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Vaughn helps son deal with diabetes

By MARC TOPKIN and MIKE READLING

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 29, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Greg Vaughn returned to the Devil Rays on Thursday after spending the past five days attending to the health of his 11-year-old son, Cory, who was diagnosed with diabetes.

Initially suffering from flulike symptoms, Cory was rushed to the emergency room and hospitalized in intensive care for three days as doctors made their diagnosis.

Cory was released in time to go back to his Sacramento, Calif.-area school Wednesday and was happily attending baseball practice Thursday, his father said.

"He's going good," Vaughn said. "It can be controlled with insulin and diet. He has to have two shots a day, and he's already doing it himself."

Vaughn left the team Saturday morning to fly back to Sacramento. He returned to St. Petersburg late Thursday afternoon and is likely to be in the lineup tonight.

REVISIONIST HISTORY: Travis Harper was once a member of the Red Sox organization, but has no regrets about the career twists that led him to become a Devil Ray.

Nor will he have any thoughts about what could have been when he pitches against Boston tonight.

"It's not an issue," Harper said. "It's not something that enters my mind. I'm happy where I'm at."

Harper was a third-round pick of the Sox in the 1997 draft, but the status of an elbow injury led to a dispute after he signed. The Sox sought to void his contract, and the ensuing negotiations made Harper a free agent.

The Rays beat out a half dozen other teams to sign him in June 1998 for a bonus of roughly $150,000. Given Harper's impressive ascension to the major leagues, it turned out to be a pretty good deal.

"My career's worked out fine," Harper said. "I don't spend very much time thinking about the Red Sox."

HEAVYWEIGHT MEETING: Having Jose Canseco coming at you full speed is not the most comfortable position to be in, Rays catcher Mike DiFelice said. "He's 260," DiFelice said. "If he's coming in, have somebody call my wife." Canseco, meanwhile, insisted he was safe on the bizarre second-inning sequence. "It was a high tag," he said. "He got me on the hip or lower back. I'm 6-foot-4. I was already across the plate."

GOING DEEP: The Rays set a team record by homering in their 10th straight game. The seven they hit over the past two nights is also a team high. ... The back-to-back homers by Aubrey Huff and Bobby Smith in the fourth inning were the first since the unlikely duo of Felix Martinez and Esteban Yan (in his first professional at-bat) did so June 4 against the Mets.

FIRST-TIMER: It wasn't until he got to first base that Damian Rolls realized he had his first major-league hit, an eighth-inning single to left. "I saw the ball go through and I hit first and I was like, "Oh, my god.' It felt great," the 23-year-old infielder said. "I just hope my parents were watching."

RAYS BITS: The Rays have a team-record 34 home wins. ... The Rays have allowed only six runs in winning five straight. ... The 30-inning scoreless streak by Tampa Bay starting pitchers that ended Wednesday was the longest in the major leagues in more than three years. ... The sweep was the Rays' first against the Yankees and their first over a first-place team.

HONOR ROLL: The Rays and Florida Power presented a check for $65,000 to the Pinellas County Education Foundation for the Take Stock in Children program. The donation was based on the number of home runs hit. ... Manager Larry Rothschild and a half-dozen players visited patients at All Children's Hospital on Thursday. ... Press box candy sales generated more than $1,050 for the Police Athletic League. ... The Tampa Mustangs 16-and-under girls softball team was honored for its recent national championship.

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