Joe Maddon yells at cloud in attempt to fix baseball, which doesn't need him

It's been a few years since Joe Maddon was last seen in an MLB dugout. He was fired from his position as the manager of the Los Angeles Angels back in 2022. Prior to his time with the Halos, he managed the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs, and he helped the North Siders break their curse in 2016 when he guided them to the World Series.

But the game has changed since Maddon was at the helm of a baseball team. A lot of things are different, and the way fans view the game is not the same as it once was.

Recently on Foul Territory, Maddon made an appearance and discussed his view on the game of baseball. And while he pointed out some truths, he also made some questionable comments which show that the game has passed him by.

Joe Maddon yells at cloud while discussing current state of baseball

Maddon correctly pointed out that the game has become too analytically driven. However, he missed the point about players and coaches getting pushed aside, and he's wrong when he suggests players are becoming less team-oriented. While brands are a big part of sports now, players still care about the goals of their team and place those marks ahead of their own personal accolades.

At a certain point, the game passes people by, and while analytical minds tend to be favored these days, some coaches and players just don't roll with the times. Maddon is clearly one of them. As these baseball minds get older, a changing of the guard occurs, and younger players and coaches take over. It's just a natural part of the game, especially if older managers, executives and scouts are too stubborn to play ball.

So, while there is some truth to what Maddon is saying, it's clear that the game has passed him by. Some of the changes haven't been for the better. Thus, he's off base with several of his comments and also is completely wrong about the idea that brands and individual goals outweigh team accomplishments.

Times simply change, and so does baseball. Maddon hasn't been in a Major League dugout in over two years and that's become brutally obvious.