Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 22, 2001
Throughout spring training, the Times printed 44 trivia questions about Rays players. Here are the five winners, selected from entries that correctly answered every question, who (with a guest) will get to watch the July 6 Rays-Marlins game from the Times luxury suite at Tropicana Field. They are: Christy Dine, Oldsmar; Elizabeth Jarrett, St. Petersburg; Kevin Sullivan, St. Petersburg; MaryKay Dadetto, Oldsmar; Carol Swift, Oldsmar.
DAY 1: Who was voted the Rays' Most Valuable Player last season?
ANSWER: Gerald Williams.
DAY 2: Which Rays pitcher has started 240 big-league games but never pitched in relief?
ANSWER: Juan Guzman.
DAY 3: Which Rays pitcher got his first big-league win on the final day of the 2000 season? ANSWER: Dan Wheeler.
DAY 4: Who was the first position player drafted by the Rays to reach the majors? ANSWER: Aubrey Huff.
DAY 5: Which Rays player set a Florida state record with 7,949 yards passing and 75 career touchdowns at Tampa Catholic High? ANSWER: Kenny Kelly.
DAY 6: Which Rays player was a member of the major-league all-star team that toured Japan in November? ANSWER: Albie Lopez.
DAY 7: Which Rays player hit his 400th career home run and got his 2000th career hit in the same weekend last season?
ANSWER: Fred McGriff.
DAY 8: Which player received a record $10.2-million bonus to sign with the Rays?
ANSWER: Matt White.
DAY 9: Which player has pitched the most innings in Rays history? ANSWER: Bryan Rekar.
DAY 10: Who was the first player drafted by the Rays to reach the major leagues?
ANSWER: Ryan Rupe.
DAY 11: Who got the first hit in organization history (Hint: It came in a Gulf Coast League game)?
ANSWER: Alex Sanchez.
DAY 12: Which Ray is the nephew of a former All-Star second baseman?
ANSWER: Jared Sandberg.
DAY 13: Who were the Rays that were members and/or alternates to the 2000 U.S. Olympic baseball team?
ANSWER: Bobby Seay, Brent Abernathy, Pat Borders and Matt White.
DAY 14: Which Ray was acquired in trade from Oakland for reliever Jim Mecir?
ANSWER: Jesus Colome.
DAY 15: Which Ray was a childhood friend of NBA star Jason Kidd? ANSWER: Bobby Smith.
DAY 16: Which Rays pitcher was a first-round draft pick by the Mets? ANSWER: Paul Wilson.
DAY 17: Which Rays player shared with Mark McGwire the record for homering in 37 different big-league ballparks?
ANSWER: Fred McGriff.
DAY 18: Which Rays pitcher was named after a character from the Three Musketeers?
ANSWER: Tanyon Sturtze.
DAY 19: Which Rays player hit an inside-the-park grand slam on the final day of the 1999 season?
ANSWER: Randy Winn.
DAY 20: Which Rays player is a cousin of former Bucs defensive back Ricky Reynolds?
ANSWER: Greg Vaughn.
DAY 21: Which Rays pitcher threw a no-hitter in his second big-league game?
ANSWER: Wilson Alvarez.
DAY 22: Which Rays player appeared on Saturday Night Live in December 1997?
ANSWER: Gerald Williams.
DAY 23: Which Rays player last season became the second major-leaguer to hit 200 or more homers in each league?
ANSWER: Fred McGriff.
DAY 24: Which Rays player was a second-round pick from Atlanta in the 1992 expansion draft?
ANSWER: Vinny Castilla.
DAY 25: Who pitched the first no-hitter in organization history? (Hint, it was for Class A Charleston in a seven-inning game.)
ANSWER: Jason Standridge.
DAY 26: Which Rays pitcher went 1,465 days between big-league victories?
ANSWER: Paul Wilson.
DAY 27: Which Rays player last season hit a home run in his first plate appearance as a professional?
ANSWER: Esteban Yan.
DAY 28: Which Rays player led the majors in home runs during the first George Bush administration? ANSWER: Fred McGriff.
DAY 29: Which Rays player was MVP for Class A Dunedin in 1998? ANSWER: Brent Abernathy.
DAY 30: Which Rays player has the most victories of any Venezuelan pitcher?
ANSWER: Wilson Alvarez.
DAY 31: Which Rays player stole 43 bases in a single season for the University of Miami?
ANSWER: Greg Vaughn.
DAY 32: Which Rays player teamed with NBA player Steve Nash at Santa Clara University?
ANSWER: Randy Winn.
DAY 33: Who led the Rays in infield hits last season?
ANSWER: Gerald Williams.
DAY 34: Which two Rays played together at Texas A&M?
ANSWER: Jason Tyner and Ryan Rupe.
DAY 35: Which Ray is a product of Quinsigamond Community College? ANSWER: Tanyon Sturtze.
DAY 36: Who has pitched the most innings in history for the Rays? ANSWER: Bryan Rekar.
DAY 37: Which Rays player went to the same Tennessee high school as Tigers manager Phil Garner?
ANSWER: Mike DiFelice.
DAY 38: Which Rays infielder was originally signed by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp?
ANSWER: Felix Martinez.
DAY 39: Which Ray was the Southeastern Conference's player of the year in 1994?
ANSWER: Russ Johnson.
DAY 40: Which Ray last season got his first major-league win in a complete-game shutout?
ANSWER: Travis Harper.
DAY 41: Which Rays coach has degrees in sociology and physical education from Eastern Michigan University?
ANSWER: Terry Collins.
DAY 42: Which Rays outfielder jumped from Class A to the majors in 1997?
ANSWER: Jose Guillen.
DAY 43: Which Rays player's dad was a first-round draft choice? ANSWER: Ben Grieve.
DAY 44: Which Rays player doubled off Cleveland's Charles Nagy in his first big-league at-bat?
ANSWER: John Flaherty.