is around the corner with this year's online event taking place from March 16-20, 2021. and the are proud to welcome three-time award-winning manager of the year and current Los Angeles Angels skipper Joe Maddon to the CON6 2021 virtual stage. MLB favorite Joe Maddon is well known and highly respected by baseball fans worldwide. Proud son of an Italian father and Polish mother, Joe Maddon grew up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, home to his nonprofit --provider of services to thousands of economically disadvantaged children who are now able to participate in low-cost educational, cultural and sporting activities.
One of the most charismatic and winning figures with 1278 MLB victories under his belt, Joe Maddon ranks fourth among active managers behind Terry Francona, Dusty Baker and Tony LaRussa. After his minor league playing career ended, Joe Maddon became a scout and then transitioned to becoming a coach in the Angels minor league organization. He became the first base coach for the major league franchise in 1995 and eventually helped Angels manager Mike Scioscia win the 2002 World Series championship title.
After the 2005 season serving in the shadow of fellow Italian American Mike Scioscia, Joe Maddon blossomed into a successful MLB manager when the Tampa Bay Rays offered him the top coaching spot. Strongly supported by former Rays president and current Los Angeles Dodgers president Andrew Friedman for thinking outside the box with a low payroll franchise faced with the daunting task of competing against the dominant Yankees and Red Sox, Joe Maddon managed the Rays into the American League playoffs four times (2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013) and reached as far as the World Series in 2008 when the Philadelphia Phillies took home the world championship title.
Joe Maddon remained in Tampa Bay until 2014 and then took over managing the Chicago Cubs in 2015. He immediately made an impact in the "Windy City" by bringing the Cubbies into the MLB playoffs in his first season at the helm. Joe Maddon ended a major league drought in 2016 when the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series after 108 years. With a roster which featured the likes of Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, Cubs manager Joe Maddon led the world champions to 103 wins over the course of the 162-game season. After five years as the Cubs skipper, he returned to the Big A to manage the Los Angeles Angels in 2020.
Joe Maddon has participated at several baseball clinics in Italy. In fact, he appeared at the 2012 FIBS Coaches Convention in Castelnuovo del Garda. Joe Maddon said, “When I see so many familiar faces here, I don't just remember my Italian origins, but I feel at home because I feel like I'm in the small Pennsylvania town where I live and the Italian community is strong." After nearly a decade, Joe Maddon makes an enrore appearance on the Italian stage virtually via CON6 2021 for a discussion on bullpen management. Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
