Wake-Up Call: Rays' Balfour will get back on track

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

You don't judge a baseball season on 10 games. You gauge things slowly.

Make that s-l-o-w-l-y.

Still, Rays reliever Grant Balfour needed an encouraging sign on Thursday night. Something, anything would do. He came into Thursday night lugging an ERA of 21.60.

Balfour looked like the Balfour of 2008, blowing away Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye with eye-popping ninth-inning strikeouts, leaving the bases loaded and putting the Rays in position for a comeback.

It didn't happen.

The Rays were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base in a 3-2 loss against the Chicago White Sox at Tropicana Field.

Yes, it's early. But the Rays, losers of three straight games on the same homestand for the first time since 2007, haven't broken well from the gate. They can't get the big hit. The bullpen has allowed at least one run in each of the last five games (8.78 ERA).

There was Balfour, summoned in the ninth, asked to get the final out and strand two base-runners in scoring position. He promptly walked Carlos Quentin, and it looked like more trouble was beginning.

"I told myself, 'This is the situation where I want the ball,' '' Balfour said. "You never want to walk off the field without getting the job done. That leaves a bad feeling in your mouth.

"I just went right after them. That's where I feel comfortable. I felt good throwing my fastball tonight.''

Well, there's an understatement.

"He was bringing it pretty good,'' Rays catcher Dioner Navarro said. "He came after them and he got them.''

Thome went down swinging. Balfour's fastballs reached 93, 93, then 95 mph.

Dye (3-for-4 to that point) also went down swinging. The velocity was 93, 93 and 92 mph.

"It's all about confidence,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "The whole world revolves around confidence. Grant is going to go home and sleep better. He looked more like his old self.''

Balfour set quite a standard in 2008.

He led all major-league relievers with 12.65 strikeouts per nine innings (a mark that ranked ninth all-time among American League relievers) and had a 1.54 ERA.

There are times when Balfour, a fan favorite driven by emotion, looks like he should unquestionably be the Rays' closer.

Then there are the puzzling moments he endured this month, particularly his outing at Baltimore on Easter Sunday. He entered the ninth with an 11-0 lead - a layup - but he failed to get anyone out (three walks, two singles) and couldn't finish.

"I had 11 runs to work with, but there's no excuse,'' Balfour said. "I've got to tell myself it's a 1-0 game.

"I didn't feel right. There are days when you know you feel comfortable, like tonight. It starts even before you take the field. He [Maddon] tells some guys to slow it down. He wants me to fire it up. I'm the opposite. That's what does it for me. Tonight was a stepping stone and I have to keep working off that.''

Madden's life changed in Tampa

Broadcaster John Madden, who announced his retirement Thursday morning, had two amazing, life-changing things happen to him in Tampa. In 1979, after he quit coaching the Oakland Raiders, he joined CBS. He was paired with Pat Summerall for the first time during a Vikings-Bucs game at the old Tampa Stadium (the Summerall-Madden duo went full time in 1981, spanning 22 seasons and two networks).

While returning home to California from that game, he had a panic attack on the flight from Tampa, but it wasn't due to turbulence. Madden said it was mostly claustrophia. Anway, that was his last flight - ever. He began taking the train to assignments. Then he graduated to a motor coach. Finally, he had the Madden Cruiser, a 45-foot extravaganza that served as a multimedia command post, complete with three flat-screen plasma televisions.

My biggest Madden memory comes from 1980, when he worked with Gary Bender for a Bears-Bucs regular-season finale. I was a college kid, working in the CBS booth as Madden's spotter and statistician.

When the game was over, Madden patted me on the back and said, "Really nice job.'' He reached into his pocket and handed me a $20 bill.

Then I said, "Gee, thanks, Mr. Madden. Hey, can I tell you about this idea I have for a football video game?''

OK, kidding on that last part.

Vitale makes pitch for Moffitt

ESPN's Dick Vitale, surrounded by 11 cancer survivors, threw the ceremonial first pitch prior to Thursday night's White Sox-Rays game at Tropicana Field. Vitale is promoting the Florida Bank Miles for Moffitt event, a 5-mile, 5-kilometer and 1-mile walk-run May 9 at the USF Sun Dome. All proceeds benefit the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. The Rays, a presenting sponsor of the event, designated the game as Florida Bank Miles for Moffitt Appreciation Night. For information, go to www.milesformoffitt.com or call (813) 745-1346.

Allen back in action

Georgia Tech junior RB Anthony Allen (Jesuit), a transfer from Louisville, will be one of the featured attractions in Saturday's spring football game in Atlanta. Allen, a 225-pounder, left the Cardinals following the 2007 season because he felt the offense was shifting away from using big backs. In two seasons at Louisville, Allen rushed for 1,012 yards in 25 games. He had 14 touchdowns as a freshman. At Georgia Tech, he's expected to play the "B-back'' position, giving relief to Jonathan Dwyer, who was 2008 ACC Player of the Year.

MacDill officer honored by Mountain West

Second Lt. Karl Bolt, an operations officer at MacDill Air Force base and former designated hitter for the Air Force Academy, was recently named to the Mountain West Conference's 10th Anniversary Baseball Team. Bolt was first-team All-MWC in 2007, when he batted .354 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs. For his career, Bolt batted .334 with 33 homers and 148 RBIs. His 232 career hits rank fourth all-time at the Air Force Academy. Bolt was selected by the Phillies in the 15th round of the 2007 amateur draft.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to former Bucs LB Derrick Brooks (wow, it's still weird to refer to No. 55 in the past tense, isn't it?). Saturday, Brooks turns 36.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Thursday's trivia question:

Lou Piniella is fourth on the active list for victories by a major-league manager. He's trailing Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre.

Friday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

Who are the only two Rays' relievers to have 40 or more saves in one season?

Check for the answer in Monday's Wake-Up Call.