The Los Angeles Angels fired their manager Joe Maddon on Tuesday. The decision came in the midst of a disastrous losing streak that climbed to 12 games after the Angels were beaten 0-1 by the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
The LA team confirmed the news on social media and announced that third-base coach Phil Nevin would take over on an interim basis. Nevin joined the Angels organization ahead of the 2022 MLB season after a four-year stint with the New York Yankees.
The Angels entered the season red-hot and owned a 27-17 record at one point. However, they unraveled as the season progressed and now find themselves two games below .500. This puts the franchise in danger of extending its seven-season playoff drought.
Despite the team’s recent shortcomings, Maddon believes he should have been given a chance to turn things around.
“You always rely on people in charge to read the tea leaves properly. This time, they did not,” Maddon told The Athletic after the news became official. “You didn’t even have to ask me. You can ask any of the players or coaches. They’re the ones who really know.”
Joe Maddon has deep ties with the Angels. He played for the organization in the minors and then served as a coach with the franchise between 1994 and 2005. During this period, he had two stints as an interim manager. Maddon would go on to have a successful managerial career with the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs, winning a World Series with the latter.
Maddon returned to Los Angeles ahead of the 2020 MLB season. He posted a 130-148 managerial record since then, while the Angels finished fourth in AL West in the previous two seasons.
