Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By KEVIN KELLY
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 23, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- He slides over bullpen mounds and into folding chairs because "you have nothing to lose."
Jason Tyner embodies the attitude of the new Rays: young, aggressive and unafraid.
The leftfielder hit a walkoff single in the ninth inning to give the Rays an 11-10 win over Baltimore on Wednesday. It was one of four hits for the 24-year-old, who had his most impressive game of the season.
"To get the opportunity to do that and come through, that's one of the highlights of my career," Tyner said. "It's definitely one of my highlights."
So was his triple in the seventh. As was his sliding catch in the Orioles bullpen in the fourth. And don't forget the near throw out of Brady Anderson at home on a sacrifice fly the next inning.
"I think a lot of guys are like that," said Tyner, who has had three four-hit games this season. "It just comes with being young. We're going to play hard and you think you can catch everything out there, and you're probably going to have some stupid plays trying to do that.
"One thing Hal (McRae, manager) told us all is you're never going to know your limits unless you push them. So you just go hard. If you screw up, you screw up. If you make a great play, you make a great play."
MOVE COMING: With Steve Cox expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list today, the Rays will need to make room.
McRae said the roster move would involve a position player, though a decision hadn't been made.
McRae likes how Jared Sandberg has played at third base since being recalled from Triple-A Durham on Aug. 7. That could make Aubrey Huff, who has looked more comfortable in 15 starts at first than 107 at third, the likely candidate to be reassigned.
HANDS ON APPROACH: In only his third week with the Rays, bullpen coach Glenn Ezell has impressed the catchers.
He was hired Aug. 4 after Darren Daulton resigned and works before each game with that day's starting catcher, Toby Hall or John Flaherty.
"He's been amazing," Hall said. "He gets me prepared for a game not only mentally but physically every time I come here."
ROOKIE HONOR: Just asking Cal Ripken to sign a baseball has been intimidating for Sandberg, let alone playing the past two games on the same patch of dirt as the future Hall of Famer.
Sandberg, who had a career-high three hits Wednesday, is expected to start at third in Ripken's final game at Tropicana Field.
"I don't know what to say," said Sandberg, who mimicked Ripken when he moved from shortstop to third base in 1997. "I just watched him. Anybody in the whole wide world can look at him and learn. He's a remarkable baseball player."
ODDS AND ENDS: The Rays tied a club record with their sixth straight home win and won for the first time in 22 games when they've allowed 10 runs. ... Sandberg played first base in the ninth after Russ Johnson pinch hit for Aubrey Huff. The only other time he has played the position was for Double-A Orlando this season. ... Huff homered for the first time in 94 at-bats.
Rays manager Hal McRae will catch Cal Ripken's pregame first pitch tonight with a Wilson 2000 model glove given to him by former Royals teammate George Brett.
"It's very old," he said. "But I don't know quite how old it is."