Major League Baseball

MLB won't let Rays manager wear hoodie

Published Apr. 19, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Baseball's fashion police have raided Joe Maddon's hood.

The Tampa Bay Rays manager has been told by Major League Baseball that he can no longer wear his favorite hoodie. Maddon likes to put on the pullover during cold days at the ballpark, but MLB said it's not approved for use during games.

Baseball reissued a memo last Friday saying managers and coaches could only wear jerseys or outwear OKed by MLB.

Maddon wore the pullover during the weekend at Fenway Park.

"The thing is we've been doing it for several years now and they've really cleaned them up," he said Monday after the Rays completed a four-game sweep of the Red Sox with an 8-2 win.

"There was a time where they first did it, it was more of -- the quality was less. The quality has been raised, it's more of a shiny kind of material now that I know presents well. I've seen them on TV, it presents really well. I have no idea why this is happening. For me, it's just a comfortable thing. I've always worn hoodies," he said.

Maddon, who prefers the pullover to big coats, said he wore it under his coat Friday during a rainy, chilly evening.

"We all heard about it," he said. "I wore it under the coat because it was cold and I needed it to stay warm."

Maddon said he enjoys how it fits, but he'll abide by the rules.

"Go back to your collegiate days, I did a lot of football -- I don't know if they think it looks too football-ish. I have no idea," he said. "All I know is that it's a comfortable piece of clothing, I think it's attractive, if you're looking for younger fan, I think those are the people that really are attracted to something like that, too. Listen, I will state my case because I think I can, but I will follow the rules, too."

Maddon has been something a fashion trendsetter in the majors. In 2008, he was among the first to start wearing the MLB-approved caps with the Elmer Fudd-style ear flaps during the postseason.