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The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life
Lessons in baseball enlightenment from three-time MLB Manager of the Year Joe Maddon.
No one sees baseball like Joe Maddon. He sees it through his trademark glasses and irrepressible wit. Raised in the “shot and beer” town of Hazleton, PA, and forged by 15 years in the minors, Maddon over 19 seasons in Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Anaheim has become one of the most successful, most colorful, and most quoted managers in Major League Baseball. He is a workplace culture expert, having engineered two of the most stunning turnarounds in the past quarter taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball one year to the World Series the next and leading the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years.
Like his teams, Maddon defies convention. He is part strategist, part philosopher, part sports psychologist, and part motivational coach. In THE BOOK OF JOE, Maddon gives readers unique insights into the game, including the tension between art and data, the changing role of managers as front offices gain power, why the honeymoon with the Cubs did not last, and what it’s like to manage the modern player, including stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Yu Darvish, and Kris Bryant.
But you expect even more from a manager who meditates daily, admires Twain, and has only one rule when it comes to a team dress “If you think you look hot, wear it!” And Maddon delivers. Built on-old school values and new-school methods, his wisdom applies beyond the dugout. His mantras about leadership, mentorship, team building, and communication are meditations on life, not just baseball. Among those mantras
“Do simple better.”
“Try not to suck.”
“Don’t ever permit the pressure to exceed the
pleasure.”
“See it with first-time eyes.”
“Tell me what you think, not what you’ve heard.”
THE BOOK OF JOE is Maddon at his uniquely holistic best. It is a memoir of a fascinating baseball journey, an insider’s look at a changing game, and a guidebook on leadership and life.
No one sees baseball like Joe Maddon. He sees it through his trademark glasses and irrepressible wit. Raised in the “shot and beer” town of Hazleton, PA, and forged by 15 years in the minors, Maddon over 19 seasons in Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Anaheim has become one of the most successful, most colorful, and most quoted managers in Major League Baseball. He is a workplace culture expert, having engineered two of the most stunning turnarounds in the past quarter taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball one year to the World Series the next and leading the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years.
Like his teams, Maddon defies convention. He is part strategist, part philosopher, part sports psychologist, and part motivational coach. In THE BOOK OF JOE, Maddon gives readers unique insights into the game, including the tension between art and data, the changing role of managers as front offices gain power, why the honeymoon with the Cubs did not last, and what it’s like to manage the modern player, including stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Yu Darvish, and Kris Bryant.
But you expect even more from a manager who meditates daily, admires Twain, and has only one rule when it comes to a team dress “If you think you look hot, wear it!” And Maddon delivers. Built on-old school values and new-school methods, his wisdom applies beyond the dugout. His mantras about leadership, mentorship, team building, and communication are meditations on life, not just baseball. Among those mantras
“Do simple better.”
“Try not to suck.”
“Don’t ever permit the pressure to exceed the
pleasure.”
“See it with first-time eyes.”
“Tell me what you think, not what you’ve heard.”
THE BOOK OF JOE is Maddon at his uniquely holistic best. It is a memoir of a fascinating baseball journey, an insider’s look at a changing game, and a guidebook on leadership and life.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 11, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 9, 2023
"The process is fearless. If you’re really focusing on outcome and just winning, then you can become fearful. But if you just focus on the process, the process is fearless."
I’m a Phillies fan. Was born and raised right in the heart of Phillies country. If there’s one thing we’re passionate about it’s sports. Baseball is my absolute favorite.
Even though I’m a diehard Phillies fan, I know a fantastic coach when I see one. Joe Maddon is one of the best, so this book was a must-read.
Maddon is one of those coaches that can make a dying team perk up again. Make a team with the worst record in years go to the WS the next year. He brought a team who hasn't won a WS title in over a hundred years to the WS and snagged the title. All of this is just the icing on the cake on who Maddon is as a person and as a leader. He's a take-no-shit and no-nonsense kind of guy all while making his team feel like they matter and there is always room for improvement.
This book is chocked full of snippets from his career and his personal life all while throwing nuggets of truth in. He lays down great words of wisdom that make us all believe that we can achieve anything. Maddon is just a great guy and it shines through in this book.
I’m a Phillies fan. Was born and raised right in the heart of Phillies country. If there’s one thing we’re passionate about it’s sports. Baseball is my absolute favorite.
Even though I’m a diehard Phillies fan, I know a fantastic coach when I see one. Joe Maddon is one of the best, so this book was a must-read.
Maddon is one of those coaches that can make a dying team perk up again. Make a team with the worst record in years go to the WS the next year. He brought a team who hasn't won a WS title in over a hundred years to the WS and snagged the title. All of this is just the icing on the cake on who Maddon is as a person and as a leader. He's a take-no-shit and no-nonsense kind of guy all while making his team feel like they matter and there is always room for improvement.
This book is chocked full of snippets from his career and his personal life all while throwing nuggets of truth in. He lays down great words of wisdom that make us all believe that we can achieve anything. Maddon is just a great guy and it shines through in this book.
December 24, 2022
This book fits perfectly with its subject, Joe Maddon, because it’s hard to classify what type of book this is, just as it is difficult to classify what type of baseball manager Maddon is. He spent 19 years as a major league coach or manager of the Los Angeles Angels (a coach from 2002-2005, then as manager from 2019-2022), Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs. It was with the latter two teams where he made his mark on the game, first by taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball in 2007 to the American League pennant in 2008, then ending the Cubs’ 108-year championship drought by bringing a World Series championship to Wrigley Field in 2016.
The reason it is hard to classify this book is that it doesn’t have a nice even flow – at times it reads like a memoir, especially when he is talking about his days as a minor league scout and manager. Other times, he sounds like a philosopher when he is talking to his players, especially when he or the player comes up with a phrase or slogan that is used for motivation. A great example is in the subtitle of this book – “Try not to suck.” Then still other times this reads like a baseball history book when explaining the various eras of managerial styles, from dictatorships to being “yes” men to front office personnel making decision by analytics.
The book does illustrate Maddon as a complex person, whether talking about his managerial style, his road to get to the major leagues or even when trying to fit him into one of these categories. He speaks out frequently against having too much data inside one’s head, whether that is his own head when making game decisions or giving too much to a player that may cause him to overthink and lose sight of what he actually needs to do on the field. But before saying that Maddon is an “old-school” type of manager, there are passages that talk about his embracing of data, including carrying clunky computers while traveling before the use of this type of data was common in baseball.
This isn’t to say that the book doesn’t have its positive qualities. Many of the stories Maddon shares are funny and entertaining and it’s clear that while he may have some “old school” thoughts, he certainly is aware of today’s game and players. Verducci is a well-respected baseball journalist and it is clear that he contributed to the history portions. This included portraits of past owners and managers such as Gene Mauch and Billy Martin. They are all interesting and good reads – but thrown together in the manner that they are done so in this book just makes it one that doesn’t seem to be complete. When finished, I felt that something was missing and that I couldn’t get exactly what message was being sent to me, the reader. But if one is a fan of Maddon or likes to just read about baseball, this book is for that person.
I wish to thank Twelve Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
The reason it is hard to classify this book is that it doesn’t have a nice even flow – at times it reads like a memoir, especially when he is talking about his days as a minor league scout and manager. Other times, he sounds like a philosopher when he is talking to his players, especially when he or the player comes up with a phrase or slogan that is used for motivation. A great example is in the subtitle of this book – “Try not to suck.” Then still other times this reads like a baseball history book when explaining the various eras of managerial styles, from dictatorships to being “yes” men to front office personnel making decision by analytics.
The book does illustrate Maddon as a complex person, whether talking about his managerial style, his road to get to the major leagues or even when trying to fit him into one of these categories. He speaks out frequently against having too much data inside one’s head, whether that is his own head when making game decisions or giving too much to a player that may cause him to overthink and lose sight of what he actually needs to do on the field. But before saying that Maddon is an “old-school” type of manager, there are passages that talk about his embracing of data, including carrying clunky computers while traveling before the use of this type of data was common in baseball.
This isn’t to say that the book doesn’t have its positive qualities. Many of the stories Maddon shares are funny and entertaining and it’s clear that while he may have some “old school” thoughts, he certainly is aware of today’s game and players. Verducci is a well-respected baseball journalist and it is clear that he contributed to the history portions. This included portraits of past owners and managers such as Gene Mauch and Billy Martin. They are all interesting and good reads – but thrown together in the manner that they are done so in this book just makes it one that doesn’t seem to be complete. When finished, I felt that something was missing and that I couldn’t get exactly what message was being sent to me, the reader. But if one is a fan of Maddon or likes to just read about baseball, this book is for that person.
I wish to thank Twelve Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
October 16, 2022
This review is based on an advance reading copy (ARC) that I bought from an online bookstore.
As a previous reviewer on Goodreads noted, the ARC is missing a chapter. The chapter's heading is "Know We Are Not Perfect but Can Be Present." Instead of the chapter's text, we see in italics: "This chapter discusses Joe Maddon's last season with the Chicago Cubs and the reasons he parted ways with the organization." I've got to read that chapter, especially to see what Joe has to say about Theo Epstein.
The book is really good, although it does get rather repetitive on some issues. Joe seems to have dozens of slogans. They pop up all over the book. And over, and over. Might have been a better book with maybe twenty or thirty pages edited out. (That said, people who can't get enough of baseball might eat it up. Maybe I'm just a bit cranky at the moment.)
Maddon's views on analytics and front offices are quite interesting. He loves the data, but seems to hate the interference that sometimes comes from the front office. A good manager, he argues, can use the data to make good decisions -- but the data are not the be all and end all. When it comes to making game time decisions, Joe thinks, the skipper who lives and breathes baseball -- and knows the current state of every player -- is in a better spot than an analyst with a computer.
Joe's co-writer and biographer, Tom Verducci, is an accomplished writer, and clearly loves the game. The books jumps around in time and place, but that's a stylistic choice that makes sense here.
However, it seems to me that sometimes Mr. Verducci gets a carried away with asides that arguably don't fit cleanly in a book about Joe Maddon. Yes, maybe an error by the U.S. Navy that led to the shooting down of an Iranian civilian jetliner during the Iran-Iraq war in 1988 has some lessons to teach about managing imperfect information. Or maybe it has very little to do with baseball. (And is the downed plane anything that Joe talked about? ) Some of the asides in this book (attempts to find analogies outside baseball on how one ought to manage data in the game) seem kind of forced. (That said, Mr. Verducci may be onto something as far as how modern MLB games are -- and maybe ought to be -- managed. He could have the start of a book about "decision-making in modern baseball" or something like that.)
The book contains a number of digressions into baseball history, some of it perhaps of marginal relevance to the story of Joe Maddon. Interesting stuff in any event. But since Verducci started to talk about the shift -- and since that is a very current issue -- it would have been nice if he'd gone a little deeper here. The shift goes back at least to 1946, when Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau debuted it against left handed pull hitter Ted Williams. The book starts discussion of the shift by observing that a shift ordered by Gean Mauch in 1987 "caused a stir." That's kind of phoning it in. What happened between 1946 and 1987?
These are relatively minor picks about a book that has a lot to offer a baseball fan, and especially a fan of the Cubs. It's not great, but it's very good. (I might change the rating to a 5. Perhaps 4.53, rounded up?)
One of the best aspects of the book is the perspective it offers on Joe's career. The guy really paid his dues, for years and years, in the minors. He didn't get the big money until not that long ago. Well deserved. And, in light of the last few years' actions by the Cubs' front office (starting with the dismal yield received in the Darvish trade), go White Sox.
As a previous reviewer on Goodreads noted, the ARC is missing a chapter. The chapter's heading is "Know We Are Not Perfect but Can Be Present." Instead of the chapter's text, we see in italics: "This chapter discusses Joe Maddon's last season with the Chicago Cubs and the reasons he parted ways with the organization." I've got to read that chapter, especially to see what Joe has to say about Theo Epstein.
The book is really good, although it does get rather repetitive on some issues. Joe seems to have dozens of slogans. They pop up all over the book. And over, and over. Might have been a better book with maybe twenty or thirty pages edited out. (That said, people who can't get enough of baseball might eat it up. Maybe I'm just a bit cranky at the moment.)
Maddon's views on analytics and front offices are quite interesting. He loves the data, but seems to hate the interference that sometimes comes from the front office. A good manager, he argues, can use the data to make good decisions -- but the data are not the be all and end all. When it comes to making game time decisions, Joe thinks, the skipper who lives and breathes baseball -- and knows the current state of every player -- is in a better spot than an analyst with a computer.
Joe's co-writer and biographer, Tom Verducci, is an accomplished writer, and clearly loves the game. The books jumps around in time and place, but that's a stylistic choice that makes sense here.
However, it seems to me that sometimes Mr. Verducci gets a carried away with asides that arguably don't fit cleanly in a book about Joe Maddon. Yes, maybe an error by the U.S. Navy that led to the shooting down of an Iranian civilian jetliner during the Iran-Iraq war in 1988 has some lessons to teach about managing imperfect information. Or maybe it has very little to do with baseball. (And is the downed plane anything that Joe talked about? ) Some of the asides in this book (attempts to find analogies outside baseball on how one ought to manage data in the game) seem kind of forced. (That said, Mr. Verducci may be onto something as far as how modern MLB games are -- and maybe ought to be -- managed. He could have the start of a book about "decision-making in modern baseball" or something like that.)
The book contains a number of digressions into baseball history, some of it perhaps of marginal relevance to the story of Joe Maddon. Interesting stuff in any event. But since Verducci started to talk about the shift -- and since that is a very current issue -- it would have been nice if he'd gone a little deeper here. The shift goes back at least to 1946, when Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau debuted it against left handed pull hitter Ted Williams. The book starts discussion of the shift by observing that a shift ordered by Gean Mauch in 1987 "caused a stir." That's kind of phoning it in. What happened between 1946 and 1987?
These are relatively minor picks about a book that has a lot to offer a baseball fan, and especially a fan of the Cubs. It's not great, but it's very good. (I might change the rating to a 5. Perhaps 4.53, rounded up?)
One of the best aspects of the book is the perspective it offers on Joe's career. The guy really paid his dues, for years and years, in the minors. He didn't get the big money until not that long ago. Well deserved. And, in light of the last few years' actions by the Cubs' front office (starting with the dismal yield received in the Darvish trade), go White Sox.
October 4, 2022
It’s a business book! It’s a baseball book! It’s a self-help book! It’s all three!!! Joe Maddon’s new book is like Saturday Night Live’s product – it’s a dessert topping! It’s a floor wax! It’s both! Maddon anecdotes his way through his life, starting with stories of school, then his early years playing and coaching baseball. But most of the stories here are about managing. At times, you feel you are reading a baseballer’s life story. At other times, you slip into management suggestions. And, given we’re talking about Joe Maddon, at times, often involving Maddon’s sloganeering, you feel you are deep in a self-help book. Those slogans work well on the team, but they also have some power over the individual. The reader will get whipsawed a bit as he goes through these stories, but readers of all these genres can get something out of the book.
A few other things I noted.
As you read, you will be accosted with an incredible amount of trivial details, many tangentially related to the flow of the text. It’s a bit overwhelming. Some of the trivia relates to things going on in the world at the point we’re at in the story. Other trivia is more personal detail, like what Joe had to eat on a certain day 40 years ago. Unless Maddon kept meticulous diaries, this feels like liberties were taken to tell the story. I can live with some of this, but this was more than I was willing to believe was remembered. When you start to realize you are asking yourself as you read “why does this matter?” or “how did someone remember this?” over and over, you start to wonder. Sometimes, less specificity tells the story better.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book. I won it in a contest, I believe. Like every other non-fiction ARC I’ve read (a few dozen), there were no photos in the ARC, while photos often do appear in the final book. I can imagine this could have some interesting photos when it comes out. But more intriguing, unlike all other ARCs I’ve read, this one has one chapter that was embargoed – pulled out of the ARC. And for those interested in Maddon’s tenure with the Cubs, it is the key chapter – the one about his last year. I suspect the embargo was to maintain some secrecy until Maddon could do a press tour behind the book, and this year in his career is probably of key interest to baseball fans, especially Cubs fans. Despite having read the ARC, I am really looking forward to reading the book when it comes out in November. (Yes, I’m a Cubs fan.) I don’t believe I’ve ever thought this with other ARCs. Note that the ARC doesn’t cover Maddon leaving the Angels. I wonder if something will also be added to address that, with lessons learned. Or perhaps that’s the beginning of the next book.
In the end, it's Joe Maddon. He's a character. He's a baseballer. He's a Cub. I'm gonna enjoy the book.
A few other things I noted.
As you read, you will be accosted with an incredible amount of trivial details, many tangentially related to the flow of the text. It’s a bit overwhelming. Some of the trivia relates to things going on in the world at the point we’re at in the story. Other trivia is more personal detail, like what Joe had to eat on a certain day 40 years ago. Unless Maddon kept meticulous diaries, this feels like liberties were taken to tell the story. I can live with some of this, but this was more than I was willing to believe was remembered. When you start to realize you are asking yourself as you read “why does this matter?” or “how did someone remember this?” over and over, you start to wonder. Sometimes, less specificity tells the story better.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book. I won it in a contest, I believe. Like every other non-fiction ARC I’ve read (a few dozen), there were no photos in the ARC, while photos often do appear in the final book. I can imagine this could have some interesting photos when it comes out. But more intriguing, unlike all other ARCs I’ve read, this one has one chapter that was embargoed – pulled out of the ARC. And for those interested in Maddon’s tenure with the Cubs, it is the key chapter – the one about his last year. I suspect the embargo was to maintain some secrecy until Maddon could do a press tour behind the book, and this year in his career is probably of key interest to baseball fans, especially Cubs fans. Despite having read the ARC, I am really looking forward to reading the book when it comes out in November. (Yes, I’m a Cubs fan.) I don’t believe I’ve ever thought this with other ARCs. Note that the ARC doesn’t cover Maddon leaving the Angels. I wonder if something will also be added to address that, with lessons learned. Or perhaps that’s the beginning of the next book.
In the end, it's Joe Maddon. He's a character. He's a baseballer. He's a Cub. I'm gonna enjoy the book.
January 11, 2023
So, here's a book whose main purpose is to allow Joe Maddon, one of the more colorful and successful managers in baseball, to make the case for "gut thinking" and intangibles over slavish devotion to analytics in the game. Well, friends, if "The Book of Joe" is the best case for gut thinking, we might as well expect the analytics department to put on uniforms and take a seat in the dugout itself.
There is lots of breakdown from Maddon on the thought process behind his gut decisions. But they never work! Like Maddon proudly saying how he went against the grain by using the lefty JP Howell to face Albert Pujols. OK, cool -- but, in fact, Pujols went 1-for-2 lifetime off Howell, with a HR. Of the time he asked Javier Baez to bunt with 2 strikes in Game 7 of the World Series, Maddon can barely offer a rationalization at all (basically, the Ghost of Don Zimmer told him to do it). And yet, on this and the less insane decisions, his takeaways are, essentially, "It would have worked, if only...." and "I'm not ruled by analytics, that was all me, baby!" Great.
The book itself is something of a chimera. It seems to have started out as a (thin) first-hand account, which is now delivered in long quoted passages that Verducci sandwiches with lite additional reporting and lessons from the world of behavioral science. The whole thing is a bit of a hairy mess, haphazardly organized and full of blatant contradictions, logical malpractice and anecdotes connected by the merest thread to the points they’re trying to make. A book and a puzzle in one!
But even with all that, "The Book of Joe" is worth a read. For one, this is a story about how winning ends. A team's luck runs out, they lose their focus, there's too much meddling -- determining exactly what went wrong always remains just out of reach. The beauty is we can never know. (Well, it's clear in Maddon's mind...) The other reason to finish "The Book of Joe" is to understand how thin the line of defense is against a final analytic takeover of the game. When, one day, a baseball game unfolds primarily at a computer screen, with a team of quants making decisions in real-time and robot umpires calling the balls and strikes, "The Book of Joe" will be a valuable relic to understand how we arrived there.
There is lots of breakdown from Maddon on the thought process behind his gut decisions. But they never work! Like Maddon proudly saying how he went against the grain by using the lefty JP Howell to face Albert Pujols. OK, cool -- but, in fact, Pujols went 1-for-2 lifetime off Howell, with a HR. Of the time he asked Javier Baez to bunt with 2 strikes in Game 7 of the World Series, Maddon can barely offer a rationalization at all (basically, the Ghost of Don Zimmer told him to do it). And yet, on this and the less insane decisions, his takeaways are, essentially, "It would have worked, if only...." and "I'm not ruled by analytics, that was all me, baby!" Great.
The book itself is something of a chimera. It seems to have started out as a (thin) first-hand account, which is now delivered in long quoted passages that Verducci sandwiches with lite additional reporting and lessons from the world of behavioral science. The whole thing is a bit of a hairy mess, haphazardly organized and full of blatant contradictions, logical malpractice and anecdotes connected by the merest thread to the points they’re trying to make. A book and a puzzle in one!
But even with all that, "The Book of Joe" is worth a read. For one, this is a story about how winning ends. A team's luck runs out, they lose their focus, there's too much meddling -- determining exactly what went wrong always remains just out of reach. The beauty is we can never know. (Well, it's clear in Maddon's mind...) The other reason to finish "The Book of Joe" is to understand how thin the line of defense is against a final analytic takeover of the game. When, one day, a baseball game unfolds primarily at a computer screen, with a team of quants making decisions in real-time and robot umpires calling the balls and strikes, "The Book of Joe" will be a valuable relic to understand how we arrived there.
December 13, 2022
As a lifelong Cubs fan and a long time Joe Maddon fan my review is admittedly biased. But I think anyone who appreciates baseball would enjoy Maddon’s stories of his career arc as well as his thoughts on the amount of analytics in the game today.
March 3, 2023
With the exception of the last four chapters, this book is just dull !
June 5, 2023
First off, the voices of authors Maddon and Verducci conflate a lot, as in I'm not sure who I'm hearing from sometimes as I get sentences that start with "I" or observations about baseball. In the end, that did not bother me, and I highly recommend this book. I'm not a baseball fan at all, but I enjoyed this book and found it insightful about leadership, coaching, and analytics.
As I began to read this book, I thought that Maddon and author Tom Verducci had an axe to grind and were anti analytics people. I kept thinking, "what you are describing is absolutely a pro analytics philosophy." By the time I finished the book, I could see that Maddon is deeply and in my opinion admirably engaged with analytics. Maddon's problem was that some front offices forget that they are working with human beings and that their confidence might play an important role and that not every player and their body is the same. Maddon also described what sounded to me like how a manager can almost just become a proxy of the front office number cruncher.
The book was really all over the place subject / focus wise, which I ended up really enjoying. For example, in one part I'm getting what car Maddon drove when he what job and in another part I'm getting what kind of coffee he drinks and what his favorite bands are. I just rolled with it, enjoyed it, and have some new things to think about when it comes to coaching.
Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:
“Meetings are for presenters. Conversations are for teachers.”
As I began to read this book, I thought that Maddon and author Tom Verducci had an axe to grind and were anti analytics people. I kept thinking, "what you are describing is absolutely a pro analytics philosophy." By the time I finished the book, I could see that Maddon is deeply and in my opinion admirably engaged with analytics. Maddon's problem was that some front offices forget that they are working with human beings and that their confidence might play an important role and that not every player and their body is the same. Maddon also described what sounded to me like how a manager can almost just become a proxy of the front office number cruncher.
The book was really all over the place subject / focus wise, which I ended up really enjoying. For example, in one part I'm getting what car Maddon drove when he what job and in another part I'm getting what kind of coffee he drinks and what his favorite bands are. I just rolled with it, enjoyed it, and have some new things to think about when it comes to coaching.
Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:
“Meetings are for presenters. Conversations are for teachers.”
November 23, 2022
I am a Chicagoan, a White Sox fan who closely follows the Cubs also. I wondered whether I would learn anything I didn’t already know when I picked up this book. The answer to that is a resounding: Yes! I was pleasantly surprised by the candor in this book, particularly what happened with the Cubs that caused Maddon’s 5-year stint with the Cubs to terminate.
I was struck by many things in this book. Maddon likes to be seen as different, as an innovator. Before analytics were in vogue, Maddon was a leader in the use of them. When analytics became abundant and commonplace, he longed for the days when his personal judgment meant more than the data. Maddon also likes to be “The Man.” As much as he talks about being collegial and a good listener, he proves to be more of a “My way or the highway” guy. In this book, Maddon rarely shows humility, professing to have the right answer almost all the time. Maddon tries to be a motivator, certainly with some success. He has a plethora of platitudes that he uses to try to inspire his players.
While it is clear that Maddon enjoyed a lot of success as a manager, it is also clear that the role of the on-field manager has been diminished because of the use of analytics. Managerial decisions are now guided by information generated by the front office. Today’s manager needs to be a team player and be willing to cowtow to front office data. Maddon will probably never manage again because he believes that his experience should prevail over data.
A well-written and thought-provoking book.
I was struck by many things in this book. Maddon likes to be seen as different, as an innovator. Before analytics were in vogue, Maddon was a leader in the use of them. When analytics became abundant and commonplace, he longed for the days when his personal judgment meant more than the data. Maddon also likes to be “The Man.” As much as he talks about being collegial and a good listener, he proves to be more of a “My way or the highway” guy. In this book, Maddon rarely shows humility, professing to have the right answer almost all the time. Maddon tries to be a motivator, certainly with some success. He has a plethora of platitudes that he uses to try to inspire his players.
While it is clear that Maddon enjoyed a lot of success as a manager, it is also clear that the role of the on-field manager has been diminished because of the use of analytics. Managerial decisions are now guided by information generated by the front office. Today’s manager needs to be a team player and be willing to cowtow to front office data. Maddon will probably never manage again because he believes that his experience should prevail over data.
A well-written and thought-provoking book.
November 27, 2022
This book written by Joe Madden and Tom Verducci is more than just a biography of sorts about Madden- it’s really a history of baseball, the managers and people who helped crew are the sport that we have today.
Although I went in to reading this expecting a typical, chronological biography from Joe’s perspective, it’s written in the third person with Joe being interviewed. It was interesting learning about his experience in the sport and being involved in it for so long.
The book is not polished and meanders from topic to topic. For example I learned about the worst aviation disaster in history that took place in March 1977; never thought that would happen in a baseball book about Madden, but there you go.
This book was recently published and I would have liked more reflection from Madden about where he is currently in life. Overall though I will recommend this to any baseball fan!
Although I went in to reading this expecting a typical, chronological biography from Joe’s perspective, it’s written in the third person with Joe being interviewed. It was interesting learning about his experience in the sport and being involved in it for so long.
The book is not polished and meanders from topic to topic. For example I learned about the worst aviation disaster in history that took place in March 1977; never thought that would happen in a baseball book about Madden, but there you go.
This book was recently published and I would have liked more reflection from Madden about where he is currently in life. Overall though I will recommend this to any baseball fan!
January 8, 2023
Worth the read
Admittedly, I was not a huge fan of Maddon. To me he always seemed to be self-absorbed. I thought that he felt like he was capable of reinventing the game. So, I wasn't sure that I wanted to read a whole book about him.
I am happy that I did. I do have a new perspective on him. Though I still think he's a little bit too high on himself, I can now see he does have great insights on how the game should be played. He's not trying to reinvent. In fact, he honors how the game has been played with insight in how the new information-age executives can be incorporated to make an even better game. He is really more likable than I thought he was.
Very good book. Not just a biography, but a book that shines a light on how baseball is micro-mangaged today.
The sport really does need more Maddons. All baseball fans will find something to enjoy about this book.
Admittedly, I was not a huge fan of Maddon. To me he always seemed to be self-absorbed. I thought that he felt like he was capable of reinventing the game. So, I wasn't sure that I wanted to read a whole book about him.
I am happy that I did. I do have a new perspective on him. Though I still think he's a little bit too high on himself, I can now see he does have great insights on how the game should be played. He's not trying to reinvent. In fact, he honors how the game has been played with insight in how the new information-age executives can be incorporated to make an even better game. He is really more likable than I thought he was.
Very good book. Not just a biography, but a book that shines a light on how baseball is micro-mangaged today.
The sport really does need more Maddons. All baseball fans will find something to enjoy about this book.
May 16, 2023
This book had a lot of great baseball stories, but the way it was organized was just not well done imo. Verducci, who is an accomplished sports writer in his own right, even acknowledged in the preface that this book doesn’t conform to one definition (biography, memoir, etc.) It’s written from a third-person point of view (Verducci’s I guess) and is more of a long-form article with quotes from Maddon sprinkled in than anything else. It’s always cool to hear about the game from a baseball guy like Maddon, but this one just felt like a full-fledged assault on analytics in baseball, and I don’t think it made a very compelling argument on that stance. Overall, would recommend to a baseball fan but could’ve been a lot better
July 19, 2023
I learned about this book when I heard Joe interviewed recently. I hadn’t realized that he had written a book and I was intrigued to read it. I was always impressed with Joe and the “unconventional” methods he used to manage and build teams.
The book at time seemed to be telling the same story over and over. It also seemed to get wordy and drag on at points. All that said, I enjoyed reading the book. The messages that Joe crafted and delivered to his teams, his approach to rise above what’s happening. Stay true to well informed guiding principles and ideas. Always move forward, find the positive and look for the next exit toward your goal.
I went in expecting the the story of Maddon’s career and came away with a glimpse of how he became who he is, who he admired and emulated and how he approached a life in a tough environment. It was enjoyable to have the curtain pulled back on the environment under the stands, even just a little bit.
The book at time seemed to be telling the same story over and over. It also seemed to get wordy and drag on at points. All that said, I enjoyed reading the book. The messages that Joe crafted and delivered to his teams, his approach to rise above what’s happening. Stay true to well informed guiding principles and ideas. Always move forward, find the positive and look for the next exit toward your goal.
I went in expecting the the story of Maddon’s career and came away with a glimpse of how he became who he is, who he admired and emulated and how he approached a life in a tough environment. It was enjoyable to have the curtain pulled back on the environment under the stands, even just a little bit.
March 19, 2023
A very good baseball book. Most biographies are very superficial. This one goes in-depth to Joe’s rise in the baseball world and ends with his unfortunate demise due to analytics. There will
Be very few managers in the future like Masson. They are merely puppets being dictated as to who to play and ho to play by people who are not baseball people.
Any real baseball fans will enjoy this book, no matter who you root for.
Be very few managers in the future like Masson. They are merely puppets being dictated as to who to play and ho to play by people who are not baseball people.
Any real baseball fans will enjoy this book, no matter who you root for.
December 9, 2022
Excellent!!! Even if you’re not a huge baseball fan, this is a great book. If you’re a leader in any industry, there are relatable nuggets of wisdom and motivation contained in the book. Plus, Maddon just seems like a good dude, a guy you would enjoy grabbing a beer with and chewing the fat. This book feels a little like that.
June 9, 2025
A wonderful look at a groundbreaking, history-making manager. Also a looksee at the modern elements and front office shenanigans across the MLB. As the man says "Try Not to Suck" and "Do Simple Better."
July 7, 2022
Not my typical read, but interesting and insightful. I really enjoyed it!
January 28, 2023
I am big fan of Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci and this book didn't disappoint. It is certainly serves as biography/autobiography/memoir on Maddon, but it is also a book that really delves into the current state of baseball and baseball managing, and the battle between instincts and analytics currently raging in that space. Maddon has an interesting place in that debate, as a manager who had previously been notable for embracing analytics and working in analytics-driven organization, but has found the current state of data-driven front office meddling too much even for him. This topic is interspersed through the stories of Maddon's life and career in the book and make for an interesting narrative structure. That said, while I liked this part of the narrative structure I didn't enjoy as much that the stories from Maddon's life did not follow a chronological order and sometimes seemed in an odd order even from a narrative perspective. This is the only thing that kept this from being a five star book for me, but I would still definitely recommend it.
December 2, 2022
Great read. Every baseball fan that longs for the "soul" of baseball to return should read this book.
July 26, 2023
Tom Verducci takes a detailed look into the life of one of my favorite MLB managers, Joe Maddon. This book takes you back to Maddon's roots in Hazleton, Pennsylvania (Maddon's mom worked at the Third Base Luncheonette in Hazleton, which prided itself on being "the closest thing to home.") and ends with his firing by the Los Angeles Angels in June of 2022. The stops along the way, including Boulder and Idaho Falls, make for fascinating journeyman stories and are a testament to Maddon's longevity and experience.
As a baseball coach, I found myself taking detailed notes about Maddon's managerial philosophies but also his quotes on his approach to life. Joe is full of wisdom and was not shy about sharing it.
As a baseball coach, I found myself taking detailed notes about Maddon's managerial philosophies but also his quotes on his approach to life. Joe is full of wisdom and was not shy about sharing it.
December 23, 2022
I have been a fan of Joe Madden for quite some time and have enjoyed his interviews and his insights as a manager. This book has some great stories and thoughts about life. I got the impression towards the end of the book that he clashed with Cubs and Angels executives. Yet, Maddon is true to himself and his philosophies. I liked this book.
November 26, 2022
This book was a huge disappointment as it wasn’t the bio of Joe Madden I was expecting especially from such a well respected sports writer and iconic coach. Of note, I am a huge Cubs fan and supporter of Joe and his methods. More than anything this was a book about how analytics is ruining the game of baseball per the opinions of Joe and the author. This theme was repeated throughout the book to ad nauseam. The book did dive into some parts of Joe’s life, his philosophies and pivotal moments in his professional life but there were so many details on games that had nothing to do with Joe but were used to help reinforce the analytics problem with baseball. Seriously, it feels like being hit over the head again and again as if the reader didn’t understand the idea the first 10 times it was brought up. There was also very little on his personal life. The best parts of the book were the preface and chapter 19 (“Know We Are Not Perfect but Can Be Present”) detailing Joe’s last year with the Cubs. Stick to that and it was 5 stars!
October 30, 2022
My God, could this book ever use an editor. My God, was this book ever disappointing.
On the face of it, this should be a good book. Maddon is one of the more compelling and well-regarded maangers of recent years. Verducci is not only one of the top baseball writers out there, but his two previous book should set him up perfectly for this one. He wrote about the 2016 Cubs championship with "The Cubs Way" and before that co-wrote the story of Joe Torre in "The Yankees Years." But this one falls badly flat.
It's not really a sports bio. Oh, there are bio elements thrown in, and it generally covers Maddon's life, but the bio parts serve as a backdrop for pontificating about the game and how it's gone wrong. My God, is there ever pontificating. So much pontificating. Too much pontificating. Far too much pontificating. And it's variations on the same thoughts all throughout: data is great - but you need to allow managers to manage; front office figures shouldn't spend so much time in the clubhouse; we need to respect the knowledge that comes with experience; when you feel like you're boss is always looking over your shoulder, that's no good for anyone. I mean, I'm sympathetic to most of Maddon's ideas, but this is seriously a 360 page book that would be better served by eliminating 100 pages. (Or more: the worst chapter isn't repetitive, but instead the story of various cars Maddon has owned over the years. Yeah, that was a skippable chapter.
I think there is a core of truth to much of what Maddon is saying, but this book does a terrible job saying it. While his last stay in Anaheim does sound miserable, I also found myself noting that Anaheim was merely trying to catch up with the most successful franchises in baseball and do what they did. If the most successful franchises are doing the non-Maddon way, then what does that say for the Maddon way?
Also, this book gave me the sense that Maddon is getting stale in the dugout. One section complains about how a lot of the things he'd won praise for when he came to the Cubs - not practicing too much, all the T-shirt slogans - were seen as problems a few years later. Maddon wonders how that can be if those things made him a genius not so long before. Well, regardless of everything else, when you do the same thing for enough years what had seemed as fresh and innovative can become stale and self-promotional. Maddon seems oblivious to how players could see that as self-promotional, and occurred to me that this very book could be another example of oblivious self-promotion over all else.
I think a good book can be made based on Maddon's critique of baseball and the role for managers in the early 2020s. Damn shame that this isn't that book.
On the face of it, this should be a good book. Maddon is one of the more compelling and well-regarded maangers of recent years. Verducci is not only one of the top baseball writers out there, but his two previous book should set him up perfectly for this one. He wrote about the 2016 Cubs championship with "The Cubs Way" and before that co-wrote the story of Joe Torre in "The Yankees Years." But this one falls badly flat.
It's not really a sports bio. Oh, there are bio elements thrown in, and it generally covers Maddon's life, but the bio parts serve as a backdrop for pontificating about the game and how it's gone wrong. My God, is there ever pontificating. So much pontificating. Too much pontificating. Far too much pontificating. And it's variations on the same thoughts all throughout: data is great - but you need to allow managers to manage; front office figures shouldn't spend so much time in the clubhouse; we need to respect the knowledge that comes with experience; when you feel like you're boss is always looking over your shoulder, that's no good for anyone. I mean, I'm sympathetic to most of Maddon's ideas, but this is seriously a 360 page book that would be better served by eliminating 100 pages. (Or more: the worst chapter isn't repetitive, but instead the story of various cars Maddon has owned over the years. Yeah, that was a skippable chapter.
I think there is a core of truth to much of what Maddon is saying, but this book does a terrible job saying it. While his last stay in Anaheim does sound miserable, I also found myself noting that Anaheim was merely trying to catch up with the most successful franchises in baseball and do what they did. If the most successful franchises are doing the non-Maddon way, then what does that say for the Maddon way?
Also, this book gave me the sense that Maddon is getting stale in the dugout. One section complains about how a lot of the things he'd won praise for when he came to the Cubs - not practicing too much, all the T-shirt slogans - were seen as problems a few years later. Maddon wonders how that can be if those things made him a genius not so long before. Well, regardless of everything else, when you do the same thing for enough years what had seemed as fresh and innovative can become stale and self-promotional. Maddon seems oblivious to how players could see that as self-promotional, and occurred to me that this very book could be another example of oblivious self-promotion over all else.
I think a good book can be made based on Maddon's critique of baseball and the role for managers in the early 2020s. Damn shame that this isn't that book.
September 5, 2023
Part memoir, part guide to unconventional leadership, The Book of Joe is filled with humor, wit, and a profound understanding of the sport to which Joe Maddon dedicated his career.
It’s impossible to not link Joe Maddon with one of the most iconic moments in sports history: Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. By the end of that night, rain delays and all, a 108 year long drought would end for the Chicago Cubs and their manager would earn a lifetime place in the Cubs fan’s heart. However, a man’s life and career isn’t defined by the night, or season, of his greatest professional achievement.
Tom Verducci’s excellent book The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse gave readers a taste of Maddon’s managerial style in that 2016 season. However, that book is not meant to function as a story about one man specifically.
Maddon would be the first person to point out that he is part of a team and always has been, from his days slogging away in the minor league trenches to a World Series Championship.
The Book of Joe doesn’t fall into the common sports memoir trap of only offering a shallow highlight reel. Instead, Maddon and Verducci delve into one man’s journey through the world of baseball, offering valuable insights into the changing dynamics of the sport, the relationship between instinct and analytics, and the challenges of managing modern players.
Maddon's tale is an inspiring testament to the power of perseverance and innovation. The Book of Joe is a welcome addition to the sports literature pantheon and is a gem of a read for baseball fans.
____________
Thank you to NetGalley and Twelve Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date Oct 11th, 2022.
It’s impossible to not link Joe Maddon with one of the most iconic moments in sports history: Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. By the end of that night, rain delays and all, a 108 year long drought would end for the Chicago Cubs and their manager would earn a lifetime place in the Cubs fan’s heart. However, a man’s life and career isn’t defined by the night, or season, of his greatest professional achievement.
Tom Verducci’s excellent book The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse gave readers a taste of Maddon’s managerial style in that 2016 season. However, that book is not meant to function as a story about one man specifically.
Maddon would be the first person to point out that he is part of a team and always has been, from his days slogging away in the minor league trenches to a World Series Championship.
The Book of Joe doesn’t fall into the common sports memoir trap of only offering a shallow highlight reel. Instead, Maddon and Verducci delve into one man’s journey through the world of baseball, offering valuable insights into the changing dynamics of the sport, the relationship between instinct and analytics, and the challenges of managing modern players.
Maddon's tale is an inspiring testament to the power of perseverance and innovation. The Book of Joe is a welcome addition to the sports literature pantheon and is a gem of a read for baseball fans.
____________
Thank you to NetGalley and Twelve Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date Oct 11th, 2022.
September 14, 2023
📚 Just finished reading “The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life” by Joe Maddon & Tom Verducci, and I can’t recommend it enough to my fellow baseball fans! ⚾
👀 This book offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the game of baseball has evolved, and it sheds light on how the world of big data has invaded the sport. It’s a must-read for anyone who’s passionate about America’s favorite pastime.
🧢 Joe Maddon’s insights and anecdotes are both enlightening and entertaining, making this book an absolute home run. But it also raises a thought-provoking point about the changing dynamics of the game. Nowadays, it’s not the manager calling the shots; it’s the front office and the people behind computers. General managers are often more accepting of strikeouts in certain situations, as they are less risky than hitting into a double play. It’s hard to imagine….but not putting the ball in play is acceptable to these guys.
🏃♂️ The book also highlights how the game has become more static. General managers prefer players not to move too much, so hit-and-runs are a rarity because they fear player fatigue. Teams are overloading players with data, which can sometimes confuse them more than help them.
📖 Grab your copy and delve into the complex world of baseball, where tradition clashes with data-driven strategies, and discover how this transformation is impacting the game we love
👀 This book offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the game of baseball has evolved, and it sheds light on how the world of big data has invaded the sport. It’s a must-read for anyone who’s passionate about America’s favorite pastime.
🧢 Joe Maddon’s insights and anecdotes are both enlightening and entertaining, making this book an absolute home run. But it also raises a thought-provoking point about the changing dynamics of the game. Nowadays, it’s not the manager calling the shots; it’s the front office and the people behind computers. General managers are often more accepting of strikeouts in certain situations, as they are less risky than hitting into a double play. It’s hard to imagine….but not putting the ball in play is acceptable to these guys.
🏃♂️ The book also highlights how the game has become more static. General managers prefer players not to move too much, so hit-and-runs are a rarity because they fear player fatigue. Teams are overloading players with data, which can sometimes confuse them more than help them.
📖 Grab your copy and delve into the complex world of baseball, where tradition clashes with data-driven strategies, and discover how this transformation is impacting the game we love
October 22, 2022
Let me preface this by saying I love Joe Maddon. Though we've never met, I love him more than I do some members of my family. That will undoubtedly bias my review.
Joe Maddon brought a World Series to the North Side, something Leo Durocher, Don Zimmer, Lou Piniella, and Dusty Baker could not. He did it by reassuring a team of talented young men that all they had to do was "try not to suck." Shirts with that phrase and Joe's thick-rimmed glasses are still worn here in Chicago.
This book is like having Joe in your head. Page by page it's nerdy, illuminating, goofy, and insightful. It's a romance between a man and his career, which happens to be baseball but we all wish we could get the fulfillment out of our professional lives that he's gotten from his.
Only Joe would credit James Michener for his coaching technique. Only Joe would think to inspire his players by invoking Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel. Only Joe would see "genius" in how Anthony Rizzo approaches a bunt. I love his enthusiasm and passion for the game.
Yeah, at times it's repetitive and it seems he has an axe or two to grind. Also at times I'm not sure if it's Joe's voice or co-writer Tom Verducci's that we're hearing. (The story of the KLM jet as an example of heuristics is jarring and somehow doesn't sound like Joe at all.)
Whatever. I love Joe Maddon.
Joe Maddon brought a World Series to the North Side, something Leo Durocher, Don Zimmer, Lou Piniella, and Dusty Baker could not. He did it by reassuring a team of talented young men that all they had to do was "try not to suck." Shirts with that phrase and Joe's thick-rimmed glasses are still worn here in Chicago.
This book is like having Joe in your head. Page by page it's nerdy, illuminating, goofy, and insightful. It's a romance between a man and his career, which happens to be baseball but we all wish we could get the fulfillment out of our professional lives that he's gotten from his.
Only Joe would credit James Michener for his coaching technique. Only Joe would think to inspire his players by invoking Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel. Only Joe would see "genius" in how Anthony Rizzo approaches a bunt. I love his enthusiasm and passion for the game.
Yeah, at times it's repetitive and it seems he has an axe or two to grind. Also at times I'm not sure if it's Joe's voice or co-writer Tom Verducci's that we're hearing. (The story of the KLM jet as an example of heuristics is jarring and somehow doesn't sound like Joe at all.)
Whatever. I love Joe Maddon.
January 1, 2023
The Slow Death of Baseball as we Knew it!!!
This book was like a warm cup of coffee on a cold morning! Was everything I hoped it would be when Martin pulled the curtain back on what is ruining baseball!! The game I grew to love with my grandpa in Palm Springs in the 60's & shared with friends, family & neighbors for the past 50+ years!!! As a long time angels & Dodgers fan I so longed for Joe Martin to Manage 1 of my teams after appreciating everything he did with the Rays & Cubs!!!! After coaching Baseball & Softball for 24 years, I personally know hundreds of people that can no longer watch the game & have moved on to other more Pleasing Sports (Football, Basketball, Soccer, etc., due to the pace of the game!!!!! The interference by the front office in the coaching & managing of the game is reprehensible & tantamount to letting my wife tell me how to manage, since she kept score all 24 years!!!!!! This Perry Minasian of the Angels should be Ashamed of himself for taking over the coaches locker room & meeting room while Telling a True Baseball Man how to run his team!!!!!! Baseball is a game that requires knowledge of the game based on experience "In The Games" Not bean counters & attorneys, so Arte Moreno should be ashamed of himself as well!!!!!!!
This book was like a warm cup of coffee on a cold morning! Was everything I hoped it would be when Martin pulled the curtain back on what is ruining baseball!! The game I grew to love with my grandpa in Palm Springs in the 60's & shared with friends, family & neighbors for the past 50+ years!!! As a long time angels & Dodgers fan I so longed for Joe Martin to Manage 1 of my teams after appreciating everything he did with the Rays & Cubs!!!! After coaching Baseball & Softball for 24 years, I personally know hundreds of people that can no longer watch the game & have moved on to other more Pleasing Sports (Football, Basketball, Soccer, etc., due to the pace of the game!!!!! The interference by the front office in the coaching & managing of the game is reprehensible & tantamount to letting my wife tell me how to manage, since she kept score all 24 years!!!!!! This Perry Minasian of the Angels should be Ashamed of himself for taking over the coaches locker room & meeting room while Telling a True Baseball Man how to run his team!!!!!! Baseball is a game that requires knowledge of the game based on experience "In The Games" Not bean counters & attorneys, so Arte Moreno should be ashamed of himself as well!!!!!!!
January 29, 2026
A fun trip through lots of baseball lore and the characters and places that helped develop Joe Maddon into the idiosyncratic Manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Chicago Cubs, and the Los Angeles Angels--a cutting edge data coach and manager who eventually found himself on the outside looking in as the data drove the art and uncertainty from the dugout and the game more generally.
As a Cubs fan, I really couldn't get enough, but I think even for general baseball fans this story will be interesting and important for helping to explain how the game changed so drastically over the last 25 years, as well as the rationale for some of the peculiar rule changes in the last 5 years especially.
And, as a Cubs fan, this book really makes me resent Theo Epstein. He antagonizes, hamstrings, and then cuts Maddon loose at the end of his contract (with a 471-339 record and a World Series win!!) only for Epstein to quit less than two years later. Very frustrating!
Better than Verducci's other book about the Cubs World Series season, this is a must read for fans and students of the modern game of baseball.
As a Cubs fan, I really couldn't get enough, but I think even for general baseball fans this story will be interesting and important for helping to explain how the game changed so drastically over the last 25 years, as well as the rationale for some of the peculiar rule changes in the last 5 years especially.
And, as a Cubs fan, this book really makes me resent Theo Epstein. He antagonizes, hamstrings, and then cuts Maddon loose at the end of his contract (with a 471-339 record and a World Series win!!) only for Epstein to quit less than two years later. Very frustrating!
Better than Verducci's other book about the Cubs World Series season, this is a must read for fans and students of the modern game of baseball.
May 14, 2023
I will always have a warm spot in my heart for Joe Maddon as he managed my beloved Chicago Cubs to their first World Series championship in 108 years in 2016. He and Tom Verducci collaborated on a highly interesting and satisfying baseball tome. I learned lots about his childhood, school years, baseball playing career and finally his scouting and coaching years before Wrigley. It was a bit difficult to read what was going on behind the scenes during his last year with the Cubs. To his credit, Joe came out of that situation without grudges and with his friendship with Theo Epstein intact. Unfortunately his demise in the Angels organization last year was driven by the boorish manager-wanna-be Percy Minasian who created an untenable situation for Joe and his coaches. I hope Joe has another opportunity to manage someday in a more supportive environment, I will root for him except when his team plays against the Cubs.
March 21, 2025
I love a good book by a great manager. Unfortunately, I got a mediocre book by a falling star.
I think Joe Maddon was a pioneer who brought major league baseball into the 21st century. The days of Earl Weaver and Tommy Lasorda who simply use gumption are gone. Managers who work with players, know the data, and speak well to reporters: they are the future.
However, I think Maddon has been worn out. He was once the new shiny, thing. How he's old hat. His novel ideas are either commonplace now or just tacky.
The book was fine. The book does not claim to be a memior or a leadership guide or a how-to guide. The book immediately claims it does not have a united purpose, and it shows. As I read the book, I did not know what I was getting thus I felt lost.
I think Joe Maddon was a pioneer who brought major league baseball into the 21st century. The days of Earl Weaver and Tommy Lasorda who simply use gumption are gone. Managers who work with players, know the data, and speak well to reporters: they are the future.
However, I think Maddon has been worn out. He was once the new shiny, thing. How he's old hat. His novel ideas are either commonplace now or just tacky.
The book was fine. The book does not claim to be a memior or a leadership guide or a how-to guide. The book immediately claims it does not have a united purpose, and it shows. As I read the book, I did not know what I was getting thus I felt lost.
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