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Sternberg Hopes It Continues

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2008

NEW YORK - NEW YORK - Before Tuesday night, Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg last saw his team play in person about 21/2 weeks ago at Tropicana Field.

Of the Rays' play at that point, he said: "You can't ask for more."

Maybe not, but his team has delivered more. Entering Tuesday's game at Yankee Stadium, the Rays were 11-2 since that series Sternberg witnessed against the Astros, and he said each day that goes by has him more convinced Tampa Bay has some staying power.

"I was personally pointing towards the All-Star Game, and I was not going to look past that until we got through this stretch and see how we performed, and the team has answered the bell - I think, in a dramatic fashion," Sternberg said Tuesday.

As such, Sternberg could have opened the New York-area newspaper of his choice Tuesday morning and found a story lauding the Rays and their rise to the best record in baseball. Every media outlet had at least one, and local reporters packed the Rays' clubhouse Tuesday to write about it some more.

Of course the Rays' primary goal is to keep their remarkable story rolling into the real meat of the season, and Sternberg pledged to do whatever he could "to give us the greatest opportunity to continue this."

Meaning?

"Just always looking," he said. "That's all we can do. This is sort of the hand we're dealt, and it's a great hand and we love it, but if there's anything we can do to help ensure it - and it doesn't necessarily have to be players from other organizations, potentially, but players from our own organization and how we utilize the guys internally."

Sternberg said he doesn't expect "a lot" of movement by the Rays in the weeks before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, "but we're going to react and be as aggressive as we can be with helping to give us the greatest chance to succeed."

BETTER THIS WAY: Tuesday marked Evan Longoria's playing debut at Yankee Stadium, but it wasn't his first trip to the hallowed ballpark.

Gazing out from the third-base dugout a couple of hours before game time, Longoria gestured toward the seats behind the Yankees' dugout. He watched a game from there, about five rows back, when he was 16.

"I was here with my buddy, just on vacation, and we got some tickets from his mom and watched it. It was an incredible experience," Longoria said. "I'm happy to be here as a player now, but I'm sure it'll be a lot different as a player."

And returning here next week as an All-Star would take it up a few notches. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, MLB said Longoria still held a "small advantage" in online balloting for the final spot on the AL roster.

OFF THE HOOK: Speaking of All-Star festivities, Dioner Navarro's phone has been buzzing non-stop since he was named to the AL squad Sunday.

"On my way over here to the stadium I listened to 23 voice messages," Navarro said. "It's been kind of crazy the last two days. I didn't know making the All-Stars was going to be that crazy, but I'm enjoying every single minute of it."

It will get better next week as he brings his wife, Sherley, a native of The Bronx, back home along with other family, including their 9-year-old son.

"He's going to be with me, and all he's been talking about is the Home Run Derby," said Navarro. "I think he's going to have a pretty good experience."

NOTEWORTHY: Manager Joe Maddon was leaning toward giving Reid Brignac a start at shortstop today. ... Montgomery LHP James Houser, a Sarasota native, will undergo minor surgery on his left knee Thursday. ... The Rays' 36 home wins at the All-Star break rank fourth in baseball history. They trail only the 1975 Reds (39), 1962 Giants (38) and 1973 Yankees (37).

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