Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By FRANK PASTOR and MARC TOPKIN
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 31, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- Greg Vaughn is willing to expand his strike zone slightly in any direction.
But not every direction.
Vaughn, who has complained about umpires squeezing the strike zone against the Rays, was ejected for the first time this season after arguing a called third strike in the eighth inning.
"I felt like I had to come up and down, in and out," he said. "The last pitch was in the ground."
Vaughn lingered at the plate and said a few words to home plate umpire Eric Cooper before returning to the dugout.
When Vaughn continued the conversation from the dugout, Cooper ejected him.
"I don't have a problem with any umpire," Vaughn said. "I just didn't think I was getting a good effort today from him."
Vaughn suggested that umpires are too concerned with speeding up games.
"If it takes 31/2 hours, it takes 31/2 hours," he said. "You don't play the game in a time frame. That's not what the game is meant to be. It's meant to be if the guy throws it over the plate, it's a strike. If he doesn't, it's not."
The strikeout was Vaughn's fourth of the game and second on a called third strike. He also struck out swinging and on a check swing.
CORY STORY: When the Rays went to Oakland in May, ex-Ray Cory Lidle ambushed them with published comments ripping pitching coach Bill Fischer (saying he had to ignore Fischer to be successful), managing general partner Vince Naimoli (for not knowing baseball), general manager Chuck LaMar (for not knowing how to put a team together or hire a winning staff) and the team's veteran players (for not being leaders).
Lidle, who will be on the mound tonight, is taking a more low-key approach during his first visit back.
"I'm over it," Lidle told the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. "I said what I had to say earlier."
CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN: The A's arrival also marks outfielder Ben Grieve's second appearance against his former team.
"It was more nerve-racking than anything going back there worrying about whether the fans were going to boo me or give me a courtesy clap," said Grieve, who was 2-for-12 in the three games. "But nothing really interesting happened. Fans were on me a little bit out in leftfield, but other than that it went pretty smoothly."
Grieve said he doesn't think about how different things might have been had he stayed with the A's, who again are competing for a playoff spot.
"I don't wonder that, because there's nothing you can do about that," he said. "But I watch to see how they're doing. I don't really care whether they win or lose or not, but I look to see how each guy's doing."
BRAZELTON UPDATE: Top draft pick Dewon Brazelton is scheduled to join the team today and be added to the roster for Saturday's game, but manager Hal McRae said there are no plans to use him in a game, not even in dire circumstances.
The Rays want Brazelton to use the time to get in shape and prepare for next season.
"He belongs to us now," McRae said, "so we don't need to find out what he's got."
SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS: McRae said five to eight players could be called up when the Rays start expanding their roster, but wouldn't say whether Juan Guzman would be among them. Guzman accepted an option to Durham with the understanding he would be called up if he continued to progress in his recovery from shoulder surgery. "It's a possibility," McRae said. Guzman is 4-2 with a 4.77 ERA in 10 starts for the Bulls.
SEATTLE SHORTS: Japanese sensation Ichiro Suzuki went 6-for-12 in the three games and stole two bases. ... The M's recorded their ninth shutout and 51st road win, and extended their streak of road series wins to 27.
REHAB REPORT: Reliever Jeff Wallace, out with left elbow tendinitis, is scheduled to pitch one inning for Double-A Orlando today and could be activated Saturday.