New bullpen strategy pays dividends

By MARC TOPKIN
Published August 7, 2005

ANAHEIM, Calif. - There isn't much Lou Piniella hasn't at least tried in 19 years of managing in the big leagues.

But the Devil Rays' improved second-half play - Thursday night's mess in Texas excluded - is due in part to Piniella's willingness to adapt and try something new.

With the All-Star break addition of veteran reliever Joe Borowski and improvement of rookie Chad Orvella, Piniella departed from his standard, and usually successful, method of making late-inning pitching changes based on the opposing hitters.

Now when the Rays have a lead, his primary plan is to use Orvella in the seventh, Borowski in the eighth and All-Star closer Danys Baez in the ninth.

"I've never managed this way," Piniella said. "This is new to me, too. I've had the closer, but I've used a matchup bullpen in the seventh and eighth innings. Now we just go right to the designated pitcher. If they're available, that's who we're going to use."

Strong bullpens have been a trademark of Piniella's better teams. He had the "Nasty Boys" in Cincinnati, using Rob Dibble and lefty Norm Charlton to set up and Randy Myers to close. He had several combinations in Seattle but usually featuring a left-handed (Charlton, Arthur Rhodes) and right-handed ( Jeff Nelson, Shiggy Hasegawa) setup man.

Piniella said he didn't plan the shift in strategy as much as it worked out that way once the Rays realized Borowski was the solution to their eighth-inning troubles ("What a difference one pitcher makes," Piniella said) and saw they could trust Orvella.

"It was something that just evolved because it worked," Piniella said. "You have to have guys that are comfortable with that and are getting the job done.

" Bobby Cox has managed that way in Atlanta, ( Joe) Torre with the Yankees. I'm sure there are a few others. They have their seventh-inning guy. They've got their eighth-inning guy, and they've got their ninth-inning guy. I sort of like it. It takes the guesswork out of it for me."

ON SCHEDULE: A tentative draft of the 2006 schedule has the Rays opening at Baltimore; hosting interleague series against the Braves, Diamondbacks and Marlins; and making interleague visits to the Nationals, Phillies and Marlins. What the Rays should like even better is five weekend series against marquee opponents, the Yankees, Red Sox and Braves. This year, they had two.

NO JOSHING: Josh Hamilton, who remains suspended by MLB for repeated violations of the drug policy, returned to the field this summer, albeit briefly. Hamilton played for the Fuquay-Varina Twins in the Eastern North State Baseball League, a North Carolina-based summer league for college-age players. Playing part time, Hamilton hit .231, according to the team Web site.

TRADE REFLUX: The Rays believe strongly they did the right thing by not trading Baez, Aubrey Huff, and/or Julio Lugo because they weren't able to get the elite prospects they sought, such as Boston's Hanley Ramirez or Jon Lester.

But they've been criticized by outsiders for asking for too much and not accepting other prospects that were supposedly almost as good, such as Boston's Anibal Sanchez and the Mets' Yusmeiro Petit.

ESPN's Peter Gammons said the Rays killed a multiteam deal by "reminding people why they are the worst franchise in modern baseball history and upping requests." Sports Weekly's Bob Nightengale asked: "Can someone please explain what they're doing?"

RAYS RUMBLINGS: If, as reported, Orioles owner Peter Angelos prefers a big-name manager, rumors are sure to start about Piniella. If the O's are interested in making a deal, Rays ownership likely would listen. ... With Joe Garagiola resigning in Arizona, Chuck LaMar now has the fourth-longest tenure among major-league GMs. ... Suspended steroid user Rafael Palmeiro's first game he is eligible to play is against the Rays on Thursday. ... If Jeff Niemann can finish the minor-league season with no further shoulder problems, he will probably pitch in the Arizona Fall League. ... Manager Bill Evers and other Bulls got airtime when ESPN's 50 states North Carolina show originated from Durham's stadium last week.

[Last modified August 7, 2005, 01:30:25]