Wilson feels record is just a partial truth

© St. Petersburg Times
published July 3, 2002

OUTTA LEFTFIELD

Manager Hal McRae said the Yankees made a great trade in picking up Raul Mondesi for a mediocre prospect and cash, the $6-million remaining on his contract this season and $7-million of his 2003 salary. "It would have cost everyone else a dollar and a half and it only cost them a dime," McRae said.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Things are not as they appear with Paul Wilson.

Reality is Wilson has a 2-6 record going into tonight's game, but he feels he has pitched better than that, with a 4.22 ERA and nine quality starts (three runs or fewer, six innings or more) among his 15 outing.

"I know my teammates, the other guys on the staff, they know how I've pitched and I'm pretty sure they feel I've done what I'm supposed to do, and that's satisfying enough," Wilson said.

"I feel these guys don't look at me as a 2-6 pitcher, and I guess that's all that really matters to me. Someone else may say I'm (bad) because I'm 2-6, but all that means is that they have no idea what I've been doing and have no idea who I am."

Common sense would be that he would love to get traded to a contender, but Wilson -- who has attracted the interest of several teams and, because he is likely to make around $3-million next season, may be the most likely Ray to be traded -- said he'd prefer to stay.

"I like being in Tampa," Wilson said. "We've got a good group of guys that want to win and I think that's a good start for a ballclub and I really want to be part of that. ...

"I have no say in what happens, whether I stay or go, but for right now I'm a Tampa Bay Devil Ray and I enjoy being here. Am I happy I'm 2-6? No. Is anyone in this clubhouse happy we're in last place? No. But I think we've got a good nucleus of guys who want to win."

WELL-RESPECTED: AL All-Star manager Joe Torre said he had plenty of reasons for selecting Randy Winn for the team.

"First of all, he beat my brains out," Torre said Tuesday on a national conference call. "Winn, I think, has shown me a lot of maturity this year. He plays all three outfield positions. He is a threat on the bases and he doesn't look like he would be a threat with the long ball but he certainly is capable.

"I just liked his steadiness. I tell ya, for a ballclub that struggled for a while, I think he was a big reason when they had their hot spurts. He was a big reason for that."

Torre isn't the only Yankee who likes Winn. Word out of New York is the Yankees had discussions with the Rays about acquiring Winn before making a deal Monday night to get Raul Mondesi from Toronto.

HALF AND HALF: Right-handed hitting Dave McCarty and lefty Jason Conti are likely to platoon in leftfield until Greg Vaughn comes off the disabled list. Conti went 4-for-25 in starting six of the first seven games. McCarty started Tuesday against Texas left-hander Kenny Rogers and hit his first Tampa Bay home run.

PITCHING IN: Ryan Rupe threw with no pain in his sore right knee Tuesday and said a decision on his status will be made after a session Thursday.

Rupe, placed on the disabled list last week with patella tendinitis in the knee, hopes to start Saturday in Anaheim. If not, he'll come back after the All-Star break.

CG ALERT: Tanyon Sturtze got his first complete game in his 56th start, pitching eight innings. Twice this season he had gone nine innings, but both of those games went into extra innings, and the Rays went on to win both.

Sturzte said the accomplishment wasn't that significant. "It doesn't mean anything," he said. "It's no big deal, just another (stat) column. It would have been nice if it was a W."

MISCELLANY: Brent Abernathy's hitting streak ended at 10. ... With Texas starting a lefty, manager Hal McRae played right-handers Russ Johnson (at third) and Jared Sandberg (at first) and DH'ed lefty Aubrey Huff, leaving Steve Cox, who is on a 10-game hitting streak, on the bench. ... Texas outfielder Carl Everett, a Tampa native, was activated and in the lineup. ... The Rays will host the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) region finals at the Naimoli Complex July 12-13 for teams from Puerto Rico, Miami and Tampa Bay.