More than a calendar year has passed since the Los Angeles Angels were in the midst of their franchise-record losing streak, but they are now in a position to contend under manager Phil Nevin.
The firing of Joe Maddon on June 7 of last season allowed Nevin to take over as interim manager for the remainder of the year. In that time, they endured a difficult time, struggling to find an identity, but the front office bought into what Nevin had to offer.
With his wealth of big league experience and the respect he had earned amongst players, the Angels brought him back for the 2023 season. Adding a few position coaches of his own, the team sits at 33-30 heading into play on June 8.
Expectations are and will remain sky-high, but there isn’t a place Nevin would rather be than with the Angels, via Doug Padilla of the O.C. Register:
“How do I feel? I feel the same,” Nevin said. “I love what I do. I’m in a great place, I’m home. I work with some great people. If you can call it a dream job, it is. I love what I do. It would be nice to win more games, of course, and I think we are on that track.”
Players have continued their support for his style of management, and his fiery attitude to stick up for his guys is one quality they’ll continue to appreciate.
Nevin might be right, and their current three-game win streak is a positive sign. They aren’t winning in spectacular fashion, but battling their way to come-from-behind wins is one place to start.
Angels record under manager Phil Nevin
With over 1,000 games managed at the Minor League level, Nevin logged a 518-564 record in his time with the Orange County Flyers, Erie SeaWolves, Toledo Mud Hens and Reno Aces.
At this point in his MLB managerial career, Nevin holds a 79-90 record as the Angels manager.
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