by Tom Verducci
First published 2022
Joe Maddon opens his playbook after nearly two decades managing major league teams. The Pennsylvania native spent 15 years climbing through the minors before reaching the top tier of baseball. His unconventional approach transformed losing franchises into champions. He guided Tampa Bay from baseball's worst record to the World Series in consecutive seasons. Later, he broke the Cubs' 108-year championship drought. Maddon blends old-school values with modern methods, serving as strategist, philosopher, and motivational leader. He navigates the tension between analytics and intuition while managing superstars like Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Kris Bryant. His daily meditation practice and literary interests inform his unique perspective on leadership. The manager who tells players "If you think you look hot, wear it" offers mantras that extend beyond baseball. His principles about pressure, pleasure, and seeing with fresh eyes apply to any workplace or life situation.
Genres: biography, business, leadership, baseball, 21st-century
Vibes: inspirational, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: philosophy-and-strategy, transformation, unconventional-approach
Setting: Pennsylvania, Tampa Bay, Chicago
Period: 2000s, 2010s
369 pages · Hardcover · Twelve