Joe Maddon doesn’t like dress codes.
In an interview Ted Berg of For The Win, the Cubs manager said the only dress code policy his Chicago Cubs will abide by is ““If you think you look hot, wear it,” adding “that’s our dress code.” That’s very Zoolander of Maddon.
Maddon discussed his distaste for dress codes, saying he’s never understood why players have to wear specific shirts or $5000 suits when boarding an airplane.
“The previous generation really frowns upon non-collared shirts, which I’ve never understood. They’ve always been in favor of the collared shirt and that being more acceptable than the non-collared shirt. I’ve never understood that logic. For me, there’s no such thing as having to have a specific shirt on. The biggest topic of discussion was shorts or not on the road. And again, if you wore shorts on the road I would never recognize that, so you’d get away with it. The $5000 suit on the airplane ride makes no sense to me whatever. I don’t know who you’re trying to impress.”
The logic behind Maddon’s thinking is pretty sound. Who exactly are players trying to impress when wearing a suit to board an airplane? They’re real people, and after a long, grueling physical activity like baseball, the last thing they probably want to do is constrict themselves with fancy clothes. If a Cubs player looks hot and happens to be wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, so be it. Maddon’s dress code policy should be universal across baseball. It’s time to #FreeTheSweatpants.
