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Hamilton ready to resume career

By JOHN ROMANO and MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 21, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Josh Hamilton envisioned standing at the plate at Tropicana Field this season, although not in these circumstances.

The Rays' top prospect took batting practice Wednesday afternoon, hitting off live pitching for the first time in nearly two months.

Hamilton, sidelined since late April with a back problem, will come off the disabled list for Double-A Orlando today and be reassigned to Class A Charleston.

"It's almost like going through spring training again for him," assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said. "We're not just going to throw him right back into Orlando. I'm not going to say it's like a rehab assignment, but we want to ease his way back. He's going to be rusty and sore. He'll go through the same things he went through in spring training."

Hamilton, the No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft, got off to a slow start at Orlando, hitting .180 with no home runs in 89 at-bats before going down with the back problem.

Having missed a large chunk of the season, Hamilton could make up for lost time by playing in the Arizona Fall League in November.

He has not ruled out a September call-up to the major-league team, but he said it was too early to worry about that.

"That's a good question, but it all depends on how I do," Hamilton said. "That's still far, far away."

REHAB CENTRAL: While Hamilton was working on his hitting, Juan Guzman was working on his pitching. Guzman threw four innings of a simulated game to Hamilton and Russ Johnson and said he was hopeful of being activated soon after the All-Star break in mid July.

"I want to get rid of the fear. I want to be able to throw freely," Guzman said. "I threw 80 pitches today, and I was pain-free. That's a good sign."

Guzman is less than a week from the one-year anniversary of his shoulder surgery. If all continues to go well, he soon could begin a minor-league rehabilitation assignment at Orlando.

He has begun mixing in breaking pitches, although his velocity is not back to full strength. His fastest pitch Wednesday was 86 mph.

"My velocity is going to get better. My velocity is going to come back," Guzman said. "When it comes back, I want to have all of my pitches ready."

REHAB REDUX: Wilson Alvarez, nearing the completion of his rehab from shoulder surgery, threw five shutout innings for Triple-A Durham on Wednesday night. Alvarez gave up four hits and struck out six. Alvarez has a 1.80 ERA in three starts for Orlando and Durham.

BLUE REVIEW: Manager Hal McRae reiterated that he wants no more complaints about umpires.

"At some point, it does become counterproductive. I think we've reached that point," McRae said. "We just need to go out and play and shut up."

McRae said the Rays may be getting the raw end of the deal in close calls but the team needs to play better to earn the respect of umpires.

"We're getting what we're getting because we haven't played well," McRae said. "So the short end of the stick is well deserved."

MINOR MATTERS: In his debut with Princeton, heralded prospect Toe Nash went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk. ... Durham second baseman Brent Abernathy, slowed by injuries early in the year, had three hits Tuesday night to raise his average to .275.

Tonight: Red Sox at Rays, 7:15

WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg.

TV/RADIO: FSN; WFLA-AM 970, WLCC-AM 760 (Spanish).

TICKETS: Available at stadium box office; through Ticketmaster phone and retail outlets; at team stores in WestShore Plaza, Brandon Town Center and BayWalk.

INFORMATION: Call 1-888-FAN-RAYS.

The pitchers

TANYON STURTZE: Since joining the rotation in early May, Sturtze has been one of the Rays' most consistent starters, working six or more innings in six of eight starts. He is 3-4 with a 5.48 ERA as a starter, 3-6, 5.45 overall. Sturtze has made three starts against Boston, going 2-1.

PEDRO MARTINEZ: Martinez is simply the best, and he often is at his best against the Rays, going 5-2 with a 1.98 ERA. In his past 36 innings against the Rays, covering five starts, he has 65 strikeouts. All he has done this season is go 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA, strike out 140 and walk 20.

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