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A Surprise In Right

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By MARC LANCASTER

mlancaster@tampatrib.com

Published: October 23, 2008

Updated: 10/23/2008 01:12 am

ST. PETERSBURG - Rays manager Joe Maddon sounded indecisive Tuesday when asked who would start in right field for the World Series opener. The answer, when it came, was quite a surprise.

Ben Zobrist was in right field, making only his second start there as a professional. The other came May 28 against the Rangers. Maddon went with the super-utilityman against Phillies LHP Cole Hamels rather than fellow switch-hitter Fernando Perez or the right-handed Rocco Baldelli in part because he liked Zobrist's swing against Hamels' repertoire.

There were other factors. Maddon prefers to keep Perez off the bench to be used to maximum effect in a late-game situation and he would rather not start Baldelli two days in a row. Baldelli will be in right field tonight (with Cliff Floyd as the DH) against Brett Myers.

Maddon said Zobrist's hot hitting down the stretch in the regular season and the coaching staff's confidence in him to handle just about any position defensively made it a relatively easy decision.

"If he wasn't what he is right now, we would not be taking this step - or even attempting to," Maddon said. "He has transformed himself into a real good major-league baseball player and a really confident one, where you could put him at a bunch of different positions and feel really good about it."

The start didn't come as a complete surprise to Zobrist. Maddon had hinted to him recently that such an opportunity might arise.

"I was hoping to see my name in the lineup today and got my wish," Zobrist said.

Any game Zobrist starts in the playoffs, he likely will finish. He is the Rays' only true backup shortstop, so the Rays wouldn't want to take him out of the game in the late innings and have something happen to Jason Bartlett without an adequate replacement.

NINTH INNING WIDE OPEN

With dozens of national media members descending on Tropicana Field for the World Series, Maddon figured he's been asked several dozen times in the last few days whether David Price was his closer from this point forward.

"No," is Maddon's quick-and-easy answer. "There's no closer. Different guys will get different outs. It depends on the situation. I keep trying to tell everybody that and nobody wants to believe me."

Price's performance in Game 7 of the ALCS made it a natural question for those unfamiliar with the inner workings of the Rays, but Maddon wasn't biting. In the absence of Troy Percival, anyone from Price to Dan Wheeler to J.P. Howell to Grant Balfour could end up recording a save in the World Series.

"I've got a lot of confidence in a lot of different guys getting the last out," Maddon said. "It just happened to be his turn the other night."

SAME AS IT EVER WAS

As expected, the official World Series roster the Rays submitted Wednesday morning featured the same 25 names as their ALCS roster.

Maddon said there was some talk during a series of meetings Tuesday about adding Eric Hinske and a bit of chatter about possibly replacing Cliff Floyd, who won't play defensively and thus will be limited to pinch-hitting for the three games in Philadelphia. Ultimately, though, the Rays decided to stick with the group that got them here.

STILL NO PERCY

Troy Percival had indicated to team officials he would rejoin the team last weekend for the end of the ALCS, but it sounds like he might not be back at all unless needed as an injury replacement.

Maddon said he spoke to Percival on his way to Tropicana Field on Wednesday, and the pitcher is still at home in California with his family.

"He's just got some things going on, and the fact that he's not on the roster, he really needs to stay at home," Maddon said. "If he was on the roster, he'd be back. I asked him to continue to throw in case anything broke down and he said fine."

NICE TO BE RECOGNIZED

Following a long day of practice, interviews and meetings, Maddon and his fiancee headed to Bern's Steak House for a quiet dinner Tuesday night.

The gentleman at the table next to them sent over a bottle of 1995 Dominus, a Napa Valley label, earning the appreciation of the Rays' resident wine connoisseur.

"I don't even know how much that costs," Maddon said.

Marc Lancaster

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