Tampa Bay Devil Rays hire Joe Maddon to be their next manager

A contract was finalized yesterday and a press conference will be held today to make it official. I don't envy the Maddon who was a coach for the Los Angeles Angels before getting this job. Tampa was short on talent, payroll, and good people in the front office. The team has just hired a new GM so the last may have changed. Time will only tell.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays hired Los Angeles Angels bench coach Joe Maddon as manager, adding another important piece to what they hope is a winning formula for the future.

Maddon finalized a contract Monday for his first full-time managing job in the major leagues. He replaces Lou Piniella and inherits a solid nucleus of young talent that ownership expects to blossom in the next few years.

The Devil Rays confirmed the hiring, scheduling a press conference for Tuesday to introduce Maddon as Piniella's successor. The St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune reported in Monday editions that the team selected Maddon over incumbent Devil Rays bench coach John McLaren the day before.

"I'm very happy, excited, eager, all those things," Maddon told the Times. "It's a great situation and I'm really looking forward to it."

Maddon, 33-26 in three stints as Angels interim manager in 1996, 1998 and 1999, did not immediately return phone messages left by The Associated Press.