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Mizell Mailbag
By
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 7, 2000
It's possible that moves by Chuck LaMar and Vince Naimoli with the Devil Rays are effectively turning off Tampa Bay fans. We should be thinking about what the Rays can be in two years; really excited about up and coming stars.
Instead, we see fans worry about getting out of this 2000 season without being the laughingstock of pro sports.
The Rays are a load of 30-plus-year-olds, overpaid and non-entertaining because there's no niche, no character of our own. A band of castoffs. A team of DHs with no pitching staff.
Naimoli goes on strange, unproductive tangents. Trust me, in 26 years, I've never been told by any editor to "Go find something negative!
Thinking twice and measuring likely repercussions before erupting is not one of the managing general partner's strengths.
I'm okay with LaMar/Naimoli moves to bring in Greg Vaughn and Vinny Castilla, while retaining Fred McGriff and Jose Canseco. It's not long-term, but this is a franchise desperate for more immediate upward movement.
I'm not surrendering. I still believe this can be a .500 team come September. As for pitching, it's a commodity universally strained and insufficient.
Amen to your column that lays heaviest Devil Rays blame on pitchers Hernandez, Alvarez and Guzman. Juan can't help it. He was unlucky, being immediately injured. We await his return with hope.
Alvarez has been a chubby joke. My fault with the GM (LaMar) is that he didn't go deep enough into researching this lefty's personality and attitude before committing 10s of millions of dollars.
Roberto tries hard, but I fear he's going into one of those sudden nose dives that haunt hard-throwing relievers. It's a scary threesome, as you said. If they continue to disappoint as a group, the Rays are in major trouble.
Hernandez is a mystery. Add to all this the struggles of second-year starter Ryan Rupe and understandable return of Dan Wheeler to the minors and it can resemble two water buckets facing the San Francisco fire.
What is going on with the Times? There is little coverage of NHL playoffs. Here we sit in an NHL city and we get to read about Devil Rays pitching woes. I am a native and find it sad that football and baseball take precedent over everything. Let's talk about current sports rather than the color of Jose Canseco's underwear.
It's May, so Jose's briefs are in season. Nothing is close to Bucs football in all-year Tampa Bay interest. NHL and NBA playoffs run so long, we moderate coverage until later series. But don't expect hockey, with no Lightning in playoffs, to erase the Rays from page 1C.
Your column on Double D (David Duval) was a gem. Catching the full essence of this talented young man. Glitzy is a flash in the pan, but character serves for a lifetime. Thanks for insight into a gifted athlete.
Duval is complex, not easy to analyze.
Reading your column on local TV sportscasts, we too take exception to reductions. We get plenty of weather as well as straight news. We've been inundated with Elian. Last time we heard Chris Thomas, he was given just two minutes. Totally unacceptable.
You said it all. I can't believe 5:30 was eliminated. I called Ch. 28. Hopefully they will keep Jay (Crawford) on. I really want to know everything the Bucs are doing. I hope you open the eyes of the right people. Less weather would be great
Since I was 9 years old, I've dreamed of being a TV sports reporter in my hometown of Tampa. Now it seems to be more of a long shot with the changing face of local TV sports. I would like to follow in the footsteps of you, Chris Thomas and Tom McEwen. Please tell me that will be possible
I've received 20 messages on this subject, every one decrying time shrinkage and erratic sportscasts goals. What would happen if a station tried solid reporting, good news judgment, strong inside info and more minutes? Oh, by the way, no input from weather fanatics.
You wrote about the baseball being juiced. Watching highlights on ESPN, there's no doubt in my mind. This home run derby thing was invigorating when it involved McGwire, Sosa and Griffey. But not when everyday players get into the act.
Rick Ankiel (two in a game), Kevin Tapani, Shane Reynolds and Kerry Wood are going long ball. What a shame baseball has decided to forget its forefathers (Mays, Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, DiMaggio, Williams) by making their numbers look as though a half-season was spent on the DL.
Whatever the causes, it's an HR joke. Mike Bordick is suddenly Ernie Banks. Bud Selig, if he's a caring commissioner, will be working OT to do anything within reason to make a HR an accomplishment rather than repetitive accidents. Punch and Judy hitters are becoming Crunch and Jokie.
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