UPDATE, 6:05: Maddon said he went for the dye job to help lighten the mood around the team, and that the dirty work was done by his wife, Jaye. "Been wanting to do it, was looking to do something different,  we had the "Ring of Fire" roadtrip coming up,'' he said. "I was going to wait until Sunday night to do it, then I thought why not in advance just to get it out there, loosen things up a bit. ..I think we've been playing hard, we definitely care, I've been looking for an avenue to lighten things up a bit. So I went with darker hair to lighten things up a bit.''

Maddon said he thought the black hair - a first for him, his natural color is brown, and he's been "silver" for a long time - fit in well with the Johnny Cash themed trip. And he plans to encourage other members of the team and traveling party - he mentioned reliever J.P. Howell and INF/OF Ben Zobrist and radio guy Andy Freed specificially - to do the same. 

Maddon said he first started going "silver" in his 20s, but it was full-blown by the late 1990s. And the last time he died his hair? "2002 - and the Angels went to the World Series.''

Regardless of how the Rays respond to the "change at the top," Maddon, 55, said he'll keep the dark look: "It's here to stay.''

DEVELOPING: Biggest news of the day - Rays manager Joe Maddon sporting black hair rather than usual "silver" for upcoming "Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash, wear-black trip.

Said SS Jason Bartlett: "I didn't recognize him."

Also, "I heard his wife likes it so that's all that matters."