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Zobrist Will Give Way To Bartlett Despite Big Day

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 24, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Ben Zobrist gave himself the perfect send-off Wednesday, even though he didn't want it to be a send-off.

Zobrist was 2-for-3 with a home run and drove in the Rays' final two runs in Wednesday's 4-3 win, but was quickly summoned to Manager Joe Maddon's office afterward. With the rest of the team packing for Kansas City, the decision already had been made to option him to Triple-A Durham with SS Jason Bartlett (right knee sprain) ready to come off the disabled list. Bartlett is expected to be activated today, Maddon said.

"I think it's a little bit easier, probably, just because I know I left on a good note," Zobrist said of the send-off. "Sometimes if you do bad the game before you go down, you might feel like that might've had something to do with it, but I know it didn't. And I know that it's just kind of a roster situation the way things are right now anyways. It wasn't like they don't think I can play up here."

It is the third time this season Zobrist has been optioned to Durham. The 27-year-old took the news well, Maddon said. While the Rays have been pleased with Zobrist's bat (five homers since June 25), Bartlett is seen as the superior defensive shortstop with comparable offensive numbers (.256 average, 18 steals).

"We talked about him just trying to tie up a few things on defense," Maddon said.

The Rays were 7-9 without Bartlett since July 3. Bartlett and Maddon spoke prior to Wednesday's game, and Maddon is confident Bartlett will not need regular days off as he resumes playing from the injury. Maddon added he wouldn't rule out Bartlett playing both ends of a doubleheader, which seems likely due to rain forecasts in Kansas City throughout the four-game series.

As for Zobrist, he will have to cancel plans for his family to attend the games in Kansas City, but such changes have become commonplace for him.

"It's kind of been the way things are this year. You kind of don't know where I'm going to be the next day, so it's hard to make plans," he said. "But you've just got to roll with it."

MIND OVER ROAD MATTERS: With the Rays embarking on their first road trip since an 0-6 trek through New York and Cleveland before the All-Star break, which momentarily cost them the American League East lead, Maddon is stressing composure as he hopes his younger players learn from the team's past road troubles.

"It's how you approach the day. It's how you handle difficult moments when you're away from a comfortable environment. So it comes down to what you think. And that's composure," Maddon said. "For me, as our young guys gain more composure, on the road, in difficult moments, we'll win those games. So that's the mantra I'm harping on right now, is to maintain our composure."

While conceding that mastering the idiosyncrasies of playing in Tropicana Field has given the Rays an advantage, Maddon added that home success can't be allowed to translate into road letdowns because outdoor parks are so different.

"We have to become more accustomed to that and become in tune to that more quickly," he said, "and again, it's what you think and how you think, and that's what I want our guys to understand. And as we get to that level, and we are, you're going to see a difference in our road performance."

Pitcher James Shields is taking a much simpler look at the road struggles. "We've got to win on the road," he said. "If we want to go to the playoffs, we've got to win on the road."

NOTEWORTHY: Akinori Iwamura extended his hitting streak to six games with a fourth-inning single, and since June 22 has hit safely in 20 of 23. ... B.J. Upton's sixth-inning double was his first extra-base hit since July 8 at Yankee Stadium, and the third this month (all doubles). ... Closer Troy Percival did not record a strikeout in picking up the save Wednesday, snapping a string of 13 consecutive appearances with at least one strikeout, since May 19.

Bart O'Connell

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