Joe Maddon
 

Joe Maddon did the unthinkable. He managed the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908 in only his second season as the club's manager.

So why did he celebrate in an Angels hat?

For his dad.

In between Games 5 and 6 on Monday night, Maddon was asked if he came across any good omens, down 3-2 in the World Series.

"Omens, I don't know," he said. "I did see my dad's hat in my bag today. I carry my dad's hat with me."

"He passed away in 2002, we won the World Series, and I've had his old Angel hat in my bag since then. So it goes everywhere. So the one thing I'm relying on today is my dad. I held onto his hat a little bit this morning, and that's probably the omen in a sense going into this game."

Maddon signed a minor-league contract with the Angels in 1975 and spent 31 seasons in the organization. He played in the minors until 1979, then served a scout, hitting coach and manager in the farm system until 1994. That's when he finally got his call-up to the majors as the Angels' bullpen coach. Maddon also served as a first base coach, bench coach and interim manager (three times for the Angels). In 2002, Maddon was the bench coach when the Angels won the World Series in seven games.

His father (also named Joe) died during that 2002 championship season before Maddon won his first World Series ring. So after Maddon left Anaheim -- he managed the Rays from 2006-2014, reaching the 2008 World Series -- he carried the hat with him. He brought it to Chicago, where he was hired in 2015.

Maddon usually keeps the hat in the bag. This isn't Michael Jordan wearing his North Carolina shorts under his Bulls shorts. Maddon just likes having the hat in the same building as him.

"I put it in my back pocket in the tenth inning," Maddon says.

Joe Sr. was on the field Wednesday night, in the form of a hat, as his son celebrated his first World Series as a manager. And based on those sweat stains, he hasn't aged a day since 2002, and it puts a fresh twist on the whole Angels in the Outfield thing.

-- Follow Jeff Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband. Like Jeff Eisenband on Facebook.