Inactivity has Gomes questioning his role
By MARC TOPKIN
Published May 11, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG - Outfielder Jonny Gomes figured he was going to be sent back to Triple-A Durham when the Devil Rays activated reliever Jesus Colome from the disabled list. Not playing in eight straight games can tell you things.
But knowing it was coming didn't make the news any easier to take. Nor did hearing that the reason he didn't play was that the Rays knew he was going down and didn't think it was fair to play him ahead of others who were staying.
"It's not fair to them, but it's not fair to me," Gomes said. "There are not too many professional baseball players who haven't played in 12 days in the month of May. It's not a fair situation for them nor I. No one really comes out on top. ... This is the season right now and I have to go down to Triple A and I haven't seen live pitching in 12 days. They told me to go down and keep hitting, but it's like, I've got to mix in a spring training first."
Gomes was frustrated enough to question his role in the organization, especially as he did reasonably well when given the opportunity, hitting .304 with two homers and five RBIs in eight games.
"I think they're kind of treating me like an insurance plan," Gomes said. "Like if something happens to their guys, I can come up here and just kind of cover them, and that's what it showed. I don't think they really planned on me doing good."
Manager Lou Piniella said Gomes "did fine. He'll be back here sometime this summer."
BELL'S TOLL: Rob Bell said he felt fine, but he knew there was something wrong with the way he was throwing the ball. After his first pitch sailed to the backstop, two bounced and a third nearly hit Paul Konerko, he took himself out of the game after one batter in the seventh.
Piniella said Bell couldn't feel the ball properly, but Bell said it was more a matter of pitching mechanics. "Physically I'm fine," he said. "It was the feel for it. ... The ball wasn't coming out of my hand right, and I wasn't going to be able to correct it right there."
COLOME WINS: Colome's first appearance turned out to be a good one, a 1-2-3 ninth earning him the victory. Though he didn't have his normal velocity, throwing in the 92 mph range instead of 96-98, he said he felt fine and Piniella said he was pleased with the results.
"You want to see outs," Piniella said.
DEBO'S WOES: Dewon Brazelton hasn't done very well so far, sharing the major-league lead with six losses and allowing the most walks (23) and home runs (nine) among AL pitchers. He knows he has to do better, given Piniella's public acknowledgement that he was considering dropping Brazelton from the rotation.
But when Brazelton, who is 1-6 with a 6.03 ERA, takes the mound today, he says the only thing he will be thinking about is winning.
"It's not to prove anything to Lou; I want to do well for myself and my team," he said. "Once I have a little success, just a little bit, I think it's going to jump off. That's how I really feel."
NOMO A GO: Piniella said pitcher Hideo Nomo had no lingering effects from the severe cramp that forced him out of Monday's game and will make his start Saturday as scheduled.
MINOR MATTERS: Double-A Montgomery's Delmon Young was named Southern League hitter of the week after going 11-for-19 with nine RBIs. Young is third in the league with a .358 average and second with 27 RBIs.... Catcher Kevin Cash singled in his first at-bat for Durham after being activated off the disabled list, then left after tweaking a hamstring.
MISCELLANY: The Rays logged their third walkoff win, the second by home run. Eduardo Perez beat the Red Sox on April 22. It was the 14th walkoff homer in franchise history. ... The Rays are hitless in their past 19 at-bats with the bases loaded and 1-for-21 overall. ... The White Sox lost just their second series of the season. ... The Rays won their second series from the Sox in their past 17 tries. ... Jorge Cantu's homer was the major league-high ninth by Rays No. 9 hitters. ... Alex Gonzalez will start at shortstop today as Julio Lugo gets his first day off.