"Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon was asked before Tuesday's game with the Red Sox for his opinion on third baseman Evan Longoria owning an AK-47 rifle.
The rifle was one of the items stolen Saturday when the house Longoria rented in Port Charlotte for spring training with teammates David Price and Reid Brignac was burglarized.
Maddon, who is not big on rules other than showing up on time and running hard to first base, agreed with Longoria's statement that the rifle is a "personal item."
"They're big boys. I heard about it. It's like a lot of different things you're not going to be aware of, I'm not going to be aware of in somebody's personal life, and I'm not going to say whether I'm for or against it. That's a choice that he made," Maddon said.
The rifle was among $56,000 of goods stolen from the home when someone entered through an unlocked window Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. while the players were at Charlotte Sports Park."