One of the most hated villains in recent Pirates history is former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon.
He called Pirates pitching “out of control” back in 2019 and in 2015 seemingly downplayed, then infielder, Jung Ho Kang’s knee injury speculating it was plantar fasciitis.
Generally speaking, Maddon is not a very well-liked person but he has some high praise for the 2023 Pirates, mostly because they’re doing it the way he would.
“I like the way [Derek Shelton] is doing this,” said Maddon, adding that with how aggressive the Pirates are on the bases and their athleticism make them hard for opposing teams to plan for.
He does expect the Pirates to fall off a bit, saying other teams may catch up and figure out what the Pirates are doing, but he does believe what the team is doing is “sustainable.”
“Overall, stay with the game plan guys, looks really good,” added Maddon.
Then he starts to explain why he thinks its working so well for the Pirates, and of course, it’s because that’s what he would do.
“I’m very familiar with this method of play and I’m telling you this works all the time,” said Maddon. “That’s why I love what the Pirates are doing, love what the [Tampa Bay] Rays are doing, it’s very familiar to me. I’ve been with a lot of these dudes and I really appreciate how they’re going about their business.”
Shelton was a hitting coach under Maddon while in Tampa.