Maddon takes road trip to hometown Hazleton

PHILADELPHIA -- Despite coming in the middle of a 10-game, three-city road trip -- which itself falls in the midst of a crowded postseason race -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon was not going to miss an opportunity to visit his hometown this week.

So after flying from Cincinnati to Philadelphia last Sunday night, Maddon hopped in a car and made the two-hour trip to Hazleton, Pa., a small town approximately 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Hazleton is also less than a 90-minute drive from Williamsport, Pa., where Maddon's Cubs will take on the Pirates in Sunday night's Little League Classic presented by GEICO, at Historic Bowman Field on ESPN.

"Strangely enough, I’ve never been there. It's really weird, but I’ve never been to Williamsport," Maddon said. "So I’m looking forward to that. As a kid growing up, Williamsport had that special meaning, and it really still does. When someone says Williamsport, you know exactly what it’s all about -- you’re talking about the Little League World Series. That's pretty cool for a town to have."

The fact that the Little League World Series has helped put a small Pennsylvania town on the map also hits close to home for Maddon.

It's no secret that Maddon holds his Hazleton in the highest regard. He makes his way back after each season and, if his schedule permits, once or twice during the summer. That's where he was on Monday, the Cubs' first off-day after playing 13 games in 13 days, to host a golf tournament to benefit the Hazleton Integration Project.

That project aims to "provide educational, cultural and athletic opportunities for economically disadvantaged children in Hazleton," a town that has seen its Latino population surge to close to 50 percent today from 4.9 percent in 2000.

"Anybody who talks to Joe Maddon understands how close Hazleton is to his heart," said Bob Curry, co-founder of the project. "He credits all of his success to the way he was brought up in Hazleton, and he has a really utopian idea about growing up there. He often says that it’s the best place in the world for a kid to grow up, and he's doing everything he can to ensure every child in Hazleton feels that same way."

It's with that in mind that Maddon and his wife, Jaye, along with Curry and his wife, Elaine (she is also Maddon's cousin), came up with the idea for the three-story Hazleton One Community Center "over a glass or two of wine" in 2011. It has since grown to include three pre-kindergarten classes -- for which there is currently a waiting list to enroll -- as well as an after-school scholars' program and a wildly successful summer camp.

Maddon's golf tournament in Hazleton raised approximately $60,000 for the project. He will host another golf outing to benefit the organization on Monday -- the Cubs' only other off-day in a 27-day span -- after flying back from Sunday's game in Williamsport.

"Who does that? His dedication to this is truly extraordinary," Curry said. "Look, everybody loves their hometown. Everyone says, ‘Oh yeah, our hometown is so wonderful.’ And then they get on a plane and fly away to never come back. Joe never left. His heart is still in Hazleton. He spends as much time in the Hazleton area as he possibly can."

Maybe that's why the baseball aficionado never made the trip to nearby Williamsport -- he simply didn't want to waste any time he could be spending in Hazleton. Whatever the reason, Maddon will finally cross central Pennsylvania's baseball paradise off his bucket list this weekend.

“This one’s so exciting for me. It's one of the better events that MLB puts on," Maddon said. "This is the essence of what we do. In clubhouses throughout baseball, we’ll watch a Little League World Series game before we’re going to watch another Major League game in a heartbeat. It’s so well done. The kids are into it -- they really exude what the game is all about. There’s a purity in the way they do it and the enthusiasm is outstanding."

Maddon compared his excitement for finally seeing the sights in Williamsport to his memories of seeing Wrigley Field or Fenway Park for the first time. He'll take those memories back to Chicago, where the Cubs will continue their postseason push in the National League Central.

Though he is always eager to get back to Hazleton, Maddon hopes his next trip home will be delayed an extra month -- until after the completion of the World Series.

"As soon as the season’s over, I’ll be back there," Maddon said. "We’ve got a beautiful home back there. A lot of good friends. It’s still home. It’s home."