Rays: Bonifay to become scouting director

Bonifay to become scouting director

By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays didn't have to look far for a new scouting director.

Cam Bonifay, who joined the team last year as director of player personnel, has decided to add scouting director responsibilities to his duties, which already included running the minor-league department.

Bonifay notified his staff Thursday of the decision; an official announcement is expected today. He replaces Dan Jennings, who left July 26 to become Marlins vice president of player personnel. "We're very fortunate to have someone of Cam Bonifay's baseball knowledge and background head up both our scouting and player development departments," general manager Chuck LaMar said late Thursday. "These are departments of significant importance to the organization."

Bonifay joined the Rays in November after 13 years with the Pirates, eight as general manager. A St. Petersburg native, Bonifay started his administrative career as a scout with the Reds and Cardinals.

ADD IT UP: Joe Kennedy finished with what might have been the oddest pitching line of his brief major-league career: 8 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 5 walks, 0 strikeouts.

"Unique," Kennedy said.

It was the first time in 44 career starts he walked as many as five, as well as the first time he didn't strike out anybody.

"Might as well do them both in one game," he said.

Kennedy picked off his major league-leading eighth runner and also made the game's oddest play. He used his left foot to basically make a kick save on a line drive by Jim Thome, then caught the ball before it hit the ground. "I'm just glad it wasn't hit harder than it was," Kennedy said. "It might have broken my foot."

SPEED DEMON: Having seen several highly touted young players struggle, manager Hal McRae has been reluctant to praise rookie leftfielder Carl Crawford.

But he did allow one impressive comparison, saying Crawford's speed reminds him of former Royals teammate Willie Wilson. "Running speed, that's all," McRae said.

SHUFFLING IN: McRae said struggling rightfielder Ben Grieve will play at least "a couple days" to see if he does better. ... Jared Sandberg will be back at third tonight. ... Victor Zambrano makes his third start tonight, but McRae said he hasn't decided if he will stay in the rotation.

SPEED BALL: At 2 hours, 5 minutes, Thursday's game was the Rays' quickest this season, matched their quickest at Tropicana Field and equalled their second-fastest overall. They played a 2:03 game at Atlanta on July 21, 2001.

STILL SCOUTING: LaMar said a USA Today Baseball Weekly report that the Rays had "pulled most of their scouts off the road" pending a labor deal was untrue. "Another erroneous report," he said. "We have not pulled one scout off the road or pulled back in any way. If and when there is a strike, then every team in baseball will re-evaluate."

MINOR MATTERS: Outfielder Wes Bankston, a fourth-round pick in June, homered in five straight games for rookie-level Princeton (W.Va.) and has a league-leading 16. ... Orlando's Dewon Brazelton, the Rays top pick last season, has a streak of 22 innings without allowing an earned run. ... Rocco Baldelli hit his first two Triple-A homers Wednesday.

MISCELLANY: The Rays had lost seven straight to the Indians at the Trop. ... It was the third time in 767 games Tampa Bay pitchers didn't strike out anyone. ... Aubrey Huff had two more hits, giving him a major league-high 43 during a 26-game span dating to July 19. ... Felix Escalona's third-inning triple snapped an 0-for-19 streak. ... Cleveland's Karim Garcia is hitting .455 (10-for-22) with three homers and 12 RBIs in six games against the Rays. ... The Florida state champion Braden River Little League team will be honored before tonight's game.