Sports: Adjustments pay off in Durham

Adjustments pay off in Durham

By MARC TOPKIN

ST. PETERSBURG -- For every action, the theory goes, there is a reaction. So for just about every roster move the Devil Rays have made during this unstable season, there has been a corresponding change with their Triple-A team.

There have been 52 players to wear a Durham uniform this season, with more to come. More than a dozen, the initial wave of prospects from the Rays' system, are at Triple A for the first time. Durham has used 31 pitchers, including 21 starters. Four members of the current rotation began the season in Double A. Only one pitcher, Tony Fiore, has been with the team and healthy all season.

"We've had a few moves," manager Bill Evers said, in his typical understated fashion. "At times, you walk through the locker room and you have to look up at the names."

It looks like there will be a happy ending. The Bulls head into the final two weeks of their season with a healthy division lead and a strong shot to advance to the International League championship for the third straight season, and possibly the Triple-A World Series.

The roster instability has made winning more difficult, especially when you consider that most players at Triple A don't want to be there, but not impossible. Communication, Evers said, has been vital to success.

"It's a product of guys coming up and coming down and us communicating to them what they have to do to get back to the big leagues or to get to the big leagues," he said.

Evers and his staff make sure the players know what is expected of them, and remind them that their efforts matter every day. "It's a work ethic thing," he said. They stress a team concept, and make it a point to know what makes each player tick.

"It's taken some time to get cohesiveness in the clubhouse," Evers said. "Most of the guys we've started the season with are in the big leagues. We've got some younger guys now."

This is Evers' 14th season as a minor-league manager, fifth with the Rays. This month he picked up his 1,000th career victory.

"It's satisfying to get it, but I think down the road it may be more satisfying to me," he said.

Actually, the 1,000th win was more of a mile marker than a milestone. Evers, too, has a grander destination in mind. "The first major-league day," Evers said. "Just getting there, coaching, whatever."

CONTRACTUAL MATTERS: Contracts are up at the end of the year for several top front-office officials, including farm director Tom Foley and scouting director Dan Jennings, who share the responsibility for the success in the minor-league system. General manager Chuck LaMar said the review process will begin in earnest next month. ... Foley is likely to switch to a uniformed job, possibly as minor-league field coordinator. ... LaMar said his standard review of the major-league staff, including manager Larry Rothschild, who has one year remaining on his contract, is likely to take place in early October.

CASTILLA CHATTER: Cubs manager Don Baylor wasn't shy last week about expressing interest in bringing Vinny Castilla to Chicago, but LaMar said, "I expect him to be our third baseman next year." Further, LaMar is not a big fan of such talk coming from officials with other teams. "It's just not the way it's supposed to be handled, whether it's the field manager or the GM or the owner of the club, I was under the impression, rightfully so, that you just did not discuss possible trades," LaMar said. "Not only is it against the rules, I don't like it."

NO REGRETS: Before being hired as manager of the White Sox in 1998, Jerry Manuel was an unsuccessful finalist for the Devil Rays job. "As much as I wanted to manage in the major leagues, I had a sense of peace; this was not for me," Manuel told Sports Illustrated.

RINGS OF HONOR: Having four players (Brent Abernathy, Pat Borders, Bobby Seay and Matt White) chosen for the Olympic squad -- no team had more -- was a big deal. "It's a great honor and it reflects some of the work we're trying to do in scouting and player development," LaMar said.

HOO-RAYS: Ex-Ray Rolando Arrojo is not scheduled to pitch at the Trop this week during Boston's three-game visit. ... Top outfield prospects Josh Hamilton and Carl Crawford will report to Instructional League. ... The Rays sold back the 28 percent ownership stake they had in the Durham team.