 

Lowlight: he didn’t have the alleged mohawk he once had.

In all seriousness, I don’t know. I tuned into the game and unknowingly saw Joe Maddon on the screen, so then I turned the game back off.

[HanfordGuy]

15 minutes ago, Trendon said:

Lowlight: he didn’t have the alleged mohawk he once had.

 

[Just Sayin]

Right or wrong Maddon is entitled to his opinions.  He should be allowed to voice those opinions as well.   He is no longer employed by the organization.  Who cares what he says now?  He’s gone.

 

I would still say that in his career, overall, he was a successful manager.  
 

He won a World Series and took another team to a World Series. Not many managers can say they’ve done that. 
 

It didn’t work out with this particular team these last few years and subsequently he was fired.  But one cannot argue he did not succeed with other teams.
 

I like analytics.  I like people who know how to manage people, too.  Both have a place in the game.  I’m not looking to get into a pissing match over which is more important.  They’re both important.

But ......I am guessing there is a huge void between the analytics staff and the on-field coaches and players and manager.  And probably across the league.

Why? 

Well ....If I was an analytics guy and was presenting information to someone like Joe Maddon or Phil Nevin or anyone for that matter who has played the game professionally (which I can’t say I ever accomplished) I would present the information to them sans any chip on my shoulder....nor would I lay claim to or even pretend to being the smartest guy in the room. 
 

The information would be presented respectfully and as “suggestions” and not as “mandates” from on-high. 
 

Sure, I would be approaching the aforementioned with the full intention on SELLING them on doing everything that I am suggesting.  In fact, I would be looking to pull as many strings as I can regarding how the team is managed on the field that is humanly possible.  So......YES.....eventually I would be looking for a “buy-in” from Maddon or Nevin or whomever.

But given the fact that I’m just some guy carrying around a laptop and wearing a T-shirt and jeans and flip flops I would probably approach it with the idea of making a “buy-in” HIS idea....instead of MY IDEA.  It’s called a reverse-sale. 

It may take some time, but a little respect goes a long way.  When you’re selling, you sell YOURSELF first, THEN your product.  

Sadly, most people have that “bass-ackwards”

I am guessing it may not have been the information that Maddon was rejecting, but possibly the attitude of those presenting it to him.  Perhaps Maddon might have been thinking “WTF are you doing in my dugout?  I’m sorry but you do not belong in here”

A baseball diamond and a dugout are sacred grounds.  They need to be treated as such.  Analytics is based on history, although it is recent history.  

Since the inception of the game, fewer than 20,000 people have played in a major league game.  Approach those who have done so with caution.  They earned it.  It’s a small little club that the analytics folks will never be a part of.  It’s a lot easier to run some reports on a computer than it is to manage a ball club to a World Series title  ....or to be one of the fewer than 20,000 who have donned a uniform.  

Don’t kid yourselves, the players and coaching staff know this.  You can’t blame them for having an “us against them” mentality, if it exists.
 

The overall history of the game is just as important as the recent history, and simply acknowledging it all will probably serve the analytics team well when approaching sacred grounds and those who have earned the right to walk there. 
 

“damn Phil that still blows my mind you uncorked 41 bombs that one season!....whew! You were ON FIRE!!!”  now....ummm....if I may....wanna see some reports for tonight’s game?”
 

 

 

 

 

 

[jsnpritchett]

27 minutes ago, Just Sayin said:

Right or wrong Maddon is entitled to his opinions.  He should be allowed to voice those opinions as well.   He is no longer employed by the organization.  Who cares what he says now?  He’s gone.

 

I would still say that in his career, overall, he was a successful manager.  
 

He won a World Series and took another team to a World Series. Not many managers can say they’ve done that. 
 

It didn’t work out with this particular team these last few years and subsequently he was fired.  But one cannot argue he did not succeed with other teams.
 

I like analytics.  I like people who know how to manage people, too.  Both have a place in the game.  I’m not looking to get into a pissing match over which is more important.  They’re both important.

But ......I am guessing there is a huge void between the analytics staff and the on-field coaches and players and manager.  And probably across the league.

Why? 

Well ....If I was an analytics guy and was presenting information to someone like Joe Maddon or Phil Nevin or anyone for that matter who has played the game professionally (which I can’t say I ever accomplished) I would present the information to them sans any chip on my shoulder....nor would I lay claim to or even pretend to being the smartest guy in the room. 
 

The information would be presented respectfully and as “suggestions” and not as “mandates” from on-high. 
 

Sure, I would be approaching the aforementioned with the full intention on SELLING them on doing everything that I am suggesting.  In fact, I would be looking to pull as many strings as I can regarding how the team is managed on the field that is humanly possible.  So......YES.....eventually I would be looking for a “buy-in” from Maddon or Nevin or whomever.

But given the fact that I’m just some guy carrying around a laptop and wearing a T-shirt and jeans and flip flops I would probably approach it with the idea of making a “buy-in” HIS idea....instead of MY IDEA.  It’s called a reverse-sale. 

It may take some time, but a little respect goes a long way.  When you’re selling, you sell YOURSELF first, THEN your product.  

Sadly, most people have that “bass-ackwards”

I am guessing it may not have been the information that Maddon was rejecting, but possibly the attitude of those presenting it to him.  Perhaps Maddon might have been thinking “WTF are you doing in my dugout?  I’m sorry but you do not belong in here”

A baseball diamond and a dugout are sacred grounds.  They need to be treated as such.  Analytics is based on history, although it is recent history.  

Since the inception of the game, fewer than 20,000 people have played in a major league game.  Approach those who have done so with caution.  They earned it.  It’s a small little club that the analytics folks will never be a part of.  It’s a lot easier to run some reports on a computer than it is to manage a ball club to a World Series title  ....or to be one of the fewer than 20,000 who have donned a uniform.  

Don’t kid yourselves, the players and coaching staff know this.  You can’t blame them for having an “us against them” mentality, if it exists.
 

The overall history of the game is just as important as the recent history, and simply acknowledging it all will probably serve the analytics team well when approaching sacred grounds and those who have earned the right to walk there. 
 

“damn Phil that still blows my mind you uncorked 41 bombs that one season!....whew! You were ON FIRE!!!”  now....ummm....if I may....wanna see some reports for tonight’s game?”
 

 

 

 

 

 

[T.G.]

On 9/6/2022 at 5:29 PM, Angel Oracle said:

Arte Moreno and his big splashes 

Is there a support group to help him with that addiction?

Speaking of addictions and the need for a support group... Umm... well... you know.