Shuttle debris rains on James' town

© St. Petersburg Times
published February 13, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG -- The space shuttle disaster hit close to home for Devil Rays pitcher Delvin James.

Literally.

James lives in Nacogdoches, Texas, where many pieces of shuttle debris have been found.

"It's been crazy," James said. "And it's been kind of scary. We didn't know what kind of chemicals were falling and people were saying, 'Don't touch anything.' Most of it's been right around my house. Within 15-20 minutes of my house, they've found body parts and things. ...

"My cousin's back yard had pieces of the shuttle and they had to call people to come quarantine it. Big pieces fell at the bank and they quarantined it. They closed the Nacogdoches airport because big pieces fell there."

The 25-year-old pitcher was driving home from Houston at the time of the Feb. 1 explosion, which shook their house severely. "My mother (Patricia) called and she's like, 'Where are you?' " he said.

James left Nacogdoches on Wednesday and said the town still is packed with NASA officials, law enforcement officers and reporters.

"It put us on the map," James said. "Every hotel is filled. Every highway patrolmen from every town is there. The helicopters and planes are constant."

The exposure to the shuttle accident extends what has been an eventful year for James. He made his major-league debut in April and was an innocent victim in a Sept. 2 shooting in Raleigh, N.C., receiving minor bullet wounds in his left shoulder.

In other team news:

Pitcher Jesus Colome, who sustained minor injuries in a fatal car accident in the Dominican Republic last week, was examined by team doctors Wednesday. The evaluation was not complete, and team officials said they don't know if the right-hander can participate in the start of spring training drills Friday.

Four more rostered players agreed to terms on one-year contracts, catcher Pete LaForest and pitchers James, Lance Carter and Brandon Backe. Seventeen remain unsigned.

General manager Chuck LaMar and manager Lou Piniella will conduct a pre-spring training media session this afternoon at the Naimoli complex.

Reliever Lee Gardner, who pitched in 12 games last season before being designated for assignment, signed a minor-league deal.

Nearly 40 players have been working out at the Naimoli complex this week. Of the 45 pitchers and catchers invited for Friday's workout, indications were that several might be delayed by visa problems, including nonroster catcher Angel Pena.

The Rays will play three spring training "B" games, which are less formal and not included in the statistics. They play Cleveland at noon March 6 at Progress Energy Park and Cincinnati in Sarasota March 3 and 9 at 10 a.m.