No Rays for Curt?

Earlier this year, RHP Curt Schilling talked openly - on his radio show - about considering coming to the Rays in 2008 if he wasn't resigned by the Red Sox. He mentioned his admiration for manager Joe Maddon and the attraction of working with a young pitching staff in what would be his final season.

But after filing for free agency on Tuesday, Schilling wrote on his blog - 38pitches.com - about the teams he would consider going to, and the Rays were not among them, apparently because he doesn't think they have a "legitimate shot" to make the playoffs.

Schilling's delivery:

"The list of teams that our family has talked over, that we think would be a fit for next year, should we not come back, are pretty much teams in cities we agree would be ok for our last year, and teams I think have a legitimate shot at being in the post season and/or World Series. Teams we didn’t include aren’t for any one reason. There are a million little things that go into this from stadiums to school districts to travel to spring training to etc. etc. etc. but the list represents the teams after Boston that have some of the off the field things that are big to us, plus the potential to go into October next year.

"Cleveland, Detroit, Anaheim, New York Mets, Philadelphia, Atlanta, L.A., S.D., Arizona, Chicago Cubs,  St. Louis, Milwaukee."

Paul a free agent

Backup catcher Josh Paul filed for free agency on Tuesday.
Paul, who was the only remaining Ray eligible for free agency, hit .190 with 1 home run and 9 RBIs in 35 games in an injury shortened season. Paul, 32, made $625,000 last season.
The Rays have starter Dioner Navarro back and could use Shawn Riggans, who missed most of the season with injuries, as the backup.

Rays claim pitcher, drop catcher

The Rays claimed left-handed pitcher Kurt Birkins off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, according to a news release.  To clear room on the roster, the club designated catcher Raul Casanova for assignment.

Birkins, 27, split last season between the Orioles and Norfolk (AAA).  He appeared in 19 games (two starts) for the Orioles over five separate stints, posting a 1-2 record with an 8.13 ERA.  He went 8-4 with a 3.07 ERA in 20 games (19 starts) for Norfolk.  He made his first major league start at Tropicana Field on September 3rd (no decision in 4.0 innings).

A 33rd round selection by the Orioles in the 2000 Draft, Birkins made his major league debut in 2006, pitching in 35 games for the O’s, compiling a 5-2 record and a 4.94 ERA while holding opponents to a .221 batting average.  He owns 57 strikeouts in 65.1 career major league innings. 

Casanova, 35, also split the year between the majors and Triple A.  He hit .253 for the Rays with six home runs and 11 RBI in 29 games.

Pitching coach pleads no contest in DUI case

ST. PETERSBURG -- Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey today pleaded no contest to charges of DUI and leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage in connection with a Sept. 30 accident.

Hickey, 46, of St. Cloud, Fla., had his license suspended for six months and was placed on probation, according to his attorney, Jack Helinger of St. Petersburg. He also was ordered to serve 50 hours of community service, attend DUI school and pay $645 in fines and court costs.

The judge withheld an adjudication of guilt on the charge of leaving the scene of an accident, Helinger said. He expected that a separate misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence would be dropped by the state. Court records show that count was closed administratively and folded into the DUI charge last week.

Hickey already has performed the community service, attended the school and paid the fines and court costs, Helinger said. He also has paid restitution.

Under those circumstances, Helinger said, it's not unusual for a first-time offender's probation to be terminated early once those conditions of the sentence have been met.

Hickey was charged with running his silver pickup truck into the back of another pickup truck being driven by a Rays batboy near Tropicana Field shortly after the team returned from its last game in Toronto. The bat boy, Matthew Felix Carlson, pulled over, but Hickey took off toward Interstate 275, police said. An undercover officer who saw the accident followed him and called to other police who pulled Hickey over.

Pulled over at Gandy Boulevard, Hickey tried to put his car in gear and drive away, police said. Officers took him from the car after he initially refused to get out. As he got out, he stumbled and fell, and then tensed his muscles and put his hands under his chest after falling down. He refused to remove his hands, but police eventually got his arms out and handcuffed him. He refused to take a Breathalyzer or blood test.

Hickey joined the Rays in November after being dismissed by Houston, where he was the major-league pitching coach for 2 1/2 seasons after 13 years as a minor league coach.

The Rays said in a statement, "While Jim Hickey's actions were inexcusable, we have been encouraged by the responsible manner in which he has conducted himself throughout the proceedings." Helinger said Hickey hopes to remain with the team, which has not made a decision.

"His family and baseball have been his life, so most certainly he wants to, and we hope that will be the case," Helinger said after the hearing.

Another award for Pena

Carlos Pena made it a clean sweep of the Comeback Player of the Year awards Friday when he was named winner of the Players Choice award voted by his peers. He previously won the MLB and Sporting News awards.

Another OF

The Rays claimed OF Chris Snelling off waivers from Oakland and released RHP Jay Witasick. Snelling missed most of last season with a knee injury. He could provide depth and a lefthanded bat off the bench if healthy.

Rays claim Snelling, release Witasick

The Rays claimed outfielder Chris Snelling off waivers from the Oakland Athletics and released pitcher Jay Witasick, according to a team news release.

Here is the release:

"The Rays claimed Australian outfielder Chris Snelling off waivers from the Oakland Athletics. To clear room on the roster, the club released right-handed pitcher Jay Witasick.

Snelling 25, batted a combined .246 with one home run and seven RBI in 30 games last season for the Washington
Nationals and Athletics before suffering a season-ending left knee injury on May 10 (underwent surgery on July 3).

He was the Nationals’ Opening Day leftfielder and hit .204 in 24 games before being traded to the A’s on May 2 for
outfielder Ryan Langerhans. He started each of his first six games with Oakland at the time of the injury.

Snelling spent his first eight professional seasons in the Seattle Mariners organization, reaching the major leagues in
2002 at age 20. Injuries have limited him to 582 professional games over nine seasons, including 89 at the major
league level, where he holds a career average of .240 with six home runs, 19 RBI and a .357 on-base percentage.

That includes a .375 career mark at Tropicana Field (6-for-16) with a home run. He owns a career average of .311 in
the minor leagues, hitting .300 or better each of his first seven seasons.

He would be the third Australian native to play for the Rays joining current right-handed pitcher Grant Balfour and lefthanded
pitcher Damian Moss (2004). He represented the Aussies in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.''

Rays can chant, "We're No. 2!"

Noted baseball author and analyst Bill James has a new system for ranking young talent, and in his upcoming new book, he rates the Rays as being second-best among the 30 big-league organizations, behind only the NL champ Rockies.

James includes LHP Scott Kazmir and RHP James Shields among his top 25 players under age 30. His findings are included in the Bill James Handbook 2008, which will be published next week by ACTA Sports.

His reasoning? “Five Grade-A young players -- Kazmir, Shields, B.J. Upton, Delmon Young and Carl Crawford,'' James said in a press release. "I know that a lot of people would list Delmon Young in the top five young players in baseball, but I don’t see that his performance justifies that, and this isn’t about scouting reports or press clippings, it’s about performance. Edwin Jackson just misses being A grade, and (Andy) Sonnanstine ain’t bad, either.”

James lists Kazmir, 23, as the No. 5 best young player in baseball. "Sort of a shorter Steve Carlton, he battled the league's strictest pitch counts and missed by one of leading the major leagues in strikeouts,'' James said. "He now has three straight winning seasons, which isn't that easy to do starting about five times a year against Toronto, Boston and the Yankees with the Tampa Bay Rays behind you.''

Shields, 26, is ranked No. 20 on James' Young Talent inventory. "He plays Drysdale to Kazmir's Koufax, had an oustanding season despite allowing 28 home runs and working against hard pitch counts,'' James said. "Never wastes a pitch, with a strikeout/walk ratio of 184-36.''

The book can be ordered through actasports.com.

(Pictured: Scott Kazmir. Times photo - James Borchuck. Click to enlarge.)

Would you want Manny on your team?

"There is no question  that Manny Ramirez is an elite hitter and belongs among the best of all time. But as good  a hitter as he is, he’s just as bad (if not worse) a ballplayer,'' staff writer Anthony Perez writes in a point-counterpoint  in Friday's St. Petersburg Times.

Counters Tom Jones, "Manny Ramirez can play for my team anytime. In fact, if I had to win one game and there was a draft to pick a team, Ramirez would be my first choice.''

What do you think? Would you want Manny on your team? Leave us a comment below.

(AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Young comes up short

The official AL Rookie of the Year award doesn't come out until next month. But if what the people on the field think is similar to what the baseball writers vote, Rays RF Delmon Young is not going to be the AL Rookie of the Year and Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia is.

Pedroia was named the winner Thursday of the Players Choice top rookie award, which is voted by the players and presented through their union. Pedroia also won the Sporting News award, overwhelmingly, which is voted by the players and managers. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun won the NL award.

1B Carlos Pena, however, is a strong candidate for the Players Choice AL Comeback Player of the Year award, which will be announced Friday.

Another honor for Pena?

    Rays 1B Carlos Pena is among three finalists for the Players Choice AL Comeback Player of the Year award, which will be announced Friday.

    Pena, who already won the MLB and Sporting News awards, is joined in the final three by Boston’s Jon Lester and Texas’ Sammy Sosa.

    Rays RF Delmon Young is one of three finalists for the AL Outstanding Rookie award with Kansas City’s Brian Bannister and Boston’s Dustin Pedroia. That award will be announced Thursday.

   The Players Choice awards are voted by the players and coordinated through their union.

Costner to "crash" Rays party

Longtime movie star Kevin Costner will be the star entertainer at the Rays' Nov. 8 unveiling of their new uniforms and logos at St. Petersburg's downtown Straub Park.
Costner, who starred in baseball-themed movies including Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, will perform with his rock band, Modern West, at around 6:30 p.m., following the 5:30 "fashion" show, featuring current and former players, such as Wade Boggs and Fred McGriff, modeling the new uniforms.
There will be a fireworks show after the free concert. Activities start at 4 p.m.
The Rays will make appearances throughout the Tampa Bay area on Nov. 9, including a noon event at Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa, and at Champs retail stores that night.

The

Steinbrenner meeting: A show about nothing

TAMPA – As Billy Joel once crooned in his classic hit about the
Big Apple, "now I need a little give and take, the New York Times, the Daily News, and Newsday, too."

Throw in the Newark Star Ledger, the New York Post, the Bergen
Record, ESPN Radio, the Associated Press, a handful of television crews and the St. Petersburg Times. All were in a New York state of mind Tuesday, staking out Legends Field and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's house all day for a sign of news about manager Joe Torre's fate, just looking for a little give and take with any Yankees official.

But none was forthcoming, not from 9 a.m. until around 3 p.m.
outside Legends, where about two dozen members of the media waited patiently, believing a meeting with Steinbrenner and his sons Hank and Hal, who have taken over the daily operation of the club, as well as general manager Brian Cashman and Steinbrenner's son-in-law Felix Lopez, was taking place.

Reporters and cameramen eventually fanned out, checking Tampa restaurants for any sign of the meeting, and wound up across the street from Steinbrenner's home late in the afternoon, again watching for any activity.

Finally, at 4:02, the gates to the home swung open and a Suburban pulled out quickly with Hal at the wheel, then closed again. Just over a half-hour later, the gates re-opened and three cars exited hurriedly, one driven by Lopez, one by Steinbrenner's driver and the third by Hank.

No news about Torre, no news period, other than the Tampa police officer who drove past to tell the media that the meeting inside was over.

In the end, the waiting game Tuesday felt like another quintessentially New York production, Seinfeld – a show about nothing.

-- DAVE SCHEIBER, Times Staff Writer

(Pictured: George Steinbrenner's house in Tampa. AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

More honors for Pena

      Carlos Pena was previously named Major League Baseballs AL Comeback Player of the Year by mlb.com writers. Monday, he got the endorsement of uniformed personnel.

      In a poll of 488 players and all 30 managers, Pena was honored again by The Sporting News, chosen not only as the AL’s comeback player, but also as the first baseman on the AL All-Star team, ahead of such stars as Justin Morneau and Paul Konerko.

     The results weren't good for RF Delmon Young in the AL Rookie of the Year race - Boston's Dustin Pedroia won, and received 141 of 212 votes cast by AL players.

      Pena, who hit .282 with a team record 46 homers and 121 RBIs,  can make it a clean sweep next month when the Players Choice awards are announced.

Rays ticket prices mostly unchanged, free parking limited to car poolers

The Rays announced Friday their 2008 ticket prices will stay mostly the same as the 2007 prices. But to encourage fans to buy their tickets in advance, they will add a $2 surcharge to all day-of-game tickets sold within five hours of first pitch.

Otherwise, all ticket prices are the same except outfield seats, which were reduced by $1 (from $22 to $21 for prime games and $17 to $16 for others), and upper deck seats, which were increased by $1 (from $13 to $14 and $8 to $9). As is now standard among teams, they charge more for "prime" games - the 18 against the Yankees and Red Sox and (this year) three against the Cubs.

The Rays had planned to end their two-year program of free parking, but instead went "green" and will offer it to carpoolers - vehicles with four or more passengers. For vehicles with less than four passengers, the parking fee will be $10, same as it was in 2005.

After the 2006 season, the Rays made what appeared a slight overall increase - raising the average price, by their calculations, less than a dollar, from $22.35 to $23.19. But prices in 14 of 18 seating categories went up, including all prime games.

The free parking was originally a one-year offering by new principal owner Stuart Sternberg, and then was extended to a second season.

Ticket prices:
                                                       Prime         Regular
                                                      Games (21) Games (60)

Upper Deck/*tbt Party Deck                 $14                 $9
Outfield                                             $21                 $16
Loge Box                                            $38                 $22
Baseline Box                                       $38                 $22
Press Level                                        $45                  $26
Lower Box                                          $55                 $40
Lower Infield Box                                $70                 $52
Fieldside Box                                     $115                $85
Whitney Bank Club                             $150              $110
Home Plate Club                                $270               $210

Rays hire Martinez

The Rays made it official Thursday, hiring former OF Dave Martinez as their new bench coach.
They also announced that Don Zimmer, a senior advisor, will return for his 60th season in pro baseball.

Martinez, 43, was an original Devil Ray, starting in rightfield for the March 31, 1998, inaugural game, logging the franchise's first hit. He retired in 2001 after a 16-season big-league career and spent the last two springs working as an instructor with the Rays.
Four other returning coaches got two-year deals - Tom Foley (3B), Steve Henderson (hitting), George Hendrick (1B) and Bobby Ramos (bullpen).
There is still no word on the fate of pitching coach Jim Hickey, who was arrested on DUI and other charges after returning from the Sept. 30 season finale.

For openers in Baltimore; Cubs in mid-June

The Rays released their 2008 schedule Wednesday highlighted by the first-ever visit by the Chicago Cubs, as well as the return of former manager Lou Piniella, on June 17-19.

The Rays will again open the season on the road, playing three games at Baltimore starting March 31 and four at New York, before returning to Tropicana Field for the April 8 home opener against Seattle.

The Rays will also host the Astros (June 20-22) and Marlins (June 13-15) in interleague play. They will make their first trip to St. Louis (May 16-18) and also visit Pittsburgh (June 27-29) and South Florida (June 24-26).

As standard under the unbalanced schedule format, the Rays will play 18 games against each of their AL East opponents (the Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox and Yankees). Of the other AL teams, the Angels and White Sox make two visits each, the other teams one each.

The Red Sox are scheduled to visit April 25-27, June 30-July 2 and Sept. 15-17; the Yankees are coming in April 14-15, May 12-15 and Sept. 2-4.

The Rays are accepting reservations for a season-ticket priority list; individual tickets usually are not available until the spring. See the full schedule.

Dukes back in action

Troubled OF Elijah Dukes will be back on the field soon playing winter ball for the Licey team in the Domnican Republic. Dukes was taken off the Rays active roster in June after.a series of personal and off-field issues. The Rays haven't decided if he will rejoin the team in the spring.

Ex-Ray Martinez may join coaching staff

The Devil Rays are looking at one of their former players to fill the open spot on the coaching staff.
Former Rays outfielder Dave Martinez met last week with executive VP Andrew Friedman and manager Joe Maddon, with a decision expected by the end of the week.
“If they offer me the job, I would highly consider it,” Martinez said by phone Monday.
Martinez, 43, was an original Ray  then traded in 2000. He retired in 2001 after a 16-year  career  and still lives in the Tampa Bay area.
He was a spring instructor for the Rays in 2006 and this year filled in through the third week of the season when first-base coach George Hendrick was recovering from knee surgery.
Martinez made a strong impression on Maddon and enjoyed the experience enough to start thinking about a full-time position.
“It would be a lot of fun for me, and it would be different for the guys because I was on their side of it for a long time,” Martinez said. The Rays have an opening after not rehiring bench coach Bill Evers. Martinez could get that job, or take a base, with a returning coach, likely Tom Foley, moving to bench coach. The Rays also could restructure or add a quality-control coach.
Steve Henderson (hitting), Bobby Ramos (bullpen) and Hendrick are also coming back . The Rays haven’t determined the fate of pitching coach Jim Hickey, who was arrested on DUI and other charges after returning home from the  Sept. 30 season finale.

Sounds like the "old" George

Reports of George Steinbrenner's demise seem greatly exaggerated based on an interview with the Bergen (N.J) Record published Sunday.
The Tampa-based Steinbrenner, who is expected at Yankee Stadium for tonight's Game 3 of the AL Division Series, told the newspaper, among other things, that manager Joe Torre will be fired if the Yankees fail to advance past Cleveland.
"His job is on the line," Steinbrenner said. "I think we're paying him a lot of money. He's the highest-paid manager in baseball, so I don't think we'd take him back if we don't win this series."
Steinbrenner, sounding much the George of old, also said he is very much in charge of the team, that he expects A-Rod to be back with the Yankees and the umpires did a bad job in not stopping play with the bugs invaded Cleveland.

For the full story: http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMTMmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcyMDQ5NzEmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

Carlos Pena Day!

Carlos Pena's success this season, capped by Monday's announcement that he was voted AL Comeback Player of the Year, is not only a big story in the Tampa Bay area. His adopted hometown of Haverhill, Mass., will fete him with his own day, with the date, sometime after the World Series, to be determined later.

It will actually be the second "Carlos Pena Day" in Haverhill; they had one when he was a first-round draft pick nine years ago.

For more:
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewshh/local_story_277093901?keyword=topstory

Longoria headed east

Rays blue-chip 3B prospect Evan Longoria on Wednesday was officially named to the USA Baseball team that will compete in the International Baseball Federation World Cup title from Nov. 6-18 in Chinese Taipei.

The 24-man roster is comprised of pro players not on major-league 25-man rosters. Longoria is the only Rays player on the squad, which will be managed by Davey Johnson.

Evers: Being let go "hurts deeply"

Bench coach Bill Evers was hurt and disappointed by the Rays' decision to let him go.

"It hurts deeply,'' Evers said. "I gave them those years, saw all those kids grow up, saw the whole organization grow up. They're definitely headed in the right direction. I just wish I could be part of it.''

Evers, 53, spent 10 seasons as a successful and popular minor-league manager in the Rays system before joining Joe Maddon's staff last season as what amounts to assistant manager. But Evers said he was told he wasn't "filling the needs" for Maddon and that there wasn't "any bond" between them, so his contract was not renewed.

Maddon said Evers was not to blame: "Primarily the biggest thing I told him was that I didn't feel that he and I connected well enough. And that's my fault. I'm not blaming him at all. Having said that more than anything I'm just lookin for somebody who I probably just feel more comfortable bouncing stuff off of I guess. I guess that's the best way to describe it without getting technical."

Evers said he would explore options with other teams; the Rays are offering him a scouting job, but he prefers to stay on the field.

The Rays announced Tuesday they planned to bring back coaches Tom Foley (3B), Steve Henderson (hitting), George Hendrick (1B) and Bobby Ramos (bullpen), through it's possible some of their responsibilities could be shuffled, perhaps depending on how they fill Evers' spot.

There was no decision yet on the status of pitching coach Jim Hickey, who was arrested on DUI and other charges late Sunday after returning from the season finale in Toronto, and told the Times on Monday he knew he put his job in jeopardy.

Pena wins comeback player of year

Rays first baseman Carlos Pena on Tuesday was named AL Comeback Player of the Year by Major League BAseball. The award is given to the player who "re-emerges" on the field. Pena who was released in spring 2006 by Detroit and spent most of the season at Triple-A with New York and Boston, hit a team-record 46 homers for the Rays and knocked in 121 runs.

Pena came to spring training with the Rays on a minor-league contract and had been reassigned but was brought back when Greg Norton sustained a knee injury. Pena, showing much better pitch selection than he had earlier in his career, took it from there. His career high for homers was 27 and the Rays record was 34. The RBI record was 117.

Pitching coach charged with DUI

The pitching coach of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays was arrested by St. Petersburg police late Sunday and charged with DUI, hit and run and resisting arrest without violence.

Police said an undercover officer saw James J. Hickey, 45, run his silver pickup into the back of a green pickup at First Avenue and 16th Street S, in front of Tropicana Field. The green pickup was driven by Devil Rays batboy Matthew Felix Carlson, and both men were stopped at a traffic light, said St. Petersburg Police Department spokesman George Kajtsa.

Carlson pulled his 1998 Chevrolet S10 pickup truck over to the side of the road, but Hickey took off toward Interstate 275. The officer, who was not in a marked car or uniform, followed him up Interstate 275 and communicated with other officers, who stopped him north of Gandy Boulevard.

"I made a horrible mistake," Hickey said in a phone interview. "It was a total lack of judgment. I apologize for that. It's inexcusable. I take total responsibility for my actions and I'll face up to it and make it right."

Hickey would not say where he was though he did say he wasn't with anyone from the team. He said he was not in a fight.

According to a St. Petersburg Police Department affidavit, Hickey pulled over for Police Officer Steven W. Sprout at Gandy Boulevard but then tried to put the car in gear and drive away. Hickey refused to get out of the car, Kajtsa said, and was brought out by officers. He then stumbled when he got out of the car and fell to the ground.

Police said Hickey tensed his muscles and put his hands under his chest after falling down on his face. He refused to remove his hands, but police eventually managed to get his arms out and handcuff him.

Hickey had a strong odor of alcohol, his speech was slurred and he swayed and appeared disoriented, the police report said. He refused to take a breathalyzer or blood test.

Hickey's booking photo shows a large scrape or bruise on his right cheek and a cut over his eye. He was booked at the Pinellas County Jail at 3:29 a.m. and was released on bond at 7:58 a.m.

The Rays finished their final game of the 2007 regular season Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

Devil Rays Executive Vice President Andrew Friedman said in a statement: "Jim was very apologetic and ashamed for the lack of discretion leading to this situation.  The Devil Rays organization is very disappointed in the poor personal behavior which precipitated this incident.  We expect Jim will face this incident honestly and appropriately.''

As for whether he cost himself his job, Hickey said:  "I certainly put my job in jeopardy. They have every right to go in any direction they want to."

Times staff writers Leonora LaPeter Anton, Marc Topkin, Abhi Raghunathan and Carolyn Edds contributed to this report.