Angels fire Joe Maddon amid 12-game losing streak

Joe Maddon’s tenure in Anaheim is over.

Amid a 12-game losing streak, the Angels announced Tuesday that they have fired their veteran manager. Assistant Phil Nevin will serve as the interim.

Just two weeks ago, the Angels were 27-17, atop the wild-card race and just a game out of first place in the AL West. They’re now out of the playoff field and 8.5 games behind the Astros. L.A. has been outscored 78-35 during their 12-game tailspin, blowing several late-inning leads in the process. Moreover, superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani have been unable to work out of long slumps.

Maddon was in his third season as Angels manager, having compiled a 130-148 record. It was the first losing stint for the three-time Manager of the Year, who had über-successful stops with the Cubs (471-339) and Rays (754-705). Prior to that, he was a long-time assistant with the Angels.

In 2016, the mercurial manager guided Chicago to its first World Series title in 108 years. The Cubs would reach two other National League Championship Series and earn four playoff berths in five seasons under Maddon. 

His work in Tampa Bay was even more impressive, as he built the small-market franchise into a perennial contender. Maddon’s Rays advanced to the 2008 World Series, won two AL East titles and made the playoffs four times in a six-year span. 

The 68-year-old got his start in professional baseball with the Angels franchise in 1975. After not cutting it as a catcher, he initially worked for the team as a scout and eventually as a coach at various levels until landing the Rays job in 2006. Maddon was former manager Mike Scioscia’s bench coach on the Angels’ 2002 World Series team.