Wake-Up Call: During wild times, Maddon is serene

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!

Feeling the heat, Rays?

Not quite.

With a repeat of the American League East division title practically becoming a mathematical impossibility, with two teams to climb over in the AL wild-card race, with three-quarters done in Tampa Bay's often-maddening season and a mere 45 games remaining, manager Joe Maddon is serene.

"I really believe we're going to do it,'' Maddon said.

The players are confident.

"These guys are so young and enthusiastic and they talk about [making] the postseason almost like it's their right,'' said new Rays catcher Gregg Zaun, who was acquired via trade Aug. 7. "You've got to play well. But you've got to have the belief this thing can get done."

And if it does get done, it will be accomplished in a completely different manner than 2008.

Last season was pure magic.

This season has been a grind.

It continues tonight with the start of a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. The Rays (63-54) are four games behind the Texas Rangers in the wild-card race (the Rangers defeated the Minnesota Twins 8-5 Monday night).

What about the AL East? Well, since May 29, the Rays played at a .612 pace (41-26) but still lost four games on first place, so wild-card hopes are a bit more realistic.

"All along, we've known that our road to the playoffs and World Series was going to be different,'' Maddon said. "Last year, we got on top and stayed on top. That was a lesson to be learned. Now we're learning what it's like to get behind and fight back.

"Look, it has been frustrating. I'm not going to pretend like it hasn't been frustrating. But sometimes, when you're a young player, you've got to learn that. It's a life lesson. It shows you that you can't just wave a magic wand and make it happen."

The honeymoon ended a long time ago.

Last season, the Rays' starting pitchers had win totals in a nice line - 14-14-13-12-11.

This season, incredibly, the Rays have only one starting pitcher with a winning record (rookie Jeff Niemann, 10-5) and one of those 14-game winners (Andy Sonnanstine) is with Triple-A Durham.

Last season, center fielder B.J. Upton looked like a superstar-in-waiting with seven home runs in 66 postseason at-bats.

This season, Upton is one of baseball's major offensive disappointments (seven homers in 491 at-bats).

Last season, the Rays ran the bases expertly and played phenomenal defense.

This season, the Rays have stumbled with the little things.

"We have shot ourselves in the foot on occasion with base-running, but the bigger disappointment is the defense, the more controllable aspect,'' Maddon said. "I still believe we have one of the best defenses in the American League, if not the best, but we haven't played to that level.

"And it's not just making the errors. It's more about the plays we're not making that we had in our back pocket all of last year. I still believe in these guys. I still believe we have a really good hot streak that we haven't seen all year. It lies beneath the surface. We've just got to bring it out."

Maddon is definitely correct on one point.

The New York Yankees have been hot (and they still are scorching).

The Boston Red Sox have been hot.

The Rays have not - not yet.

"We had a bad April and we have played bad against the [AL] West, which has kicked our butts pretty good,'' Maddon said. "That's why we're in the position we're in. That's the reason why our record isn't as good as it should be. But we still have [seven] weeks left. We just have to put all elements of our game together."

Maybe for the first time all season.

"These guys were great last year, but they're not sneaking up on anybody any longer," Zaun said. "You've got to earn it. You've got to take it from the other teams.

"They all have video recorders. They know what the Rays can and can't do. It's not going to feel the same as last season. It just isn't. It's going to be tougher. It doesn't happen like that every year. That's why it's special. Now it's out there, it can be taken. But only if you're willing to work doubly hard for it this time around."

Beginning tonight.

Huff escapes the cellar

Former Tampa Bay first baseman Aubrey Huff, still the all-time leading home run hitter in Rays history (128), was traded Monday from the last-place Orioles to the first-place Detroit Tigers.

"I've been in last place for basically my whole career, so this is an exciting time for me,'' Huff told reporters before departing Baltimore.

Huff was traded from the Rays to Houston in 2006, but the Astros finished 1½ games behind the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central race. Huff wound up with Baltimore in 2007 - and back to noncontending status.

He missed a trip to Tropicana Field tonight, but he still gets seven more games against the Rays (the Rays go to Detroit for a four-game set Aug. 28-31; the Tigers visit St. Petersburg on Sept. 4-6).

Since leaving Tampa Bay, Huff has been a Rays-killer, batting .301 with 11 homers and 27 RBIs in 42 games, while slugging .603 against his former team.

Murphy signs with Yankees

Catcher J.R. Murphy (IMG Pendleton), a Bradenton native and second-round pick of the Yankees, signed a professional contract on Monday and received a $1.25 million signing bonus. Murphy, who had a scholarship to the University of Miami, will report to the Gulf Coast Yankees, then the Instructional League in September.

IMG Pendleton played in four tournaments last season, and Murphy was selected Most Valuable Player in each one. He batted .629 with 16 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 60 RBIs. He struck out only four times.

UT 3rd in men's soccer poll

The University of Tampa ranks third in the national Division II men's soccer poll behind Cal State-Dominiguez Hills, the defending national champion, and Dowling (N.Y.), the national finalist. The Spartans, coached by Adrian Bush, return nine starters and seven of their top eight point-scorers.

Auburn's crowded backfield

Senior Ben Tate (664 yards last season) is expected to start at tailback for Auburn University. But three Tampa Bay area players - sophomore Eric Smith (Armwood), freshman Onterio McCalebb (Fort Meade) and freshman Dontae Aycock (Chamberlain) - are battling for playing time.

Smith, who rushed for 83 yards last season as a true freshman, already has made an impression on first-year Auburn coach Gene Chizik.

"He's very reliable,'' Chizik told the Montgomery Advertiser. "He runs the ball well. He protects well. He understands what we're trying to do on offense.''

Giles scores for Gamecocks

University of South Carolina freshman running back Jarvis Giles (Gaither) rushed eight times for 39 yards and a touchdown in the Gamecocks' scrimmage on Sunday. Sophomore starting quarterback Stephen Garcia (Jefferson) was 8-for-16 for 110 yars and one touchdown. He also threw an interception, returned 48 yards for a touchdown by junior safety Chris Culliver.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to Bucs fullback B.J. Askew, who turns 29 on Wednesday.

The Answer Man

Ben Zobrist has the Rays' career team record for grand slams (four), and it hasn't required much time to establish that distinction. He hit two last season (the first on Aug. 29, 2008) and two this season.

Carlos Pena is second in team history with three grand slams (two in 2007, one this season).

Tuesday trivia

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

Since 1995, when Major League Baseball established its new playoff system, 10 of the AL's 14 wild-card teams have come from the East. Can you name the other four wild-card teams?

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