Chicago Cubs fans will always have something of a soft spot for manager Joe Maddon. He was at the helm in 2016 when the team won its first World Series in over a century and even if things didn’t end well in Chicago as he got fired after the 2019 season, he will forever be associated with that title. Still, some recent comments he made about his future in MLB reveal a sad reality.
In a conversation with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Maddon referred to himself as “semi-retired” and said the following about why he thinks he won’t be hired as a manager again: “I don’t think what I do and my skillset is sought after anymore…I’m not so desirable because I have strong opinions…I think today’s world they prefer somebody, for lack of a better word, more controllable.”
It’s an interesting point and he is probably right. Maddon made sure to say that he doesn’t feel bad for himself and that he’s very grateful for the run he had, he just feels that while at one point he was more what front offices were looking for in a manager, now he is not in step with what they want.
Of course, he did not mention the fact that his last stint as a big league manager didn’t exactly go that well. He was the skipper of the Los Angeles Angels and had losing seasons in both 2020 and 2021 and was let go following the team’s 27-29 start in 2022. Keep in mind, he had Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on those teams and yet he couldn’t even lead them to play winning baseball, so maybe that has more to do with why he is no longer a big league manager rather than him simply being out of step with modern MLB front offices.
Will Joe Maddon be elected to the Hall of Fame?
Maddon is going to be on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He may have a tough time being elected since he is on the ballot with two managers who should be unanimous choices in Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy. Still, the fact that he is under consideration at all speaks to the great career he had as a manager.
He led the Tampa Bay Rays to a World Series berth prior to his run with the Cubs so even though his career did not end on the highest note, he is better than the vast majority of big league managers. It’s a little sad that his career ended the way it did but at least he seems to be at peace with it.
Legendary Cubs Manager Joe Maddon Reveals Sad Reality About His Future