Yan is hoping to avoid suspension

© St. Petersburg Times
published July 20, 2002

TORONTO -- Manager Hal McRae doesn't think reliever Esteban Yan should be suspended for hitting Boston's Manny Ramirez in the helmet on Thursday. Neither does Yan.

But it is the opinion of MLB vice president Bob Watson, who doles out such discipline, that matters, and the Rays should find out what he thinks next week.

Yan was ejected immediately because umpires had issued a warning to both benches after Rays second baseman Brent Abernathy and Ramirez were hit. Rays pitcher Joe Kennedy was ejected under similar circumstances in June and suspended for seven games.

But McRae said Yan had no reason to throw at Ramirez and should not be disciplined.

"There was maybe a little more cause to retaliate when Joe was accused as opposed to (Thursday)," McRae said. "There's no reason to do anything this time."

Yan insisted he was trying to keep the ball inside to Ramirez in a tight situation (Boston leading 4-3 with a man on second and two outs in the ninth) and made an errant pitch.

"That was not a situation where I was trying to hit anybody," Yan said. "My arm slipped."

GRIEVE OUT: Outfielder Ben Grieve probably won't start until Tuesday so he can work on mechanical adjustments with hitting coach Milt May. McRae said it is easier for a player to incorporate changes when he is not in a game situation.

Grieve, hitless in his past 11 at-bats and 5-for-26 on the eight-game homestand, said it wasn't a big deal. "I'll just along with it," Grieve said. "Sometimes it's hard to play when you're losing so many games. I don't mind taking a break. It gets your mind clear."

MONEY MATTERS: The Rays' apparent tardiness in making payments to Steve Trachsel and Gerald Williams drew significant attention from the national, and international, media Friday, but managing general partner Vince Naimoli insisted it was not an indication of financial problems.

"Honestly, it's a nonissue," Naimoli said from Tropicana Field.

The Rays owed Williams $526,875 and Trachsel $428,571 in deferred payments on June 30, but the players did not receive the money until this week. The Rays said the transfers were late because of an administrative error, akin to a homeowner making out a check to pay a bill but forgetting to mail it.

"The checks were issued on June 28 and processed to be sent out on the 28th, but an administrative error occurred and they were not sent out," senior vice president/general counsel John Higgins said. "They were sent out after that, they've been received and they've been cashed. It has nothing to do with financial considerations. It was purely an administrative mistake."

D-LO READY TO GO: Pitcher Luis De Los Santos, called up from Triple A to start today, seemed remarkably calm on the eve of his major-league debut.

"In the big leagues, the only thing is they have more experience," the 24-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic said. "If you throw strikes, you can do okay."

De Los Santos was a top prospect in the Yankees organization until injuring his right knee during the 1999 season at Triple-A Columbus. He made it back to the mound during the 2000 season, but injured his right elbow and was released in July 2001. He signed with the Rays as a minor-league free agent in November.

"I was not very happy (to be released) because I lost my job, but I went home and worked hard," De Los Santos said. "Tampa Bay said they had an opportunity for me, and I said, 'Thank you, Tampa Bay."'

De Los Santos was 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 11 starts for Durham after making seven relief appearances.

MOVIN' ON UP: Rocco Baldelli, the Rays' top pick in the 2000 draft, and shortstop Jace Brewer (their 2000 fifth-round pick) were promoted from Class A Bakersfield to Double-A Orlando.

Baldelli hit .333 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs in 77 games batting leadoff and playing centerfield for the Blaze. Brewer hit .302-6-44 and led the California League with 114 hits.

"Look at what (Baldelli) accomplished this year," director of player personnel Cam Bonifay said. "From a statistical analysis, you'd say he'd done everything he could do, except maybe hit more home runs. He was just at a point where I felt he should go to Double A, and Jace Brewer the same thing."

TAMPA BAY MISCELLANY: Reliever Brandon Backe, 24, made his major-league debut with two hitless innings: "It was exciting. It was more than I expected it to be." ... Strength and conditioning coordinator Jason Trott suffered a concussion and whiplash in a car accident on his way to Tropicana Field Thursday. ... DH Aubrey Huff had a career-high four hits. ... Shortstop Jason Smith matched Kevin Stocker's team record of three errors.