Tampa Bay has own scoreboard watch

© St. Petersburg Times
published September 28, 2002

BOSTON -- It only seems the Rays don't have anything to play for.

With the season down to its final days, the Rays are actually involved in several pursuits.

Most prominent is the race to not finish with the worst record in the majors, and the Rays will have to win their next two games to avoid it. Going into today, the Rays are 54-105, the Tigers 55-104, the Brewers 56-104.

As sad as it sounds, manager Hal McRae acknowledged he has been keeping up with the competition.

"I hate to admit it, I hate to feel that way, but that's all I've got," McRae said. "You wish you had a half-dollar, but if you have a dime, that's all you've got. But that's something.

"I check the paper every day. I check the scoreboard every night. I've been scoreboard watching."

The "competition" between the Rays and Tigers takes on added significance, though in this case it pays to lose.

The team with the worst record in the American League gets the first pick in June's draft. The worst NL team picks second and the second-worst AL team picks third.

Among other statistical matters:

Rays pitchers are one hit batter shy of the major-league record of 93 in a season, set last year by Boston.

Aubrey Huff most likely won't get enough plate appearances to qualify for the AL batting race (he needs 18) but should finish with the best average of any Ray who played 100 games in a season. Huff is hitting .318; Fred McGriff hit .310 in 1999.

Huff, who didn't join the Rays until May28, said he wouldn't be disappointed to not make the official list.

"That was the last thing on my mind coming into the season," Huff said.

McRae said Huff shouldn't feel bad: "That doesn't diminish what he accomplished."

Randy Winn, who is hitting .298, has a chance to finish with a .300 average, though he'd have to go 4-for-8 over the next two games. "It would be nice if I could," Winn said. "It's always a nice number. It sounds good."

Winn is also one hit shy of Quinton McCracken's 1998 record of 179 hits in a season.

Ben Grieve has 19 homers and Jared Sandberg 18.

PLAYOFF FEVER: The Rays are making plans in case they have to go to New York if Thursday's rained out game needs to be made up to determine homefield advantage between the Yankees and A's.

Both won Friday, so for the makeup game to be necessary, either the A's have to win their next two and the Yankees win one, or the A's win one and the Yankees don't win any. If the Yankees win two, the game won't be necessary.

Joe Kennedy is warming to the idea of pitching. "He seems to be a little excited about the prospects," McRae said.

The Rays are looking at staying in Boston Sunday night, flying to New York Monday morning, playing an afternoon game, then flying home. The extra travel would cost the Rays in excess of $30,000.

END OF AN ERA?: General manager Chuck LaMar said several players could be released early next week.

Could one be Greg Vaughn?

The Rays talked with Vaughn a few months ago about a negotiated release, where he would be let go in return for agreeing to defer more of the money owed, and were believed to be close to a deal before he injured his right shoulder June22.

Vaughn wouldn't say if the topic has been, or will be, revisited. He is due to make $9.25-million next season in the final year of his contract with $4.25-million deferred.

MISCELLANY: McRae will meet with players today to give them offseason instructions. ... Neither first baseman Steve Cox (sore left arch) nor catcher John Flaherty (left middle finger fracture) are likely to play again this season. ... The Rays are the 49th team to lose 105 games, ninth in the past 25 years. ... The Rays are 2-15 against Boston.