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Approach, Character Pay Off Big For Johnson

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 11, 2008

Updated: 09/11/2008 12:46 am

BOSTON - The newest star in the Rays' playoff drive fit right in - and not just because of the massive home run he hit Tuesday night.

Dan Johnson arrived from Durham with only a pair of jeans and a couple of T-shirts in his bag, but one of those shirts was an Ed Hardy model. Everyone in the Rays' traveling party is wearing one of those shirts on flights during this trip, so all Johnson had to buy to supplement his wardrobe before Wednesday night's hop to New York was a sport coat.

He may have to do some more shopping in the coming days, as the rest of his belongings remain in his Durham apartment. Or, maybe not.

"I'll wear these two T-shirts the rest of the season if I have to," Johnson said.

Tampa Bay's latest sports hero fielded plenty of congratulatory text messages and voice mails from friends and family Wednesday, with many of them unaware he had been called back to the big leagues until they saw the highlights of his game-tying shot against Jonathan Papelbon on TV.

It has been a trying season for the 29-year-old, who was stuck in Triple-A after spending the bulk of the last three years in the majors with Oakland. He never anticipated playing 113 games in Durham, but he tried not to let disappointment affect his play.

"It was one of those things where I couldn't let down," said Johnson. "My drive is not to play in the minor leagues; my goal was to go back and figure out a way to stay in the majors. That's kind of how I looked at it, just kept that fire lit under me to keep going."

Even when faced with a situation he would never encounter in the majors, like Monday's 12-hour bus ride from Durham to Scranton, he said he didn't allow himself to get frustrated.

"It just reminded you how much harder you needed to work, because this isn't the way I wanted to play my career out," he said.

Johnson's best bet to get back on track was to produce at the plate, and he did it better than just about anyone in the International League. Johnson ended up ranked in the IL's top 10 in average (.307), homers (25), on-base percentage (.424) and slugging percentage (.556), his numbers impressing even those who hadn't see him play.

Rays manager Joe Maddon, for instance.

"What he did going back there and having the kind of the year that he did, I think, speaks a lot about him," said Maddon. "The character he demonstrated this year is exceptional."

In Johnson's mind, there was no other way to approach it.

"To have it pay off like it did Tuesday kind of makes me feel good about it, being able to help the team in this situation when I'd been in Triple-A the whole year," said Johnson. "It was a nice way to start again."

STARTERS SWITCH UP: The Rays flip-flopped their starters for the first two games of the Yankees series. Matt Garza will now start the opener, with James Shields going Saturday.

Maddon outlined three reasons for the change. First, he wanted Shields to get some extra rest. Second, he wanted to split up Garza and Edwin Jackson - who have very similar styles - in the rotation. Finally, Maddon wanted Shields lined up to pitch the first game of the Sept. 23 doubleheader at Baltimore because of his tendency to get deep in games, potentially saving the bullpen on a long day.

The switch has the added effect of bumping Garza up to start the final game of next week's series against the Red Sox at Tropicana Field and holding Shields off until the start of the Twins series the next day. Shields was not pleased about that, but Garza was.

"Good thing for me, bad thing for them," Garza said of the Sox.

As for the other starter in that doubleheader at Baltimore, Maddon said no decision has been made but he noted the prevalence of left-handed hitters in the Orioles' lineup. That would seem to be a hint that LHP David Price might get the call, as he is the only southpaw expected to be in the mix for a call-up.

INJURY UPDATE: C Shawn Riggans flew back to Tampa on Wednesday and underwent surgery on his right knee in an effort to clear out an infection that had developed. His season could be done, as he is expected to miss two-to-four weeks. ... 3B Evan Longoria (fractured right wrist) took 30 swings with head trainer Ron Porterfield pitching and said he felt "great." He hopes to take batting practice Friday in New York and possibly start that night. ... Maddon does not expect CF B.J. Upton (strained left quad) to start Friday.

NOTEWORTHY: Durham lost a heartbreaker in Game 2 of its best-of-five Governors' Cup final series Wednesday night as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won 1-0 on a walk-off single in the 13th inning. ... USA Today named Price its minor-league player of the year. ... Maddon said C Michel Hernandez likely will get a start this weekend, probably Sunday.

Marc Lancaster

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