March 2010
Bentley is no Country Clunker
And you might ask why I am tuning into Country right now with the season at my doorstep. Well, in the next day or so the Rays will release their final 5 bands/artists for the Hess Express/Rays Saturday Night Concert Series, and …..Dierks Bentley will be the featured artist after the Saturday, September 18th game against the Los Angeles Angels. And after watching a few of his videos and listening to some of his songs online this week, I am excited to see this Country artist play within the confines of Tropicana Field in 2010.
I presented another band yesterday (Train) to MLBlogs.com that will also grace the Rays Concert series in 2010, but Bentley right now is about to release another album in 2010 and based on his past success, this year might just be the year people talk about him from stem to stern. And Bentley does have some lineage to the Rays having attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn , the same fine institution that gave us Rays starter David Price.
And even though Bentley has only been on the National County Music scene since his self-titled debut album hit the stores in 2003, he has turned that into 13 singles on the Country Music charts in which 7 reached the #1 spot. On that debut album he released “What Was I thinking”, which became his first #1 Country hit. Both his debut album and his follow-up release “Modern Day Drifter” were certified platinum albums.
But Bentley might be better known for the hits “Come a Little Closer”, “Settle for a Slowdown”, “Every Miles a Memory” “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)”, “Feel That Fire” and “Sideways”. It is rare that an artists, no matter what music category has the ability to produce a “greatest Hits” album after only 7 years in the Country ranks. But this country singer who was named for his maternal grandmother and born in the western state of Arizona has had his share of wild adventures and cross country jaunts.
Early in life his mother moved him to the more rock-oriented city of Lawrenceville, New Jersey where he finally graduated before heading to University of Vermont before heading south to Nashville and Vanderbilt University and spending time with the SAE (Sigma Alpha Epsilon) Fraternity. And I hate to tell all the female Rays fans, but Dierks is a married man with a beautiful baby girl who was born in October,2008. And Bentley got one of his first introductions to the Country Music scene while working for The Nashville Network (now Spike TV) researching old concert footage.
And maybe that small position has come in handy as some say that he is a master in using the entire stage while performing in concert. I have to say that I have a hidden closet of warmth and admiration for Country Music artists and their unique brand of storytelling via the songs and inspirations behind the melodies. But again the Rays have brought in an artists that will appeal the mass Country audience that is situated with the Tampa Bay region. You can expect another sold-out crowd and a few 10-gallon hats during this night’s performance, and maybe even a few Texas two-steps within the hallways and floor of the Trop.
Got to tell you the one song I am really looking forward to is “Sideways”, which is a bit of most fans weekend ritual songs….or is that just me? But with the inclusion of Train and now Dierks Bentley, the Rays still have three more artists to reveal before the season begins and who knows, maybe it could be another great band like Hoobastank or……..who knows. But when I find out, you know I will definitely let you all know as soon as possible.
Welcome Train to the Trop in 2010
Not only has the baseball game plus a concert concept brought more fans into Tropicana Field over the last few seasons to see this great team transform, but the Rays have also presented the Tampa Bay community with great up and coming bands, and also a few blasts from some of our past into their overall baseball entertainment options. And with only 5 of the 10 artists in this season’s line-up already announced (ZZ Top, The Go-Go’s, Hall & Oates, John Fogerty and Nelly), I have a new band to let you know about before the Rays “official” announcement in a few days. The rock band Train will be performing after the Rays versus Baltimore Orioles game on August 15,2010.
Most people have heard at least a little bit about the band Train who in 2009 emerged back into the limelight after a self-imposed hiatus for three years to again come out of the starting gate to present their version of rock and roll. The band will come to Tropicana Field after their fifth album release, and an International hit, “Hey Soul Sister” that is still on the Billboard charts and is currently the # 11 choice on last week’s VH-1 Top 20 Countdown.
Most people might not know the San Francisco-based band has actually been around since 1994. From the band’s core members including lead singer Pat Monahan , drummer Scott Underwood and lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford, the band is also known for other hits, such as classic ballad hits like “Hey Virginia” and “Drops of Jupiter”.
And before the late 2009 release of the single “Hey Soul Sister”, the music masses might have known the band more because of the success of their second album, the self-titled “Drops of Jupiter”, then by the bands name, or Monahan’s distinctive high resonant voice. The song “Drops of Jupiter r (Tell Me)” was the group’s first International hit, and won the trio two different 2002 Grammy Awards. And with the catchy “Hey Soul Sister” still rolling on the Billboard Top 100 charts, the band now has two solid Top 10 Hits to their credit. And their second burst at success since their ” time off” shows that Train is ready again to take their rock ballad roots mainstream again to perform throughout MLB venues in 2010.
Train was formed after Monahan left his Led Zepplin cover band back in Erie, PA in 1993 and ventured out to the California coast and met up with local musician/band member Rob Hotchkiss, who was a frequent performer in the numerous coffee houses and small clubs scene in the San Francisco Bay area. From the band’s beginning, Monahan has been the band’s lead vocalist, and after a short time together both Monahan and Hotchkiss decided to commit to a full scale band and both members eagerly brought Stafford, Charlie Colin and Underwood on board in 1994.
The self-produced, and distributed EP contained several well received songs that made their presence known quickly outside the San Francisco area. One instant hit with rock stations was the single “Free”, and another track off that $ 25,000 self produced EP turned into the Top 20 Billboard hit, “Meet Virginia”, which peaked at # 15 and brought national acclaim to Train.
But the many accolades for “Drops of Jupiter” just kept coming as the song won it’s first Grammy for “Best Rock Song” and Train also were presented an additional Grammy Award that night for “Best Arrangement” on the International hit. Train’s second album quickly rose on the United Kingdom’s Billboard charts and peaked at the 8th slot . A second song from that album “She’s On Fire” also made it onto the soundtrack of the Rob Schneider movie “the Animal”, but did have the kind of overflowing success generated by their single “Drops of Jupiter”.
But the album did give the band their first International platinum album in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. And with their new success, Train embarked on their first International Tour, the “Drops of Jupiter” Tour and produced a live DVD of their homecoming concert in San Francisco at The Warfield on May 21,2001.
The band’s reputation only grew as they were picked by the executives of MTV to do a cover of Aerosmith’s classic song “Dream On” for an episode of the MTV show “Icon” which was dedicated to the tremendous rock and roll success of Aerosmith. Soon after Train released their third album “My Private Nation” which produced the Top 20 hit “Calling All Angels” which was an instant hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. Train got their second chance to have their music featured in a film when their song “When I Look to the Sky” was featured in the film trailer for “Jersey Girl” in 2004.
Also that same year, Train had another song ” Ordinary” featured in the movie “Spiderman 2”, and because of that movie exposure the band got their first chance to include their music in another multi-media medium, television when the same song was included during the NBC show “Heroes”. But the so music video for “Ordinary” was played often by MTV during their video rotation but only had moderate success in the Adult Top 40 charts. But then another medium opened its doors to the band when Cingular also included the song “Ordinary” in their cell phone advertising commercials.
With the band’s sound now well known within the rock culture in the United States the went into the studio to began recording their fourth album in 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia. Train’s first single from that release was “Cab”, which hit the rock airwaves in November 2005. But the album “For Me, It’s You” did not have the wide spread commercial success of their previous album releases, and was the first album by Train not to receive an RIAA certification as a platinum album. Even though “Cab” did make it to the #9 position on the Adult Top 40 list, it only peaked at # 10 in the Top 200 Billboard charts.
This was the band’s first brush with falling from grace in the music industry and after a years of constant touring, Train’s members decided to take a “hiatus” from recording and touring to refocus and re-concentrate their efforts to again get back into the good graces of the music public. So in November 2005, Train began their 3-year sabbatical from performing and releasing music to the public. During that off time, Monahan recorded and released a solo album, but it did not fare well with the listening public.
Then last year on August 11,2009, Train released their first single in three years “Hey Soul Sister” on their fifth album “Save Me San Francisco”. This time people remarked positively on the renewed vigor and vitality in Monahan’s voice and how the hiatus might have saved the band and help re-energize the band’s intensity and drive to again. In January 2010, Train saw “Hey Soul Sister” skyrocket up the Billboard’s charts from # 23 to # 7 in one week due largely to an 81 percent increase in digital sales over that last seven days.
Train has gone through it’s own tale of the Phoenix since their first album back in 1998, but their fifth album definitely shows that the band is back with a rock and roll vengeance, and will be a solid addition to the Hess Express/Rays Saturday Night Concert line-up in 2010. I am looking forward to standing there singing along with the group and want to know….Will you be there?
MLB Scoots Rays off their Merchandising “A-List”
Well, you knew it had to end sometime. You knew that the romance between the Tampa Bay Rays and the hotshots that pop together the multimedia packages and Major League Baseball-endorsed product catalogs had to fall out of love with the Rays at some point and push them again down within the bowels of the MLB basement.
Even if it was only 2008 when the Rays seemed to come up and surprise everyone outside of the Tampa Bay area with their stealth brand of defensive plays mixed with a honest dose of unseen power could the MLB brass-heads at MLB Advanced Media decide to also join the Rays train and speed their presence all over the Internet with such fury.
But just as fast, since the Rays had an awful September that took them early out of the American League Wild Card race, you know the same talking heads who chatted up the Rays potential and obvious “underdog” mystic that would sell products became instant turncoats the minute the axe fell upon the Rays neck in 2009.
So it really did not surprise me at all that the MLB 2010 Spring catalog only had a handful of photos, and the only Rays mentioned uniform is of course, on the main Majestic page ( pages 14-15) in the center of the catalog. But I guess even having a few half dozen photos and Rays team-based items is better than what we experienced from MLB before 2007. And maybe I am pushing this issue a bit, but with all the positive word speak that has been thrown out over the last two seasons, you thought we were out-of-the MLB closet.
So maybe I am a bit bitter here, but then I also think we have gained enough respect to al least have a dozen entries in the catalog. Take for instance page 12-13 that feature the women’s section of MLB available clothing. There are 4 items listed on those pages showing American League East teams, but none from Tampa Bay, Toronto or Baltimore.
Heck, the first item you see in the top corner of page 12 is a pink and white striped New York Yankees top and panties set…. Wonder if they come in A-Rod’s size? Seriously, I guess I will just have to admit to myself that outside of Tampa Bay, and maybe even just on this West Coast of Florida, Tampa Bay gear sells. But what happened to those huge 2007 sales numbers, and those surprising 2008 sales profits that proclaimed the Rays one of the better MLB sold products in those years.
Were they just a Nationwide 2008 phase outside of our region? Could it really be that the rest of the MLB fan faithful caught a whiff of the 2008 Playoff fever, then departed the train just after the last out in Game 5.5 of the 2008 World Series? I am beginning to think that was the thing all along. So maybe I am ranting and raving about nothing. Maybe I got spoiled by the adulation and the pomp thrust upon the Rays in 2008 and it lingers so long into 2009 I did not notice as people were pulling away from the Rays bandwagon.
And there are spots in the catalog where Rays gear shows a presence like in the Crystal Stacked Ring photo on page 20, or the fan personalized Rays round clock for $ 29.99 on page 22. Maybe it is that my own perception has become a bit off center and askew and I am expecting those fans to stay loyal. I am not trying to gain ground on the multitudes of Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs or Dodgers merchandise.
That would just be plain silly and ignorant. But I was hoping to see some nice play with the Teams new blue uniforms, or maybe something besides their new Batting Practice cap on Page 2 , but then again, the Rays cap is in the top position. But it is hard for me to sometime fathom how quickly you can slide against gravity up the MLB mountain in merchandise sales, then just as fast free fall towards oblivion again. But as people always tell me, “Baseball is business”, and in business you always lead with your hot hand.
So I guess the proverbial hot hand slapped me today with a huge dose of reality check time to my preconceived notions of the Rays overall national prominence. It probably will not be the first time this fact hit the Rays Republic in 2010, and I know it will not be the last I get a bit frustrated or irritated by the sheer focal absence of the Rays when MLB spin doctors speak about future merchandising programs and events.
Sigh, guess sometimes it takes a bit to get into some people’s thick heads that thing are not always as they appear. Well, at least a Rays player got some MLB love when Rays 2-time All Star Evan Longoria got his player coin card featured on page 18. So maybe there is some closet love for certain aspects of this team, and I guess I am going to have to adjust my priorities and accept it for now…..maybe.
But at least I can say the Rays have gotten more MLB love this Spring than the Colorado Rockies, who propelled themselves into the 2009 National League Playoffs, and only got one photo of any of their Team logo merchandise in the main center page spread by Majestic. Guess some love is better than none.
Rays Friday Nights offer T-shirts,Fireworks and Fun

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In the last few years the Rays have slowly made their weekend series a fun time to attend Rays games. They have made every Sunday afternoon contest a “St. Petersburg Times Family Fun Day” where a family of four can get a reduced price on their seats, Rays food, and also treat their kids to an increasing number of kid-related events prior to the game along Leftfield and Rightfield Streets, or watching their kids running the bases after the Rays game. The Rays have succeeded in making Sunday a “red-letter” Rays family day destination where everyone in the family can come and enjoy the game, plus take in all the Rays entertainment options. Then the Rays widened their eyesight towards increasing their Saturday night game crowds by bringing in popular musical acts to perform post-game, and these “Hess Express/Rays Saturday Night Concert Series” events became an instant hit with baseball and music lovers. And even with first 5 of 10 bands coming to Tropicana Field including acts like Hall and Oates, ZZ Top, Nelly, The Go-Go’s, John Fogerty the events will again pack the stadium to the rafters during Rays weekend game series that used to zap Rays attendance figures.
Some of us already know about the indoor fireworks display that will explode among the backdrop of the off-white Teflon dome starting 5 minutes after the final out of every Rays Friday night game. But there are more things that will be offered to show that the Rays organization appreciate their loyal and new Rays fans, and will try and expand your total Rays experience this season. But the firework show will only be one of the visual elements the Rays will be trying to use to enticing more Rays fans to attends more games in 2010.
By offering a exciting alternative to the usual Friday night activities of going to the movies, or outdoor events and the occasional rainy Friday nights, the Rays will also offer their fans 13 different Rays collectable T-shirts before every Rays Friday night game. And the Rays will get into the “giving” rhythm fast with their first T-shirt promoting the Rays new blue alternative jersey T-shirt during their first Home Series of the season on April 9th when the first 10,000 Rays fans wearing Rays gear, will be rewarded prior to the Rays first weekend series against their divisional rivals, the New York Yankees.
The Rays will also have more than a few player specific T-shirts featuring some of your favorite Rays star players, plus a special edition ,very modern styled black T-shirt designed by Rays Opening Day starting pitcher, James Shields that will offer a interesting one-of-a-kind design. Most Rays fans have seen for themselves during Shield’s outside the ballpark appearances that he is a huge fan of the fashionable black T-shirt, and produced his version in coordination with the Rays that will pop with style and have everyday fashion in mind.

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The James Shields inspired T-shirt will surely be a instant hit among the young Rays fans who attend any of the schools within the Tampa Bay area, and anyone of any age will love sporting this great personally inspired T-shirt while they are out and about before, during and after Rays games. And those fans who bring their cowbells to the Trop every game have not been forgotten and should be happy as the Rays will also give out an exclusive “More Cowbell” T-shirt during their Friday night T-shirt giveaways.
The cowbell has become a necessary element while attending a Rays game, and the team wanted to show their appreciation to those loyal fans who strike Latin Percussion cowbells, or the Rays-issued smaller versions over the last few years.
The Rays have begun to show their cards to become a more casual Friday night entertainment destination for Rays fans. The Rays have shown extreme success with their Saturday and Sunday promotions, and now will tackle the elusive Friday night crowd hoping they will consider baseball, fireworks and free giveaways as a viable option. But with offering entertainment both on and off the field, the Rays are headed in the right direction.
With the Tampa Bay sports dollar getting thinner with the local economic pressures, the Rays hope that their offering to the Rays Republic will show that they understand, and want to give you the most for your hard earned dollars in 2010. With a great Rays product on the field and the extra curricular activities before and after games, the Rays have made the right moves to make their Friday night Rays games an instant red letter date circled on a lot of home calendars all around Tampa Bay. I know I will be there…Will you?
I Thought Ruggiano’s Deserved a Longer Look

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Justin Ruggiano has always been a great player for the Rays each time they have decided to bring him up either short-term because of injuries, or during their Spring Training camps before finally sending him to their Triple-A affiliate as a right-handed insurance policy. Considering he was hitting .447 with 11 RBIs this Spring, I really hoped the Rays would consider him longer on the Spring roster with the question marks still over the heads of outfielders Matt Joyce, and another unimpressive Spring from fellow right-hander Gabe Kapler.
And a few of us long time Rays Republic members might remember some of Ruggiano’s past events while at the Major League level and wonder what, besides a logjam at outfielders, is keeping this guy down on the farm. Sure he let a ball fall in front of him during a game that cost the Rays a run, but he also did a full face-plant into the Leftfield padding catching a screaming line drive in 2008. And I have heard more than a few people say does he have the stats to be a Major League everyday player, but then I point people to Kapler’s same decline in stats and get the reply that “Kapler has paid his dues”.
And I hate that cliché’ when people throw that out at you. If you do not get a chance to build a foundation, how do you pay your “dues”? Sure Ruggiano got his first taste at this level in 2007 when he came up and appeared in 7 games in 2007 and went 3-14, but he did make enough of a impression that he lasted long into the 2008 Spring Training season with the Major League camp roster even with a dismal .176 Batting Average .
But I seriously thought the Rays organization might take a long and hard look at Ruggiano this year and find a way to keep him up here with the question marks I think are still lingering in Rightfield. Sure we have one portion of the platoon system firmly implanted in capable glove of Ben Zobrist, but still there is the inability of Kapler to give us that one firm reason to keep him besides a great mentoring process and clubhouse presence. And sure both of those qualities are monumental to helping build and maintaining team character, but with Kapler batting .136 this Spring…The Rays do have a viable option to Kapler in house right now.
But I also see the influx of the Rays farm system about to gobble up Ruggiano as more players get that chance to position themselves also for a shot with the big club. And here was a guy who was up with the Rays Spring team leaders in games played to this point who now will move his belongs over to the minor league clubhouse and begin his Triple-A 2010 experience. And how many Rays fans know he was the Durham Bulls Player of the Year in 2007 while hitting .309 with 20 HR 73 RBI and 26 stolen bases.
But then again, Ruggiano has always been a bit of a unknown except to some of us who watch Rays Spring and late season baseball. Who also remembers that he was the player-to-be-named-later from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the June 26,2006 trade that sent pitcher Mark Hendrickson and catcher Toby Hall and netted the Rays Dioner Navarro and pitcher Jae Seo along with Ruggiano. He is widely popular in Durham as he does play the “Rays Way” both on and off the field and is a fan favorite up at Durham Athletic Park.
But with his surge this Spring taking over the minor league player to watch role that former Rays minor league outfielder Jon Weber held onto for several Spring, I thought he might have finally broken through and showed the Rays they can take a chance on him. But instead, the Rays purged him from their Major League camp and he must rejoin his Durham Bulls Triple-A Champion teammates to begin the 2010 season.

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And time is really clicking away for Ruggiano to show his stuff at the Major League level, and it has nothing to do with ability. But maybe his 2008 Rays campaign left doubt into his abilities to suffice at this level. A .197 Batting Average over 45 games of spot duty can bring up many dark clouds as to your abilities, and future projections.
With the Rays logjam at the minor league level with players developing who can play any of the outfield positions in Tropicana Field, this might be his last season to make an impact and show to the Rays or other teams he can succeed at this level, like Kapler for a long time. Right now players like Fernando Perez and even Desmond Jennings are getting the headlines and interviews instead of Ruggiano. Because of the hype concerning Jennings and the on and off again injury situations concerning Perez, the spotlight has always been a bit dim on Ruggiano.
But he is ready and able to perform, sweat and even bleed if necessary to help this Rays team in 2010. It is a shame we do not see a possibility of extracting Kapler and inserting Ruggiano into the right-handed portion of the Rightfield mix. He has the base stealing ability and the glove work to exceed Kapler, and could certainly hit better than Kapler’s 2009 .239 average with 8 HR,32 RBI and 5 steals. But then again, maybe his MLB past has haunted him, but then again how can he dispel those darkening clouds when Ruggiano is not given a chance to show his own Rays of light can also shine bright.
The Three Wise Men….The Rays Trainers’
All throughout my athletic career I always saw this one piece of the total puzzle as a necessary evil. That even if we did not want to suffice to injury or to pain, I knew that the team’s Medical Staff and Trainer’s sole mission was to keep us healthy or get us ready to again take the field as soon as possible.
And within time, I began to see them not as evil, but as a saving grace to my career and others on the team for their dedication and their determination to do whatever was needed to make the team whole and strong again.
Most people are beginning to dwell and concentrate their attentions on the reports spilling out onto the Internet that gaze upon the Rays players names that have been taken off the daily line-up cards without seeing the total picture here right now. They forget that this is the time in the Spring Training season where the “dead arms” begin to multiple, and the players bodies are racked with aches and strains of sweating bullets for the last three weeks.
Some Rays players are hitting the baseball equivalency of a marathoner’s wall, where even the slightest pull or strain could develop into a more severe episode if not for the Rays trio.
And most people do not even know their names, but they know their faces because every time a player is hurt on the field, or is taken from the game with a injury, they are right there in the photo with the Rays player usually helping them or stabilizing a body part hoping that their small action will minimize the consequences of the injury and speed the player’s recovery even before they both reach the Home Team or Visitor’s dugout.
Some of the most unsung heroes on this Rays squad is the trio of professionals that make up the Rays Medical Staff.
So today, I want to take a moment to introduce you to the main three figures within the Rays Medical staff that treat, diagnose and prevent the breakdown of our favorite team on a daily basis. And this includes everything from the pre-game taping of ankles, wrists and even hamstrings, to post game visits by player’s feeling a tightening or tweak of their muscles during the contests.There collective job’s starts way before the first pitch is thrown during Batting Practice, and they days ins well into the early morning on game nights.
Most people know Ron Porterfield more by his smile or his occasion visits out to the field to throw with a rehabbing player before the game, usually during B.P. And this move by Porterfield might seem foreign to most, but by observing the player in their throwing motion, he can see any deviation or hesitation personally and make his moves accordingly. And Porterfield has been doing this for some time for the Rays.
In 2010, Porterfield will be entering his 15th season with the Rays, and his fifth straight as the main guy on the Rays Medical Staff. And before his time at the top spot, Porterfield, was the Rays Assistant Head Trainer for three seasons after getting his stripes as the Rays minor league medical and rehabilitation coordinator. And during that time he has been a great ally to the Rays players, both past and present pertaining to both on and off the field medical situations.
Most people might not know the untold hours and endless research Porterfield did concerning Rocco Baldelli’s 2007 ailment, and his constant attention to finding relief and treatments that would enable Baldelli to again take the field with the Rays. And you would only expect such dedication and commitment from the 2008 recipient of the prestigious American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) Career Service Award. The honor “recognizes individuals who have provided a career of exemplary care to baseball players.” I think the Institute definitely got that one right!
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The second Member of the Rays Medical Team recently got his photo in the news wire photos as the Rays were carting Rays catcher Dioner Navarro off the field after he suffered a massive cut and possible nerve injury on a Home Plate collision with Twins speedster Jacques Jones. Paul Harker usually looks pretty serious when you see him before, during and after games, but the rugged Rays Assistant Trainer is entering his fifth season in that position after leaving his post as the Rays minor league medical and rehabilitation coordinator after three prior seasons.
And Harker was involved in the Rays minor league system for over 11 seasons before rising to his post with the Major League staff. And before the Rays, Harker was a trainer with the Seattle Mariners in their minor league system at Hampton, Virginia (1991-1992), Jacksonville, Florida ( 1993-1994) and Wilmington, North Carolina (1995-1996). And like Porterfield, Harker has paid his dues to get to this level in his career.
The last member of this triad also got some attention recently as Rays starter David Price was nicked by the barrel end of a maple bat during a recent game and Nick Paparesta was prominently featured in photos throughout the country holding onto Price’s wrist as they both exited the field. Paparesta is entering his third season with the Rays as an Assistant Head Trainer, but he has been with the Rays organization now for five seasons.

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Paparesta can usually been seen sitting down by the Rays Bullpen benches during Batting Practice watching the actions of Rays players on the field. He spent his first two seasons in the Rays organization as the minor league medical and rehabilitation coordinator and was responsible for overseeing all minor league trainers and rehabilitation with minor league players as well as assisting with the Major League club’s rehabilitation schedule.
Paparesta, a Florida native from neighboring city Fort Myers, got his Major League Baseball start in the Cleveland Indians organization for 11 years, including four with their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, New York. Paparesta has dual certifications as an Athletic Trainer from the National Athletic Trainer’ Association (NATA) and also certification by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a strength and conditioning trainer.
These three members of the Rays Medical staff are the front line responders to actions and reaction that take part in front of our eyes, and within the dugout on a daily basis for the Rays. Their fast actions and adherence to policies and team procedures pertaining to the health and well being of every member of the Rays staff both during the regular season and this Spring will have a direct impact on the Rays this season.
The prognosis and diagnosis by each member of this Rays staff is critical to supporting the Rays objectives and ultimate goals for 2010.
By keeping the Rays players on the field by mending their wounds and bandaging their limbs and applying ointments and medications to the Rays players when needed, they are the first line of defense to keeping this Rays team securely on the field and providing the team with a fighting chance to again rise towards a possible 2010 Playoff berth.
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They all work their magic behind the watchful eyes of the Rays Republic to secure the Rays player’s health and generally are only seen when something bad or preplexing has happened on the field, or if called out to provide a second opinion into a player’s injury and offer guidance as to if a Rays player should remain on the field, or taken off the field for further evaluations.
So next time you see one of them hanging out at the ballpark, be sure to thank them for their services, and maybe ask how they are doing. For if it wasn’t for these three gentlemen and their commitment to this team, the Ray current injury situations could have been much worse, and resemble the shambles that is the New York Met’s Medical Staff right now.
The “Dude” Put on the Shelf Until May

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But the news that really threw my karma karma chameleon into a blender was the sound bytes heard from field level that Rays reliever J P Howell could possibly missing almost a month of the 2010 season due to some shoulder weakness. It really bummed me out totally for the game and had me sneaking around looking for answers than watching the game in progress in front of me. And I did find some answers, but they are not the one I wanted to hear….Bummer man.
So here I am sitting in a small wings and things joint just a mile from Charlotte Sport Park and more than a few fellow Rays fans have also expressed some worry and concern and a bit of frustration that “the Dude” will be delayed in his smiling flight nightly out to the Rays Bullpen. But considering all the innings (66.2 innings) and appearances (69), not including Howell’s Bullpen stint with the USA squad during last season’s World Baseball Classic.
In reality, only fellow Rays reliever Dan Wheeler has put in almost as much innings (124.0 innings) and appearances (139) than Howell’s last two years ( 156.0 innings) and appearances (133) that easily shows that the “Dude” has put in some vicious overtime in during the last two Rays seasons. And in reality, even with his increase in appearances, he did decrease his total innings by almost 23 innings in 2009.
But Wheeler has been a reliever for most of his MLB career, and was just one appearance shy of making his fifth straight 70 game appearance seasonal mark. Wheeler was trained to be a reliever for the last 9 seasons. The last time Wheeler even started more than 1 game a season was in 1999 when he was originally with the Rays.

Chris O’Meara/ AP
Howell came from the Rays starter ranks not even two seasons ago, and maxed out himself in 2008 both during the season, and hitting the mound sick in Game 5.5 of the 2008 World Series.
The “Dude” is a gamer people who doesn’t let minor obstacles get in his way, but this one situation got him firmly by the shoulder’s and let him know…something is wrong. When the Rays first opened camp this Spring, I was down in Port Charlotte and saw the now dark-haired Howell throwing on that first day, but something caught my eye. Sure he might have been throwing softly like most of the Rays pitchers’ that first workout, but the arm angle looked a bit…well, off to me.
I didn’t think much of it being the first workout and expecting some of the guys to just toss it lightly and get back in the flow within the next week.But the second time I was down in Port Charlotte, Howell also had stepped it up a bit, but it did not seem right to me. I had watch him throw in the Rightfield corner over the last two season’s worth of Sundays, and something did not seem right. But then again, the whole time Howell has been with the Rays, he has not been known to blow away a radar gun with his pitches.
So when the Rays announced prior to the end of tonight’s game that the team would discuss further the possibilities of maybe delaying his Spring debut, it did not throw shockwaves through me, but I felt more of an air of caution by the team with the announcement. And you know that Howell is the perfect Rays “company man” for the Rays.
If Rays Manager Joe Maddon or Pitching Coach Jim Hickey told Howell to go out onto the mound and do the “Hokey Pokey” before he pitched, Howell would because the “Dude” is a total team type of guy.
And maybe this weekend was suppose to be Howell’s time to show everyone that his 2009 late season shutdown was just to let him chill a bit and regain some of that snap to his curveball again in 2010. I heard prior to the game tonight from a Rays player revealing to me that “Howell was not in uniform tonight, and might not be this weekend at all.” That revelation in itself told me something was wrong, so I went looking for Rays Medical Guru Ron Porterfield. Instead of finding Porterfield, I stumbled upon some interesting information.

Pat Manfredo/ Rays fan
It seemed that Howell when he first reported to the Rays this Spring showed some weakness early in strength and endurance testing and that the team decided to take a slow path and let him gain the necessary shoulder muscle and strength back before advancing in his workout program. Also Howell could tell something was off, but could not put a finger on the situation at the time. And Howell has since been examined by Dr Koko Eaton, the Rays orthopedic specialist, but I could not get a confirmation on his consult.
But I think the Rays are being smart here. Why ruin a perfectly good left-hander so early in the process when you could shut him down and get him healthy through rehabbing and specialized workouts to bring him back within 4 weeks or possibly before May 1,2010. Howell is valuable as a reliever who can face both left and right-handed hitter with success, and to rush him back to the team could jeopardize more than just Howell overall health, it could put a huge crimp in the Rays overall seasonal plans for the Rays Bullpen.
Howell is a valuable and rare relieving commodity to the Rays, and losing him for a possible 30-plus day stint could be tricky, but it is not impossible. Both with only current leftie specialist Randy Choate as the only other left-hander in the Bullpen, could this open the door for pitcher Carlos Hernandez or maybe Heath Phillips getting a longer Rays look past Spring Training as left-handed insurance policies?
We still have time to decide this, but the Rays have worked with only one leftie before in their Bullpen, but that was former Ray Trever Miller. And it is a bit of bummer that some are questioning that Howell’s off season workout program might be to blame for this ailment. Considering the guy got married this off season and went to Bora Bora, hopefully rowing in that canoe did not do damage to his shoulder.
Richard Marx, Great Singer and a Lover of Baseball
As most people have ventured since the first time I wrote on this blog, I have a few well defined “loves” that I hold near and dear to my heart. Most of you already know my number one love with a bullet is my love for the game of baseball, and my dedication to my hometown Tampa Bay Rays.
And my secondary love interest that seems to flow endlessly among the notes and drumbeats that fill our ears might have became more apparent with the multiple blog postings of the Rays own acts that have graced the stage during their Hess Express/Rays Saturday Concert Series photo and commentary blogs over the last several years.
But there is another hidden part of my life that only a small community of people who have known me since my first days of High School have seen up close and personal. They are my longtime friends who have known my deep rooted passion to music and that singing is one of those hidden talents that only that select lounge full of people have ever experienced firsthand.
And maybe my everlasting love of the crescendo of the musical notes and thunderous drum beats have been made more than obvious by my photo blogs and commentary after every Rays Concert series act over the last few years.
Well, that is unless you live in St. Petersburg, Florida and go to some of the places I frequent after Rays games, then you would know I love to get up there and belt out a song or two before finally retiring to the house to rest up for the next day’s game. But one of my early musical influences is coming to Clearwater tonight for his first ever acoustic music set in the beautiful Capitol Theatre.
But I am sorry Southside of Chicago fans, this singer of classic soft rock music classics like “Hold Onto The Nights”, “Hazard” , “Right Here Waiting” and “Now and Forever” that still today make all of us remember lost romance and new found love is a huge Chicago Cubs fan deep in his heart.
And he made that love more than apparent in the video for “Take This Heart” where Marx is brought up as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs of the Game 7 of a World Series against Baseball Hall of Fame member Dennis Eckersley.
The video was filmed in Oakland’s own home stadium in 1992 and features baseball players Greg Maddux, Dan Howitt, Eckersley, Jose Canseco, fellow Hall of Fame member Rickey Henderson, and an old Tampa Bay friend of mine A’s catcher Scott Hemond.
Got to say I love the way the video drew out the game storyline throughout the song with Marx falling behind Eck with an 0-2 count before connecting on a well hit hitting a long fly ball that sneaking past Howitt’s outstretched glove into the left-centerfield stands for a Home Run.
But in a nice touch, Marx is immediately woken up by one of his fellow band mates and it is all a dream. But as you see Marx looking into the camera you hear Brewer’s announcing legend Bob Uecker barreling out the line “The Cubs have won the World Series”. It is one of my favorite baseball videos more for the moment we all dream about as kid’s to one day be in that same position and to come through with a blast to win the World Series.
And in 1992, I did get out to Oakland, but it was right after Marx and his band were finished with their video takes, and retakes for that “Take This Heart” video.
So I am looking forward to shaking his hand and getting his autograph like I wanted to do way back in 1992. For those who have heard me sing know I have an affluence for ballads, and Marx produced some of the best in the 1990’s and beyond.But here is a side note most people do not know about this great artist. He was actually heard on a demo cassette tape by Lionel Richie and brought the then 18-year old Marx out to Los Angeles to record back-up singing tracks on a few of Richie’s earliest albums.
Marx then was referred to Kenny Rogers as an great back-up addition and one day Marx overheard the recording techs discussing with Rogers that they were one cut short of finishing the album. That night Marx went home and produced a song and played it for Rogers the next day. The song was “Crazy” and it ended up being a Country number one song. Not bad for your first entry into the songwriting business to be a Gram Slam.
Marx never did another Baseball-themed video, but then once you do one where you bat in the bottom of the 9th inning against a closer legend and get a pinch-hit Home Run to win the Cubs the World Series……There is no place to go but down after such a dream sequence, and I do not see Marx heading that route anytime soon.