Brutal anecdote emerges about Angels’ Joe Maddon firing

Mar 10, 2020; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon looks on prior to facing the Seattle Mariners in a spring training game at Peoria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels fired manager Joe Maddon in the midst of a long losing streak. That much is understandable, but the exact timing of the firing wound up being pretty awkward and brutal for the manager.

ESPN aired a video essay on the state of the Angels prior to the team’s appearance on “Sunday Night Baseball.” In it, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian shared a pretty harsh story. With the Angels’ losing streak at 12 games, Maddon got a mohawk haircut in a bid to shake things up and break the streak. Angels players never even got to see the look, however, because Maddon was fired before he could even manage the next game.

Here's the video from Tim Kurkjian's report about Maddon getting a mohawk https://t.co/3hDDDnYDYa pic.twitter.com/9XdNgeYojY

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 12, 2022

Obviously, the Angels were not going to change their decision because of Maddon’s hairstyle. That’s still a pretty ridiculous visual to imagine the team’s brass informing Maddon of his dismissal right after he got a ridiculous haircut in a bid to reverse the team’s fortunes.

Maddon was not the only one trying anything possible to reverse the team’s fortunes. Ultimately, the streak extended to 14 games before it finally ended Thursday.