The Los Angeles Angels made the decision to part ways with Joe Maddon amid the Angels' woeful stretch of games that has seen them lose 12 in a row. Maddon, who was in the final year of his contract, was let go just 56 games into the 2022 MLB season. Speaking with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Maddon revealed he was not expecting to be fired by the club and that the move came as somewhat of a shock to him.
When Rosenthal asked if the Angels' decision was a surprise, Maddon said:
“A little bit. Actually, a lot. You always rely on people in charge to read the tea leaves properly. This time, they did not. You didn’t even have to ask me. You can ask any of the players or coaches. They’re the ones who really know.”
Despite the move coming as a surprise to the 68-year-old, Maddon described the firing by the Angels as being “liberating” and suggested that baseball was “too controlled by front offices.”
The Angels had gotten off to a hot start in 2022 but hit a wall towards the end of May. After starting the year 27-17, the Angels have yet to record a win throughout the month of June and have dropped each of their past 12 games. They now find themselves in second in the AL West, 8.5 games behind the Astros, having squandered a great chance to build a strong lead in the division.
During the Angels' losing streak, Mike Trout has endured one of the worst slumps of his MLB career, which certainly didn't help in Maddon's efforts to turn things around. With the whole team failing to live up to expectations, the Angels made the tough decision to part ways with Maddon, who was in the final season of his three-year contract.
While Maddon didn't express any hard feelings towards the organization, he did indicate that he wasn't expecting to be let go by the franchise, at least not yet. It remains to be seen what's next for Maddon, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him coaching again before long.
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