CLEVELAND — Joe Maddon manages the Cubs but carries an Angels hat around with him in his bag. But it’s not about any deep-seeded loyalty to the club that employed him as a bench coach for years. Maddon explained on Tuesday before Game 6 of the World Series that the hat belonged to his late father.

Asked if he noticed any omens before the game, Maddon said:

Omens, I don’t know. 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.

So there you have it: Baseball’s a superstitious sport, and even a guy as intellectual and analytical as Joe Maddon travels with a sentimental keepsake.

Here’s hoping it’s an Angels hat better than this one Maddon rocked in 1999, though. These were not the best uniforms:

Maddon’s Cubs are looking to stave off elimination in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday.