PJ party! Cubs don one-piece jammies for flight home
LOS ANGELES — When the Cubs wrapped up their six-game West Coast trip, it was time for manager Joe Maddon and the club to break out the pajamas.
PJs for the Cubbies? Yep.
The plan was set in place before Sunday night's 2-0 victory, a no-hitter by Jake Arrieta at Dodger Stadium. Maddon had no idea the PJ theme party would turn into a celebration of the no-no Arrieta tossed moments earlier.
The right-hander pitched his first career no-hitter, the majors' sixth of the season and the Cubs' 14th in team history. Two Dodgers reached base, the first on a third-inning error by Cubs second baseman Starlin Castro and the second by way of a sixth-inning, two-out walk.
After Arrieta struck out the side in the ninth and the Cubs were done celebrating on the field, it was back to the clubhouse to get dressed for the overnight flight to Chicago.
Jake Arrieta becomes first MLB pitcher to throw a no-hitter and conduct postgame press conference in a onesie. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/1QJYglU2x5
— Dan Cahill (@dancahill_cst) August 31, 2015
Best thing @JArrieta34 did today? Wearing a MUSTACHE onesie to his press conference. #DomiNoNo #Legend pic.twitter.com/PmlkSpBVhj
— MLB (@MLB) August 31, 2015
Known for coming up with inventive themed apparel for his team at the end of a trip, Maddon's latest stab at sartorial splendor involved one-piece pajamas. Some have feet in them, just like the ones little kids wear.
"Mine's got a front trap and not a back trap door,'' he said, declining to reveal any other details. ''That's the most necessary thing on the plane ride.''
Joe Maddon onesie pic.twitter.com/H7WkIedHKB
— Jon Sciambi (@BoogSciambi) August 31, 2015
#Cubs wear onesies on trip home to Chicago: http://t.co/oyGRMpS3hO pic.twitter.com/eycsFDkIrS
— ChicagoSports (@ChicagoSports) August 31, 2015
@cubs onesie selfie pic.twitter.com/wBe7sB8zU8
— Anthony Rizzo (@ARizzo44) August 31, 2015
After the historic pitching gem, which included 12 strikeouts, several teammates took pictures with Arrieta, who was in a onesie covered in mustaches.
Congrats to the snake!! What a performance @JArrieta34 pic.twitter.com/gbZoBb4RzG
— Anthony Rizzo (@ARizzo44) August 31, 2015
@JArrieta34 straight dealing!!! #nono #poppinbottles pic.twitter.com/MoYKjWXSPF
— Tommy Hunter (@tHunter29) August 31, 2015
No no sorry about that !!!! #wearegood and @JArrieta34 is the best in the game pic.twitter.com/DcgPrMcf0R
— miguel montero (@miggymont26) August 31, 2015
@JArrieta34 threw a nono tonight incase you were wondering!! Post game interview in PJs! #Stud #Cubs #wearegood pic.twitter.com/jaqaYLjm7S
— Justin Grimm (@GrimmReaper_52) August 31, 2015
Before the game, some of the players donned their get-ups in the clubhouse.
@JArrieta34..filthy!! Onesies back to Chicago! pic.twitter.com/xor66z1wMH
— Kris Bryant (@KrisBryant_23) August 31, 2015
#Cubs to head home from LA in comfort http://t.co/XHQOoiHKKi pic.twitter.com/nsJTmIrt0N
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) August 30, 2015
Castro smiled in a Super Mario Bros. T-shirt and pants bearing the characters' faces, pitcher Hector Rondon wore a Superman onesie and pitcher Pedro Strop sported a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt and pants in a photo he posted on Twitter.
Reliever Fernando Rodney wore a blue-and-white top with matching pants, infielder Jonathan Herrera went low-key in a white T-shirt and plaid bottoms and center fielder Dexter Fowler donned a navy number.
Maddon said the PJs were optional for the players, but he hoped everyone would dress accordingly as a way to have fun together during their bid for a wild-card playoff spot.
With unseasonably hot temperatures in Los Angeles during their visit, Maddon said he was concerned about the bus to the airport and the plane being properly air-conditioned so the Cubs won't overheat in their jammies.
''I really thought that by this time of the year here, it was going to be cooler at night and they would play perfectly,'' he said. ''Bad call.''
Earlier in the season, Maddon had his players dress in Blackhawks gear for the city's hockey team, and sport coats with shorts or chinos another time.
In 2010, when he managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Maddon came up with what he called a ''BRayser,'' a combination of Rays and blazer. Mohawks and hair dye have figured into Maddon's version of building team unity, too.
By the way, if you want to buy a mustache onesie, here you go:
Where can you find a mustache onesie like @jarrieta34? Look no further. http://t.co/N5NkEqvB4L pic.twitter.com/gMPh0mLhnf
— Hall of Very Good™ (@HOVG) August 31, 2015