Los Angeles Angels make needed change in firing Joe Maddon

It had been the best of times and the worst of times for the Los Angeles Angels. They were ten games over .500 and atop the AL West just two weeks ago. Then, entering action on Wednesday, the Angels found themselves with a 12 game losing streak and had fallen completely out of the playoff picture. One had to wonder how much longer the Angels would continue to maintain the status quo or if a change would be made.

That change has finally come. The Angels have fired manager Joe Maddon, with Phil Nevin taking his place on an interim basis.

Joe Maddon a mistake from the beginning for Los Angeles Angels

Maddon was not even the manager that the front office wanted when he was hired. Former general manager Billy Eppler wanted to hire Buck Showalter for the job, only to be overruled by owner Arte Moreno. As the tandem of Eppler and Showalter are now part of the NL East leading Mets, it is fair to wonder what could have been.

Maddon, meanwhile, was not the answer for the Angels. He was brought in with a great deal of fanfare, the man who guided the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years. As he had made the Rays a perennial contender, and earned that title in Chicago, he was expected to end the Angels’ own postseason drought.

That was not even close to being the case. He departs Los Angeles with a 130-148 record since the beginning of 2020 with a pair of fourth place finishes on his ledger. His time with the Angels was an abject disappointment and a reminder that Moreno should let the baseball people actually do their jobs instead of interfering.

The Los Angeles Angels have pulled the plug on Joe Maddon. It is a move no one would have expected just two weeks ago.