Joe Maddon, as we know, is about so much more than baseball. He can talk fine wines, vintage rock ‘n roll and immigration issues, for openers. Now add JFK assassination conspiracy. He’s a total Warren Commission disbeliever.
So it was no surprise that during the Rays’ recent trip to Arlington, Texas, Maddon found time to do something other than manage three wins against the Rangers. He also visited nearby Dallas and checked out Dealey Plaza and the Texas School Book Depository. But he didn’t just do a tourist drive-by. That wouldn’t be the Maddon MO. He also managed to meet up with Buell Frazier, an acquaintance of Lee Harvey Oswald, who drove Oswald to work that fateful day of Nov. 22, 1963.
Back to baseball, Maddon’s comments after a recent (sold-out) home loss against the Yankees had an uncharacteristic edge. It was about crowd support for the visitors that was much more than polite shout-outs for the retiring Derek Jeter, who will be back again next month. In fact, Jeter said the crowd dynamic made it “almost like a home game.”
Maddon was not pleased–especially about the cacophonous roar greeting Jeter’s game-winning hit and the booing directed at Jake Magee for an up-and-in pitch to Jeter–and not nuanced about the displeasure. “I’m not going to sit here and defend all of that noise in the Yankees’ favor in our ballpark,” he noted.
Maddon’s pique is understandable.
The hybrid market that is Tampa Bay still has its Yankee and Red Sox loyalists. It’s one thing for visitors from New York or Boston to come down here in non-tourist season and stay in our hotels and dine in our restaurants and then go to a Rays-Yankees game and root against the Rays. We get the trade-off and, frankly, we’re grateful for summer visitors–even those with tell-tale Northeastern accents wearing Pedroia and Jeter jerseys.
But for those who live HERE–as opposed to there–and still carry that high-decibel allegiance, however acquired, it’s beyond annoying. Especially if you’re sitting around them.