CHICAGO — A few spring trainings ago, back when Joe Maddon was still piloting Tampa Bay through the treacherous AL East waters, I had the chance to spend an hour or so chatting with the bespectacled manager in his office at the Rays’ complex in Port Charlotte, Fla.
I noticed a book propped open on his desk, and my first thought was, "Poor book."
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The pages were highlighted, circled and marked up in just about every way possible. It was obvious Maddon devoured books, as opposed to just casually reading them.