CHICAGO -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he was sitting in bed on Friday night when he heard the news that Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight champion who transcended boxing, had died at 74.
Maddon never met Ali. But like many, he almost felt as if he knew him. The death of any cultural icon can create the urge to turn introspective -- and it's no different for Maddon, who grew up in Hazleton, Pa., about 30 miles from the Deer Lake camp where Ali trained for many of his biggest fights.
"If you're of [a certain] age, a part of your childhood is gone, actually," Maddon said.