Wake-Up Call: Rays' rotation boasts homegrown depth

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!

Rays left-hander David Price, finally showing the guile to succeed when he doesn't have his best stuff, worked Sunday afternoon's victory against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Right-hander Jeff Niemann, one of the American League's biggest surprises, gets tonight's start against the Seattle Mariners at Tropicana Field.

And right-hander Wade Davis, coming off a complete-game shutout, goes Wednesday night against the Mariners.

Price, Niemann and Davis.

Rookie, rookie and rookie - all in a row, all at home.

"They are the future,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

Even in the present, that notion has quickly come into focus.

In the offseason, the Rays traded Edwin Jackson to the Tigers. Andy Sonnanstine, a 13-game winner in 2008, has been to Triple-A and back, but no longer seems part of the long-range starting-rotation plans. Scott Kazmir was dealt to the Angels.

But still ...

There is depth - young, homegrown depth.

And it doesn't account for the likes of fast-rising Jeremy Hellickson of Triple-A Durham.

"With good health, you've got five guys on our staff capable of pitching 200 innings [along with James Shields and Matt Garza], and that's not a stretch to say that," Maddon said. "That's hard for any team to duplicate that potential. When you come to play us next year and there's a three-game series, you can pick any three of those five guys and you'll say, 'Whoa! That's pretty good.' You can't say, 'We're glad we're getting that guy' because they're all tough.

"There's not a break in that rotation. Now the idea is to do them right, to not put them in harm's way and try to get them to stay healthy for years to come. If you build your organization with that kind of starting pitching, then augment it with good defense, I think that's the way to go. That's your winning formula."

Price (9-7, 4.41 ERA) was the No. 1 overall pick in 2007.

Davis (1-1, 4.34) was a third-round pick in 2004.

Niemann (12-6, 3.80) was taken No. 4 overall in 2004.

"We've all been surrounded by certain expectations and we've taken different roads to get here,'' Price said. "Now I'm really excited about the possibilities. Jeff and I have experienced some things already, so we're trying to pass that along to Wade Davis and make his path more smooth. We've got something going. Now we want to keep it going."

"We are young, but we are getting experience," said Niemann, who is 10-3 in 22 starts since May 13. "I think it's pretty nice to have a staff with similar backgrounds. We're all going to grow together and hopefully improve together."

Price is 24. Davis is 24. Niemann is 26.

For that matter, Garza is 25 and Shields is 27.

Relief pitcher J.P. Howell said he believes Tampa Bay could have the AL's best starting staff in 2010.

"The potential is there,'' Howell said. "These guys are just going to feed off each other. There's going to be a lot of positive energy in this room. I already know we can expect consistent things from Shields and Garza.

"These other [three] guys, they can be the horses, too. I mean, Wade Davis goes out there with a complete-game shutout. We've seen how electric Price can be. Jeff Niemann has had some tremendous moments. You've got to like what's ahead."

More on Bucs' dismal defense

The Bucs' defense has surrendered 900 yards in the first two games - 462 to the Dallas Cowboys and 438 to the Buffalo Bills.

• It's the most ever given up by a Tampa Bay defense in the season's first two games (the old high-water mark was 781 yards - 400 to the Chiefs, 381 to the Giants - in 1993).

• It's the first time a Tampa Bay defense has given up back-to-back 400-yard games since 1995 (429 to the Bears, 406 to the Lions in the final two games of the Sam Wyche era).

• The record for most yards surrendered in back-to-back games at any point of a Tampa Bay season is 1,036 yards (569 in an overtime loss against the Packers, 467 against the Oilers) in 1980.

Giles honored by SEC

University of South Carolina running back Jarvis Giles (Gaither) was named SEC freshman football player of the week. Giles had 11 carries for 113 yards against Florida Atlantic University. It was the first 100-yard rushing game by a South Carolina freshman since 2006.

Catanach receives ACC award

Duke University sophomore setter Kellie Catanach (Plant) was named ACC volleyball player of the week after helping the Blue Devils to a championship at the Wake Forest Black & Gold Challenge, where she was named Most Valuable Player.

Catanach had a match-high 37 assists and two service aces in a 3-1 win against Wake Forest. She also sparked the rally from a two-game deficit against Liberty, while adding 42 assists and 12 digs against Appalachian State.

March Madness returns to Tampa in 2011

Early round games for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament have been awarded to the St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa for March 17 and 19, 2011. The Forum also hosted NCAA men's basketball early round games in 2003 and 2008.

In the span between 2003-2011, Tampa will have hosted three NCAA men's basketball events. Other cities to make that claim are Buffalo, Denver, Oklahoma City and Spokane, Wash.

"We're excited,'' said Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins, who coordinated the bid with the NCAA, along with host institution, the University of South Florida. "The NCAA Tournament continues to be one of America's premier sporting events and it will be great to have it back in the Tampa Bay area.''

So who's headed to the Forum in 2011?

Here are my early projections (seedings in parentheses):

South Region

Kentucky (1) vs. Radford (16)

Notre Dame (8) vs. Clemson (9)

East Region

Tennessee (4) vs. Delaware (13)

Wisconsin (5) vs. Wichita State (12)

The 2011 NCAA men's basketball event adds to a jam-packed college-sports schedule for Tampa.

The NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Soccer National Championship is at the University of Tampa on Dec. 1-6. The ACC Football Championship Game is at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 5 and the NCAA Volleyball Final Four is at the Forum on Dec. 17 and 19.

The NCAA Frozen Four hockey tournament hits the Forum in 2012 and the Women's Final Four basketball event returns in 2015.

ESPN has USF fourth in Big East

The USF Bulls (3-0) are fourth in the weekly Big East Conference football power rankings, compiled by Brian Bennett. The leaders are Cincinnati (3-0), Pittsburgh (3-0) and West Virginia (2-1).

"The Bulls may have the emptiest 3-0 record in the history of football,'' writes Bennett. "They've played nobody, and now they have lost the heart and soul of the team after quarterback Matt Grothe's ACL tear. I'll need to see a good effort from B.J. Daniels and the rest of the team this week at Florida State in order to justify keeping South Florida in the top half of these rankings.''

Burrell ranks among worst signings

Sports Illustrated's Ted Keith writes that the Rays' signing of designated hitter Pat Burrell was this season's third-worst free-agent signing. "The size of the investment isn't prohibitive, but the return on that investment has been minimal,'' writes Keith, who describes Burrell's season as a "lost year.''

The worst:

1. Milton Bradley, Cubs (three years, $30 million).

2. Oliver Perez, Mets (three years, $36 million).

3. Pat Burrell, Rays (two years, $16 million).

4. Ryan Dempster, Cubs (four years, $52 million).

5. Edgar Renteria, Giants (two years, $18.5 million).

And the best:

1. Mark Teixeira, Yankees (eight years, $180 million).

2. CC Sabathia, Yankees (seven years , $161 million).

3. Bobby Abreu, Angels (one year, $5 million).

4. Raul Ibanez, Phillies (three years, $31.5 million).

5. Trevor Hoffman, Brewers (one year, $6 million).

Ichiro, Griffey the attractions

If the Rays fall from postseason contention has not motivated you to witness suddenly meaningless games at Tropicana Field - or if you are a neutral baseball fan - there is somebody to see tonight with the Seattle Mariners.

Actually, two somebodies.

Mariners leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki recently achieved his ninth consecutive 200-hit major-league season, surpassing the record of Wee Willie Keeler. He is batting .297 at Tropicana Field, one of three American League parks where he is below .300 (along with the Metrodome at .296 and Fenway Park at .263).

Meanwhile, Ken Griffey Jr., with 627 career home runs, is back with Seattle and appearing with his third different team at Tropicana Field (along with the Reds and White Sox). He has five homers in 15 career games at the Trop. It might be the last chance for local fans to see Griffey, who could be in his final season.

Hellickson expected to start

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is expected to start tonight for the Durham Bulls in the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game against the Memphis Redbirds at Oklahoma City. The winner-takes-all game will be televised by ESPN2 at 7 p.m.

Durham, Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, won the International League title. Memphis, Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, won the Pacific Coast League championship.

Hellickson has inherited the Durham ace designation from David Price and Wade Davis, who began the season with the Bulls before being promoted to the Rays. Hellickson is 6-1 with a 2.51 ERA over nine starts with Durham. In the postseason, Hellickson has 18 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings with a 2.92 ERA.

Milledge finally catching on

In an otherwise non-descript game, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Lastings Milledge (Lakewood Ranch) made a sliding catch into the left-field wall on Sunday against the San Diego Padres. He stayed down a few moments, clutching his left knee. Then he rose up and continued.

Pittsburgh fans appreciated the effort.

And Milledge admitted that he's working hard to repair an image that took a beating with the New York Mets and Washington Nationals. Milledge, who is hitting .346 in his last 30 games, has improved his batting average to .295.

"Honestly, I feel like I owe this to the Pirates because they took a chance on me, like I should be running through walls,'' Milledge told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "When they traded for me, I knew they really were taking a chance on me.

"I hadn't done what my talent says I should do. I hadn't brought that to the table yet. But the Pirates started getting that out of me as soon as I got here.''

In short, Milledge said he is learning how to be a professional.

"I don't feel the pressure because I know that, even if I do badly that day, it's not because I wasn't prepared,'' Milledge said. "I'm working hard. I'm not showing up 40 minutes before the stretch and expecting to go 3-for-5.

"When I first came up, there were a lot of unwritten things I didn't know, like showing up at the ballpark two hours early. I was this hot prospect, a little bit stubborn, and I felt like everybody was against me a little bit. There's no preparation for something like that. Some guys come in and do things right. I didn't do things right. Now I am.''

Here's an interesting thought

From Sports Illustrated's Peter King, the NFL man who occasionally talks some baseball:

"Never, ever did I think I'd be saying this in midsummer, but I could see an Angels-Cards World Series. MVP: Scott Kazmir.''

Remembering Ryan McCall

Ryan McCall, the University of Tampa cross-country runner who was fatally shot during a robbery attempt Aug. 19, was remembered last weekend by Susquehanna University, whose men's team won the Cougar Classic at Dallas, Pa.

Susquehanna's men's and women's teams wore a "RM'' decal on their jerseys. McCall was a close friend of Susquehanna junior runner Mike Harahan, who was with McCall at the time of the incident.

Lullen contributes to win vs. Maine

University of Albany sophomore wide receiver John Lullen (Gaither) had two receptions for 15 yards in Saturday's 20-16 upset win against Maine, the No. 19-ranked team in Division I-AA. The Great Danes rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to former Brandon High School offensive lineman Gene Killian, who played for Coach Charlie Livingston's state runner-up team in 1969. Killian played for the University of Tennessee and was a 16th-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1974. Today, Killian turns 57.

The Answer Man

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

Florida State University sophomore running back Ty Jones (Middleton) rushed for 108 yards on Saturday night against Brigham Young. The last FSU running back from a Tampa high school to have a 100-yard rushing game for the Seminoles was Plant's Nelson Italiano, who had 110 against Newberry College in 1950.

Tuesday trivia

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

Rays right-hander Jeff Niemann is trying to lead his team in victories and ERA. Who was the last rookie pitcher to accomplish that for a defending American League champion?

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