July 02--Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon leaned back in his chair and acknowledged that he was aware of the past developments with the Los Angeles Angels, where general manager Jerry Dipoto resigned Wednesday after reports of a power struggle with manager Mike Scioscia surfaced.
Maddon's history is deep rooted in the Angels' organization and talks fondly of the people he worked there for 25 years. But he also elaborated on how the role of manager has changed and the need for the front office and the manager to work in harmony.
"In today's world, there has to be synergy between this seat and the front office to make it resonate for years," Maddon said Thursday. "I like it. I only want to do my job and leave and have my glass of wine and ride my bike in the morning and not worry about making a ton of phone calls and player personnel decisions. Do only what I do."
Maddon and the Cubs front office disagreed in spring training over where infielder Javier Baez should start the regular season, but Maddon was at peace after executives elected to option Baez to the minors for more seasoning at the plate.
"There should be disagreements," Maddon said. "A healthy component is when you feel comfortable. I've talked about how do you get to that point. You build a relationship and trust each other. And then it becomes a healthy debate. If there's no relationship and trust, then it becomes push back on both sides, and therein lies the difference."
Maddon appreciates the help he gets from the "geek department," which provides information that he seeks in running a game, such as pitch selection, why a hitter could be struggling, or a pitcher's arm slot.
When it was mentioned that Scioscia, whom Maddon worked for as a bench coach for six seasons, was an autocratic manager, Maddon smiled.
"I really believe in the executive, judicial and legislative branches," Maddon said. "I believe in all that stuff."
Maddon said he hasn't spoken with Scioscia since Dipoto resigned.
