By ANDREW ASTLEFORD
The Tampa Bay Rays’ first road trip of the season has an old-school feel to it.
The Rays, known for themed excursions away from Tropicana Field under manager Joe Maddon, debuted blue letterman jackets in a series against the Texas Rangers this week. They feature white sleeves with a large “sunburst” logo on the left front.
It’s a nice touch to keep players loose and build chemistry on a 10-game, 11-day trip that includes stops against the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, in addition to the just-completed three-game set at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
"Really high-quality, well-made, simple, and I like simple," Maddon told the Tampa Bay Times this week. "Majestic did an outstanding job with it. I'm real excited about it. I think they're going to be received well."
Maddon has said, as of now, there are no plans to sell the jackets. But will they bring good luck? It’s too early to tell. The Rays dropped two games against the Rangers, but they did pose for a photo to keep before boarding buses to begin their trek to Boston, where they begin a four-game series on Friday.
Presenting the 2013 Rays Varsity baseball team...will you go to prom with them? (Check Yes or No): twitter.com/RaysBaseball/s…
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 11, 2013
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
