For plenty of reasons, Rays crave quick start
Team has a history of stumbling from the gate.
By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer
? St. Petersburg Times
published April 1, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- This is nothing novel. Every team wants to get off to a good start this season.
But because of where they have been and where they want to go, the Rays may have more reasons than most. If they are going to have any success on the field or at the box office, it just might be vital.
"A good start is essential for us because the club has gotten buried the first month, the first 20 games," manager Hal McRae said. "I think a good start is imperative as far as I see it. We need that. Just from a morale standpoint. It doesn't mean the end, but if we were to get off to a good start, I think it will carry over and I think we'll play better."
The Rays aren't looking to set any records. But with 15 of their first 18 games against teams that were worse than .500 last season, a winning April record would seem a realistic goal. There is no telling how much good it could do them.
It would get the Rays, who for the most part are young and unproven, feeling good about themselves and believing in what they can do. And it would get the fans, who seemed to become re-interested by last year's second-half youth movement, feeling good about the Rays.
"We feel the area is really going to support us and be behind us, but at the same time we have to give them something to get excited about," second baseman Brent Abernathy said. "That's not only in winning baseball games, but in how we win games. We've got to show some enthusiasm. We've got to hustle. We've got to get dirty and play as hard as we possibly can. And get off to a good start.
"Because if we don't, it's going to be the same here as it was the last three or four years. After the first two months, it's going to be like, "When's the season over?' It's very important for us to get off to a good start.
"And when I say a "good start,' we don't have to start 10-0, we don't have to win 20 games in April. We just need to concentrate on playing good, solid baseball and we'll win our fair share of games. We don't have to tear the league apart. But we do need to stay in, say, the race, to keep our fans and ourselves interested."
McRae is most concerned with how a good start could help in the clubhouse.
"I'm a morale person," McRae said. "Morale is very important. Without morale we're nothing, we're dead in the water. As long as we think things are going to improve, we've got a shot. The psychological effect it has on players when you think things are going to get better is key for me, more so than any other aspect of the game.
"They need to want to come to the ballpark. They've got to enjoy themselves at the ballpark. They've got to play with enthusiasm. They've got to play with a lot of hustle. And if morale is high, those things will be place. We can recover, and there's something to look forward to. And a good start feeds right into that philosophy."
Because the Rays are so young (19 of their 25 players are younger than 30 and nine are younger than 25) and so inexperienced (12 of their players haven't spent an entire season in the big leagues), it also would be good for them to know they are good enough to be successful.
"For a young team, a good start is what you need confidence-wise, just to get rolling and feeling good about things," leftfielder Jason Tyner said.
"You can get that attitude established that you've got a good chance to win ballgames," centerfielder Randy Winn said. "Look at what the Twins did (last year). They jumped off to a fast start and it just carried them. For most teams it's important to get off to that fast start. You're more confident, and it just develops."
There could be another benefit. When the Rays brought up their promising young players in the second half last season, there seemed to be a noticeable uptick in fan interest.
If the Rays can pick up where they left off, going 24-23 in the final two months, the buzz might continue, or even grow.
"As you can see from spring training, people are a little bit enthusiastic about the season, and I think if we get off to a quick start it will help out getting the fans to come out and check us out because they already like us," pitcher Tanyon Sturtze said. "If we get off to a quick start, they'll like us even more. If we get off to a bad start, it's going to go the other way. They're going to say it was just a fluke thing at the end of last year."
Season ticket sales for the season are close to last year and should end up just fewer than 10,000 when the partial plans are figured in, and sponsorship renewals are said to be on budget.
But Tampa Bay has proved to be largely a walk-up, day-of-game market, and on-field success could easily translate to attendance.
"Everything's going fine," managing general partner Vince Naimoli said. "A good start would just add to the adrenaline."
Team has a history of stumbling from the gate.
By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer
? St. Petersburg Times
published April 1, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- This is nothing novel. Every team wants to get off to a good start this season.
But because of where they have been and where they want to go, the Rays may have more reasons than most. If they are going to have any success on the field or at the box office, it just might be vital.
"A good start is essential for us because the club has gotten buried the first month, the first 20 games," manager Hal McRae said. "I think a good start is imperative as far as I see it. We need that. Just from a morale standpoint. It doesn't mean the end, but if we were to get off to a good start, I think it will carry over and I think we'll play better."
The Rays aren't looking to set any records. But with 15 of their first 18 games against teams that were worse than .500 last season, a winning April record would seem a realistic goal. There is no telling how much good it could do them.
It would get the Rays, who for the most part are young and unproven, feeling good about themselves and believing in what they can do. And it would get the fans, who seemed to become re-interested by last year's second-half youth movement, feeling good about the Rays.
"We feel the area is really going to support us and be behind us, but at the same time we have to give them something to get excited about," second baseman Brent Abernathy said. "That's not only in winning baseball games, but in how we win games. We've got to show some enthusiasm. We've got to hustle. We've got to get dirty and play as hard as we possibly can. And get off to a good start.
"Because if we don't, it's going to be the same here as it was the last three or four years. After the first two months, it's going to be like, "When's the season over?' It's very important for us to get off to a good start.
"And when I say a "good start,' we don't have to start 10-0, we don't have to win 20 games in April. We just need to concentrate on playing good, solid baseball and we'll win our fair share of games. We don't have to tear the league apart. But we do need to stay in, say, the race, to keep our fans and ourselves interested."
McRae is most concerned with how a good start could help in the clubhouse.
"I'm a morale person," McRae said. "Morale is very important. Without morale we're nothing, we're dead in the water. As long as we think things are going to improve, we've got a shot. The psychological effect it has on players when you think things are going to get better is key for me, more so than any other aspect of the game.
"They need to want to come to the ballpark. They've got to enjoy themselves at the ballpark. They've got to play with enthusiasm. They've got to play with a lot of hustle. And if morale is high, those things will be place. We can recover, and there's something to look forward to. And a good start feeds right into that philosophy."
Because the Rays are so young (19 of their 25 players are younger than 30 and nine are younger than 25) and so inexperienced (12 of their players haven't spent an entire season in the big leagues), it also would be good for them to know they are good enough to be successful.
"For a young team, a good start is what you need confidence-wise, just to get rolling and feeling good about things," leftfielder Jason Tyner said.
"You can get that attitude established that you've got a good chance to win ballgames," centerfielder Randy Winn said. "Look at what the Twins did (last year). They jumped off to a fast start and it just carried them. For most teams it's important to get off to that fast start. You're more confident, and it just develops."
There could be another benefit. When the Rays brought up their promising young players in the second half last season, there seemed to be a noticeable uptick in fan interest.
If the Rays can pick up where they left off, going 24-23 in the final two months, the buzz might continue, or even grow.
"As you can see from spring training, people are a little bit enthusiastic about the season, and I think if we get off to a quick start it will help out getting the fans to come out and check us out because they already like us," pitcher Tanyon Sturtze said. "If we get off to a quick start, they'll like us even more. If we get off to a bad start, it's going to go the other way. They're going to say it was just a fluke thing at the end of last year."
Season ticket sales for the season are close to last year and should end up just fewer than 10,000 when the partial plans are figured in, and sponsorship renewals are said to be on budget.
But Tampa Bay has proved to be largely a walk-up, day-of-game market, and on-field success could easily translate to attendance.
"Everything's going fine," managing general partner Vince Naimoli said. "A good start would just add to the adrenaline."
