5 Reasons Joe Maddon Is Awesome -- As A Person
(CBS) The Cubs will announce the hiring of Joe Maddon as their new manager today, a move that's been the talk of the town in recent days.
In any setting, the one-of-a-kind Maddon brings a breath of fresh air. Here are five reasons why Maddon is simply awesome -- not as a manager but as simply as a person.
He lived in an RV for part of 2013
For a portion of the 2013 season while he was managing the Rays, Maddon and his wife, Jaye, lived in an RV on a campground near St. Petersburg. Sure, it was about as luxurious of an RV that you could find, but he was surely the only big league skipper to be retreating to a campground in the middle of a playoff race.
You can read more on that fascinating life stretch in this terrific profile.
He once made a lineup based on Tommy Tutone's 'Jenny'
On July 3 of this past season, Maddon created his lineup based on Tommy Tutone's classic "867-5309/Jenny" song. Using the corresponding baseball numbers, Maddon's order started with the center fielder, shortstop, left fielder, third baseman, first baseman, designated hitter and right fielder (and then catcher and second baseman). While it wasn't completely drastic with the speedy Desmond Jennings continuing to lead off and powerful Evan Longoria batting cleanup, it was definitely outside conventional thinking.
He once let a python into the clubhouse -- for real
The picture says it all.
He allows beer in the clubhouse
In 2011, the Red Sox collapsed in epic fashion down the stretch, missing the playoffs with a loss on the regular season's final night. Subsequent reports of starting pitchers eating chicken and drinking beer during games on days they didn't start soon surfaced, leading new manager Bobby Valentine in 2012 to announce they would ban beer in the clubhouse.
Ask if he'd consider doing the same, Maddon replied, "We're not the Boston Red Sox."
"If you're of legal age, and the game is over, and you've sweated and lost a bunch of pounds and you want to sit down and have a beer, I see nothing wrong with that," Maddon said.
Road trip shenanigans
Many a Rays road trips had themes that were chosen by Maddon.
