I fully intend to get past this, but here's one last angry flourish. I don't see how any article you write about Maddon doesn't have the word "abandoned" in it. "Betrayed" is good too. I get it: he took the money. We're all supposed to say that's understandable, wish him well, and move on. But if it's understandable, it was never honorable. He was just another journeyman bench coach until the Rays gave him a chance. And he shined. 90 win seasons. Making something of nothing. And we loved him. He was the great equalizer. Within two years after he abandoned us, he has a world championship and we are back in last place. How can you not be angry? How can he not be seen as an ungrateful s-o-b? Sorry to be such a spoil-sport, but it's just hard to get past such treachery.
But I'm working on it. . . .
The back story: After 31 years in the California Angels organization, Joe Maddon was finally given a chance to manage in the big leagues by the Tampa Bay Rays (then called the Devil Rays), where he achieved the success he had always dreamed about, winning the American League pennant in 2008 and going to the World Series, which the Rays lost to the Philadelphia Phillies. He took the Rays to the playoffs in 2010, 2011, and 2013 and was Manager of the Year in 2008 and 2011. He was colorful and endearing as well. The Senior Citizen fan base in Tampa adored him. He was the toast of the town.
Maddon had a strange opt out clause in his contract in 2014. It was tied to the contract of Rays General Manager Andrew Friedman. If Friedman were ever to take a job with another organization, Maddon's contract specified that he had a tiny two week window to leave the Rays. Peculiar as it was, no one has ever explained why such an unheard of clause was put into Maddon's contract. When Friedman left to run baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Maddon suddenly found himself a two-week Free Agent Manager, which as far as I know is the only time in Big League history there has ever been such a thing. The Chicago Cubs swept in, dangled millions of dollars, and closed the deal stealing Maddon from the Rays before the Tampa Bay franchise or Maddon's adoring fan base knew what hit them.
A Major League Baseball investigation concluded it was all on the up and up, that there had been no tampering even though baseball observers across the country still think the whole affair smelled bad.
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