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Kazmir Likely To Get Ball In Game 1

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune
and MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 21, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays likely won't make it official until today, but Scott Kazmir is expected to get the ball to open Game 1 of the World Series.

The Rays aren't inclined to use any of their pitchers on short rest, and James Shields would have had only three days between starts if the Rays wanted to keep the same order they used through the first two rounds of the playoffs and start him in Game 1. Instead, Shields likely will start Game 2 on Thursday with Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine following in Philadelphia over the weekend.

While that decision seems fairly straightforward, Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said discussions are ongoing about the makeup of the active roster and will continue today.

The Rays will have to decide whether to stick with 14 position players and 11 pitchers, the alignment they used for the ALCS, or drop a pitcher and add a position player as they did for the first round.

"There's a great argument to be made for the three National League games to carry an extra position player because obviously you pinch-hit a little bit more for your pitcher," Friedman said. "But that said, you change your pitchers more."

If the Rays add a position player, Eric Hinske likely would return to the roster after being inactive for the ALCS.

Still undetermined is the status of RHP Troy Percival and C Shawn Riggans. Percival isn't likely to bump any of the existing pitchers off the roster unless there is an injury, but Riggans could replace Michel Hernandez as the backup catcher if he is deemed sufficiently recovered from the knee surgery that has kept him out since mid-September.

It Keeps Getting Better

There was plenty for the Rays to absorb Sunday night after defeating the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

For starters, the franchise's first trip to the World Series, which begins Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

But as Rays manager Joe Maddon stepped to the podium for his postgame interview, he was reminded of something else.

Because his team won the pennant, Maddon will manage the 2009 AL All-Star team. What's more, the game is in St. Louis (Maddon grew up as an avid Cardinals fan).

"That's a nice thought," Maddon said. "I'm looking forward to that."

The Game Ball Is Safe

When Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura made the final out of Game 7 - he fielded a tricky hop, then made an unassisted putout - he put the baseball in his back pocket before joining in the celebration.

So where is the ball now?

Iwamura gave it to Rays vice president Rick Vaughn, who presented it to Joe Jesiolkiewicz, an authenticator for Major League Baseball. Jesiolkiewicz placed an official sticker on the ball and it was given to equipment manager Chris Westmoreland.

"I'm sure the team will decide what happens to that ball," Jesiolkiewicz said. "Most of what I do is retrieve the game-used balls, which are used for memorabilia and such. But that ball on the final out was special and I'm sure it will be special to the team."

Long Trip

Rays reliever Grant Balfour said he should have "six or seven" visitors (and maybe more) from his native Australia who want to witness the World Series. Balfour's mother, his girlfriend and her family are coming, along with a few of his buddies, from the Sydney area.

"I'm not even sure how many tickets we get," Balfour said. "When you're dealing with a lot of people, in a much different time zone, it's tough to play travel agent and focus on what you're doing. I'll do the best I can. They understand."

Eye On The Phillies

Maddon said the Rays and Phillies should be a fascinating matchup.

"Some people have compared the Phillies to an American League team, and I think there's some thought of us as a National League team," Maddon said. "We're probably about as crossover as you get.

"They have a really good infield, offensively and defensively. I look at their lineup and there's not a soft spot. They've got some power. They've got some speed. Very nice team."

This And That

The remaining tickets for World Series Games 1 and 2 were made available Monday at 5 p.m. They sold out by 6:05. ... Sunday night's Game 7 drew a 7.9 rating on TBS (13,357,000 total viewers), making it the most-watched MLB game on all of television this season. ... Principal owner Stuart Sternberg said his two lasting memories of Game 7 were Iwamura's ALCS-ending putout and David Price's eighth-inning strikeout of J.D. Drew. "I got goose bumps on both," Sternberg said. ... Maddon said he ordered 20 World Series tickets and expects a healthy contingent of family and friends from Hazleton, Pa. (88 miles from Philadelphia), including his mother, Beanie, and sister, Carmine Parlatore.

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