By now, Joe Maddon has gained some notoriety for his road-trip antics.
The Tampa Bay Rays manager has incorporated dress codes more suited for a themed frat party than a cross country trip to play a major league baseball game.
For the past five or so seasons, Maddon and the Rays players have made traditionally lackluster road trips into amusing costume extravaganzas, tailoring their dress code to a suitable theme for their ultimate destination.
There was the “Grunge” look for their trip to Seattle, the birthplace of legendary rock band Nirvana. Then there was the pajama-theme for a red eye flight to Baltimore in 2011, with loads of other clever ideas in between.
Maddon’s latest costume gag: “nerd”-themed outfits meant to poke fun at FOX baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal, who regularly adorns a bowtie on air.
While the themes have a distinct element of amusement tied to them, there is a greater purpose to the Rays’ actions. Maddon, while he obviously enjoys goofing off as much as the next guy, has charitable intentions behind his costume frolics. For their nerd theme, the Rays players collected $3,000 for various different charities – that’s $100 per bowtie.
Click here to see more photos of the Rays and their bow ties >>
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@DAVIDprice14
