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Seay enjoys major turn of fortunes

By MIKE READLING

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 14, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Bobby Seay thought the summons into Orlando manager Mike Ramsey's office Sunday evening meant he was on his way to Triple-A Durham. After all, since returning from the disabled list June 30, Seay had been one of the more successful pitchers in the organization, and he was looking to move up.

Durham would have to wait, however, because instead of the airport Seay was headed to the parking lot to make the 1 1/2-hour drive to St. Petersburg to join the Rays. He replaced Jeff Wallace, who went on the disabled list with tendinitis in his elbow, on the roster and in the bullpen.

"I'm just looking to fit in and hopefully stay around as long as I can," said Seay, the former White Sox first-round draft pick whom the Rays signed for $3-million as a free agent in 1996. "I couldn't ask for a better thing to happen to me at this point in my career."

The summons caps an up-and-down season for the 23-year-old left-hander.

After being demoted late in spring training, Seay went to Double-A Orlando, where he struggled before sustaining a Grade 2 sprain of a ligament in his left index finger May 8. What Seay initially thought was a broken finger or torn ligament kept him from throwing for a month and pitching in a game until June 30.

When he got back on the mound, he started to resemble the pitcher many envisioned despite a 2-5 record and 6.14 ERA in 12 starts.

"I started off real bad but I put together a good month. I'm feeling healthy," Seay said. "Everything was working for me and I started getting people out. I began pitching later into ballgames, I got some run support. The second half was definitely a lot better for me.'

Because of an overflow of starting pitchers that is only going to get worse when Bryan Rekar returns from the DL in a week or so, manager Hal McRae said Seay would head to the bullpen. He most likely will make his major-league debut during the three-game series at Yankee Stadium that begins today.

"Basically it's just like a lot of guys; we want to see what they have," McRae said. "I'm starting fresh. What I've heard doesn't mean anything. It's the first day (seeing him) for me."

Seay, a Sarasota native, did run into one problem. Monday was the first day of school in Sarasota County, so he couldn't get his mother, a schoolteacher, or Clyde Metcalfe, his high school coach and athletic director at Sarasota High, to the Trop for the afternoon game.

HIT AND HOPE: Damian Rolls spiced up his afternoon with a magnificent running catch in the right-centerfield gap and a career-high four hits. That doesn't mean he has any special batting philosophy.

"Put the bat on the ball and run like hell; hopefully, something good will happen," Rolls said.

ABOUT THE SWEEP: Monday's win marked the first time a team in last place at the start of a series has swept a team in first place in four games since the 1994 A's swept the Rangers. It also marked the fourth time the Rays have recorded a four-game sweep, the second at home and first since July 27-30, 2000, in Kansas City. It gave the Rays a seven-game winning streak against Minnesota at Tropicana Field. The Rays are 19-16 vs. the Twins, their best record against any opponent.

Tonight: Rays at Yankees, 7:05

WHERE: Yankee Stadium, New York.

TV/RADIO: Ch. 32; WFLA-AM 970, WLCC-AM (Spanish).

RAYS BY THE NUMBERS

3 -- Wins on road turf

4 -- Wins in a row, longest streak of season

11 -- Wins in last at-bat

13 -- Come-from-behind wins

15 -- Wins against AL East

16 -- Wins on artificial turf

22 -- Wins when committing an error

25 -- Games left vs. AL East

26 -- Wins on natural grass

29 -- Wins when scoring first

36 -- Losses against AL East

42 -- Wins this season

50 -- Losses when committing an error

102 -- Errors, leading AL

INFORMATION: Call 1-800-FAN-RAYS.

The pitchers

JOE KENNEDY: Kennedy (3-7, 4.98) is returning to the rotation after being skipped for his last start in favor of Jason Standridge. The left-hander is making his 13th major-league start. He has lost his past six since a win July 3, the longest current losing streak in the AL.

ANDY PETTITTE: Pettitte (13-6, 3.29) is 6-1 lifetime against the Rays. The left-hander won his fourth straight in his last start Wednesday at the Trop. Pettitte has allowed nine home runs in 30 games and 14 in his past 43 after allowing 10 in his previous six.

He said it

"(First-base coach) Lee May said Damian (Rolls) was going to steal third. I just waited for him to run and then I ran, too. I never would have gone if Lee May hadn't told me Damian was going. That's good, Hal's been wanting me to run a little more." -- Ben Grieve on his second stolen base of the season, a swipe of second on the back end of a double steal. He has 11 in his four-year major-league career.

Attendance report

MONDAY'S CROWD: 10,841

TROPICANA FIELD CAPACITY: 44,445

SEASON TOTAL: 933,623

PER-GAME AVERAGE: 16,097

2001 LARGEST CROWD: 41,546

2001 SMALLEST CROWD: 10,539

2000 PER-GAME AVERAGE: 19,368

1999 PER-GAME AVERAGE: 19,296

1998 PER-GAME AVERAGE: 30,939

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