Arrests put James at ease

By MARC TOPKIN, TOM JONES

© St. Petersburg Times
published March 15, 2003

TAMPA -- Every day, pitcher Delvin James thinks about the September night when he and a friend were shot at a Raleigh, N.C., restaurant. Friday, after hearing three men had been arrested and charged, he said he was relieved to no longer have to think about a worst-case scenario of being pursued by the gunmen should he return to Triple-A Durham.

"They may have in their mind, 'This guy saw me and he knows who I am, so if I can get rid of a couple of the people who know who I am, maybe I can get away with it,' " James said. "That was in the back of my mind. I wasn't really dwelling on it or anything, but it's always a more relaxed feeling knowing that he's behind bars and things are taken care of.

"It brings a peace to me, a sense of peace."

James and Monique McNellie were sitting in a Waffle House restaurant and were innocent victims when the shooting started Sept.2. James was wounded in his left shoulder but returned to pitch later that month; McNellie was shot in the abdomen and is paralyzed from the waist down.

On Wednesday night, Raleigh police charged three men with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

Bryce J. Williams, 20, and Malcolm T. Whitley, 28, were being held in the Wake County jail. Another suspect, Kevin D. Graham, 25, already was being held on an unrelated murder charge from a later incident.

"I'm happy to see justice come," James said.

[Times photo: Michael Rondou] Shortstop Hector Luna flips the ball to Brent Abernathy at second base during the third inning of the Rays' 3-2 loss to the Twins.

GARCIA DEBUT: Gerardo Garcia was relatively pleased with his first spring appearance (one run, five hits, no walks in three innings), having missed a week to return to Mexico to resolve visa issues.

"It felt a little strange, it was a long time since I faced hitters," Garcia said. "That's a great team the Yankees have and for the first start I felt good."

TAMPA GAME DETAILS: In a 3-0 loss to the Yankees, the Rays were held to two hits by Jose Contreras, Alex Graman and Al Osuna, a second-inning double by Ryan Thompson and a fifth-inning single by Chris Truby, and got only two runners past first base. ... LF Carl Crawford was removed from the game because of a sore left biceps. He made an error on a fifth-inning play following coaches' orders to be cautious defensively. ... Justin Baughman, competing for a utility infield spot, had a couple of nice plays at shortstop, and may get some time in the outfield. "Justin's the type of guy that grows on you," bench coach John McLaren said. "He knows how to play a little bit, and he's got some ability and can run."

SOUR LOU: Rays manager Lou Piniella blew another gasket Friday after a 3-2 split-squad loss to the Twins at Progress Energy Park in St. Petersburg. His fit wasn't nearly as juicy as last week's tantrum caught on videotape and aired on ESPN, but Piniella left no doubt that losing, even if it is only spring training, is thinning his skin.

He initially refused to speak to the media, only to blurt two quick sentences about the solid pitching of Nick Bierbrodt and the sparkling defense of third baseman Aubrey Huff.

THROWING THE LEATHER: Huff, often criticized for his defensive play, looked like a Gold Glove candidate with several dazzling plays, including gems on back-to-back hitters in the second inning.

"I'm feeling more comfortable and more confident out there," Huff said. "You make a good play early and your confidence goes up."

Feeling uncomfortable when crouching, Huff has gone to more of a stand-up stance in the field.

"It feels a little bit quicker for me, like I'm getting a better first step," he said.

DOWNSIZING: Piniella said he would like to be near his final roster by the end of next week. Another round of cuts could come Sunday.

"I would like to get down in the mid to high 30s," Piniella said.

ST. PETERSBURG GAME DETAILS: Ben Grieve tied the score at 2 in the seventh with a home run, but the Twins scored the winning run in the eighth after two errors by rightfielder Damian Rolls. ... The Rays put their first two batters on in the ninth, but Rocco Baldelli grounded into a double play and Rolls grounded out. ... Former Twins reliever Bob Wells was supposed to pitch for the Rays but didn't. He is scheduled to pitch today.

MISCELLANY: Bobby Smith, the longtime Rays prospect, was in a Yankees uniform Friday, having signed a minor-league contract. ... The two games Friday capped a stretch of 17 in 12 days. ... Reserved seats for today's game with the Red Sox and Pedro Martinez are sold out; several hundred $4 berm tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. ... On Monday's scheduled off-day, Victor Zambrano, Dewon Brazelton and Doug Waechter will pitch in minor-league games at the Naimoli complex. ... Shortstop Rey Ordonez missed Friday's games. He was in Miami filling out paperwork to become an American citizen.

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