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Rays tales

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 12, 2001

STRIKE ZONE: Bill Fischer did some remarkable pitching during his 1962 streak of not allowing a walk for 841/3 innings. But he didn't have much success for a Kansas City A's team that finished 72-90. Fischer's performance during the streak:

(Date, Opp, W-L, IP, H, ER, K, BB)

8/3 Cleveland,L,8,5,1,5,1

8/7 Washington,W,9,9,3,2, 0

8/9 Minnesota,-,1,1,0,0, 0

8/12 Chicago,L,8,6,1,1, 0

8/17 New York,W,9,6,2,2, 0

8/21 Boston,L,4,8,6,1, 0

8/26 Minnesota,L,8,8,1,6, 0

9/1 New York,L,6,9,3,1, 0

9/5 Boston,L,2.1, 7,5,0, 0

9/10 Chicago,L,6,7,2,1, 0

9/15 Baltimore,-,7.2, 11,3,2, 0

9/20 Cleveland,L,4,9,4,1, 0

9/26 Baltimore,L,7,6,2,1, 0

9/30 Detroit,L,5,8,4,0, 1

EYE-OPENER: You always remember your first one. No matter how grizzled or grumpy a player is, he almost always remembers something about his first major-league game. And with seven Rays making their big-league debuts already this season, plenty of memories are being made.

Hal McRae has plenty of reasons to remember his July 11, 1968, debut. Among them, it truly was his first big-league game. "I never saw a big-league game until I was a player," said McRae, who grew up in Avon Park.

Cincinnati's sixth-round pick in the June 1965 draft, McRae worked his way up to Triple-A Indianapolis and was playing for a 37-year-old in his first full season as a manager, a guy named Don Zimmer.

The team was in Phoenix when McRae got the call, and the next day he was playing second base for the Reds at Crosley Field. The promotion was something of a milestone for both McRae and Zimmer. They'd been together at Double-A Knoxville the season before, where Zimmer was player-manager, and were moved up to Triple A, along with outfielder Clyde Mashore.

"I get a laugh out of all these people who say, "I helped McRae hit,' " Zimmer said. "This guy could hit with the lights out. He was tough, a very tough player. And a good hitter."

No No-Nos

The Rays, so far, have been spared the infamy of having a no-hitter thrown against them, the only team to make that claim. But there have been close calls. Six pitchers have taken no-hitters into the sixth inning against them, four this season:

(Pitcher, team,Date,No-hit innings, Broken up by)

Rick Reed, NYM,8/8/98,62/3,Wade Boggs double.

P. Martinez, Bos,8/29/00,8,John Flaherty single.

T. Wakefield, Bos, 6/19/01,8,Randy Winn single.

D. Oliver, Texas,7/21/01,51/3,Brent Abernathy HR.

Mark Buehrle, CWS, 8/4/01,6,Damian Rolls single.

Dan Wright, CWS,8/6/01,61/3,Chris Gomez single.

What they're saying

Anthony McCarron, writing in the New York Daily News after the Yankees' 16-1 win Wednesday: "Things played out as they usually do at Tropicana Field last night, a contrast to the first game of the series. Devil Rays looked like what they are -- the youngest and worst team in the majors -- and they may have provided the tonic that all teams seem to get with a visit to Tampa Bay's home."

Quote of the week

"Errors are part of the game, but it doesn't mean you have to make more than anyone else in the league." -- HAL McRAE, manager, whose team made 15 errors in 13-game stretch

By the numbers

12: Players, of 25 on active roster, under age 25.

91: Unearned runs allowed by Rays.

234: Pitches thrown by Rays in Wednesday's 16-1 loss, 11th most in majors for a nine-inning game since STATS Inc. began keeping track in 1987.

Rays vs. Rays vs. Rays vs. Rays

2001,40-77,.342,5-291/2

2000,51-66,.436,5-14.5

1999,49-68,.419,5-23

1998,46-71,.393,5-41.5

Overall (Year,W-L,Pct.,P-GB)

2001,55-107*,.340*,?-??

2000,69-92,.429,5-18

1999,69-93,.426,5-29

1998,63-99,.389,5-51

* projected. P-GB: Place in East Division-games behind first

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