Will Davis Wade into the Bullpen Pool?

The one thing that always seems constant in baseball is change. I know that sounds more like a comedic riddle you might hear on a sit-com, but it is too true in baseball. The game is an ever-changing microbes always feasting on the element of change and forcing its hand whenever possible. So why doesn’t Tampa Bay Rays starter Wade Davis go with that flow and at least have an open mind to possibly taking a short-term stint in the Rays Bullpen. What is the worst thing that can happen?

For one thing, he could like it and not want to ever go on that every 5 day ritual. Seriously, the balking and chatter now coming out of the avid bear hunter sounds a lot like the same vowel and constants that were uttered by former southpaw J P Howell when the Rays brought up the same idea back in 2008 after a few horrendous outings. So far the change of rituals seemed have done wonders for Howell.

Sure it will take some getting used to, and adjusting of both your schedule and workout regimen to get you into a habit of getting your arm loose in ½ the time, and basically being “on-call” for all 162 games. But it beats the alternative of alienating a Coaching staff that likes your work ethic, applauds the way you approach the game by suddenly not wanting to embrace a change that could benefit not only you, but the Rays chances over the course of a season.

And maybe the Rays want you to take that lone spot of long reliever that usually is vested to a player who has a starter mentality, but also has the cunning and wilds of a reliever. Buck up bow hunting camper, you got the intestinal fortitude and the determination to not only own this spot, but make the position your own, and possibly find yourself destined for another path that could reward you greatly in the future.

It is not like the Rays are trying to convert you into the closer role like they did Esteban Yan or Seth McClung and you find yourself in a fun house of emotions and transitions trying to switch back and forth from starter to reliever to starter again before your arm either falls off, or your confidence hit empty. Look at it as a blessing, a bit of a seasonal vacation that could again produce a starting gig if fellow fishing/hunting buddy Jeff Niemann falls off the healthy wagon again in 2012.

Take it as a time to explore an option that might surface again in your latter baseball years and see if it has a nook or cranny that fits your style of baseball before spouting off or acting like the upset teen on that 16 hour trip in the backseat. I have faith in you Wade. You have shown time and time again to adjust on the mound between innings, the Rays are now asking if you might adjust through a course of a month to accept a new assignment, a new adventure, a possibility of a change in your long-term baseball livelihood.

Who knows, you might get out on that mound in the bottom of the 6^th or 8^th inning with a lead and just as quickly the competitive juices within you take over and you strike out the side and flash a smile on the way to the dugout rail. Just give it a chance. It is not a gurgling hot tub that will burn you up, it is a switch in-game situations and mannerisms. Heck, think about that 600 pound bear you bagged a few years ago and go after each hitter with authority if it helps you get the job done.

Just wade into the pool, check the water out and see if you can make the adjustments, ritual changes and quick muscle relaxation needed by today’s reliever corps. If you have any problems, there is always that “dude” down near the end of the Bullpen who also fought kicking and screaming when he first made the move to the Bullpen. Now you can’t keep J P away from the Bullpen. Try it for a bit, you might possibly find out it suits you better than starting, and has less stress and still pays you the same….kind of like a “win-win” situation.