Relaxed Rupe is ready

After good spring, confident right-hander is scheduled to start today against Tigers.

By KEVIN KELLY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 4, 2002

ST. PETERSBURG -- Ryan Rupe doesn't sense any more pressure than usual.

"Last year I might have thought so," the Rays right-hander said. "What's going to happen is going to happen. I'm going to go out there, fight like I always do and hopefully this year things can work out for the better."

Were it not for Nick Bierbrodt's removal from the rotation because of control problems during the spring, Rupe probably would not be pitching against the Tigers today at Tropicana Field.

But there is a sense he's a better pitcher than last season.

And it's not him saying it.

"He's tougher," catcher Toby Hall said.

Rupe began last season in the rotation, pitched his way to Triple A and back to Tampa Bay, where he finished with a 5-12 record, 6.59 ERA in a career-high 1431/3 innings.

Unimpressive, but perhaps not all his doing.

Rupe added a two-seamed fastball this spring because he'd lost movement on his four-seamer two years ago after a blood clot was discovered just above his right biceps.

In an attempt to protect his arm and shoulder, Rupe and then manager Larry Rothschild decided Rupe should no longer throw across his body. The two-seamer dives down and into right-handed batters.

"With having a pitch that gets a lot of ground balls, it sets up different pitches," Hall said. "As a pitcher going out there with another weapon, that gives him confidence."

Confidence that translated into a decent spring.

Rupe was 0-1 with a 3.98 ERA in 201/3 innings. His 21 strikeouts led all Rays pitchers.

"I had a pretty good spring," Rupe said. "I've been working hard. It's been pretty positive. Where the past few seasons have been, 'Well, he's going out here and maybe not feeling all the way right. He really hasn't got any better this spring.' "

That two-seamed fastball might also allow Rupe to pitch deeper into games by lowering his pitch count in early innings. He lasted an average of six innings last season.

"I know if I'm going to get later in the game, I have to keep my pitch count down," Rupe said. "But it's not so much that I'm going to go out there and throw that one pitch over and over and over. There's just new options now."

This marks the third consecutive season Rupe has started the year in the rotation. He is second on the club's all-time list with 68 starts, third with 281 strikeouts, 3762/3 innings itched and 27 losses.

"We changed a lot of things up this spring," Rupe said. "I'm kind of anxious to see how it's going to work."