Maddon Being Maddon.

People ask what makes the Rays the Rays. Well, a large part of it is Joe Maddon. Very few managers in the game are as proactive in shaping the social structure of a team as Maddon is, and he does in multiple ways (a multiple tool social structure manager?). The way he communicates is unlike any manager I think I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. That’s a big part of baseball—communication between coach and player—and he does it very well. But, talk is one thing, action is another. You can tell a player you believe they have talent, but putting them in a situation to show is another. Tonight, you saw Maddon take a chance by matching a slumping Pena up against a red hot Casey Janssen. Pena has been struggling against everyone, but had a season long 0-fer against Janssen. Batting just .189, Pena goes to bat in a game changing situation. That’s Joe Maddon putting his money where his mouth his, giving Pena a chance to impress himself and build his own confidence in a way that only playing hero can. I respect that. I respect Joe Maddon. Pena delivered with a hit that required rookie right fielder Moises Sierra to make and absolute perfect throw (which he did) to stop the game from getting tied. But the fact still remains, Pena delivered. I love How Maddon throws guys who are down on their luck into a heroic situations that snap them out of their funk. That’s why such a young team makes the adjustment so quickly. He constantly puts them in situations where they can impress themselves, and knows how to jump start older players that are slumping.