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Maddon moved by visit

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: July 18, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Joe Maddon said he was moved by his visit Friday to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where he was presented the museum organization's 2008 AL Manager of the Year Award.

Maddon and his coaching staff toured the museum, and Maddon received his award on the "Field of Dreams," featuring life-size statues of the Negro Leagues' greatest stars.

"The museum is not big, but it's powerful, and it's run really well," Maddon said. "Marketing director Bob Kendrick is really knowledgeable in regard to all the memorabilia and players and their careers.

"The last part is, the award is given to me on a field with the best Negro Leagues players of all time basically surrounding you. So, it was pretty neat."

The Rays also made a $5,000 donation to the museum through the Rays Baseball Foundation.

Maddon, who is respectful of baseball history and tradition, said the visit also was an education.

He was surprised to learn how many teams there were, the fact that the first game under lights was played in the Negro Leagues and that pitcher Satchel Paige, the oldest rookie to play in the majors at about 50, might have been 10 years older than documented.

He enjoyed Paige's tale about James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell - whom some historians consider the fastest man ever to play baseball - flipping off the light switch and making it into his bed before the lights went out.

"I heard all the lore," Maddon said. "But there's a timeline there that also includes what was going on socially, as well as the baseball aspects at that particular time.

"I really believe that story needs to be told in more detail. And I really believe today's players, when they come to Kansas City, need to go there. Because I know if you played a game in Cooperstown where the Baseball Hall of Fame is located, you would attend at some point."

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