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Rays tales

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 1, 2001

QUICK THINKING: Brent Abernathy had a pretty good debut Monday, knocking a ball over Fenway's fabled Green Monster for his first big-league hit. His parents made an impressive entrance as well.

As soon as they heard mid-morning Monday of their son's promotion, Pat and Mike Abernathy scrambled for a flight from Atlanta to Boston to see his first game. They were due to land at 6:15 p.m., figuring they'd have just enough time to drop their bags at the airport hotel and dash to the stadium for the 7:05 first pitch.

Their plane, however, was delayed on the tarmac after landing. Knowing every second mattered, Mike Abernathy, a government auditor, came up with quite a plan: They quickly explained the situation to an airport police officer, left the suitcases at the sub-station with him and jumped in a cab, walking up the stadium ramp just as Brent was introduced for his first at-bat.

As for their bags?

"Around midnight they went back out there and got them with no problem," Brent Abernathy said. "In fact, the guy there said, 'You're the parents of the guy who hit the home run tonight, aren't you?' "

WANNA GET SOME CHOW-DAH?: Worcester, Mass., native Tanyon Sturtze is about as New England as they come, so there are always some folks with split loyalties when he pitches against the Red Sox.

And that includes at least one person in a Boston uniform.

Ed Riley, who throws batting practice and charts pitches as an assistant to the Sox coaching staff, is one of Sturtze's former teammates at St. Peter Marian school (Riley pitched; Sturtze played shortstop) and one of his closest lifelong pals.

"You couldn't ask for a better friend," Riley said. "We'd hang out all the time, we'd be over each other's house all the time. I'm the last of 16 kids, and basically he was the 17th Riley. It was a lot of fun growing up with him."

Riley spent eight years in the Boston minor-league system but couldn't get past Triple A, then pitched a couple years in the independent leagues before joining the Sox staff. He says he couldn't be more proud to see Sturtze pitching in the big leagues, even when he's in the opposing dugout. "It's kind of like I made it," Riley said. "It's just a great feeling to see him out there being successful."

BE HOME FOR DINNER, SON: Sunday is Kids Day throughout the majors, and the Rays will participate by picking children to do things like sing the anthem, provide PA announcements and work the scoreboard. Considering the effort to make the team younger and less expensive, maybe they ought to see if any of the kids can pitch.

Smashing debut

Abernathy became the fifth player this season to hit a home run for his first major-league hit. He is the second Rays player to do so, joining, of all people, Esteban Yan, who homered in his first professional at-bat June 4, 2000. Here is the list of this year's first-time sluggers:

(Date, Player, pos, Team, Opponent)

April 12, Larry Barnes, INF,Anaheimvs. Texas

April 17, Gene Stechschulte, P,St. Louis vs. Arizona

May 1, Craig Wilson, C,Pittsburgh vs. S.F.

May 19,Tom Wilson, C,Oaklandvs. ChiSox

June 25,Brent Abernathy, 2B,Tampa Bay at Boston

What they're saying

Dan Shaughnessy, writing Thursday in the Boston Globe: "Too bad the Sox have only seven more games with the Senator Connie Mack All-Stars. The Rays have found numerous ways to lose to Boston, none more disgraceful than Tuesday night's indifferent performance (this would be the generous term -- 'tanking' would be the harsh version) by manager Hal McRae. While McRae napped, rookie Victor Zambrano was allowed to yield three consecutive walks, after giving up two hits."

Quote of the week

"I had two options after being released. I could be bitter or try to move to something better. I chose to move to something better." -- GERALD WILLIAMS, after signing with the Yankees.

By the numbers

23: Rays wins in 48 games when scoring four or more runs

47: Degrees of difference in start-time temperature in April 8 game in Boston and June 27 game (42 to 89).

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