Rays tease former Cubs manager Joe Maddon for World Series Game 3 first pitch

The Milwaukee Brewers are two games away from sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series but with the series headed to Tampa Bay, the Rays may be turning to former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon to provide a spark.

Game 3 of the World Series is on Monday night, and the Rays took to social media to tease an appearance from Maddon. No further details were provided, though, the implication is that Maddon will be in attendance.

Rays tease bringing Joe Maddon back for a special World Series moment

The tease is Maddon's iconic glassed witht he Tampa Bay logo in the corner. Of course, Maddon was the manager of the first Rays teams that went to the World Series in 2008, and it was that appearance that started his ascent to being viewed as one of the game's best managers at the time.

Interestingly, the reverse was the case for Maddon's arrival in Chicago. Hiring Maddon ahead of the 2015 season was the defining moment for Theo Epstein's rebuild with the Cubs. It signaled that the rebuild was over, and that Maddon's arrival was meant to get the team to the next level. Of course, it also helped that Maddon was overseeing a team that saw the arrivals of Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Kyle Schwarber. Not to mention, the free-agent additions of Jon Lester and Jason Heyward.

In Maddon's sophomore season, the Cubs won the World Series. But was how Maddon managed Games 6 and 7 of the the World Series that may have put him at odds with the front office, and the relationship never seemed to improve. Time heals hall wounds, and it does appear that Maddon and the Cubs are now on good terms. Maddon was welcomed back to Wrigley Field over the summer when the Cubs celebrated the 10-year anniversary for the 2016 team.

Maddon has a brief run as the manager of the Angels from 2020 but was fired in the middle of this third season in LA. It's felt like the game has passed Maddon by, and in part, it can be traced back to what broke down in his relationship with Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and the Cubs front office. Front offices have more say with in-game management, and Maddon has offered some resistance to that concept.

Nonetheless, given the success he's had with the Cubs and Rays, there's always going to be some level of nostalgia felt when he makes an appearance for either team.

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