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By MARC TOPKIN
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 19, 2001
THE IRONMAN COMETH: Tropicana Field is the next stop on Cal Ripken's farewell tour, and for some of the Rays there will be some special goodbyes.
Rays manager Hal McRae played in Ripken's first major-league game, Aug. 10, 1981, and, in a fitting tribute, will be on the receiving end of Ripken's ceremonial first pitch Thursday. First-base coach Lee May was an Orioles coach in 1995. Trainer Jamie Reed spent eight years as the Orioles assistant trainer. PR chief Rick Vaughn worked 10 years for the Orioles.
Reed, close enough to Ripken that they've been to each other's houses for dinner, said that more than anything else, Ripken wanted to be treated like a regular Joe. "He's always been happiest being one of the guys," Reed said.
That has pretty much been the case for Ripken during his visits to the Tampa Bay area, which include four springs training with the O's in 1992-95 and stops at the Trop since 1998.
Young Ripken didn't exactly make a name for himself.
He first played in the Tampa Bay area as a 12-year-old in August 1973 for the West Asheville, N.C., team in the Little League Southern Regional in Gulfport. Ripken caught one game and was the losing pitcher in the next, giving up a game-deciding home run and then crying on the mound. The Aug. 15 St. Petersburg Times referred to him as Cal Ripkin.
Six years later, he was playing his first full pro season when he came to town with the Class A Miami Orioles for a June 29, 1979, Florida State League game against the St. Petersburg Cardinals and made a game-deciding error. The Times referred to him as Cal Ribken.
In March 1984, he played his first big-league exhibition here against the St. Louis Cardinals and homered. His name was spelled correctly.
ROAD SHOW: Can Ripken maintain his streak of homering in each farewell stop since the All-Star break? In 14 games at the Trop, Ripken has a .255 average with two homers, 12 RBI.
MICKEY'S NOT AVAILABLE EITHER: McRae has had to take extra steps to prepare his wide-eyed rookies, such as the advice he gave Bobby Seay about pitching in New York: "I talked with him and told him where we were going and to expect to be used and not be in awe of where we were and the team we're facing and all the things that go with the Yankees, the Big Apple and all that stuff. And that the Babe and Joe D are no longer here."
Here is how the top players released or traded by the Rays have done with their new teams (through Friday):
VINNY CASTILLA, 3B (released May 10)
WITH RAYS: .215 2 HR 6 2B 9 RBI 5 Es 24 games
WITH ASTROS: .269 17 HR 21 2B 58 RBI 9 Es 83 games
MIKE DiFELICE, C (traded July 25)
WITH RAYS:.208 2 HR 5 2B 9 RBI in 48 games
WITH D'BACKS: .000 0 HR 0 2B0 RBI in 11 games
ALBIE LOPEZ, P (traded July 25)
WITH RAYS: 5-12 5.34 ERA 152 H 124.2 IP in 20 games
WITH D'BACKS: 2-3 3.90 ERA 32 H 32.1 IP in 5 games
FRED McGRIFF, 1B (traded July 27)
WITH RAYS: .318 19 HR 18 2B 61 RBI in 97 games
WITH CUBS: .241 2 HR 1 2B 12 RBI in 17 games
GERALD WILLIAMS, OF (released June 24)
WITH RAYS: .201 4 HR 17 2B 17 RBI in 62 games
WITH YANKEES: .154 0 HRO 2B 1 RBI in 20 games
Peter Botte, writing Friday in the New York Daily News: "It will be akin to facing the 1962 Mets one day and the 1998 Yankees the next. Totem-pole week at the Stadium switches to the high end tonight when the steamrolling Seattle Mariners invade the Bronx -- one day after the ragged Tampa Bay Devil Rays slithered out of town."
"Where'd all these lights come from?" -- HAL McRAE, Rays manager noting the unusual presence of local TV crews in his office after the sweep of the Twins.
8: Rays who made their major-league debuts this season.
21: Times Rays have given up 10 or more runs, tops in AL.
21: Times Rays have lost when giving up 10 or more runs.
After 123 games (Year,W-L,Pct.,P-GB)
200143-80 .3505-30.5
200054-69 .4395-15
199954-69 .4395-20.5
199848-75 .3905-44.5
Overall (Year, W-L, Pct., P-GB)
200157-105*.352*?-??
200069-92.4295-18
199969-93.426 5-29
199863-99.3895-51
* projected. P-GB: Place in East Division-games behind first