Veterans energized upon arrival with Rays

Gregg Zaun wasn't exactly a wide-eyed kid when he helped the Marlins win the World Series in 1997, but each season that has passed since then has reinforced the significance of that achievement.

Beginning this season with the perpetually rebuilding Orioles as a 38-year-old tutor for elite catching prospect Matt Wieters, it was perfectly reasonable for Zaun to believe his last opportunity to make it back to October - or even meaningful baseball in September - had passed.

"At this point, who knows when it's going to be over?" Zaun said. "I have my goals - I'd like to play forever - but you never know."

So that phone call he got from Baltimore general manager Andy MacPhail last week telling him he was headed back into the playoff hunt with the Rays was almost more meaningful than Zaun can express. And the same sentiment applies for reliever Russ Springer, picked up a day later from the last-place A's.

To these seasoned newcomers to Tampa Bay, who will put on their white home uniforms at Tropicana Field for the first time tonight, it isn't about putting up numbers in the final two months of the season to secure a better contract for 2010. It's about seizing what might be their last opportunity to reach the pinnacle.

"I've never been a guy that's racked up the individual accomplishments," Springer said. "To me, my success is longevity and chances to go to the playoffs. My success is from a team standpoint, and once you feel that feeling of going to the playoffs, that's the only thing you want again. People don't realize that.

"My second year in the big leagues, Chili Davis was talking about it and I kind of understood what he was talking about, but not really. Now I know exactly what he was talking about. It's a feeling you can't duplicate. I'd just like to have a chance to get back one more time and kind of end it on my own terms."

Springer, who turns 41 in November, has been at it even longer than Zaun after making his big-league debut with the Yankees in 1992. He can't boast a championship ring like Zaun can, but he has at least had multiple chances, reaching the postseason twice with the Braves and three times with the Astros.

Both veterans spoke of the energizing power of jumping into the race after spending four months in what amounts to the baseball version of a cubicle job. With Baltimore and Oakland, they came to work every day and did their best to help the team advance its priorities. Certainly, winning is at the top of the list for every competitor every night no matter how bleak the outlook, but when there is truly something at stake, it makes a difference.

"I always wanted to get back to the postseason, I wanted to win another championship," Zaun said. "But every situation's different. Every team that you're on, the focus is different. Every time I step on the field I'm focused on winning - that never changes. But we all know there are certain organizations that are more focused on development or the future versus now. When you're with a team like that, you adjust things you do accordingly. The focus is someplace else. But here, the team's focused on winning right now and that's really awesome."

Of course, the results haven't exactly been ideal right out of the box for Zaun and Springer, given they happened to latch on with the Rays in the midst of what became a disastrous road trip. But even as the Yankees keep pulling away in the division, the wild card remains well within realistic reach, and that's more than enough to drive these two as they near the finish line in their careers.

"As an older guy, you can't fake adrenaline in games," Springer said. "When you're in a race, you feel that as soon as you walk through the door. It's a good feeling to feel it and look forward to coming to the ballpark every day again. Every game means something."