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DiFelice remains as valuable reserve

By JOHN ROMANO and MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 3, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Mike DiFelice will not complain because he has a good job. It is a high-profile job. A well-paying job.

It is just that his job does not involve enough, well, work.

DiFelice is one of a handful of Devil Rays who have been around for every opening day in franchise history. Like the past three openers, DiFelice will begin this one on the bench behind catcher John Flaherty.

"Every player wants to excel at his position. I sit here and say that, and I know that I'm in my early 30s and I know that there may only be a small window of opportunity for me to be a starting player, but I can't control that," DiFelice said. "The way I have to look at it, is it's always good to be in a place where you're wanted and I'm wanted here by the Devil Rays."

It is not that he is not wanted elsewhere. Numerous teams expressed interest in acquiring DiFelice in the past two seasons and several teams had catchers go down with injuries during spring training.

Yet general manager Chuck LaMar says DiFelice is too valuable to the franchise to trade without getting a quality player in return.

"I know Mike wants to be an everyday catcher and we have a unique situation with two catchers as good as we do," LaMar said. "But for the organization's sake I cannot trade Mike just to give him the opportunity to be a starting catcher. If we get the opportunity to better this ballclub, then I will trade Mike or anyone else. But I can't trade Mike because it's frustrating to him to be behind John Flaherty. I just can't do that."

It is not as if DiFelice, 31, never sees the field. He has averaged better than 60 starts a season in his three years in Tampa Bay.

The Rays have not had a major injury at catcher the past three seasons, but LaMar said DiFelice would be invaluable if Flaherty, 33, was hurt.

"We have a starting catcher and it is not me. If I walked around here and b----ed about it every day, what good would that do?" DiFelice said. "I'm glad to have another shot to play in the big leagues. Me and Flash have been here since the beginning and we have a good working relationship. So I'll just do my job and when the opportunity comes, I'll play."

FEELING FINE: His left ankle was still bruised and tender, but shortstop Felix Martinez said he will be in the starting lineup tonight.

Martinez had to leave Sunday's spring finale after fouling a ball off his ankle, but he participated in Monday's workout at Tropicana Field.

"You don't ever want to miss a game," Martinez said. "I'm not missing opening day."

ATTENTION STUDENTS: The Rays are sponsoring an essay contest for third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students in Pinellas County schools in April.

In 500 words or fewer, students can write about either the impact spectator sports have on society, or a favorite baseball player and his importance to the game and the student.

Each school will choose one winning entry that will be forwarded to a panel of judges for the final competition. The grand prize winner receives a $500 savings bond, four tickets to a Rays game (plus two tickets for their teacher), a pregame tour of the field and clubhouse, memorabilia and their essay will be published in the game program and on the Rays Web site.

Second place receives a $250 savings bond, four tickets (two more for the teacher) and memorabilia. Third place gets a $100 savings bond, the tickets and a Rays T-shirt.

The winning student's school will receive $1,000, plus a Rays player will appear at an assembly. The second-place school gets $750 and third place receives $500.

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