Joe Maddon says baseball now prefers control over experience
The former manager of the Cubs and Rays believes front offices now value controllable assets over veteran intuition, a shift that left him without a job after 2022.
By Ariana Flores ·
Joe Maddon, 72, has not managed in Major League Baseball since the Los Angeles Angels fired him 56 games into the 2022 season. The former skipper of the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs attributes his departure from the dugout to a fundamental change in how teams hire and operate. He argues that front offices no longer seek the autonomy and intuition that defined his career.
Maddon built his reputation on managing the human element rather than relying solely on data. He guided the Rays to their first division title and World Series appearance at age 54. He later helped the Cubs win the 2016 World Series at age 62. By age 65, his relationship with the Cubs front office had fractured over philosophical differences. At 68, he was dismissed by the Angels. No other team has offered him a managerial role since.
In a recent interview, Maddon stated that the modern hiring process favors assets that can be molded into a specific image. "What everybody's looking for is a more controllable asset that they can then nurture in their own image and likeness," he said. He noted that when managers cite experience, intuition, and feel as their strengths, executives often view those concepts as foreign languages.
Maddon remains active in the baseball community through media work. He appears frequently on MLB Network and hosts the Book of Joe podcast with writer Tom Verducci. He also takes on corporate speaking engagements. He lives in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, where he plays golf with childhood friends and maintains a routine that includes morning meditation.
The former manager is also involved in local charity. For 20 years, he has hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for homeless individuals. He started this tradition in Tampa and expanded it to Hazleton and Chicago. On Saturday, he will serve Italian and Polish food at the Care For Friends facility in Lincoln Park. He hopes the event brings dignity to people who have faced difficult circumstances.
Maddon cites Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy as a contemporary example of an experienced leader who still impacts his team. Murphy, 67, won a World Series last year. Maddon believes Murphy succeeds because the organization values his ability to slow down moments and draw on decades of knowledge. "That team does not win it with anybody else managing them," Maddon said.
Later this month, Maddon and his wife Jaye will travel to Florida for the winter. They will stay at an RV resort near the St. Petersburg Country Club, where they are members. Maddon said he still defends his past decisions, such as intentionally walking a hitter with the bases loaded for the Angels, because he believed human factors mattered more than mathematical probabilities.
