Beware the hope a Rays win breeds

ROMANO E-mail: Click here Archive

© St. Petersburg Times
published May 13, 2002

ST. PETERSBURG -- On a day like this, you begin to believe.

The closer is throwing strikes. The hitters are finding holes. The game appears fun and the franchise seems to have direction.

The temptation is to say this is all the Devil Rays needed. A break here and there, a victory or two, a renewed sense of confidence.

So do yourself a favor before it's too late.

Resist that temptation.

Rage against the notion that a corner has been turned. Fight the idea that all soon will be well.

The Rays may have put a losing streak behind them during the weekend, but they did not exchange their place in the universe.

This is a bad team with an appropriately awful record. If you are not convinced, stay tuned during the next three weeks.

Between now and June 2, the Rays will play 18 games. Twelve will be on the road. Fifteen will be against the Yankees, Mariners and Athletics.

The losing streak is over, so the long march toward infamy has ended. The best you can hope for is a slow shuffle toward mediocrity.

"Winning for us is not the same as winning for the Yankees," manager Hal McRae said. "But we have our standard for winning. We have goals for this year, which is to play near .500, and I'm going to hold out for that. It might be difficult, but why show up? To put in an appearance?"

The Rays recently have found solace in their performance, if not their results. For weeks they have pointed at the high number of close losses. This is evidence, they say, the team is playing well.

There is a flip side to that. Let's say the Rays are playing, for them, at a fairly high level. Yet they still are losing games in droves.

So what if the 15-game losing streak was not a fluke?

What if that is closer to the true measure of this team than its 9-10 start?

Let's face it, the Rays are not exactly underachieving. Greg Vaughn and Toby Hall are not hitting as well as expected. Otherwise, the offense has been fairly representative. You could argue Tanyon Sturtze should have a better record, but who expected Ryan Rupe to have three wins already? Esteban Yan has been deposed as closer, but is 5-for-6 in save situations.

The Rays do nothing especially well. They do not hit for power, they do not hit for average. The starters have been average and the bullpen dreadful.

It is May 13 and their highest-paid pitcher does not have a victory. Their highest-paid hitter does not have a home run.

Here is a team so lacking in star power, it has a Jason Tyner bobblehead day planned for June 2. This is a player with a career slugging percentage of .299 and a career on-base average of .295.

On June 3, they may have to hand out tiny Durham uniforms to clothe the bobbleheads because, by then, Tyner could be playing in Triple A.

The point is you should not expect too much. Enjoy the victories, but do not come to count on them.

It has been more than 20 years since a team endured back-to-back seasons of 100 or more losses. The Rays appear a solid bet to buck the trend.

"We know what our limitations are," McRae said. "We know that the (Yankees) are first division and we are second division, but that doesn't mean anything. That doesn't mean we can't beat them today."

This is the mantra McRae has wisely chosen. He does not look too far ahead because the view is not pretty. Baseball, more than any other sport, is prone to the daily upset. And so McRae chooses to live for each day.

All he wants is a little spark. Just a shot of confidence to help the Rays reverse some of the close games they have given away.

As a manager, this is all he can hope for.

As a franchise, there is much to be done.

What this team really needs is a couple of power hitters. It needs to learn what all Little Leaguers seem to know, that a walk can be as good as a hit. This team needs relievers who do not freeze in the eighth inning and starters capable of pitching the occasional complete game.

It needs impact players out of the minor-league system and veterans who do not come here to retire.

The Rays need more money out of the ownership group and fewer mistakes out of the front office.

"When you start winning is when you start learning, because then you're the predator," McRae said. "When you're the prey, you're retreating and you can't think clearly because somebody is always after you. You're running and you can't get better running. You get better by attacking the opposition.

"When you're the prey, you're just the prey. They're always going to get you, it's just a matter of time."

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright