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By JOHN ROMANO
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 9, 2001
SEATTLE -- The answer sounded rehearsed and, when the room around him got quieter, Toby Hall admitted as much.
Named the MVP of the Futures All-Star Game on Sunday after going 2-for-3 with a home run, the Devil Rays catching prospect repeatedly told reporters that he was not worried about a promotion from Triple A to the majors.
It's not something he controls, Hall said. A Durham jersey hangs in his locker, so that is what he wears every day.
Later, Hall acknowledged that he learned the polite, political response after hearing so much guff from his Bulls teammates.
"I hear it all the time, 'Why are you still here?' " Hall said.
Prospects Brent Abernathy, Aubrey Huff, Jason Tyner, Joe Kennedy, Jesus Colome, Travis Phelps and Victor Zambrano have reached Tampa Bay ahead of Hall. And none arrived with his credentials.
Hall is hitting .339 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI at Durham. He is in the top three in the International League in all three categories.
The problem is that the Rays have two quality major-league catchers with Mike DiFelice and John Flaherty on the roster. That means if the Rays do not make a deal in the next 22 days, before the July 31 trading deadline, Hall could spend much of the summer stuck at Triple A.
He rolls his eyes when asked if he has anything left to prove in the minors, and then quietly responds no. But he insists he is not unhappy.
"I can't afford to be thinking about that," Hall said. "Of course, I'd rather be playing up there, but if I'm worrying about that, then I'm cheating myself at Durham. I just have to be patient. They keep telling me that, so that's what I'm going to do. It's not like I have a choice."