'Ultra-surprised' Gomes is called up

NEW YORK - Jonny Gomes was planning to go home to California after helping Triple-A Durham to the International League championship on Thursday in Pawtucket, R.I.

He was at the Boston airport early Friday morning waiting to find out what flight he was booked on when Bulls trainer Tom Tisdale told him there might be a change.

Instead of heading home, Gomes, 22, was headed to the big leagues.

"I was ultra-surprised," he said. "I thought for sure I was on the way to California. I had no hints. There were no rumors or anything I was going up."

Gomes was so sure his season was over after Thursday's game, he threw out his cleats, turf shoes and personal items.

With borrowed shoes, he made his first start Friday as the DH at Yankee Stadium, doubling off David Wells on the second pitch of his first at-bat, singling in his second at-bat and finishing 2-for-3.

"I wasn't nervous, I was more anxious than anything," he said. "I needed one pitch for the butterflies to go away. After that one pitch, I felt real comfortable."

The promotion capped a whirlwind month for Gomes, one of the organization's top right-handed power hitters. He was expecting to finish the season at Double-A Orlando and go back to St. Petersburg in mid September for another year of instructional league.

But he was moved up to Durham for the postseason run. Then he was shifted from instructional league to the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Then he won a championship. And then he got called up to the big leagues.

"The last couple weeks have been nothing but good news for me," Gomes said. "To make it to the big leagues itself is amazing. To get my first at-bat at Yankee Stadium is a memory I'll have forever."

The Rays had to put Gomes on the 40-man roster after the season anyway, so calling him up now allows him a chance to get a look at the big leagues and gives manager Lou Piniella the chance to look at him.

Given the Rays' dearth of right-handed power, he'll get a chance to show what he can do.

"We called him up to Triple A to see how he handled that and he was swinging the bat extremely aggressively and very well at times and we felt like it was a good experience for him," general manager Chuck LaMar said. "Even though we project him to start out next year at Triple A and continue to develop ... hopefully this speeds up the process on the way to the major-league level."

SWITZER CALLED UP: Left-hander Jon Switzer was called back up after two solid postseason starters for the Bulls and Durham manager Bill Evers was brought up to assist Piniella and the coaches.

Switzer, who made only two appearances during a 19-day August stay with the Rays, said he is better for the experience.

"It was good to go down there and face some hitters that obviously are very good," Switzer said. "I came back today feeling more comfortable than before."

CONGRATS, AGAIN: The Bulls became the first team to win back-to-back IL titles in more than 10 years by completing a three-game sweep of Boston's Pawtucket team with a 3-2 win.

Jim Magrane pitched well, Gomes and Jason Tyner each knocked in a run and Jorge Cantu put the Bulls ahead to stay with a sixth-inning homer.

LaMar said Evers and player development/scouting director Cam Bonifay deserve credit.

"With all the player moves Durham went through, for them to play as well as they did is a credit to Cam and his staff for putting the team together and to Bill and his staff for getting the most out of them," LaMar said.

MISCELLANY: Carl Crawford extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games, and Travis Lee ran his to 10. ... To make room for Gomes on the 40-man roster, pitcher Jim Parque was released. ... Aubrey Huff picked up his 99th RBI. ... Gomes is the 51st player of the season; the team record is 52. ... Victor Zambrano's streak of 25 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run at Yankee Stadium was the longest of any active pitcher at any stadium.