Maddon: Definitely no ordinary Joe

If there were ever a screenplay waiting to write itself, it would be about the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays. Heading into the playoffs this year, the fan in me was pretty intrigued at possible World Series matchups. A Windy City series featuring the Cubs versus the White Sox? How about an antique-style Cubs-Red Sox mash-up? Or, for drama, how about Dodger Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez taking on the Beaneaters for old times’ sake? Could you imagine those ratings?

Then, straight out of central casting, comes a manager who looks like Spencer Tracy, wears Buddy Holly glasses and manages like Casey Stengel, and a team filled with talent, grit and such infectious energy that you couldn’t help but root for it to make the World Series.

No matter what the final ratings were for the Phillies-Rays series, real baseball fans saw a story for the ages unfold on their television screens.

A former minor-league catcher for the Angels, Joe Maddon fermented from 1996 to 2005 as the Angels bench coach. A serious candidate for the Red Sox job before Terry Francona took the helm in Boston, Maddon was tapped for the Rays job in 2005.

Things were not sunny in Florida when he arrived. Lou Piniella had just exited stage right, blasting ownership for not doing what it takes to win. Luckily, the owners took the criticism to heart and made changes from the top down, turning operations over to Stuart Sternberg, who then installed a new management team.

Sternberg reached out to Maddon, but before interviewing him, he sent Maddon a 47-page e-mail attachment outlining his baseball philosophy. Maddon, himself known as a computer wonk throughout the league, loved it. He interviewed well, and he was hired.

But there were strings. Sternberg only offered a two-year contract, not the usual three, to Maddon. He had just invested more than $10 million worth of improvements to Tropicana Field, and was actively wooing fans to come see the product he was putting on the field. He needed a quick turnaround.

The Rays continued to lose, but there were a few bright spots under Maddon. The team managed a winning record at home in 2006 (41-40), attendance was up 20 percent and the team was developing strong young players. Maddon’s number-crunching showed that the Rays were the best “six-inning team” in the league.

Armed with new pitchers, a new name (Devils are bad luck, right?) and a new mantra, “9 equals 8” (meaning if they played nine full innings of fundamental baseball, they’d be in the playoffs), Maddon and the Rays finally broke through in 2008.

They were fun to watch, fun to root for, but pretty hard on the ears … you know, we probably could have used just a little less cowbell.