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Gamble Or Not, Rays Roll With Their Own

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 2, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Remember that scene in "Hoosiers," where Gene Hackman hears the catcalls at a Hickory pep rally?

The Hackmeister points to his players, including one runt.

"This is your team."

So it is with your Rays whether you like it or not.

I like it not.

There was no Jason Bay, no big move at the trade deadline, no counter to what the Red Sox and Yankees did.

But Ray after Ray didn't blink before Friday's game with the Tigers.

"We got here together," Rays first baseman Carlos Pena said. "... If anything, we feel relieved that we're together, every single player, we're still here. That's fine with us."

"I'm good with it, absolutely," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

James Shields, what say you?

"This is our team."

A Move Sends A Message

This is still a gamble.

Standing pat should not have been an option.

Yes, the Rays, together, every single player, lead the AL East by three games with exactly a third of the season to go. It's remarkable stuff.

Yes, they've earned some benefit of the doubt. That goes for Maddon and baseball ops chief Andrew Friedman, who should be runaway winners for manager and executive of the year.

The deals Friedman worked before this season, particularly bringing in Troy Percival and Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza, are big reasons why this team is deep into the hunt.

This is still a gamble.

The best trade news Thursday was that the Rays don't have to face Manny Ramirez in September.

Scratch one 500-homer man.

Think the Red Sox are better this morning?

The worst trade news is that the Rays did nothing.

No pitching help. No hitting help.

Oh, they tried to land Jason Bay, and apparently offered up a crib of prospects, but it didn't happen.

Maybe if Manny had run out a few more grounders in Fenway, the BoSox would have kept him and Bay would be a Ray.

Maybe. Maybe not.

I think the Rays needed someone.

I would have made a move, at any price save for David Price.

I think the Red Sox and Yankees are there for the taking.

I think that window doesn't stay open long.

It's open right now.

You send a message, loud and clear.

Yes, I see their side.

They think their starting pitching won't fade, especially if it gets an injection of Price and Percival stays healthy.

They think the defense won't fade with Bartlett back in there.

Pitching and defense, isn't that what you want?

They think their right-field hybrid (Eric Hinske, Gabe Gross, Jonny Gomes) has produced, and it has (20 homers, 53 RBIs).

They think they have three Jason Bays, names of B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena - if they answer the call.

"We're going to get hot at some point," Maddon said.

Will Hitting Come?

But it's been four months, with offense coming in drips and drabs.

Think the pressure won't build on this pitching staff?

The Rays stick to the line that the hitting will come.

"Do I feel we can make it with what we have? No doubt," Rays DH Cliff Floyd said. "And we're going to get better in September, because we got a lot prospects down there and guys are going to come up and help this team get to the promised land."

"We'll be there," Upton said. "It's cool. We've got 25 guys we want to roll with. Help is always good, but at the same time, we don't need it. We've done it all year. We'll show people what we're all about."

In two months, if this is a playoff team, the Rays will be geniuses. If they're on the outside looking in, well, look out.

I would have made a move.

The Rays move? They opened the homestand Friday with a 5-2 win over Detroit. Pena hit a homer. Evan Longoria blasted his 20th. The bullpen made up for an erratic Scott Kazmir.

This is their team.

We've reached the two-thirds pole.

This bunch, every single player, is 20 games over .500.

By the way, Boston stayed three back by beating Oakland in extra innings. Jason Bay tripled in the 12th and scored the game-winning run.

What do I know, anyway?

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