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Price Doesn't Take Long To Settle In As Part Of Team

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 14, 2008

NEW YORK - Cool as ever on his first day in the major leagues, David Price figured he wouldn't have much trouble finding his way around during his first visit to the Big Apple.

"I've played Grand Theft Auto quite a bit, so I'm kind of familiar with the whole city," Price said. "It looked the same as in the video game."

The way things have gone for Price since the Rays drafted him with the first overall pick last summer, he has earned the benefit of the doubt on just about every front.

While it didn't appear to take long for Price to blend in with his teammates - he already was enmeshed in the regular clubhouse card game during the mid-doubleheader break - the 23-year-old had let his eager rookie side show a bit earlier. He arrived in town on an early-morning flight from Raleigh, N.C., along with fellow call-up Jonny Gomes. After a quick stopover at the team hotel to drop off their bags, they headed for Yankee Stadium.

"We got here early and I took him onto the field and he was taking pictures with his phone," Gomes said. "It was awesome to see a guy who's got that much money and that talented so excited to be in the big leagues."

Price was available to pitch Saturday but was not used. He'll get his chance sooner or later - likely in relief to begin with - and the fact that it will come in a pennant race makes it that much more interesting.

"It's something you want to be a part of, so fortunately I'm up here for it," Price said. "That's what you play for. I'm excited."

SWITCHEROO: Manager Joe Maddon has been playing a straight lefty-righty platoon with his lineup most of the season, but he flipped it around against RHP Mike Mussina in the first game Saturday. The Rays loaded up on right-handed hitters, including having switch-hitters Ben Zobrist and Fernando Perez bat from the right side.

The splits certainly were in favor of it. Entering Saturday, lefties had hit .240 against Mussina this year and had only two homers in 338 at-bats. Righties had hit .322 with 15 homers in 351 at-bats.

"This guy's had a tremendous year, and he's beat us up - we've looked bad against him," Maddon said. "Why continue to do the same thing? It's the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. Let's try something different."

SAY WHAT? James Shields was mystified by Yankees C Jose Molina's behavior after Shields hit him with a pitch leading off the sixth inning of Game 1. Molina stared Shields down after being plunked, then walked slowly to first base.

Molina was called for interference moments later when he slid well wide of second base on a grounder by Johnny Damon and kicked his right leg out at Jason Bartlett while attempting to break up the double play.

"I was surprised," Shields said. "There's no way I'm hitting a guy up 7-0 with an 0-2 count. I'm throwing a cutter. If I'm going to hit a guy, it's going to be with a fastball, there's no doubt about it. I didn't hit him on purpose; I just missed my spot.

"He wasn't too happy with the pitch before, the cutter that I threw 0-1 that the umpire called a strike and was definitely a strike. I think his emotions kind of got to him a little bit, but that's all right, it's part of the game."

STARTER SHUFFLE: Saturday's doubleheader threw the Rays' rotation out of whack, but Shields' long outing - and a short one for Matt Garza - solved the problem.

With Shields sparing the bullpen by going eight innings in the opener, the Rays were able to pull Garza after five innings and 83 pitches and set him up to start Wednesday in the series finale against Boston on three days' rest.

Maddon said the Rays would go that route, saving Shields for Thursday's opener against the Twins, as long as Garza doesn't have any physical complaints in the coming days.

NOTEWORTHY: CF B.J. Upton (strained left quadriceps) was not available for either game Saturday. ... Zobrist and Perez were the only Rays to start both games Saturday.

Marc Lancaster

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