Inside the MLB Culture Wars That Led to Joe Maddon’s Firing

[Spirit_of_02]

Did Perry also call down to the dugout and tell Maddon to walk a run in with the bases loaded?

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, Spirit_of_02 said:

Did Perry also call down to the dugout and tell Maddon to walk a run in with the bases loaded?

Nah, that was Maddon implementing one of baseball's "sacred" rules.

The triple secret kind.

[Dtwncbad]

Honest question.  Would anyone really be surprised to find out Maddon’s glasses were clear lenses costume glasses?  You know, that guy at the party who is just starving to get attention as the intellectual?

The dude that keeps making little noises and faces tasting his wine basically begging someone to ask about his wine so he can give them a rehearsed analysis of it to look sophisticated?

[T.G.]

12 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

I really don’t care if he comes up with some “good points” in his defense now.  I was totally on board with dumping his “look at me I am special and everyone should love me and celebrate me” demeanor.

Even the Mohawk.  Jesus.  Another pathetic attempt to manage in a way where he gets the credit when the team turns it around.  The guy wanted the narrative to be that HE (Maddon Mohawk!) was the mastermind in manipulating the clubhouse culture to get things straightened out.

Good riddance Joe.  Congrats on wrecking your own Angel legacy by being a lazy entitled narcissist in your grand return to your original home team.

That's all true... still, I think Minasian calling into the dugout is out of the ordinary and I can see why that would PO any manager.  That doesn't make me like Joe more or regret him being fired... I just think people might lose sight of some of the things he is saying because they dislike him so much.

[Inside Pitch]

Just now, T.G. said:

That's all true... still, I think Minasian calling into the dugout is out of the ordinary and I can see why that would PO any manager.  That doesn't make me like Joe more or regret him being fired... I just think people might lose sight of some of the things he is saying because they dislike him so much.

Makes me wonder how often Maddon went against the front office's wishes that it got to where he felt the need to call down to the dugout.

[Lou]

On 9/6/2022 at 10:36 AM, Lou said:

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

 

 

 

with a stupid mohawk. 

 

[HeavenlyHalos]

6 minutes ago, Spirit_of_02 said:

Did Perry also call down to the dugout and tell Maddon to walk a run in with the bases loaded?

 

[UndertheHalo]

Maddon bad 

[Angel Oracle]

53 minutes ago, T.G. said:

I agree with Maddon on this one. 

I'm not a Maddon fan, but I still agree with his point of view on this.

On the call to the dugout, concur with you.    No communication should take place during the game.   That is the manager and coaches domain.

But, Maddon has to understand that the baseball world today is more FO driven.    I get that it’s hard to accept change.  But if it gets good results elsewhere, I’m all for it.

[T.G.]

3 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Makes me wonder how often Maddon went against the front office's wishes that it got to where he felt the need to call down to the dugout.

I would guess it happened often enough... and it probably contributed to him ultimately getting fired.  Firing him was the right move.

[T.G.]

I'll be surprised if Maddon ever manages a major league team again.

[failos]

1 hour ago, Trendon said:

Minasian made a quick comment about Maddon getting “a haircut.”

Lmao

[Dtwncbad]

9 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Makes me wonder how often Maddon went against the front office's wishes that it got to where he felt the need to call down to the dugout.

This.  The phone rang that day for a reason.  And I doubt it was the GM suddenly  deciding that day that’s it’s OK to act like a field manager from his suite.

[UndertheHalo]

It’s really something that Joe might have an idea that this exchange with Minasian makes him look ok.  Really exactly the opposite of what the angels needed.  thanks for the memories Joe !

[Inside Pitch]

16 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

It’s really something that Joe might have an idea that this exchange with Minasian makes him look ok.  Really exactly the opposite of what the angels needed.  thanks for the memories Joe !

That SI article is basically Joe Maddon being the good guy in every situation and closes by nearly naming him as the savior of baseball's soul.

Guess that happens when the ghostwriter of your book also writes the article.

[UndertheHalo]

2 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

That SI article is basically Joe Maddon being the good guy in every situation and closes by nearly naming him as the savior of baseball's soul.

Guess that happens when the ghostwriter of your book also writes the article.

Maddon bad imo 

[Dtwncbad]

1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

That SI article is basically Joe Maddon being the good guy in every situation and closes by nearly naming him as the savior of baseball's soul.

Guess that happens when the ghostwriter of your book also writes the article.

Maddon should really shut up.  When you lose your job, most people will look past your shortcomings and will actually take the high road in appreciating your contributions and genuinely wish you well.

But if you pick up the phone and start running your mouth blaming others, you refocus everyone back on to YOUR shortcomings, and you lose that polite consideration instantly.

Maddon is being a fool.

[BTH]

 

LOL

[Inside Pitch]

2 minutes ago, Trendon said:

 

LOL

Just saw that on the birdie app... LOL indeed.

[Angelsjunky]

This whole debate about "data vs art" or "old vs new school" shouldn't be framed as either/or. It isn't which is more important or should be paramount, but how to integrate the two.

That said, while I agree with Maddon that not everything needs to be data driven, that in many cases--like moment to moment management, clubhouse dynamics, etc--a human touch and intuition needs to be allowed for, I do question whether the situation was as sharply defined as he describes. There seems to be a lot of ego and even victimization there, and perhaps trying to rally support to be the "champion of the soul of baseball" vs. the evil "Big Data."

But again: Not data vs art, new vs old, but both. A successful team is one that learns how to integrate the two.

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Angelsjunky

[Blarg]

54 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

On the call to the dugout, concur with you.    No communication should take place during the game.   That is the manager and coaches domain.

But, Maddon has to understand that the baseball world today is more FO driven.    I get that it’s hard to accept change.  But if it gets good results elsewhere, I’m all for it.

Does any general. Manager wait until the day is over and call a meeting to talk over why the supervisor should put out the trashcan fire instead of just watch it take over the office? I'm thinking most yell at the idiot to grab the extinguisher and do something. 

Maddon earned his phone calls during the game. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

56 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Makes me wonder how often Maddon went against the front office's wishes that it got to where he felt the need to call down to the dugout.

Exactly. Put yourself in Perry's shoes. You don't want to be calling down to the dug out in the middle of the game. Joe is trying to paint him as a micromanager, but I think it's tough to get into Perry's position with that kind of management style.

Look at the reason he called down to the dug out, the Angels were up big in the 7th inning, Trout had complained about soreness before the game, and Maddon is leaving him in there because Mike had said it had died down. This is Perry protecting the franchise from Joe, not dictating a bunt, or a hit and run.

Let's also consider the context in which Joe is fired. Mike Trout was playing every day through the midst of a career worst slump, a slump brought on by a serious injury that required rest. There is something of a trend here.

[T.G.]

2 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Does any general. Manager wait until the day is over and call a meeting to talk over why the supervisor should put out the trashcan fire instead of just watch it take over the office? I'm thinking most yell at the idiot to grab the extinguisher and do something. 

Maddon earned his phone calls during the game. 

Leaving Trout in with a big lead is hardly a "trashcan fire."

[Dtwncbad]

This just in:

Joe Maddon is calling Barnes and Noble store managers to tell them how to sell his book.

[tdawg87]

24 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

Maddon bad imo 

Joe Baddon