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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Blalock wants to be a Ray, not a Bull

Posted Mar 31, 2010 by Roger Mooney

Updated Mar 31, 2010 at 12:24 PM

ROGER MOONEY
FORT MYERS Hank Blalock made two points clear before this afternoon’s game with the Twins: He wants to be a Ray and he won’t accept an assignment to Triple A even though he signed a minor league contract March 8.

“This is the place I want to play. I want to make sure that’s clear,” he said. “This is the place I want to play. I like being here. The staff, the teammates, the chances of winning, the way I feel like I can fit and help them win is something I’m hoping is going to happen. If that doesn’t happen, if I can’t fit on this team, I’m going to try my chances somewhere else, but my preference is to stay here.”

Blalock has a clause in his contract that allows him to opt out Thursday if he is not on the major league roster. With Willy Aybar’s left hamstring no longer an issue, there doesn’t appear to be room on the roster for the left-handed hitting Blalock, a player with similiar skills as Aybar, who backs up at first base, third and designated hitter.

Rays VP of baseball Andrew Friedman said earlier this month the Rays signed the two-time All-Star to add depth in the organization, but Blalock said going to Durham is not an option.

“No,” he said. “No, I’ll try to catch on with another team.”

Blalock has batted just .219 in 11 games with a .406 slugging percentage while DHing and playing both corner infield positions.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said he’s impressed with what Blaloock has shown during the past three weeks.

“Number one, his work ethic is unbelievable, it really is, because I see him in the weight room at the end of the day,” Maddon said. “On the field, more athletic than I had seen or thought he had been. He runs better than I thought. Defensively, he’s not been really challenged, but he’s held his own at first and third.”

As for the low average? Not a concern, Maddon said.

“It’s not just about getting hits, but his approach, which I think has gotten better,” Maddon said. “I think he’s a winner. I think he’s motivated to win. He’s got a lot of good attributes, so that’s what I’ve been able to ascertain by being around him, and that’s what makes this a really tough decision.”

Maddon said he and Friedman will meet later today or tomorrow to hash out the final roster spots. Maddon said they won’t be influenced either way Blalock’s decision not to accept a minor league assingment.

“Something like that would not cause us to make a decision or reverse a decision that we may have made otherwise,” Maddon said. “That would just be unfortunate. “