By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, April 1, 2011

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EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN | Times

Play ball! It’s opening day for the Tampa Bay Rays. Sure, the Rays lost a few key parts. No more Carl Crawford. No more Carlos Peña. No more Matt Garza or Rafael Soriano. But there are still plenty of reasons to go out to the ballpark. Our reasons why you should go see the Rays at Tropicana Field in 2011:

To see Manny being Manny.

That might mean going 3-for-4 with two homers and six RBIs. Or it might mean missing first on a stand-up double and getting called out. It might mean a walkoff dinger. Or it might mean jogging while hitting into a 5-4-3 double play. It might mean a circus catch in the outfield. Or it might be just a circus, period. Either way, Manny being Manny is always something to see.

. To watch the best left-handed pitcher in the majors. Yep, you heard us. You can have CC Sabathia or Cliff Lee. We’ll take David Price, above. Today, tomorrow, next year and five years from now.

. To chow down. There are plenty of new foods to sample this season. We’ll be in the line for the pulled-pork nachos or the Cuban burger at the new Burger Up! restaurant.

. If it’s cool enough for Dickie V, it’s cool enough for us.

. To boo B.J. Upton when he takes a called third strike. Again.

. To cheer B.J. Upton when he makes a sprinting, over-the-shoulder catch in deep left-center. Again.

. When it’s 92 degrees or raining sideways, is there anything better than sitting in air-conditioning while chomping on a hot dog?

. At least you don’t have to worry about watching Carlos Peña flirt with the Mendoza Line.

. One word: catwalks.

. You can still bring your own food. Try that at Yankee Stadium.

. To boo Red Sox leftfielder Carl Crawford, above. Hey, it’s not 2008 anymore. He plays for the other guys now. He won’t mind. His heart is in Boston, right?

. Hey, the past two NL MVPs — St. Louis’ Albert Pujols and Cincinnati’s Joey Votto — come to town for interleague play, not to mention former Rays slugger Jonny Gomes (Reds) and the best manager to ever come out of Tampa — St. Louis’ Tony La Russa. Don’t believe it? Just ask him.

. To hear all those cowbells. Oh, wait. That’s a reason not to come to the Trop in 2011.

. Sit in the outfield and there’s a decent chance you’ll catch a ball just pitched by James Shields.

. To sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Think about it, other than Happy Birthday, it might be the most well-known song in America. And is there anybody who doesn’t like that song?

. If you don’t show up, we have to listen to the national folks ripping Tampa Bay for not supporting the Rays. So show up!

. To see two things the Trop has that Fenway Park and the new Yankee Stadium don’t have — two AL East championship banners in the past three years.

. To watch Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter jump out of the way at a pitch over the inside corner of the plate.

. Without Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano closing out games for the Rays, the final two innings should at least be eventful.

. If it’s a Tuesday night against Baltimore or Kansas City, you can have a whole row to yourself.

. To watch the pitcher who will win the American League rookie of the year award — Jeremy Hellickson.

. So you can tell your grandkids someday that you saw Joe Mauer, Ichiro Suzuki, Josh Hamilton, Dustin Pedroia and Mariano Rivera in person.

. To smell the grass. Wait, we meant to see the grass. Wait, that’s not right, either. Well, at least the new AstroTurf looks good.

. You don’t need sunscreen.

. To cheer Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, above, when he makes a diving stop and guns the runner out at first. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.)

. You’re going to need something to do after the Lightning gets knocked out in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

. You’re going to need something to do because there will be no NFL training camp.

. To see Rays shortstop Reid Brignac, who is going to make fans forget all about Jason Bartlett.

. He’s no Lou Piniella, but Rays skipper Joe Maddon is usually good for one or two meltdowns a season.

. To boo umpires such as Angel Hernandez and Gary Cederstrom. You usually have good reason before the third inning.

. After years of booing Johnny Damon, you can cheer for the idiot. And we mean that as a compliment.

. You might run into Don Zimmer, who knows more baseball than anyone alive.

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The Tampa Bay Rays are underdogs again in the AL East, which is just fine with manager Joe Maddon.

The defending division champions open the season Friday night against Baltimore with one of the lowest payrolls in the major leagues, yet believe they’re perfectly capable of competing for a third title in four years.

The favored Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees may have more resources to put a winning product on the field, however the Rays have proven money doesn’t guarantee finishing on top.

The Orioles have expectations, too, after showing improvement under manager Buck Showalter over the last two months of the 2010 season.

“Everybody’s speaking of the demise of the Rays. … I kind of dig that,” said Maddon, who embraces the challenge of trying to remain competitive in baseball’s toughest division despite losing Carl Crawford(notes), Carlos Pena and six relievers out of the AL’s best bullpen to free agency.

Tampa Bay also traded 2008 AL championship series MVP Matt Garza(notes) and shortstop Jason Bartlett(notes) in cost-cutting moves that management insisted should not be interpreted as a sign the Rays are conceding anything other than they’ve always had to operate differently than the free-spending Red Sox and Yankees.

“I enjoy listening to all that stuff because it really doesn’t matter. We did win two out of the last three years. There’s been an exodus, but there’s also been a nice influx, too,” Maddon said, noting Tampa Bay has bolstered the offense with the additions of veterans Johnny Damon(notes) and Manny Ramirez(notes) and rebuilt the bullpen around offseason acquisitions Kyle Farnsworth(notes), Joel Peralta(notes), Adam Russell(notes), Cesar Ramos(notes) and Juan Cruz(notes).

“We appreciate who we are, where we are in the landscape of this division,” vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman added, “and that we have to get creative and problem-solve in different ways.”

The Orioles have new a new look as well after adding Vladimir Guerrero(notes), Derrek Lee(notes), Mark Reynolds(notes) and J.J Hardy to the lineup, while bringing in new closer Kevin Gregg(notes) and right-handers Justin Duchscherer(notes) and Jeremy Accardo(notes) to bolster a pitching staff that’ll be led by opening day starter Jeremy Guthrie(notes) and Brian Matusz(notes).

“I think we have great young pitching, guys that showed a lot of progress at the end of last year. We’ve got to hope we can continue that growth and that progression,” said Guthrie, 11-14 with a 3.83 ERA in 2010 – Baltimore’s 13th consecutive losing season.

The Orioles, who stumbled to a 2-16 start a year ago after blowing a ninth-inning lead in a 4-3 opening-day loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, are hoping to build on the success they enjoyed after Showalter replaced Dave Trembley as manager on Aug. 2.

The team won seven of its first eight games under Showalter, and the Orioles’ 34-23 record over the last two months of the season was second-best in the AL behind Minnesota’s 35-22.

Guthrie is excited about being tabbed the opening day starter. He believes it’s important to try set the tone for the rest of the staff, even though Showalter hasn’t specifically asked him to assume greater leadership as the No. 1 man in the rotation.

“He didn’t ask me to do anything else. This is the third time I’ve done it, so I’m going to try and do the same things I did the other times, which is try to go out there and work hard and prepare for each start … be aggressive with the hitters, and hopefully that will rub off on the others and we will pitch well, the way we did the last two months of the season,” the right-hander said.

The Rays will counter with last season’s AL Cy Young Award runner-up David Price(notes), who will become the 13th pitcher in big league history to make starts on opening day, in an All-Star game and during the postseason by age 25. Atlanta’s Tom Glavine(notes) was the last to do it, 20 years ago.

The hard-throwing left-hander is eager to get going again after losing twice in the playoffs to the Texas Rangers. So are the rest of the Rays, who aren’t content to rest on past laurels.

“Our guys are kind of motivated being eliminated in the first round,” Maddon said. “When you get knocked out in the first round, that’s a little bit of a punch in the gut. We didn’t like it. Hopefully we’re going to channel that in the right way.”

ST. PETERSBURG – 

For the sixth consecutive season, the Tampa Bay Rays have sold out their home opener.  The Rays start their regular season against the Balitmore Orioles on Friday, April 1 at 7:10 p.m.

David Price will take the mound for the Rays against the Orioles Jeremy Guthrie.

Here’s the news release from the Tampa Bay Rays:

The Tampa Bay Rays season opener at Tropicana Field on Friday, April 1 against the Baltimore Orioles is sold out. It is the sixth consecutive season the Rays have sold out the home opener.

All that remain are a limited number of scattered single seats.

Tickets remain available in nearly every price category for the two remaining games in the season-opening series with the Orioles. On Saturday at 7:10 p.m. the first 15,000 fans receive an Evan Longoria Gold Glove Replica Trophy presented by DEX Imaging. On Sunday at 1:40 p.m., the first 10,000 kids 14 and under receive an American League East Championship banner courtesy of Sweetbay Supermarket.

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
In Print: Friday, April 1, 2011

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PORT CHARLOTTE

Fwor more than a year, we have known this hour would eventually arrive. An opening day without Carl Crawford. A new season with a reduced payroll. A Tampa Bay team of lesser anticipation.

After three seasons of improved play and higher salaries, the Rays have taken a planned step back in 2011.

Now that opening day is finally here, the question is, how big of a step?

Can this team make the postseason?

(Enthusiastic head shake)

Should this team make the postseason?

(Slight shoulder shrug)

Anyone with a working knowledge of the infield fly rule would probably tell you the Red Sox are the favorites to win the American League East. And while the gap between Boston and everyone else in the division is not insurmountable, it does seem significant.

So that brings us to the AL wild card. And the Yankees and Rays. New York finished one game behind Tampa Bay in 2010 but did not have nearly as many roster defections in the offseason. So, yes, the Yankees should probably be the better team in 2011.

The issue is how much better, and how much variance exists.

The Yankees have flaws. Their rotation is not very solid, and the top half of the batting order will include a lot of guys on the downsides of their careers. That’s the good news.

On the other hand, the Rays have flaws, too. Their bullpen is completely untested, and they are also building much of the offense around a couple of guys nearing 40.

On a recent afternoon before a spring training game against the Yankees, I asked Rays mastermind Andrew Friedman to argue his team’s case as if he were before a judge.

“We have, in our minds, a really good chance to be playing compelling games in September,” Friedman said. “The thing is, our group as a whole really relishes being written off. And that’s how everyone feels right now.

“So I wouldn’t make the case very staunchly because I like the spirit of this group, and how driven they are to surprise people. I wouldn’t want a judge’s ruling in our favor right now.”

But here’s the catch:

The Rays could be one of the four best teams in the American League and still not make the playoffs.

The truth is, it’s harder to finish second in the East than first in the Central. Quite a bit harder. During the past four seasons, the AL Central winner has averaged 91.5 victories. The second-place team in the East has averaged 94.75. And that doesn’t even take into account the unbalanced schedules in the divisions.

The folks at Baseball Prospectus recently ran a bunch of simulated seasons through the computer and determined the Rays were behind only Boston and New York in wild-card chances. That sounds encouraging and is probably pretty accurate.

On the other hand, the computer says the Rays’ odds of making the playoffs are less than Boston and New York (because they were determined to be better) and Minnesota, Detroit, Chicago, Texas and Oakland (because none of them play in the AL East).

So I asked Friedman if the Rays had a better-than-league-average offense. He said yes. Better-than-league-average defense? Yes. Better-than-league-average rotation? Yes. Better-than-league-average bullpen? Yes, even there.

“The problem is,” Friedman continued, “we don’t play in a division where league average is the standard.”

Which brings us back to the original point:

How can the Rays make the playoffs?

It could happen if A.J. Burnett is a head case. It could happen if Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera finally start to show their age. It could happen if Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka are all as bad as they were last season.

It could happen.

I just don’t know that you can count on it.

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.

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The Point After

In Print: Friday, April 1, 2011

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Sports columnists John Romano and Gary Shelton discuss this year’s Tampa Bay Rays:

JR: Trivia time, Gary. Can you remember the last Tampa Bay player other than Carl Crawford to start in leftfield on opening day?

GS: Why, John, that would be Ducky Bobo back in 1962. Or Quinton McCracken. But he may have been ’64.

JR: Ooooh, sorry, that’s incorrect. Turns out, it was Jason Tyner in 2002. But don’t feel too badly. My personal recollection was that leftfield did not exist in Tampa Bay before Crawford.

GS: If it wasn’t for a warehouse full of bobblehead dolls, I would think you made Tyner up the way I did Ducky. It really was a place for forgettables with Rich Butler and Danny Clyburn. Crawford made you forget them, but $20 million is a lot for amnesia.

JR: The sad thing is Crawford wasn’t alone on that exit ramp. It’s pretty remarkable to think the 2008 World Series was just a little over two years ago, and seven of the 10 players in the lineup for Game 1 of that Series are no longer around. It’s even more remarkable to think Tampa Bay has had that much turnover and is still a contender.

GS: Ah, but isn’t that the big question? ARE the Rays a contender? Despite the defections? Despite a bullpen where only one player — Andy Sonnanstine — recorded a save last year?

JR: I suppose it depends on your definition of contender. Do the Rays look like the best team in the AL East? No. But are they capable of reaching the postseason? Absolutely. The odds are not in their favor, but they’re better than, say, you or I running a 5K. Without respirators.

GS: Unfortunately for the Rays, there is even more athletic ability in the AL East than you and I coming down the stretch. It’s a lot to ask for what’s left of the Rays to get into the postseason. Who closes? Who brings the power? And do Reid Brignac, Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez and Jeremy Hellickson all meet expectations?

JR: All legitimate questions. But do the Rays have a better chance of making the playoffs than the Orioles? The Blue Jays? The Royals, Tigers, Indians, Mariners or Angels? I would say yes. And if you order me four more Bud Lights, I might even say they have a better chance than the Yankees.

GS: Only four? I don’t drink, but that seems like a six-pack hypothesis to me. The Yankees have a roster filled with players getting paid for what they used to be, but they can still buy an arm or three over the course of the season.

JR: For instance, Matt Garza. In July. When the Cubs are buried.

GS: The Cubs will live ’til July?

JR: Only because the networks will insist on it.

GS: Ah, that explains why the Cubs plan to sign Charlie Sheen.

JR: Bottom line: Will you still be checking the standings every morning in September, or will the lights already be out in Tampa Bay?

GS: Being close enough for math in September is possible, I think. But if the Rays make this year’s playoffs, the next big contract the Yankees offer may be to Andrew Friedman.

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, March 31, 2011

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Quote of the day

“They lost their bullpen. But they still have a great starting rotation. They still have a very intelligent, smart manager who is creative, and it’s going to be tough to beat Tampa just because they know how to win.”

Adam Lind, Jays 1B on the Rays

Number change of the day

There was one number change from the spring as OF Sam Fuld, right, will wear No. 5, worn previously by Rocco Baldelli (as well as Pat Burrell). Fuld, who wore No. 5 since high school whenever he could, said home clubhouse/equipment manager Chris Westmoreland checked with Baldelli then offered the switch to Fuld.

Locker talk of the day

RHP James Shields has gotten his share of ribbing from teammates about his expanded locker in the clubhouse. Like most veterans, Shields has two adjacent lockers, but the wall between was knocked down during the offseason. Shields said he joked with home clubhouse/equipment manager Chris Westmoreland about having more room in his corner, “and he actually redid the whole thing.” Westmoreland said there was structural damage to the previous locker anyway. “It’s nice,” Shields said. “But I’m going to catch some hell from the players for about a week and then they’ll get over it.”

Locker talk of the day, part II

With all the roster turnover, there are lot of players in new places in the clubhouse. DH Manny Ramirez took RHP Rafael Soriano‘s two-locker space in the back with Johnny Damon in RHP Dan Wheeler‘s previous spot in the left corner. LF Carl Crawford‘s lockers, next to SS Reid Brignac, are left unoccupied, and RHP Kyle Farnsworth is where RHP Grant Balfour used to be. INF Sean Rodriguez got bumped up to the two-locker space previously owned by 1B Carlos Peña. “I hope he left some homers in there for me,” Rodriguez said, jokingly.

Who is this Ray?

This outfielder joined the Rays from Triple-A Durham June 25. He ranked third on the team in RBIs over the last three months with 40, 28 coming with two outs. He’s a Tampa native and a natural right-hander who does everything — eats, writes, throws — that way except hit.

Long time coming

When manager Joe Maddon called RHP Adam Russell on Tuesday afternoon to let him know he made the team, he said, “Sorry it took so long.” But Russell had it worse last year with the Padres, when he said he found out 15 minutes before the roster deadline he didn’t make the team. “It’s just a really nice thing to hear finally, after all these years, that you’re going to be on the opening-day roster,” he said. Coincidentally, it was Russell’s current teammate, LHP Cesar Ramos, who got San Diego’s final spot last season. And now they’re in adjacent lockers. “We can’t cut the umbilical cord,” Russell said, jokingly.

Regular season

Today: Off

Friday: vs. Orioles, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price; Orioles — Jeremy Guthrie

Saturday: vs. Orioles 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields; Orioles — Brian Matusz

Sunday: vs Orioles, 1:40, Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis; Orioles — Chris Tillman.

Who is this Ray answer: OF Matt Joyce

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

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Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG — The revamped Tampa Bay Rays have a new look, along with the same expectations of staying on top of baseball’s toughest division.

The cost-conscious AL East champions slashed payroll by about 40 percent this winter, yet remain confident they’ll be able to hold their own against the big-spending Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees this season.

A talented young pitching rotation led by Cy Young Award runner-up David Price is the biggest reason. Manager Joe Maddon believes the team has a chance to be solid offensively, too, with veterans Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez filling holes created by the departures of Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena.

“I think we drip with intangibles,” said Maddon, who has guided the Rays to two of the past three division titles with teams that thrived on pitching, defense and speed.

An offseason of change — pitcher Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett were traded while the Rays also lost Crawford, Pena and virtually the entire bullpen to free agency — has not altered the formula for success.

“We’re not going to go out there and spend an exorbitant amount of money on one or two free agents, but we get really good, athletic young players and mix them with some nice veterans,” Maddon said. “But mainly we have to play our style of baseball. … We have to believe in it. … That’s who we are. We’ll never run away from it.”

Damon, 37, and Ramirez, 38, both are motivated to prove they can still be productive players, with Damon settling into Crawford’s spot in left field and Ramirez taking over as the designated hitter.

They are among six active players with at least 2,500 career hits and are being counted on to provide leadership in the clubhouse, too.

Ramirez is a 12-time All-Star who was slowed by injuries while hitting .298 with nine homers and 42 RBI in 90 games for the Dodgers and White Sox last season.

“I just want to stay healthy. That’s my main course,” Ramirez said. “If I do that, I think everything takes care of itself.”

But for all the talk about what Damon and Ramirez can add, the Rays are still Evan Longoria’s team.

The three-time All-Star third baseman, who hit .294 with 22 homers and 104 RBI last season, is excited about being sandwiched between his new teammates in the batting order.

“We’ve got the right guys,” Longoria said. “It’s just a matter of putting the pieces together that win.”

Maddon’s biggest concern is the bullpen.

The Rays lost All-Star closer Rafael Soriano and most of the relief staff.

They have rebuilt the unit around the lone holdover, long reliever Andy Sonnanstine, and newcomers Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz and Joel Peralta.

With no clear-cut closer on the roster, the manager likely will handle that role by committee.

“Bullpens are like that. They’re volatile. They pop up. They go away,” Maddon said. “I kind of enjoy the fact that people aren’t expecting much out of us. We’ll see.”

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, March 31, 2011

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The “grass” portion of the Rays’ new AstroTurf field at the Trop is green, but the warning track surrounding the field is a burnt orange. The AstroTurf replaces the FieldTurf.
	[EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN | Times]

ST. PETERSBURG — The new AstroTurf surface at Tropicana Field previously earned rave reviews for how it looks and feels like regular grass.

And after the first game on it Wednesday, a 5-3 Rays victory over the Jays in the spring finale, both teams were pleased with how it played.

“It doesn’t play as fast as you think without knowing it’s turf,” Rays 2B Sean Rodriguez said. “It plays pretty normal. You get your good hops, your bad hops.”

AstroTurf’s newest model, Game Day Grass 3D-60H, was installed during the offseason, replacing FieldTurf. It was designed specifically for baseball, and the Trop is the first pro facility to have it. (Duke and Wake Forest are the only baseball facilities to use it.)

“It has more of a grass feel to me,” RF Ben Zobrist said.

The Jays, who play on an older model of AstroTurf, liked how consistent the Rays’ version is.

“It’s a true hop,” 2B Aaron Hill said. “You don’t get any crazy hops — at least not yet, anyway.”

1B Adam Lind noted Toronto’s turf was laid in several pieces with Tampa Bay’s being one large sheet.

“It’s definitely less bouncy,” Lind said. “Ours is just a bunch of squares. You never know what’s going to happen out there.”

The Rays had a half-field of the AstroTurf in Port Charlotte, and several players worked out at the Trop a few weeks ago to test it. Manager Joe Maddon said afterward they met with the company’s representatives, who made adjustments.

“I think it plays really well for this team,” Rays INF Elliot Johnson said.

PERSONAL MATTERS: DH Manny Ramirez was not at the game for what the Rays said were “personal reasons.”

Maddon said Ramirez “is fine,” and he found out a couple days ago he had “some personal things to attend to … and there was something he really had to do.”

Ramirez will be back for Friday’s opener, Maddon said.

STANDING TALL: RHP Jeff Niemann said he felt good about his four-inning start Wednesday during which he allowed three runs and four hits on 65 pitches. “Everything felt like it’s where it needs to be to start the season,” he said. “I’m going in feeling good and feeling confident.”

GAME DETAILS: 3B Evan Longoria hit a solo homer (his fourth) as did Johnson, who also had two hits and stole his major-league leading 12th base of the spring before an announced 8,568. CF B.J. Upton hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh, walked twice and stole two bases, including home on a double steal in the third.

RHP Adam Russell and LHP Jake McGee threw a scoreless inning in the second of back-to-back appearances.

The Rays finished the spring 15-14-2 sparked by a 14-7-1 streak that tied the Brewers for the best in the majors over the past three weeks. Maddon said they played Wednesday with the kind of effort and aggressiveness he’d like to see during the regular season.

MISCELLANY: RHP Jeremy Hellickson will pitch in a Triple-A game in Port Charlotte today. … The Rays are approaching a sellout for Friday’s opener with just obstructed-view and scattered single seats available.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

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