Undercover Brother
Watch Mike Trout crash a Joe Maddon Zoom call as “Mike from Golf Digest” to break down Maddon’s swing
When Joe Maddon joined the Anaheim Los Angeles Angels in 2019, he was touted as just the kind of fun-loving, wine-drinking cool dad to finally get the most of the modern MLB’s most disappointing franchise. No longer would Mike Trout’s Hall of Fame career be frittered away. No longer would Shohei Ohtani be the potential second coming of Babe Ruth. This time, the angel in the outfield would be in the dugout instead.
Then three weeks before Maddon’s first Opening Day as Angles manager, COVID hit and best laid plans everywhere went up in a mushroom cloud.
A year later, however, the Maddon Effect is finally being felt in Anaheim. Ohtani is crushing bombs to all fields, Jose Quintana is throwing like the ace they so desperately need, and, most of all, the clubhouse is having fun again, as evidenced by this video of Mike Trout crashing a Joe Maddon Zoom call on Wednesday posing as “Mike from Golf Digest” (that’s us!) If you’re a fan of guys being dudes, this one is definitely for you.
Little does Trout know, but there are actually a couple of Mikes from Golf Digest. How they feel about Maddon’s new swing key (“It’s all about this movement with the left knee coming in and getting to your right heel for your turn.” Maddon says) remains to be seen, but it seems to be working just fine for the Angels skipper.
“The other day,” Maddon continues, seizing the opportunity to talk about his newfound game with both hands and shaking it until limp, “I hit a 5-iron over 200 yards. I’ve never done that before in my life.”
Sheesh, coach. With that kind of pop, they ought to get you in the lineup . . . or at the very least the senior tour.