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Rays, Red Sox Meet Again

AP photo

James Shields and Coco Crisp got well acquainted the last time the Rays and Red Sox met on the field.

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 30, 2008

PITTSBURGH - It has been 25 days since the Rays and Red Sox last shared a baseball field, and the reverberations are still being felt.

When the two teams meet at Tropicana Field for a three-game series that begins tonight, both will be short-handed because of what happened the last time they played. The last of those suspended for the ugly brawl that broke out June 5 at Fenway Park, Boston's Coco Crisp and Tampa Bay's Akinori Iwamura, will be serving out their sentences.

Their absence will serve as a reminder that the hostilities between the top two teams in the American League haven't quite been brushed away yet - even if everyone is saying the right things heading into the showdown.

"From our perspective, it's over," Rays manager Joe Maddon said Sunday. "It was over the moment we left that city. We made our point based on what had happened and now it's time to play baseball."

Rays outfielder Jonny Gomes, who sat for five games for his actions in the melee, concurred.

"I can speak for myself, and I don't think anything's going to happen," Gomes said. "I'm not planning on doing anything; I'm not planning on expecting anything done to me."

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon said in a television appearance a week after the brawl that "this thing isn't all settled and done" and "what goes around comes around," leaving some of the Rays wary.

"I don't expect anything to happen, but if it does it's not going to surprise me," said tonight's starter, James Shields, whose purpose pitch that hit Crisp in the leg was the flashpoint for what followed.

The possibility of another flare-up undoubtedly will be on everyone's mind throughout a series that would have been intense enough on its own. Some consider this the most important home series in Rays history to date, and it will be the last time the two get a chance to face off until a couple of series a week apart in September.

"These players that have been here for a while deserve something like this," Gomes said. "We've put a lot of work in and we've been together for a while and had dirt kicked on us for a while, so I think it's good that … we're able to get a first-place battle at home."

Rays officials are expecting the Trop to be full or close to it for all three games, though tickets still remain. That should bode well for Tampa Bay, which is 9-1 when it plays before crowds of at least 30,000 at home this season - including a three-game sweep of the Red Sox during their last visit in April.

And it isn't just Boston fans packing the Trop anymore. Where just about all the cheers used to be for the Red Sox, Rays fans have begun to come around, Maddon has noted.

"I think it's starting to flip that way a little bit," Maddon said. "You're still going to get the strong Sox contingent, there's no question about that, but we are hearing our group drown out their group. There's more Ray jerseys, Ray hats, all the Ray stuff, we're seeing that more and more there.

"And when other teams' fans attempt to get loud or boisterous, our group is rising to the occasion now. That's good to see and good to hear. As it gets into the future, it might be more difficult for Red Sox and Yankee fans even to buy tickets. That'd be kind of nice - just keep them out of the building completely."

10 TIPS FOR NEW RAYS FANS

As Tampa Bay's bandwagon starts to get a little crowded, here are 10 tips for new baseball fans heading to Tropicana Field:

REMEMBER THE NAME: Many locals still call the arena in downtown Tampa the Ice Palace, so you cannot be blamed for forgetting the baseball team's nickname. They are no longer Devil Rays, but Rays.

PURCHASE RAYS GEAR: There will be a lot of Red Sox fans sporting their team colors during this series, so local fans need to purchase at least a T-shirt or hat. New Rays logo only, please. And apparel comes in pink and white for women, so no excuses.

BRING THREE FRIENDS: If four people are in one car, including the driver, parking is free.

LEARN THE FIGHT SONG: Yes, the Rays have a fight song. It's set to rock music, and all you have to memorize is "Feel [pause] the Heat [pause] Rays."

NO FISHING IN RAYS TANK: Tampa Bay has a 35-foot, 10,000-gallon tank by the right-center field fence with actual rays swimming around. Fishing is not allowed, but you can feed rays food to them.

THE RIVALRY: Boston has taken the place of the "Evil Empire," the New York Yankees, as Tampa Bay's biggest rival.

IT'S EVAN, NOT EVA: The guy playing third base for Tampa Bay is Evan Longoria, not to be confused with actress Eva Longoria.

ENEMY NO. 1: Red Sox OF Coco Crisp is Rays enemy No..1 for confrontations with several Rays players and eventually charging the mound after Tampa Bay pitcher James Shields hit him during a series earlier this month.

WHERE'S RAYMOND?: The Rays have a furry blue mascot who wanders around Tropicana Field entertaining fans. You may not know what it is, but do not worry - neither does anyone else.

WHEN THE RAYS WIN, YOU WIN: If Tampa Bay Rays strike out 10 opponents in a game, you win a free pizza from Kane's and Papa John's Pizza. If the Rays win, you get a free donut at Dunkin' Donuts.

Anwar S. Richardson

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