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TV schedule long on glamor foes

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays' home opener against Detroit on April 2, a dozen interleague games against first-time opponents and every game against the Yankees highlight the Rays' television schedule this season.

Affiliates WMOR-Ch. 32, WTSP-Ch. 10 and Fox Sports Net Florida will show 129 games. The number of broadcast home games has risen from 63 to 69.

The schedule's focus again appears to be on the most popular opponents: all 19 games against the Yankees and 15 against the Red Sox. In addition, interleague games against the Giants, Rockies, Dodgers and Padres will be shown.

"I think it was crafted mainly as what we thought would be of most interest for the fans that follow the team and follow the telecast," said John Browne, Rays vice president of sales and marketing. "I don't think we really focused on the number of home games vs. away games. I think the main focus of our attention was on the games that would be most popular with the fans and with the people in the Tampa Bay community.

"We have found over the first four years that whether a game is televised or not televised has had no effect on attendance."

Dewayne Staats and Joe Magrane are back behind the microphones, with Todd Kalas hosting a pregame show for the cable road dates. Dick Crippen will host the pregame show for home games shown on Channel 32.

Fox Sports Net will show spring training games March 17 against the Twins and March 20 against the Red Sox, a one-hour preseason special Sunday and a weekly Sunday morning magazine show hosted by Dave Wirth.

YAN HEARING: Representatives of the Rays and Esteban Yan spent three hours before a panel of arbitrators discussing how much the team's top reliever should be paid.

"It all comes down to whether he should be paid like a closer," agent Alan Nero said after the session at a Tampa hotel. "Their firm belief is that he should be paid more in terms of the length and consistency of his career and not as a closer. We feel he should be paid as a closer."

Yan made $650,000 last season while going 4-6 with a 3.90 ERA, 22 saves and nine blown saves, matching the AL high. He seeks a raise to $2.4-million; the Rays offered $1.5-million. The arbitrators likely will announce a decision today or Saturday.

This was the first time the Rays have gone to arbitration in their five seasons.

"It's part of the process of Major League Baseball," general manager Chuck LaMar said. "Once you get to this point and go to the hearing, there's only two things that can happen: You can either win or lose. Either way Este is a member of this club and we expect him to have a great year."

SOMETHING TO PROVE: One pitcher the Rays coaching staff will watch closely this spring is Ryan Rupe.

The right-hander, who went 5-12 with a 6.59 ERA, will have to win the No. 5 spot in the rotation amid competition from Wilson Alvarez (if healthy) and reliever Jesus Colome (if needed).

"Rupe has good stuff, but he would just run out of juice, run out of gas," manager Hal McRae said. "If the stamina improves ... he's a good pitcher."

FYI: The 28 pitchers and six catchers invited to spring training are expected report to camp this morning. ... McRae's old uniform number wasn't unassigned for long. Outfielder Rocco Baldelli, the sixth overall pick in the 2000 amateur draft, will wear No. 56 in his first spring training.

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