In a Sunday morning meeting at the Chicago Cubs spring training camp, the team established a few rules for the season, including the team's dress code. It seems pretty simple
"If you think you look hot, wear it," Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. "That's our dress code."
""I've always rallied against the fact that [the] previous generation really frowns upon noncollared shirts, which I've never understood," Maddon told reporters. "They've always been in favor of the collared shirt and that being more acceptable than the noncollared 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 $5,000 suit on the airplane ride makes no sense to me whatever. I don't know who you're trying to impress."
Maddon held the Sunday meeting with a group of veteran players he calls his "lead bulls." to discuss everything from Clubhouse decorum to how to set up the team's new locker room at Wrigley Field and which team flights should be open to players' families.
Maddon said he's never been a big fan of extraneous rules.
"Back in the day, minor-league managers would have all these rules up on the wall, man. And then you have the organizational stuff -- show an inch of red in the back, hair is at a certain length, no facial hair, can't have an earring, take it out and put it back in after the game. Well, I'm here to manage the team, not make rules."
Play on, horse player
Railbirds looking for the perfect woman may soon have an easier time finding her.
A new website schedlued to launch next month aims to pair horse racing fans with their "perfect partner for the track."
According to the news release, HandicappersOnly.com aims to "address the difficulty many players have in finding the right partner who understands their needs.
"The handicapping lifestyle is not traditional and there is a lot of time required to be successful at this craft," reads the release. "HandicappersOnly.com is looking to fill that void and allow players to find the best partner for their wagering way of life."
"We understand that racing fans are a unique group of people who do not have a lot of extra time to spend on finding their perfect partner," Alan Miller, the creator and Chief Financial Officer of HandicappersOnly.com, said in the release.
"Horse racing is tremendously popular among women," Miller said. "It is a fact that the Kentucky Derby is the third most popular sporting among women, after Olympic gymnastics and Olympic figure skating. Women love the glamour of the racing lifestyle, but they also appreciate the strength and beauty of the horse itself. We know that there are many casual racing fans who are women who are also looking for their perfect partner for the track."
Maybe member profiles will include Beyer Figures and pedigrees.
Road warriors
According to Brad Dickson of the Omaha (Neb.) World Herald, the Creighton softball team returned to Omaha last week after a 24-game road trip.
"Christopher Columbus and Lewis and Clark weren't gone that long," Dickson wrote. "The biggest challenge for Creighton's players after returning home? Remembering which dorm they live in."
Sports quiz
Where did Joe Maddon play college baseball?
Answer
Lafayette College in Easton, Pa.
Sports on 03/21/2016