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Rookie catcher keeps his good start going

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 24, 2001

TORONTO -- Paul Hoover was supposed to be in St. Petersburg this week, working out at the Rays' minor-league complex before heading out to play in the Arizona Fall League.

But when John Flaherty was sidelined in early September with a herniated disc in his neck, the Rays summoned Hoover to back up Toby Hall.

He pinch hit that first day in Oakland, Sept. 8, and singled. Sunday, he made his first start, and the Rays posted a shutout, just their fifth of the season.

"Amazing," the 25-year-old said. "I don't have words to explain what I feel right now. It's an awesome feeling."

It was even better because Hoover's parents, brother, sister, high school coaches and several friends -- about 15 in all -- made the trip from Stuebenville, Ohio, to see him play.

It wasn't just coincidence they were here. Manager Hal McRae told Hoover he wasn't going to play much in the final weeks but that if his parents planned to attend a specific series Hoover should let him know.

When Hoover said they'd be in Toronto, McRae just happened to decide it would be a good time for Hall to get a day off and put Hoover in the lineup.

"It's always nice the first time you play a big-league game for your parents to be there," McRae said.

It worked out pretty well for the team, too.

"First time out of the chute and he catches a shutout," McRae said, laughing. "Maybe that's what we need. We ought to give Toby a little (grief)."

BY THE BOOK?: Joe Kennedy was steaming along Sunday. He had allowed just four hits in seven innings and thrown just 85 pitches, the second-lowest total of his 18 starts, when McRae took him out. But McRae had his reasons. Kennedy hadn't pitched past the seventh, and McRae was leery of new ground. More important, McRae didn't want anything to ruin what he considered a "magnificent" performance by the rookie left-hander.

"That was what I was supposed to do," McRae said. "He had done his job. When a pitcher gives you a good seven innings, especially a young pitcher, and he hasn't finished any games, and he hasn't gone after the seventh, this is a steppingstone kind of day for him.

"My job was to make sure he didn't mess it up. He's not going to be any better. So if he loses the lead, he screwed up a good day, an otherwise excellent day. I couldn't put him in jeopardy of screwing up a well-pitched game, probably his best game."

In other words, the move was part of the development process to which the Rays are committed.

"There was no need to push him," McRae said. "My job was to get him out. If we lose the game, we lose the game. My job today was to get him out of there. There will be a time when my job will be to leave him in and if he loses the game, so be it. But we are not there yet."

RAYS BITS: Flaherty received his second cortisone shot Friday and still hopes to return during the final homestand. ... Kennedy is 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA against Toronto, 3-8, 4.72 against everyone else. ... Steve Cox's homer was his 11th, matching his career high.

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