Rays tales

© St. Petersburg Times
published April 6, 2003

HAIRY MOMENT: Friends approached throughout the spring to question his sanity in coming home to take the Devil Rays job, but Lou Piniella insisted he was comfortable, at least after got used to wearing the green belt.

In the hours leading up to Monday's opener he got all kinds of good luck wishes, but nothing came close to the treatment he got in Cincinnati from Reds owner Marge Schott, who would approach with a tuft of hair from her beloved St. Bernard, Schottzie, and insist on rubbing it on Piniella's chest. "She did it all year," said Rays first-base coach Billy Hatcher, then an outfielder with the Reds. "One time she sent it to Lou in Montreal next day air." During the 1990 playoffs Schott went into the dugout and interrupted Piniella's session with reporters to do so, and the Reds went on to eliminate the Pirates and to win the World Series.

"She thought that was lucky," Piniella said, joking. "I might call Marge for some dog hair here."

BEST OF THE BEST: Hatcher has a unique place in history: He's the only person who has seen every game in Rays history. "You should say I've been at every Devil Rays game," Hatcher said. "Some of that stuff was so bad I closed my eyes."

So where did Monday's come-from-behind, season-opening, Piniella-welcoming win rank? A close second, just behind Wade Boggs' 3,000th career hit at Tropicana Field on Aug. 7, 1999. "A 3,000th hit at home, and a home run, that's tough to beat," Hatcher said. "But as far as a win, that's our best win."

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS SITUATION?

The Rays are paying about $15-million to put their 25-man roster on the field this season. But they are paying more than $19-million (mostly in deferred salary) to players who are on other teams or out of the game, plus another $1-million or so to former manager Hal McRae and former coaches Milt May and Jackie Brown. Here's a list, with teams if applicable:

Greg Vaughn: $9,250,000

Roberto Hernandez, Braves: 2,200,000

Wilson Alvarez, Dodgers AAA: 2,100,000

John Flaherty, Yankees: 1,500,000

Juan Guzman: 1,300,000

Fred McGriff, Dodgers: 1,300,000

Gerald Williams, Marlins: 1,000,000

Vinny Castilla, Braves: 730,000

Total: $19,380,000

YOU DON'T SAY

"We might be the best $15-million team that money can buy." -- TOBY HALL, Rays catcher

LOU METER

Four days of calm gave way to an eerie silence after Friday's loss to the Yankees. Piniella hasn't been too riled after a couple of spring training warmups, but with some questionable calls and even more questionable pitching it may be just a matter of time.