Joe Maddon set to throw ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 at Tropicana Field

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

ST. PETERSBURG — The World Series is returning to Tropicana Field, and Joe Maddon is returning with it. MLB announced that Maddon will throw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night at Tropicana Field.

Maddon’s connection to the Rays is deeply tied to the franchise’s first American League championship. He previously led Tampa Bay to its first AL pennant in 2008, a run shaped by what MLB describes as his bold, unconventional approach to managing and daily team routines.

MLB also noted that the Rays’ most recent World Series game played inside their home dome before Monday is part of Maddon’s Tampa Bay history. The last time Tropicana Field hosted the Fall Classic, Maddon was the Rays’ manager, and Tampa Bay defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 2 on Oct. 23, 2008. MLB said James Shields started that game, David Price finished it, and Tampa Bay’s runs came from B.J. Upton, Carlos Peña, Jason Bartlett and Evan Longoria.

The ceremonial first pitch announcement lands within a longer timeline of Maddon’s tenure in Tampa Bay. According to MLB, he managed the Rays for nine years and guided the club to multiple major postseason milestones beyond the 2008 championship run, including an AL East title in 2010, an AL Wild Card berth achieved in Game 162 in ’11, and another postseason appearance in ’13.

MLB characterized Maddon’s presence as a meaningful moment for fans because of how he is remembered for helping establish the Rays as a consistent contender. The league specifically referenced the Rays’ transformation under his direction—from the Devil Rays era to an organization described as perennially contending—and said the style included things such as shifting strategies and platoon use.

In addition to baseball planning, MLB pointed to personal touches that were associated with Maddon during his time in Tampa Bay. Those references included eliminating formal dress codes, organizing themed dress-up trips, and, on occasion, bringing animals and other acts into the clubhouse environment.

MLB further stated that Maddon won 754 games with the Rays and made four trips to the playoffs with Tampa Bay. The league contrasted that total with Kevin Cash’s later record by noting Cash’s 994 wins and six postseason appearances, while still emphasizing Maddon as a key benchmark figure in Rays history.

After leaving Tampa Bay, MLB said Maddon joined the Chicago Cubs following the 2014 season and immediately returned the Cubs to the postseason in 2015. The league also noted that he helped Chicago end its 108-year championship drought in 2016 and that he spent five years with the Cubs before departing to manage the Los Angeles Angels from 2020 through 2022.

The announcement also situates Maddon’s return within his broader ties to the Rays area and his past visits to Tropicana Field. MLB said Maddon has been back to Tropicana Field since leaving the Rays, including when he managed the Cubs against Tampa Bay at The Trop on Sept. 19-20, 2017, and when he did so as the Angels’ manager in June 2021.

MLB described Maddon as weighing in on the Rays’ “Forever Home” ballpark pursuit in a guest column in June, and it said he did so in his capacity as someone with ongoing connections to the Tampa Bay area.

Before the Game 3 ceremonial pitch, MLB reported that the Rays publicly hinted at the appearance during Sunday’s World Series travel day. The league said Tampa Bay posted a picture of Maddon’s signature black-rimmed glasses.

MLB also stated that Maddon teased his return in a recent WDAE radio appearance. In that interview context, MLB reported that he was asked whether he would be in attendance for 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, as reported by MLB.

With Game 3 set for Monday night at Tropicana Field, MLB’s announcement makes the ceremonial first pitch a central pregame storyline. Maddon’s return brings the Rays’ 2008 World Series memory—particularly their Game 2 win inside their home dome—into the spotlight again as Tampa Bay plays for the next chapter of the current World Series against the Brewers.

The Rays’ history at Tropicana Field and the legacy of Maddon’s clubhouse methods are positioned to meet in the ballpark atmosphere as the World Series resumes at The Trop, with Monday night’s Game 3 serving as the stage for his return in the form of the ceremonial first pitch.