Wake-Up Call: Fond memories at Rays' home openers

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!

For the Rays tonight, it will be a home opener unlike any other at Tropicana Field. Yes, it was electrifying and historic in 1998 for the first game in franchise history, but tonight will feature the rising of two banners (American League East title and AL pennant) to the Trop's rafters.

Between the 1998 lid-lifter and tonight, there were a few memorable moments in the history of Rays' home openers.

Largest Attendance (1998) - The franchise's first game was witnessed by 45,369 fans, a record that won't be equaled since the Trop has reduced its seating capacity.

Smallest Attendance (2005) - Only 26,018 fans took in the 2005 opener, a 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays.

Most Dramatic Moment (2003) - Carl Crawford hits a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Rays past the Red Sox 6-4 in Manager Lou Piniella's first game with Tampa Bay. "Let's not get euphoric," Piniella cautioned afterward.

Most Ironic Homer (1998) - Tigers OF Luis Gonzalez, a Tampa native and Jefferson High graduate, hit the first homer in Tropicana Field history, a two-run shot to right field that landed just a few rows away from his relatives.

Worst Pregame Stunt (1999) - The Red Sox scored their first two runs in a 4-1 victory when Rays OF Randy Winn lost a fly ball in a smoky haze, remnants of a pregame fireworks spectacular from the Trop's catwalks. "If you have an indoor stadium, you should refrain from that [fireworks]," Rays 3B Wade Boggs said.

Worst Debut (2000) - Rays RHP Juan Guzman, a free-agent signing who was touted as a workhorse, lasted just 1 2/3 innings in a 14-5 loss to the Indians. Guzman was sent to the disabled list with a sore right shoulder - and never pitched again in the major leagues.

Best U.S. Opener (2004) - The Rays beat the Yankees 9-4 at Tropicana Field - eight days after beating New York 8-3 in Tokyo (with the Rays designated as the home team in the two-game international showcase).

Best Hitting Performance (2007) - Rays 3B Akinori Iwamura went 4-for-4 and scored the winning run, capping a three-run ninth inning in a 6-5 victory against the Orioles.

Best Pitching Performance (2001) - Rays RHP Albie Lopez went eight innings, allowing seven hits and striking out six in an 8-1 victory against the Blue Jays.

Going Deep - No Rays player has hit two home runs in a home opener. Here are the 15 different players to hit one - Wade Boggs (1998), Fred McGriff (1999), Bubba Trammell (2000), Randy Winn (2001), Gerald Williams (2001), Terry Shumpert (2003), Carl Crawford (2003), Julio Lugo (2004), Toby Hall (2006), Delmon Young (2007), Akinori Iwamura (2007), B.J. Upton (2007), Ty Wigginton (2007), Carlos Pena (2008) and Shawn Riggans (2008).

First Pitch - Among the men who threw out the ceremonial first pitch at various Rays' home openers were Baseball Hall of Famers Al Lopez, Monte Irvin, Stan Musial and Ted Williams (combined effort in 1998); Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Doby (1999); former Rays 3B Wade Boggs (2000); U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks (2002); Bucs coach Jon Gruden and GM Rich McKay (2003); World Junior Middleweight champion Winky Wright (2004); IRL racing team owner Michael Andretti (2005); the son, grandson and great-grandson of the late Tampa baseball legend Al Lopez (2006); and Gov. Charlie Crist and retired Bucs RB Mike Alstott (2008).

Yes, it's ridiculously early

Angels 3B Chone Figgins (Brandon) leads the majors in stolen bases with five.

Cashing in already

Scranton-Wilkes Barre C Kevin Cash (Gaither), the former Red Sox player who homered in last season's American League Championship Series against the Rays, finished his first week with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate batting .636 (7-for-11). He was 3-for-3 with a home run in Sunday's 14-4 victory against Lehigh Valley.

Butler, Maguire fare well in AJGA

Two Pinellas County players finished high on the leader boards Sunday during the American Junior Golf Association's Mizuno Junior event at Innisbrook.

Dunedin's Michelle Butler (74-71-70-215) took third in the girls division, while St. Petersburg's M.J. Maguire (78-72-69-219) finished fourth in the boys division.
Bradenton's Victoria Tanco (75-68-67-210) won the girls division, while Lake Mary's Shun Yat Hak (70-72-73-215) was the boys champion.

Tampa's A.J. Newell (75-75-70-220) finished in a tie for 10th in the girls division.

Past winners of the Mizuno Junior event include Seminole's Brittany Lincicome, Bloomingdale's Beth Bauer and Chamberlain's Ryuji Imada.

Speaking of Imada

Ryuji Imada fired a final-round 69 on Sunday and finished in a 10-way tie for 20th place (73-72-72-69-286) at the Masters.

Garcia looks sharp

University of South Carolina rising sophomore QB Stephen Garcia (Jefferson) completed 13 of 20 passes for 144 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's spring game. "He's obviously better than he once was and still has a ways to go," Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said.

It was the first spring-practice action for Garcia - he was suspended from the drills in 2007 and 2008 - and now he's working with a new quarterbacks coach, G.A. Mangus, who has laid down a strict regimen. Garcia will work out four days a week this summer in Columbia, S.C., making 100 to 150 throws per day. By August, Mangus said he hopes to see a quarterback ready to perform in the SEC's upper echelon.

Murray on G-Day

University of Georgia freshman Aaron Murray (Plant), who entered school in January, was 3-for-5 for 62 yards (including a 43-yard completion) in Saturday's G-Day spring game at Athens, Ga.

Jon Gruden sighting

Former Bucs coach Jon Gruden and Patriots coach Bill Belichick, a close buddy of Gators coach Urban Meyer, are the featured speakers this weekend in Gainesville for the University of Florida's coaching clinic that precedes the Orange and Blue Game.

It won't be the first time Gruden visited a college campus this offseason. According to the Oregonian, a newspaper in Portland, Gruden recently visited University of Oregon coach Chip Kelly to learn more about the Ducks' spread offense. Kelly offered Gruden a job - as offensive coordinator - but Gruden declined.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to former Bucs coach Richard Williamson - the one-season bridge between Ray Perkins and Sam Wyche - who was fired after a 3-13 record in 1991.
Williamson has been receivers coach for the Carolina Panthers since the franchise began in 1995. Today, Williamson turns 68.

The Answer Man

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

Hillsborough High's Dwight Gooden was named Most Valuable Player in the first Saladino Baseball Tournament (1981) and he remains the only Saladino Tournament MVP to play major-league baseball.

Monday trivia

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

QB Byron Leftwich, headed to the Bucs as a free-agent signing, was a 2003 first-round draft choice (seventh pick overall) by the Jaguars. The Bucs had three other quarterbacks, drafted in the NFL first round by other organizations, to start a game in Tampa Bay. Who are they?

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