In the last few days, as his team navigated through a mysterious defeat streak that has yet to be released, Los Angeles Angeles general manager Perry Minasian felt the need for a change in manager. On Tuesday morning, when he went to the Angel Stadium to see his daughter receive an award for her second-class class, Minasian was convinced that it was time to let go of Joe Madden. He called Arte Moreno, the owner of Angels, took his blessing, then went to Madonna’s house to tell her he had been removed.
Thirty-two months ago, in October 2019, Madonna returned to the organization she had visited.
Now, on the 12-game losing streak that tarnished the Angels’ remarkable start, it’s fast, suddenly ending in fashion.
“It’s difficult,” Minashian told a news conference at Angel Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. “Disappointed. I love that guy. He’s someone I’ve been talking to all my life. Every day just conversations. Who he is, what he’s about. You guys were around him – bringing his energy, how consistent he is every day. It’s hard. It’s hard. But you have to be able to make a decision by taking the emotion out of things. I’ve taken the emotion out of it and taken a step back. “
Phil Nevin, a longtime corner infielder who joined the Angels coaching staff this year, will manage the midfield team and remain in that role at the end of the season, Minasian said. Mike Gallego will replace Nevin as the team’s third base coach.
The Angels, coming out on Monday night with Michael Read and the Boston Red Sox off, sat at 27-29 as they entered Tuesday despite a proud 27-17 record two weeks ago. According to research from the Elias Sports Bureau, the 12-game losing streak equaled the longest draw for a season in franchise history and the second-largest draw since 1900 by a team with more than .500. In that 12-game stretch, the Angels had a minus-43 run differential, .596 OPS and a 6.31 ERA.
“There has never been a stage in the game where we’ve been good,” said Minasian, whose team suffered another defeat to the Red Sox on Tuesday and pulled out 2½ games from the playoff spot despite the extended field. . “We’ve struggled on the pile, we’ve struggled on the plate, we’ve struggled defensively, we’ve struggled for besar running. One thing I can say is that this effort is very good. I believe in this group. Gone are the days, but we have 106 matches left, and I’m excited about 106 matches.
Madonna, 68, in his third season with the organization with which he had previously spent four decades as a player and coach, primarily in the minor leagues. Madden Mike Sciocia was the bench coach of the team that won the 2002 World Series, after which he ran a highly successful nine-year run with the low-budget Tampa Bay Rays, with which he won two of these three Managers of the Year awards. In 2016, he led the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series championship in over 100 years.
But it never clicked with Angels.
The team completed the Covid-19-Chhota 2020 season with a 26-34 record, losing the post-season in one year when 16 teams did so. The Angels enjoyed Shohai Ohtani’s historic two-way season in 2021, but the long absence of Mike Trout and Anthony Randon sent them into their sixth consecutive losing season. They started 2022 with a dominance of the first month and a half but they are in danger of losing the post season for the eighth season suddenly.
In an interview with The Athletic shortly after his shooting was announced, Madonna expressed surprise at the decision.
“You always rely on the people in charge to read the tea leaves properly. This time, they didn’t,” Madden told The Athletic, adding that he wanted to continue managing. “You can ask any player or coach. They really know. Perry was in a difficult position. I understand that. Let me tell you. I will really rely on the feelings of the coach and the coaches. Players.”
Madden went on to say that he believed Minasian had a good working relationship and that his relationship with his players and coaches “could not have been better.”
“Obviously, 12 [consecutive] defeats isn’t fun for anyone,” Madden told The Athletic. “But there are people who get it, they can easily see why. It’s not just a matter of pointing a finger at a certain person. We just need to get the kids back on track, win two, start Mojo again. “
Despite hiring Trout, the game’s best player for the last dozen years, the Angels have not won a post-season game. And the pressure to play in October has only increased as Ohtani has emerged as a pitching and hitting force. Trout is now in its 30s; Ohtani, 27, is in his second-to-last season before free agency. The Angels’ most recent winning season came in 2015, giving them the most active consecutive-defeat-season streak among major companies. Since then, their 40-man roster has slowed down due to a lack of quality pitching and poor room.
Minasian added Noah Cindergard and beefed up the back of the bullpen in the offseason. He hopes that these moves, along with the health of his best players, will make a difference. But the angels are suddenly in an all-familiar situation.
“We want to win,” Minashian said. “This group wants to win. This group is bound to win. They have the mindset to win. I think we have the talent to win. I don’t like the way we’ve been playing for the last two weeks. We’ve been playing for weeks. In April, in the first half of May, we played very well and we didn’t play the baseball brand we played in the beginning. And I don’t put it on. I thought a different mix, a different sound, would be good for the group. “
