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Rays' Manager Maddon Dines In The White House

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 6, 2009

Having already conquered Rome, Prague and London during a whirlwind offseason, Washington was a natural final stop for Joe Maddon and his new bride.

The Tampa Bay Rays' manager and his wife, Jaye, dined at the White House Sunday night along with perhaps a half-dozen other couples as guests of President George W. Bush. The invitation was arranged in November by the author and baseball fanatic George Will.

Though Maddon described the scene as "very casual, in a sense," there was no denying the impact of the setting.

"It was great; it really was," Maddon said Monday night. "You walk out on a little bit of a high, I think. You think about the [Oval] office, the building, what has happened in this building, my God…"

Bush led the small group on a tour of the White House following dinner, taking them to the Oval Office and explaining various aspects of the room and the artwork that adorns it.

The Maddons already had soaked up plenty of fine dining and treasures from the art world during their honeymoon trip throughout Europe in November, but being shown around by a head of state was something else entirely.

"President Bush was a very, very gracious host," Maddon said.

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227.

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