The Los Angeles Angels pulled the trigger last season when they fired World Series-winning manager Joe Maddon. Maddon was the manager for the Halos from 2020 to June 2022 before getting fired, and interim head coach Phil Nevin took his place.
The firing came after the Halos were in the middle of a 12-game losing streak after a hot start by the club. A winning coach like Joe was supposed to get this team over the top, but he failed to do so after his questionable decisions, especially in his final months as manager.
Nonetheless, the 69-year-old still believes in his abilities and wants another shot at coaching whether he's the manager or not, he told senior MLB writer Jayson Stark.
“I’m observing very closely,” he said. “I’m watching the game and what’s going on. … I believe that my skill set works with any group, in any decade of the game of baseball, and I’m very happy about that. So if I get the opportunity, I’m absolutely going to be into it. But to this point, none … and I think the reason why is because I am a little bit outspoken about all this.”
His tenure didn't end well in Anaheim, but don't let that fool you. Maddon is a three-time manager of the year, he's led two different squads to a World Series appearance, and has a .532 win percentage as a manager. It just didn't work out with the Halos, and that was due to his disconnection between his players and the philosophical disconnection between the front office.
Maddon is a great baseball mind, and deserves another shot to be a coach in this league.
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