Rays tales

By MARC TOPKIN
Published April 10, 2005

NOW STARRING ... : Fever Pitch, the new baseball/love story movie, is opening to generally good reviews. There is Jimmy Fallon playing a teacher whose obsession with the Red Sox borders on, well, obsession. There is Drew Barrymore playing his career-driven corporate exec girlfriend who doesn't quite get it. There are strong supporting actors who capture the passion and the flavor of the Fenway Park faithful.

And there is Rocco Baldelli's big-screen debut.

Well, sort of.

The Rays outfielder is friends with the Farrelly brothers, the fellow Rhode Islanders who made the movie. Though Baldelli passed on their offer for a bit part, they found a way to include him anyway.

Originally, Baldelli's name and face were to be on the scoreboard as the opposing batter when Barrymore runs on the field during a key scene filmed after the Sept. 16 Rays-Red Sox game. But the Red Sox's improbable postseason run forced script changes, and Barrymore's romp had to take place in the playoffs against the Yankees.

Instead, Baldelli's "big moment" occurs during a Fenway crowd scene when you hear him introduced over the PA system as the next batter.

Predictably, he wasn't impressed.

"Is it really your film debut if no one sees your face?" Baldelli said. "I don't think so."

The Rays get another mention when Fallon's character suggests a dance competition among his friends to determine who gets to accompany him to certain games and chides one for trying to get valuable Yankees tickets while doing a "Devil Rays dance."

JERSEY BOY: Reliever Lance Carter isn't much for the trend of wearing "throwback" jerseys of other athletes. Until he got the idea to get one in honor of teammate Mark Hendrickson, who played four seasons in the NBA.

After a few calls to his equipment contacts at Reebok, Carter was wearing a shiny blue New Jersey Nets jersey with No. 42 and Hendrickson's name on the back.

"I would have been more impressed," Hendrickson said, "if he said he could buy it in the store instead of personally ordering it."

CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE: Baylor's victory in Tuesday's NCAA women's basketball championship upped the level of competition in the Niemann family.

Jeff Niemann, the Rays top pitching prospect, helped pitch Rice to the college title in 2003. Younger sister Emily was a key scorer for Baylor and was named to the all-tournament team.

"I'm just going to listen to him," Emily said. "I want him to tell me congratulations for once."

Carl Crawford on Wednesday became only the third player - and the first American Leaguer - in the last 17 years to have a triple and an inside-the-park homer in the same game. Here are the last 10 to do it:

Player, team Date

Brian Giles, Pirates May 21, 2002

Fred McGriff, Braves July 27, 1993

Dwight Evans, Red Sox July 4, 1988

Greg Gagne, Twins Oct. 4, 1986

Omar Moreno, Royals Sept. 5, 1985

Marvell Wynne, Pirates May 22, 1985

Lonnie Smith, Cards Aug. 21, 1982

Doug Flynn, Mets June 12, 1979

Steve Kemp, Tigers Sept. 4, 1977

Mike Schmidt, Phils July 3, 1977

"I don't take them. I've always been natural. I can take my shirt off right now and show you."

- AUBREY HUFF, talking about steroids.

Sammy Sosa on Tuesday makes his first career appearance at Tropicana Field. Here are the opposing sluggers who have hit the most homers at the Trop:

Manny Ramirez 15

Carlos Delgado 14

Alfonso Soriano 11

Tony Batista 9

Jason Giambi 9

Bernie Williams 9

Source: Devil Rays

[Last modified April 10, 2005, 00:40:18]