For our 2nd MLB managerial firing of the week, we look to the California Angeles… or Anaheim Mighty Angels… or Los Angeles Angels of Orange County… Whatever they’re calling themselves nowadays, one thing is certain: Joe Maddon is no longer their manager.
Wow. I didn’t realize the Angels were on some huge losing streak. I do remember them starting pretty quickly out of the gates this year; all that has been erased through the string of losses that eventually cost Maddon his job. Ouch. What the heck happened?
Did they consult with Trout and Ohtani before pulling the trigger? Should they have? I don’t know, even before Joe got there, I always wondered why a team with Mike Trout on there didn’t do better. And now they have the best thing since Babe Ruth with Shohei… and still not that good. Well, they started the year off 27-17 before the streak began; that’s more like it, right? At that point in the season, Joe had to be feeling pretty good; I guess everybody is one doozy of a losing streak away from getting canned…
Like the first Joe, this Joe will be OK too; not worried about what comes next for him. He’ll figure something out. I see these managers fired, and I think how I would prefer either of them over David Ross; nothing personal Rossy, it just is what it is. They’re on a different level… a level that the Cubs are not competing on to be honest, so if the shoe fits… I guess this is why the Cubs chose Ross? I guess he is the perfect manager for THIS Cubs team…
But yeah, seeing Maddon in the news brings me back. I loved Joe, I really did. I didn’t agree with everything he did, but not sure I could say that about any person, let alone any manager of my baseball team ever. Because of how 2016 turned out, I will always love Joe; I think how close it was to being the other way. They say it’s a thin line between love and hate; Game 7 could have been the line that Joe crossed that he would have never recovered from. I know if the Cubs blew Game 7, I would have hated him… forever. But they didn’t… thank God they didn’t. Like I’ve said before, for all the dumb moves he made that game, the overall culture that he built on that squad helped get us to that point AND helped us get through that crazy shit that was Game 7. Does J-Hey say his famous speech had Joe not been the manager the last couple years, and built that type of locker room? Would the team have picked themselves off the floor and responded? Not sure it would have happened… So Joe walked that line, and ended up on the right side; I can’t tell you how happy that made me, and makes me even today.
So now Phil Nevin takes the reigns; how will that turn out? A spark is to be expected, but long term… is he better than Joe? Is Rob Thomson better than Joe Girardi? I think the answer is no in both cases, but hey… if you need a new voice and the roster is underperforming, fire the manager, and take your chances… Good luck with that.
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