During this unexpected hiatus from what he is normally doing at this time of year, Joe Maddon has immersed himself in 21st century communication.
In the past week, the Angels manager has created a video from the seat of his bike, held a video conference with all of his coaches and been interviewed by a pair of college students about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on baseball.
“Anything to provide some content and make it interesting, if I can,” Maddon said. “I am trying to help everyone get through this, and promote Angels baseball. … Just trying to figure out a way to stay connected with everybody.”
With much of the country quarantined to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Maddon has been mostly sequestered with his wife, Jaye, in their luxury recreational vehicle, which is still parked in Arizona.
Technology, however, allows him to still reach out to a variety of audiences, including a class of graduate students at George Washington University.
About six years ago, Maddon began talking to students – from junior high to college – via video conference. He said it was his way to help use technology to connect baseball to the next generation. Maddon estimated he’s done about 40 to 50 such sessions since then, mostly from hotels while on the road.
They are arranged by Rick Vaughn, the former Tampa Bay Rays public relations official who is now Executive Director of Respect 90, Maddon’s charitable organization.
Vaughn worked for the Baltimore Orioles when he met former Orioles beat writer Mark Hyman, who is now a professor of management and tourism studies at GWU in Washington.
Hyman was set to teach a class on the business of spring training. He had arranged for his class of 18 students to visit Arizona during the final week of spring training, but the coronavirus shutdown changed those plans. Hyman converted the class to one exploring the impact of COVID-19 on spring training, as told through the eyes of journalists, economists, political figures and – thanks to Vaughn – one manager.
“I think it’s impressive that (Maddon) would take a half-hour out of his day to meet with college students who he doesn’t know and he doesn’t have any particular connection to,” Hyman said. “From the perspective of a college professor, there is no substitute for students meeting people in decision-making roles.”
Thomas Simpson, who is pursuing his Master of Business Administration, was one of the two students to interview Maddon. They will share the interview with their classmates, who are meeting remotely, next week.
“Joe was amazing,” Simpson said. “We were really happy he would take this time during a time of crisis to speak with two graduate students.”
Maddon, who also plans to video conference with kids this summer through a program run by the Angels, said he also gains something from those kinds of chats with students.
“It’s fascinating to me to be challenged by guys like that,” he said. “They make you think about exactly what I’m doing.”
Simpson said he and his classmate, Thomas Luther, spoke to Maddon for about 20 minutes using Blackboard, an app for online teaching. Maddon talked to them about the logistics of what happened when spring training was shut down, and also about leadership in general.
“He was very engaging and very positive,” Simpson said. “He said, ‘This is how I view myself as a leader, not only in the baseball community, but in a time of crisis.’”
Maddon has said on multiple occasions since the sport shut down that he feels it’s important to spread positivity and create a distraction at a time when there is so much bad news.
That’s why he strapped a video camera on to his helmet for a 30-minute bike ride around the RV park in Arizona earlier this week. Maddon essentially told stories about his minor-league baseball career during a stream of consciousness monologue, allowing viewers to listen as they watched the scenery go by.
Maddon said he plans to do more of that, perhaps narrating as he walks around various landmarks of Angels history in Arizona.
He also might do a little cooking instruction with his crock pot in the RV, he said.
Besides that, he has plans for continued video meetings with his coaches and players, all in an effort to keep everyone engaged and motivated while baseball is in an indefinite hiatus.
“If you permit yourself, you can fill your day up pretty easily,” Maddon said. “This is something I have never really gotten into before. Right now, I think social media is as important as it’s ever been.”
