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Martinez working on simple things

By MIKE READLING

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 7, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Felix Martinez sat in front of his locker trying to break in a new glove. Harder and harder he pounded the new leather with a weight, creating some flexibility and seemingly taking out some frustrations left by his old glove.

Martinez burst onto the Rays scene last season, coming up from Triple-A Durham in May and dazzling everyone with spectacular plays in the hole. Everything, it seemed, that came near him was fair game.

He's still making those plays this season. It's the simple ones that are killing him.

Martinez leads the team with 10 errors, most stemming from the 26-year-old's inability to pick the ball off the ground. Manager Hal McRae, however, is far from giving up on his highlight-reel shortstop, who made 10 errors in 106 games with the Rays last season.

"Felix has been in a fielding slump. It's more psychological than anything else. He just has to play his way through the slump," McRae said. "I can't be soft on him and sit him; he has to go out and make plays and get through this tough period."

The easiest way for Martinez to do that, McRae said, is to keep taking ground balls, keep doing what he does best.

"He has to work on his technique," McRae said. "Like the ball (Friday) night; he didn't get down. He's developed some bad habits, and those habits have to be broken."

Sunday, Martinez handled everything hit his way, making one long throw from the hole to nab Marty Cordova in the fourth inning.

GUILLEN'S GUN: Twice during Saturday's game, rightfielder Jose Guillen got what looked like golden opportunities to try to throw runners out at the plate. Twice he held up, throwing to the cutoff man instead.

It isn't that Guillen, who leads the American League with seven outfield assists (including one Sunday), is becoming gun-shy. It's that he's maturing, McRae said.

In the past, Guillen would come up firing no matter what, maybe getting the runner at the plate, maybe throwing the ball to the backstop and allowing the batter to advance. His most recent attempts have been more tempered.

"He's done much better this year," McRae said. "Now he has to learn when to throw to third. That guy is almost always out."

RALLY BY THE NUMBERS: During its nine-run rally in the eighth and ninth innings, Cleveland sent 18 batters to the plate. That's one more than the Rays faced during the fourth through seventh innings combined. The Indians also had eight hits in those two innings, three more than they had through the first seven.

LEADERS: By hitting Einar Diaz (once) and Jacob Cruz (twice) Sunday, Rays pitchers extended their league lead in that category to 22. Chicago is next with 19. The Rays have led the league in hit batters each of their first three season and seem intent on setting another mark. No team has led the American League four consecutive seasons.

FOLLOWERS: The 109 runs the Rays have scored are the fewest in the majors.

OH, BABY: The Rays Wives Baby Goods Drive collected a half-ton of diapers, food and other items to benefit the Alpha House of Tampa.

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