Joe Maddon

Interview

I was in spring training at Diablo Stadium [in Tempe, Ariz.,] when I heard the season would be cancelled. The first person I contacted was my wife Jaye. My mom had been ill in Florida, so next was probably my brother Mark who lives near her, and then my sister Carmine back in Hazelton, Penn. I always think about family first, making sure everybody is well, under control, and realize we’re going to get through this and that it shall pass.

When we first heard, we got the players together in our main locker room — the same place we had been just three weeks before, welcoming everybody, talking about the season, building momentum, when everything was going in the right direction. There is a great line I like to follow: “Never deny the truth of bad news.” At that meeting, we talked through the situation and understood we have to be flexible. We have to communicate accurately, not speculate and sensationalize. The more I could keep my players calm and levelheaded, the more likely we’ll come out well on the other side.

One concern is the championships, the playoffs and everything that you’ve been striving for — you can never minimize that. That’s really important — that’s why we do this. People are missing turning on the TV and seeing sports. I like that MLB didn’t get started and are planning to play a truncated season, but I always like to put an end date. You put an end date when you build in a schedule. Then you move it backward from there. Whenever I build a schedule — I’ve built a schedule for years — you begin with the end, then you move back from there and then eventually you make some sense of it.

I’ve been busy supporting my charity organization Respect90. Part of the current challenge is the inability to raise funds, which we are always seeking. We had a good event at the Orange County Rescue mission at the end of January. We recently did the Respect Ball where we raised some money. We’re now working on our funds to distribute meals. Do you distribute to first responders, folks in the medical industry who respond to the people on the street, or those who are really struggling financially? We’re debating how to address that challenge. We are all about homelessness. That’s one of the original purposes of the foundation.

I’ve tried to demonstrate leadership by becoming more active on social media. I want to put out a positive message. We don’t need any more negative conjecture; we need positive conjecture. The leadership component is thinking about how we can have a more pragmatic and calm approach to this pandemic. Always be straight up with everybody — [but] don’t forget to compose a plan. We know what’s going on is not good, but we believe it will get better in a reasonable amount of time.

I’m a fan of the minor leagues — I spent a lot of time there. I never played in the major leagues but I did play in the minor leagues for four seasons. Then I was a minor league coach, manager, coordinator, and scout for 13-14 years before I got to the big leagues. These [small-town teams] across the country provide invaluable benefits and give them something to look forward to.

It’s all about getting the major leagues rolling again. Then making sure that we’re helping subsidize the minor leagues. It’s the life blood of the major leagues. It's not like football or basketball where guys come out of college ready to play in the major league. Now almost 100 percent of the time guys coming out of college or high school or junior college aren’t ready to play major league baseball. We need these players to evolve and become better at their craft. It's not a fast dance like these other sports; it’s a slow dance. I’m an advocate of the minor leagues. They are a big part of our future.