"He's so laid back, is definitely a player's coach, and gets along with us all so well. He's always going out of his way to say something to us. When we were 0-6, he was right there telling us we were the best team in baseball. It really helps to have a manager like Joe". This quote from Jeremy Hellickson should come as no surprise and is a pretty consistent statement reflecting the coolness of Baseball Writer's Association of America's 2011 AL Manager of the year winner Joe Maddon. The Rays were not expected to have much of a season based on the departure of Crawford, Soriano, Bartlett and others. But under the guidance of cool cat coach Joe Maddon, they not only made it to the playoffs as the Wild Card they also managed to make a stellar comeback from 9 games down in September to grab the Wild Card from the Boston Red Sox. Much of their achievement has to do with the guidance and motivation of Maddon.
Now that Maddon has become the hot commodity that he has, questions are swirling about his longevity with the Rays. To listen to Maddon speak he has nothing but a great love and respect for the management team and the relationship that has formed among the players and himself and if he had it his way he would stay. It certainly would be a dark day for Tampa Bay Rays fans. But let's not think about that right now. Maddon's contract isn't up yet, so we need to enjoy and appreciate him in the here and now.
Congratulations to Joe Maddon, AL Manager of the Year!
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