Rays/MLB

Will surprise end pain of road trips?

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published July 23, 2006

Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said he will have a surprise for his team on its next extended road trip.

He wouldn't say what it is because "it might be really stupid, and I don't want it to get out there."

But Maddon said that if it works, it could go a long way toward making his players more comfortable on the road and, as a result, more effective.

The team has to do something to figure out how to win away from Tropicana Field. Its 0-7 trip to start the second half dropped its road record to 17-37. That is miserable. And it is like a weight tied to the team's collective waist as it tries to climb uphill, when you consider Tampa Bay entered Saturday 23-20 at the Trop.

In fact, for those looking for signs the Rays are turning a corner, keep track of that road record. Perhaps more than any other stat, it is an indication of how a team is maturing on and off the field.

"It's a good measure of mental toughness, as much as anything" Maddon said. "Being adaptable, and that all plays into being able to win consistently."

Of the 40 playoff teams the past five years, only six played worse than .500 on the road. Of the five World Series champs - White Sox, Red Sox, Marlins, Angels and Diamondbacks - only Florida was below .500, though at 38-43, not by much.

More evidence: When the White Sox won the 2000 AL Central title, they were 49-32 on the road.

"We had a lot of young talent that just didn't care where we were," said the Rays' Greg Norton, with Chicago that year. "We were just playing baseball. So I guess if you keep it simple and apply that where you're just playing baseball, 'Let's go out and play.' "

There is, of course, a little bit more to it than that. Playing on the road takes players out of their comfort zone. They must adapt to various ballpark nuances, time changes as they travel, messed-up sleeping habits and hostile fans.

Consider centerfielder Rocco Baldelli said that even for a dome friendly team such as the Rays, trying to track fly balls at Minnesota's Metrodome was a wild adventure.

Norton's 2000 White Sox notwithstanding, Maddon said, teams with a little "salt and pepper on 'em" can handle the challenges better."

In other words, add it to the list of things Rays fans must wait to see their team develop.

"As you get more experience, the less those things bother you," Maddon said of the road. "You become more familiar with the territory.

"And when you get that group of guys that know how to do it, it really becomes no different than winning at home. It becomes kind of fun because you want to shut up the other crowd, and you want it quiet. It's good stuff."

As for Maddon's plan to expedite the process: "I think it's well thought out," he said. "It's interesting, and it goes back to the old days in a sense."

If it works, Maddon said, he'll let everyone know. If it falls flat, he won't have to say a word.

The standings will do the talking.

WHO'S ON FIRST? Designated hitter Jonny Gomes, who said his sore right shoulder is preventing him from throwing at all, is occasionally taking ground balls at first base.

Gomes will not play the position this season, Maddon said, but Gomes wants to learn, not only in case his shoulder prevents him from returning to the outfield but "to extend my career. It gives me more options and the team more options."

Asked what the toughest thing about first base is, Gomes said, "Just having no idea how to play it. I've never played it, not even joking around."

Gomes said he could have arthroscopic surgery in the offseason to repair the strained rotator cuff ligament but does not consider it a "career" injury.

HOMETOWN HEROES: Five players per franchise have been nominated by Major League Baseball as part of a competition to find each team's "Hometown Hero."

The winning player, determined by a fan vote, is supposed to, a news release says, "embody the legacy of Major League Baseball and each respective franchise's history."

Nominated for Tampa Bay are Wade Boggs, Carl Crawford, Roberto Hernandez, Fred McGriff and Aubrey Huff.

Fans can vote through Sept. 17 at the ballpark or MLB.com.

[Last modified July 23, 2006, 02:02:53]