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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 9, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- Chuck LaMar began feeling better about the Rays in July.
The general manager doesn't recall a specific day or week. He just recalls that's about the time it happened.
The Rays traded Fred McGriff, Albie Lopez and Mike DiFelice that month, allowing Toby Hall to take over at catcher, Steve Cox to get his well-deserved chance at first base and rookie Nick Bierbrodt, acquired in the Lopez-DiFelice deal with the Diamondbacks, to blossom.
"I think the moving of Fred signaled for everybody that this club is going back to the direction that we were once headed," LaMar said.
The Rays, who evolved into the youngest team in the majors this season, were 29-31 after McGriff was traded to Chicago.
And you'll hear no complaints about how the Rays played in the second half (35-39) compared with the first (27-61) or the job manager Hal McRae did after taking over when Larry Rothschild was fired in mid-April.
"To take the existing club as is, as bad as we were going, and right the ship if you would and install the competitive nature that you now see in this team, I think he's done a fine job," LaMar said. "Overall I think he did an outstanding job."
Sixteen rookies played this season. Don't expect the team to age quickly through off-season acquisitions.
"We will have veterans when it's time to somehow get us over the hump," LaMar said. "These young players are the guys who are going to grow up to lead us.
"Eventually the leaders to take us to truly a winning organization, you're seeing play here right now or down in the minor leagues trying to develop."
STAYING OR GO-GOING?: Shortstop Chris Gomez left the clubhouse Sunday unsure if he'll be coming back next year.
"It's hard to say," the 30-year-old said.
The Rays appear serious about keeping Gomez, a free agent, for at least one more season as LaMar spoke with his agent two weeks ago.
"The ball is really in their court," said Gomez, who hit .302 with eight homers and 36 RBI for the Rays. "I don't know. They really haven't said anything except that they'd be interested in doing a one-year deal. I have no idea where they're coming from. Hopefully we can work something out."
REKAR: Like Gomez, pitcher Bryan Rekar didn't know if Sunday's game was his last in a Rays uniform.
Rekar, who finished 3-13 with a 5.89 ERA, earned a hefty raise to $1.4-million this season thanks to the arbitration process and can be cut to no less than $1.120-million under baseball's rules.
But given the amount of talented, and less expensive, young pitchers the Rays have, there is a strong possibility they will look to trade Rekar or decline to offer him a contract.
"I'll pitch again. ... I hope," he said. "That decision is not up to me. It's not my decision."
MAYBE NEXT YEAR: Dewon Brazelton didn't get into a major-league game, but the Rays' top pick from the June draft had no complaints about his time with the team.
The pitcher spent the last month of the season working out with the Rays and has pitched five scoreless innings in a pair of instructional league games.
"Everything has been great so far," said Brazelton, who will continue to pitch in the instructional league and could go to the Arizona Fall League. "I wouldn't trade any of this for anything."