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Rays asked to pick up the pace

© St. Petersburg Times
published March 7, 2002

ST. PETERSBURG -- Commissioner's office representative Bill Madlock told the Rays they need to hurry up.

Madlock is touring camps to inform players of Major League Baseball's latest efforts to speed up games. He said the Rays need to pick up the pace, primarily because of manager Hal McRae's rather, um, deliberate maneuvers in calling for relief pitchers.

"This team is a little slow," Madlock said. "Mac goes all the way out there to the mound. I told him as soon as you put a foot on the field you need to make the call. He said, 'Hell, I don't know who I'm going to put in to pitch then.' "

Joking aside, MLB is seeking to cut 10-15 minutes and reduce the average AL game time to about 2 hours, 50 minutes.

Among areas being reviewed:

Pitchers will have 12 seconds, rather than 20, to throw a pitch once a hitter is set in the batter's box.

Relievers have 2 1/2 minutes from when they are called into a game to be ready, and will have warmup pitches eliminated if they aren't.

The time between half innings will be limited to 2:05, with the leadoff hitter announced at the 1:40 mark.

The music played for each hitter will be limited to 10 seconds, down from 30, and hitters must move promptly into the batter's box.

Officials have been trying for years to quicken the pace and reduce the time of games. Madlock said the difference this year is that umpires will be encouraged to call a ball or strike as a penalty if there are flagrant offenders.

"What will make it work is an umpire saying 'Ball one,' " Madlock said.

TAKE TWO: Wilson Alvarez gave up two home runs but was pleased with his second outing of the spring. "I'm fine," Alvarez said. "I was throwing strikes. I feel good."

Alvarez, who missed the past two seasons with shoulder problems, thought his velocity was down from Saturday (when he was clocked at 90-91 mph), but pitching coach Jackie Brown said the dropoff was minimal and not a concern. "I'm very pleased," he said.

After throwing 23 pitches in the two innings, Alvarez threw another 20 or so in the bullpen. He is expected to go three innings in his next game.

RAYS LOSE 7-5: First-inning home runs by Steve Cox and Randy Winn helped the Rays to a 5-1 lead, but Jason Standridge let the Royals back in the game and Doug Creek lost it in the ninth, allowing three runs.

McRae wasn't happy with how the team played, noting that Ben Grieve, who earlier threw out Mike Sweeney at second base, overthrew a cutoff man.

"We didn't execute," McRae said. "We missed a cutoff man which gave them a run, we didn't get a runner from second to third which cost us a run and we were up with our pitches."

FIRST CUTS: Pitchers Stevenson Agosto, Carlos Chantres and Randy Galvez were reassigned to minor-league camp, leaving the Rays with 58 players on their spring roster. Pitchers Enger Veras and Luis de los Santos have yet to report because of visa problems. More extensive cuts are expected next week.

BATTLE OF THE BAY: The Yankees are slated to bring all regulars except injured Derek Jeter for today's exhibition that means more to the owners than the players. Roger Clemens will pitch, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing for the Rays. They dealt him two of his three losses last year, and were one out from beating him a third time.

MISCELLANY: Greg Vaughn probably won't make his spring debut today as a precaution. He has been bothered by a sore calf. ... Tickets in all price categories are available. ... Cox and Travis Phelps will sign autographs Friday during the Clearwater Greek Festival at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (409 Old Coachman Road) from 5-6 p.m.

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