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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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Floyd vows to get Upton in gear

Posted Aug 19, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Aug 18, 2008 at 11:22 PM

When Joe Maddon was asked about B.J. Upton’s latest lapse on the basepaths tonight, he wasn’t nearly as expansive as he has been in previous instances. He expressed his disapproval, said Upton would play tomorrow, and essentially took it to the next level by suggesting it was time for some others to get involved in the process.

“There’s also moments on a baseball team, in a clubhouse, when the other 24 people have to take care of some things,” said Maddon.

He didn’t name names, and Cliff Floyd didn’t know Maddon had just said that when the veteran launched into a lengthy, initially unsolicited monologue about Upton’s recent problems. It was fascinating to listen to, and a clear illustration of what Maddon and Andrew Friedman had in mind when they brought the likes of Floyd and Troy Percival in during the winter.

As he talked, Floyd expressed puzzlement about Upton’s failure to consistently hustle and admitted tonight’s display—Upton getting caught unaware on a ball he thought was a homer and tagged out coasting into second base for what he then thought would be a double—bothered and hurt him.

“The only reason I’m talking about it is because my heart is a little jacked up with that tonight. It bothered me,” Floyd said as he closed his remarks on the topic. “And you get choked up a little bit because it’s like, ‘Man, we’ve got something real special here.’ This is the most amazing thing for this team for a long, long time, and we don’t need to be talking about this stuff.”

Prior to that, Floyd talked at length about his desire to see Upton (who did not address the media tonight) turn things around.

“I just want everybody to know, he has a heart, man. He really wants to get it done, but we really haven’t put our finger on what it is that he’s doing. I mean, we haven’t put our finger on why he’s doing what he does. Great bunch of talent, but he’s going to get it right. Trust me, he will get it right before I leave here, and you’re going to see a different B.J.

“There’s 24 guys in here that are putting it on the line; he’s the 25th guy that’s putting it on the line also. It’s just every once in a while something goes off that you don’t want to go off. Like I say, he’s going to be in my mind one of the best players to play the game. But you don’t want to have anybody looking at you like you don’t really want it –- that you have all the ability in the world but you don’t really want it. I’ll tell you one thing about him tonight is he’s hurting, he’s hurting bad. I know he probably didn’t talk to you all tonight, but he’s hurting. I really believe you won’t see that again.

“Talking about a guy who has great speed here and who can do anything at any given time in a game to change it. He just has a cluster every once in a while. I know he cares a great deal. I talk to him every day, and his mind is there. It’s not about getting on him about this; it’s about running a ball out. That’s the easiest thing you can possibly do. That’s the one thing I believe, I promise you, I don’t think you’ll ever see again. I’m on him about as hard as you can be on him, and I’m not going to lay off until I quit the game. If it takes me to stay on him 24 hours a day, five hours a day at the field, I’m going to stay on him. It’s a shame to be labeled as a guy like that when that’s not who he’s about. If he was a dog, I would sit here and say, ‘You know he’s the worst player to ever play the game. I can’t stand him.’ But he’s not that way. He’s a great teammate. He cares about everyone in here. It’s just every once in a while he gets caught up in … I don’t know what it is, but we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

Floyd was asked if he was disappointed to see what happened tonight considering all the drama over the weekend in Texas.

“That’s what it is – you just get disappointed,” he said. “Your heart hurts. Because I’m out there giving everything I’ve got. I empty the tank every time I step on the field. Everybody does, it’s not just me. I’m not saying just Cliff, because I’ve been through a lot. It’s just, this time of year, where we’re trying to get to, that’s the last thing you want to talk about. You want to talk about what happens on the field and we should be talking about how great it is to win the first game of the series coming back home. …

“You’ve got a guy who’s going to, in my opinion, be different. I think I’m putting my butt on the line by saying that, but I’m going to do everything possible and I think everybody else is going to do everything possible to make sure it don’t happen again. It’s not in Joe’s hands no more. It’s not in anybody else’s hands but ours as players.”

Reader Comments

Por (eddy Favara) on August 18, 2008 (Suggest removal)

The positive coming out of this situation with BJ is the emphasis on hustling (all the time). Floyd and BJ’s other teammates need to continue the process of self-discipline from within the ranks. BJ is a true talent I’m hoping he gets it and buys into what Maddon is preaching.
By the way why isn’t there more discussion of Maddon for Mgr of the Year?
If the Ray make the playoffs with the Maddon’s moves and philosophies it’s a no-brainer.
Good win tonight.