Any time the local paper does a piece on Joe Maddon, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, it mentions that he was born in Hazleton and went to school here in the Lehigh Valley, at Lafayette College in Easton.It also usually mentions that his mother still works at the 3rd Base Lunch, an old sandwich shop in Hazleton, which is an hour or so away away. Last week I finally made it up to the 3rd Base for lunch and it was super, all quite basic but super. The decor is as it was when the shop opened 60 years ago, with a couple of little counters and stools that seemed to be about a foot off the floor. What makes the 3rd Base, though, is its food. The sandwiches and hoagies are excellent.
Why the name 3rd Base? Because, I was told, it's the closest thing to home.
