Manager intentionally walks hitter with bases loaded, a breakdown
What Happened
In a crucial moment in the Angels-Rangers game, Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon makes a highly unconventional decision that leaves players, coaches, and fans scratching their heads. With the Rangers leading 3-2 in the late innings, the bases are loaded with two outs. Maddon decides to intentionally walk Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, a move that is extremely rare in this situation. Maddon stalls for time, sending the catcher to the mound to delay the pitching change, as he decides to give the intentional free pass to Seager. The move backfires immediately, as the next batter, Nathaniel Lowe, laces a double to drive in two runs, extending the Rangers' lead to 5-2. Maddon's decision is met with bewilderment from his own players, including star outfielder Mike Trout, whose frustrated reaction captures the team's disbelief. Maddon later admits that the move was an "emotional" one, rather than one based on the numbers or matchups. He acknowledges that it was a mistake, as the data did not support intentionally walking Seager in that situation. The Angels pitcher, Austin Warren, also seems perplexed by Maddon's decision, shooting a frustrated look towards the dugout after the intentional walk. In the end, the Rangers tack on one more run, bringing the final score to 6-2. While the Angels ultimately lose the game, Maddon's unorthodox strategy becomes the talking point, sparking debate among fans and analysts about the merits of such a bold, unconventional call. The manager's desire to be seen as an innovative thinker appears to have backfired, with his own players and the opposition left questioning the logic behind his highly unusual decision.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentsomething happened in baseball that has
never happened before in the Angels
Rangers game from last week and this one
is brought to you by DraftKings Joe
Madden is a manager that does weird [ __ ]
that is a man who caught a foul ball and
instantly gave it to a girl or just a
woman behind him instant friend high
five baseball that's what it's all about
now the angels are gonna get in some
trouble but not on this play because
that's a nice play by squid up the
middle for the out
but then the 2-0 pitch goes down the
line into the corner is that gonna be a
double no it's played really well by the
caveman and holds him to a single so now
there's a runner on first for the
Rangers but the next batter we got
strike one on probably a ball strike two
on a foul ball oh no hit him right in
the elbow pad did not hurt him but hit
him
classic sound effect noise so they go
talk to the pitcher and they're like hey
don't be afraid just come at this guy so
he does he comes at him with a double
over the left Fielder's head that's
gonna score one run and put another
runner on second Angel's still in
trouble not their inning that's a little
flare into right field and the manager
says Hey catch go talk to him now I
didn't slow this down or edit this at
all this is live time the catcher goes
to talk to the pitcher if you're new to
baseball they're it's just a strategy to
give the warm-up the new picture that's
coming in more time to warm up so the
catcher usually says some nonsense this
time the catcher isn't even talking and
Joe Madden is just waiting and they're
just waiting
and no one's saying anything and Joe
Madden's whistling to himself and
nodding and they're just waiting usually
you wait for the Umpire to break this up
and then you go make your pitching
change just buying time goes on for a
long time they're just standing on the
mound and the catcher usually talks to
the pitcher somewhat but they're all
just standing around quiet finally he
looks at Joe like dude are you gonna
come get me out of this game or what are
you doing right here
he's like what's going on and Joe
Madden's like okay I guess the UMP isn't
gonna tell me that I have to uh ump are
you gonna like tell me I gotta make a
change he says okay I'll come out and
make the change man baseball's a slow
sport sometimes I was literally just a
stall tactic and it was so long so they
take this picture out of the game and
they bring in a new pitcher and he says
hey good job man you did great see you
later new pitcher comes in his name is
Austin Warren zero earned run so far
this season and that's a ball the next
pitch is a ball even worse a ball again
and a ball even worse four pitch walk
and now the bases are loaded and there's
a lefty coming up in Corey Seeger Joe
Madden goes to the mound to talk to his
pitcher and he has confirmed that while
he was out here he said hey we're gonna
intentionally walk this guy so you can
get the next two guys
he doesn't really have a reaction to
that information they're going to tell
the catcher and he's going to say I
think Joe Madden at one point here says
like blah blah blah he says okay you're
right and then the next two guys and
then those are your guys like welcome
and then those next two are your guys
the numbers don't support this and Joe
Madden admitted this as well the numbers
don't support this righty and a lefty
usually that means he's going to crush
him but Seeger's actually better against
lefties this year and they walk him and
they're down and Mike Trout's face is
like wait what huh the [ __ ] huh what
the [ __ ] and if you're a lot of people
watch breakdowns that don't watch
baseball if you're like what what do you
what does this all mean he intentionally
walked the batter you don't have to
throw the pitches anymore
and that spins a run around because the
bases were loaded they were already
losing three to two now this Runner
scores and it becomes four to two now
this has happened in Major League
Baseball before but usually it's when
the team is up a couple runs and there's
a huge threat at the plate like Barry
Bonds and they don't want him to get
multiple RBIs and score multiple runs
they're like we'll just let this dude
get one run and move on no one's ever
done it this early in the game
and at this score when they're losing
and you can see the runners are so
confused Simeon on first like where am I
going he's like yeah get moving dude you
guys scored a run the pitcher after it
happens it looks like now he looks into
the Dugout and he's like you
[ __ ] Madden that's a bad look
for me I don't realize how bad this was
gonna look and then Madden is sitting
there I think he says
I shouldn't have talked to him
I think I think that's what I shouldn't
have talked to him that's kind of what I
see right there another coach is like
yeah well you did and he's like yeah but
maybe I don't know that's what I read I
don't know if that's correct I do that
Seeger is over at first base and he's
like he knew the bases were full
he says something something let me work
a walk like let me work a walk if you're
gonna walk me to make me earn it I'm
just intentionally walk me
Madden said that this wasn't a numbers
move it was an emotional move the
emotions of the game determined it makes
no sense Madden just likes being talked
about for being a weirdo and doing new
and unique things so he did a new and
unique thing and it backfires
immediately because the next batter puts
one rule almost to the track and that
scores a run so now you've scored two
runs if your fear was at the batter hits
a single and two run score well now that
happened and if you're bad or was that
he hits a double and all three runs
score well that's about to happen next
and you'll never guess how so he's
starting to you know squirm a little bit
and now the pitcher box and the Umpire
calls and the other umpire calls it so
the runner on third goes home so now all
three runners have scored and it's a
complete backfire this is the buck he
moves his arm you can't do that unless
you do it like every single time while
you're on the rubber so Madden's gonna
have a lot of problems with this he goes
to the Umpire when he's getting mad at
him and he's like did you have to call
it he's like I have to I have to I have
to
Joe
I need to call a block you did not have
to call a balk right there it was to
deceive the runner was it to deceive the
runner does it deceive the runner was it
to deceive the runner
I'm just asking you a question was it to
deceive the runner
but was it to deceive the runner that's
my question and the Umpire starts giving
him an answer and Joe doesn't like it no
that's not the question no I'm asking
you was it to deceive the runner the um
says yeah could her deceive the runner
you thought that was to deceive the
runner right there yeah sure it could
have been come on John you're better
than that you're better than that John
you're better than that John so Madden
said all of two sentences that entire
time and maybe he's wound a little tight
because of something else because I mean
that's just a balk by the book and then
the next batter does
get out
pops out to the infield and that ends
the ending but all the runs that were on
base When Corey Seeger was up score in
the pitcher I think it sunk in like what
the hell was all that about and Joe
Madden turns to his assistant coach and
he said well uh doesn't matter now I
screwed up now a lot of people are
saying well they won the game show he
hits a home run and the Angels win the
game so it didn't backfire it's like
even Joe Madden admitted that this
backfired and there was no reason to do
it and you kind of just embarrass your
pitcher because you have no confidence
in him and
Joe Madden just
wants to be Joe Madden and he is so he
can't fault him for that thanks to
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