When Joe Maddon came to the Rays as manager, and left the Angels, he came and brought a similar philosophy as Gene Mauch. Mauch believed in "little ball" which was using the bunting game, defense and pitching to win games, and didn't rely on heavily on offense. While for the most part, this is a winning style, Maddon's constant excessive use of changing pitchers, and using alternate lineups, and creating match ups brought back memories of Mauch and his habits of letting match ups rule his methods, instead of being open to common sense and a "feel for the game". Today's game has changed dramatically from the Mauch days, and the Saber metrics, and other methods have now been used more than ever. While I agree with alot of the new baseball ideas, I still feel there is a need for baseball instincts, common sense and a feel for the game. Saber metrics can't truly graph a player's emotions, how he is feeling on any given day, how the weather effects certain game decisions or certain players, and several other factors, and all in all, even when the math tells you a decision is wrong, sometimes a manager just has an instinct that he know it's the right time to go against the charts and make a "gut" decision. I know that is hard for the younger generation to understand, and loyalists to the Saber metric ideas will disagree, and I can understand that, as the majority of them haven't experienced how the game of baseball used to be, only how it is today. Managers like Maddon, that have been around, understand the concepts from both sides of the equation, and should be able to manage accordingly.
I originally disliked Maddon's methods of using the alternate lineups, and the multiple pitching changes just to match up certain players vs. pitchers, but over time have come to realize that Maddon is using the new ideas and implementing the new style of baseball more often than not, and it tends to work out more often than not, even if I didn't agree with his methods. I still can't believe he used Kelly Shoppach in game 5 of the playoffs last year, regardless of the Saber metric numbers, when Shoppach had been brutal all season as a hitter and catcher, and this was the deciding game to advance to the next playoff found. This type of decision reminded me more of Gene Mauch and his stubborn methods than most things Maddon has done up to this point. I still cringe when Maddon uses Andy Sonnanstine, and somehow tries to sell us on the fact that this is a good idea, when we all know there is no way to justify that Sonnanstine should be a starting pitcher for the Rays at any time with the staff they have, and the arms the Rays have in the minor leagues. I have learned however, that there are other factors that perhaps keep the younger arms in the minor leagues instead of spot starting or getting a chance to debut for a couple of weeks. I still don't like the fact the Jeremy Hellickson didn't get a chance to start in a playoff game, when he was a better option last year than 3 other pitchers the Rays had on the roster at the time. I didn't like Maddon pulling David Price with 1 out to go and nobody on base the other night, and fortunately it worked out, but it still seems to me that the extra 4 or 5 pitches that Price may have thrown, can't possibly hurt his arm, unless he was to do that every game. Apparently the Saber metric numbers say differently, so we have to accept it, even when we don't like it.
All in all, the Joe MaddonMaddon, as at least some of the credit goes to Johnny Damon for his players meeting, and the majority of the credit goes to the players for never giving up and continuing to play well. Maddon has kept many of the Mauch traditions that I despise alive and well, but he also has been more flexible and has adapted to situations more often than Mauch did. The Rays don't use "small ball" as often as they used to even when they should, and their strategy of taking pitches that led to a dismal offense showing last year and this year early in the season, has seemingly changed enough to where we don't get that hopeless feeling anymore about the Rays offense. I have to give Maddon some credit for making necessary changes, and credit to the players for performing well as of late. I can only hope Maddon doesn't turn out to b a reincarnation of Gene Mauch, a man who never went to a World Series as a manager. At least Maddon has already surpassed Mauch in that category, and has made the World Series as a manager. Let's hope he can be a manager that can help the Rays win a World Series. Either way, I'm a Rays fan and will root for Maddon, even when he does his best Gene Mauch impression, as I want what all Rays fans want. Simply to be a fan of a Rays team that wins the World Series.
Gene Mauch Wikipedia Page
