Joe Maddon
Tampa Bay Rays – No. 70
Manager
Bats: Unknown Throws: Unknown
debut
1996, for the California Angels
Career statistics
Games544
Win-Loss record260-291
Winning %.472
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball since November 15, 2005. He in the past served as interim manager of the Anaheim Angels in both 1996 and 1999, and was a long-time bench coach for the team.

Early life and career

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Maddon attended Lafayette College, where he played baseball and football. He is a member of Zeta Psi fraternity, and graduated in 1976.

He is a former minor league catcher, who never was promoted higher than A ball, which he played for four seasons. In his four seasons, he never had more than 180 at bats, and the most home runs he ever hit was three for Salinas in 1977.[1]

He served in the Angels organization for 31 years.

Managerial career

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He managed each of the six years from 1981-86 in the minor leagues, but managed his team to a losing record each season.

Maddon was considered a leading candidate for the Boston Red Sox manager job in 2004, which went to Terry Francona. His signature thick-rimmed glasses have led to giveaways featuring fake pairs, and tributes from Angels players wearing the glasses when playing against the Rays. Sportswriter Peter King once said that Maddon has an uncanny resemblance to 1930s-1960s movie star Spencer Tracy.

In 2008, Maddon led the Tampa Bay Rays to their first playoff win and first World Series appearance, in which Tampa Bay held home-field advantage against the Philadelphia Phillies. It completed a full-circle turnaround for the Rays, who had the worst record in Major League Baseball in 2007. Because of this, on November 12 of that year, he was given the American League Manager of the Year Award.[2]

The manager became engaged to his girlfriend of four years, law school graduate Jaye Sousoures, in June 2007 in Boulder, Colorado, on a side trip during a Rays road trip to the Colorado Rockies. He married her in November 2008. He has two children with his first wife: a daughter, Sarah; and a son, Joey. He also has a grandson, Tyler; and granddaughter, Coral Ray.

Maddon volunteered his time on December 30, 2008 for a fundraiser to support the "Castle" auditorium renovations.

On May 25, 2009, the Tampa Bay Rays and Maddon agreed to a contract extension that would keep him manager of the Rays through 2012. He had been in the final year of his first contract he signed when he first became manager of the team. The Rays stated that there was "never a question" on whether to keep Maddon or not after the end of the 2009 season. Maddon was quoted as saying, "This is where I belong. This is where I want to be. I really have to use the word love when I talk about this organization."[3]

On July 14, 2009 Maddon managed the American League All-Star team to a 4-3 victory.

References

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  1. Boston.com / Sports / Baseball / Red Sox
  2. Joe Smith (2008-11-12). "Tampa Bay Rays' Maddon named AL manager of the year". Tampabay.com. Retrieved 2008-11-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon's new three-year deal official: "This is where I belong"
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Sporting positions
Preceded by
Reuben Rodriguez
Idaho Falls Angels Manager
1981
Succeeded by
last manager
Preceded by
first manager
Salem Angels Manager
1982-1983
Succeeded by
Larry Patterson
Preceded by
Vern Hoscheit (Yankees affiliate)
Peoria Chiefs Manager
1984
Succeeded by
Pete Mackanin (Cubs affiliate)
Preceded by
first manager
Midland Angels Manager
1985-1986
Succeeded by
Max Oliveras
Preceded by
John Wathan
Anaheim Angels Bench Coach
1994-2005
Succeeded by
Ron Roenicke
Preceded by
John McNamara
California Angels Manager (Interim)
1996
Succeeded by
John McNamara
Preceded by
Terry Collins
Anaheim Angels Manager
1999
Succeeded by
Mike Scioscia
Preceded by
Lou Piniella
Tampa Bay Rays Manager
2006—present
Succeeded by
Incumbent


Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Major League Baseball bench coaches Category:Major League Baseball managers Category:California Angels coaches Category:California Angels managers Category:Anaheim Angels coaches Category:Anaheim Angels managers Category:Tampa Bay Rays managers Category:Lafayette Leopards football players Category:People from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania