Goose Gossage made some controversial comments last week about the sport of baseball and a number of the players in it. Like Gossage, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon is an old-school guy, but he believes the Hall of Fame pitcher needs to take a breath and get with the times.
Maddon, 62, is one of the most open-minded men in Major League Baseball. His managing approach is like no other and he's collaborated with some of the best and most analytical front offices in the sport during his 12-year career as manager, which has also helped him succeed as a manager.
As a result, Maddon believes Gossage is stuck in the past and needs to adapt to how things are in 2015.
"I've really thought a lot about this obviously because I've always been attacked for new methods. And I try to think about it and my conclusion is every 20-25 years the group that shows up then is viewed as being less tough, less macho than the group that existed 20-25 years before that ... and that group has to understand the group before that thought those guys weren't so tough," the NL Manager of the Year said.
"So it's just the way the world evolves," he said. "One thing I do is pray for perspective. I did grow up in the '60s and '70s and we didn't like the establishment at all. We hated it, or we didn't believe in it all. And then you move the dial forward 30 years, and all of sudden the same dudes I grew up with are acting like the same people they didn't like 30 years ago. That bums me out."
Gossage, 64, said baseball is turning into a joke because of the "nerds" that run it (Maddon said he's a big fan of nerds). He also said Jose Bautista and Yoenis Cespedes are a disgrace to the game and that Bryce Harper doesn't know "squat" about the history of the sport.
As we noted last week, Gossage, despite his lack of eloquence and excessive use of profanity, had some valid points, but his overall outlook is perhaps outdated and unconventional considering he didn't seem open to any change that has occurred since his playing days, specifically during a time period where change is essential.
On the other hand, Maddon, who is just two years younger than Gossage, has maintained a consistent approach as manager and has also integrated other aspects of the evolving sport into his mechanisms, which has made for a successful career.
Gossage had a decorated 22-year MLB career and there's little to refute on his résumé, but Maddon is proof that adaption is the key to sustenance. His three Manager of the Year awards with teams that are heavily driven on analytics further drives that point home.
