Progress, of course, tempered with worry
The Rays' new top of the order springs to life. Then, Baldelli departs with a hamstring issue.
By MARC TOPKIN
Published March 21, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG - There was so much that Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon liked about the significantly altered lineup that made an impressive 14-hit, seven-run debut Tuesday.
At least until new No. 3 hitter Rocco Baldelli left midgame with potentially troubling tightness in his right hamstring.
Baldelli, sidelined into June last season with hamstring problems that popped up around the same time of spring, said he won't know the seriousness of this situation until he gets out of bed today.
"I'll have concern if it doesn't feel good in the morning," Baldelli said. "This has happened a couple times before and I don't really know. I can't tell. It's happened before, and I've been fine in a day or two, so I'm hoping for that."
Baldelli, who singled in his first two at-bats and stole second in the third inning, felt the tightness leaving the batter's box after a double to right in the fourth inning. He came around to score on Ty Wigginton's double before telling Maddon he needed to leave the game.
Maddon said the move was precautionary, and he didn't expect Baldelli to miss more than a couple of days. He has good reason to hope so, as one of the biggest changes he made in the lineup was dropping Baldelli from leadoff into the No. 3 slot, which is often reserved for a team's best hitter.
Carl Crawford, who was shifted from third to second two weeks ago, was moved back to the leadoff role in which he previously excelled, though he didn't sound necessarily thrilled by the change, saying: "It's his team; if he wants me in the leadoff spot I've got to go to the leadoff spot. ... I'm trying to be cooperative, trying to be open to things that might help the team."
Ben Zobrist, who hit .224 in 52 games for the Rays usually batting eighth or ninth after making a quick jump from Double A, was elevated into the second slot. Rookie Delmon Young, whom Maddon raved about when he moved him into the third slot a few weeks ago, was dropped to seventh, and Akinori Iwamura (who had his first two-hit game) to eighth, though Maddon said he might make further changes to the bottom half of the order.
Maddon had been trying to assemble what he considered a typical American League lineup, but the lack of offense last season and this spring made him reconsider and switch to what looks to be more of an NL-style, play-for-one-run type of attack. He wanted to separate Baldelli and Crawford, who were hitting 1-2, because he thought "things really fell away in a sense" after their spots, and he sought to maximize Crawford's base-stealing ability.
In theory, Crawford will lead off by getting on base, Zobrist will move him over (with a bunt, ground ball or well-placed hit, or by taking pitches to allow him to steal) and Baldelli will drive him in before the heavier hitters - Wigginton, then some combination of Greg Norton, Young and possibly Jorge Cantu - get to the plate.
"I've talked about the American League lineup being more of a circular thing where a No. 2 could really be a solid RBI position feeding in from a good (Nos.) 8 and 9, but for right now I want to abandon that thought because I don't think we're ready to play that style of baseball," Maddon said. "So I want to put more of a traditional No. 2 hitter up there. ... I want to see if we can get the offense going with a different kind of philosophy."
Zobrist said he welcomed the opportunity and handled the role well in the minor leagues.
"I think it's the perfect spot for me," Zobrist said. "I think it's going to work out good. Joe talked about it this morning, that we're going to play for a run. We don't have to get the big inning, that as long as we're doing the small things inning by inning, it's going to make a difference."
Baldelli, who starred in the leadoff role in August-September, said he wouldn't approach things any differently from the third hole, and Maddon expects him to grow into the role. "I'm not sure he has the total RBI mentality yet, but I know it's within him," Maddon said.
Crawford said he will have to change his approach, if not his game, in which he had been trying to develop more power. "It's a little different," he said. "It's more get on base first, think hitting second."
Maddon was pleased with what he saw Tuesday - at least until Baldelli left - as the Rays (4-16) rapped a spring-high 14 hits (including seven in the six-run fourth) in what was their best and most complete offensive performance.
"I liked the first look," he said. "The situations were out there, and that's what I was looking for. There were more opportunities. For the most part we had better at-bats today. ... One through nine I thought it played out really nicely."
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8801.
Fast Facts:
New-look lineup
Manager Joe Maddon created a new top of the order, moving Carl Crawford back to the leadoff spot, elevating Ben Zobrist to second and dropping Rocco Baldelli from leadoff to third, and may tinker further with the bottom five:
1. Carl Crawford lf
2. Ben Zobrist ss
3. Rocco Baldelli cf
4. Ty Wigginton 1b
5. Greg Norton dh
6. Jorge Cantu 2b
7. Delmon Young rf
8. Akinori Iwamura 3b
9. Josh Paul c
. Fast Facts
As simple as 1-2-3
Where will the Rays get the most out of Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli? Here's a look at their career numbers in the top three spots in the order:
Carl Crawford
Avg G H 2B 3B HR RBI SB/CS OBP Slg
No. 1 .289 359 451 55 37 25 153 140/29 .323 .419
No. 2 .308 197 250 41 20 23 103 58/13 .341 .493
No. 3 .282 58 62 8 4 3 20 24/1 .316 .395
Rocco Baldelli
Avg G H 2B 3B HR RBI SB/CS OBP Slg
No. 1 .335 44 64 17 4 11 29 6/1 .366 .639
No. 2 .279 109 124 21 5 10 53 15/6 .328 .417
No. 3 .281 135 155 30 6 17 86 19/8 .315 .449
Source: STATS Inc.