MLB Team Fires Manager After 12-Game Losing Streak

By Brian Jones

Another MLB manager has been fired. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Angels relieved Joe Maddon of his duties as manager. The move comes amid a 12-game losing streak, and the team is now 27-29 on the year. On May 15, the Angles were 24-13 and have only won three of their last 19 games since. This also comes less than a week after the Philadelphia Phillies fired Joe Girardi as their manager. The Angels named Phil Nevin as their interim manager. 

Maddon, 68, was hired to be the Angels' manager in 2020. He previously was the manager of the Chicago Cubs (2015-2019) and led the team to a World Series championship in 2016. Maddon also was the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays (2006-2014) and led the team to a World Series appearance in 2008. Before joining the Angels as a manager in 2020, Maddon started his coaching career with the team in 1994. He was the interim manager twice (1996 and 1999) and was part of the World Series Championship team in 2002. 

Before the announcement, Maddon spoke to reporters about the team's struggles. "We've lost a lot of tough ones and it really makes no sense," Maddon said. "We got the right guys out there and the right time. And again, we gave it up late. We have to get that fixed. I loved the fight but we have to finish these games off, and that's a big part of the situation we're in right now."

For his career, Maddon won 1,382 regular-season games and 32 postseason games. However, his stint with the Angels was forgettable as he went 26-34 in 2020 and 77-85 in 2021. Since the Angels won the World Series in 2002, the team has reached the playoffs just six times and hasn't had a winning season since 2015. The Angels have two of the best players in baseball — Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Trout has won the AL MVP award three times, and Ohtani won the MVP award last year. 

Nevin, 51, joined the Angels last year after spending time on the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants coaching staffs. He was an MLB player from 1995 to 2006 and was named to the All-Star team in 2001 as a member of the San Diego Padres. 

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