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Joe Maddon and Ron Gardenhire take early showers
Posted by Adrien Griffin Categories: Athletes, MLB, Playoffs,
The MLB playoffs have been flying over these first two days. We’ve already seen fantastic pitching performances, timely hitting, and a pair of American League managers given the boot on justifiable arguments with umpires. Tampa’s Joe Maddon and Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire took early showers on Thursday and had to watch from the clubhouse as their respective teams fell behind 0-2 in their ALDS against Texas and New York. Maddon and Gardenhire will have an extra day each to cool off, as the American League takes a break while the National League takes center stage on Friday.
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Chemistry and Baseball with Joe Maddon
Posted by Adrien Griffin Categories: Athletes, MLB,
For Joe Maddon, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, chemistry is not just a physical science. It is a collective state of mind shared by 25 players who work towards a common goal. For the Tampa Bay Rays of 2008, that goal was almost achieved. Everybody expected another season of mediocrity, but a perfect storm of reasons, including career years from a consistent starting lineup and rookie campaigns among the best in recent seasons lead to a World Series appearance for the club widely considered to be the laughing stock of the American League East.
“I’m a big believer in team chemistry,” said Maddon. “I’m a big believer that it can be created. It’s not just a residue of winning all the time.” No kidding. When it came to the Rays, whom the baseball world knows well had never had a .500 season prior to 2008, losing was a way of life. High draft picks and low expectations were the norm. American League pennants and World Series appearances were about as realistic as snow falling outside of Tropicana Field.
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