Harvey muscles into draft picture

ST. PETERSBURG - Good thing there's a net hanging beyond the centerfield wall at Tropicana Field in front of the Batter's Eye restaurant. Otherwise Dunedin High outfielder Ryan Harvey would've broken a few windows Thursday.

Harvey, one of the top prospects in Tuesday's baseball draft, put on an impressive power display in a workout with the Devil Rays, who own the top pick. He clubbed nearly a dozen homers, including five to dead center, well over the 404-foot marker.

"I haven't seen that here ... ever," Rays manager Lou Piniella said. "Pretty impressive."

The funny thing is Harvey said it was "nerve-racking" to hit with Rays scouts and executives watching. His nerves settled, though, when he started using centerfield as his landing pad.

"I don't think I could've done much better," Harvey said. "Those are the furthest balls I've ever hit."

Harvey appears to be one of three players the Rays are considering with the top pick, though the decision might come down to Camarillo (Calif.) High outfielder Delmon Young and Southern University second baseman Rickie Weeks. But Harvey did noting to hurt his value with Thursday's workout.

"The first thing that strikes you is not only his raw athleticism, and especially his power, but it's his makeup," Rays general manager Chuck LaMar said. "It has just been fun to watch him play. He's that good of a competitor. He works. And he's going to make himself into a fine major-league player because of his makeup. The God-given ability is there. He can run, he can throw, he has great size, and the power is what you want to see. But it's the makeup that's going to separate him. I think he'll work at this game like you're supposed to."

Harvey said he has worked out for several teams, including the Cubs, Reds, Red Sox and Royals. He said, though, he would love to be drafted by the Rays.

"Definitely," Harvey said. "It would be something to play in front of my friends and family."

ROCKER UPDATE: Left-handed reliever John Rocker will stay in the organization. Designated for assignment Tuesday, Rocker cleared waivers Thursday and immediately signed a minor-league contract with the Rays. He will remain at Double-A Orlando.

WORKING OUT: Thursday was pitcher Joe Kennedy's day to start. But last weekend the Rays decided to push Kennedy's start back to Saturday so he could get in a little extra work on the side with pitching coach Chris Bosio.

"He had better velocity. He had better stuff," Bosio said. "His arm seems live."

Kennedy started on opening day despite a poor spring and has run hot and cold during the season. He is 3-4 with a 5.83 ERA.

Bosio said the extra work is nothing more than fine-tuning a few things, not overhauling Kennedy's motion or philosophy.

"Just little mechanical things," Bosio said. "With Joe, it's a matter of being able to duplicate pitches and get the ball where you want it to go. He's got good stuff. ... We just want him to throw the ball through the glove instead of to the glove."

THE RIGHT STUFF: Quietly, reliever Jesus Colome has become one of the Rays' most reliable pitchers. After a rough start to the season, Colome has improved his ERA from 17.18 to 3.62, the lowest it has been since the end of the 2001 season. In his past six appearances he has pitched 142/3 innings and allowing eight hits and two runs with 17 strikeouts and three walks.

"He has thrown the ball as well as anybody we have on our staff, and as well as any right-handed pitcher in baseball," Piniella said. "He's throwing hard. He's throwing strikes, keeping it down. It has been fun to watch him throw."

MISCELLANY: Steve Parris, out since May 7 with shoulder tendinitis, is scheduled to pitch a simulated game this weekend, most likely Saturday. ... Bucs coach Jon Gruden attended Thursday's game and sat next to his defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin.