Joe Maddon is headed back to Tropicana Field for a moment that will feel familiar to Rays fans who remember how much of the franchise’s identity he helped shape.
Maddon, the longtime manager whose bold tactics and different kind of clubhouse style helped drive Tampa Bay to its first American League championship in 2008, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the World Series between the Rays and Brewers on Monday night.
That means the man in the dugout when the Rays last hosted the Fall Classic will be back inside The Trop for the first World Series game there since 2008. Tampa Bay dropped that series to the Phillies in five games, but its lone victory came in Game 2, a 4-2 win on Oct.
23, 2008. James Shields started that game, David Price finished it and the RBIs came from B.J.
Upton, Carlos Peña, Jason Bartlett and Evan Longoria.
Maddon spent nine seasons managing the Rays, and his time in Tampa Bay was defined by the club’s climb from the cellar-dwelling Devil Rays to a consistent contender. That stretch included the World Series run, an AL East title in 2010, a Wild Card berth won in Game 162 in 2011 and another postseason trip in 2013.
He also became one of the most recognizable figures in franchise history for reasons that went well beyond the standings. The Rays leaned into analytically driven ideas under Maddon, using shifts and platoons, but he also brought his own quirks to the job - no formal dress codes, themed dress-up trips and the occasional appearance of animals and other acts in the clubhouse.
His impact with the organization is reflected in the numbers too. Maddon won 754 games and made four playoff trips with the Rays, trailing only Kevin Cash in both victories and postseason appearances.
He left after the 2014 season and quickly guided the Cubs to the playoffs in 2015, then to the end of a 108-year championship drought in 2016. He spent five years in Chicago before managing the Angels from 2020-22.
Now 72, Maddon has remained a familiar presence around Tampa Bay. He was back at Tropicana Field for Cubs-Rays games on Sept. 19-20, 2017, and returned again with the Angels in June 2021. He also weighed in on the Rays’ “Forever Home” ballpark pursuit in June in a guest column for MLB.com.
The Rays made the tease obvious on social media during Sunday’s World Series travel day, posting a photo of Maddon’s signature black-rimmed glasses. Maddon had already hinted at the return in a recent WDAE radio appearance when he was asked whether he would attend the Rays’ first World Series games at Tropicana Field since 2008.
“All I’ll tell you is that I will be there,” Maddon said on WDAE.
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