Back to the Rays Report

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.

 @RMooneyTrib
 TBO_Rays
Send us your questions

More Links:

• Schedule/Results
• Player Stats
• Team Stats

Most Recent Entries

• Gausman is Bowman’s No. 3 redemption card
• Topps previews baseball Update series
• Panini’s Prime Hockey will have extra treat
• Rays juggle rotation to get Cobb a start this weekend against Yankees
• Beckett opens weekly Wednesday chat room on Facebook page
• Rays @ Jays: Joyce update, Longo DH, Molina returns
• NFL Network report on Revis is revealing
• In The Game acquires Sport Kings LP
• Pasco WR Nate Craig (2016) up to 15 Division I offers
• Tampa Bay softball players honored by FACA
• Western Conference Baseball Teams
• Pasco baseball players Blaine Duncan, Matt Plourde headed to Barry, Daytona State respectively
• Maddon changes stance on Escobar’s home run guesture
• Panini previews Rookies & Stars football
• A peek at Panini’s 2013 Cooperstown Collection

More

• Bucs Report -Tribune staff
• Rays Report - Roger Mooney
• Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
• Bulls Report
• Prep Report - Hillsborough
• Prep Report - Pasco
• Prep Report - Region
• Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
• Prep Report - Football
• Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
• The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
• Gators Report - Tribune staff
• Youth Sports Report
• NFL Draft Report
• Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
• Bucified Bert Blog
• BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
• Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
• Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
• Highlands Sports

Monthly Archives

• May 2013
• April 2013
• March 2013
• February 2013
• January 2013
• December 2012

Joe tells us how he really feels

Posted Aug 19, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Aug 19, 2008 at 10:38 PM

Joe Maddon made his point about the controversial out call on B.J. Upton in the sixth inning and left it at that. But what a point it was.

Here was Maddon’s monologue on Jerry Meals calling Upton out for an alleged turn toward second base after beating out an infield hit:

“It’s unconscionable. That can’t happen. It’s wrong. On every level, it’s wrong. And furthermore, to have the crew chief [Gary Darling] come over and tell me it was the right call really got me upset. There’s no room for that. That call can’t happen. That is a fabricated call. I don’t know what he saw. The rulebook is very plain on it and it was nowhere near the rulebook interpretation of that being an attempt to go to second base. It’s in a crucial part of the game, you’ve got a pennant in the balance, and to make that call at that point, a fabricated call, to me, cannot happen. I understand where people miss calls – close calls get missed, balls and strikes, whatever. But to make something up is wrong and then to be validated by the crew chief really got me upset.”

At that point, someone tried to ask a follow-up question but was cut off by Maddon.

“I’m not going to say anything more about it. I can’t explain it any more clearly than that. That’s exactly what happened, it was the wrong call, I made my point and then the crew chief attempted to validate the call and I totally disagree with that on every level. Period.”

Updating with crew chief Gary Darling’s response to a pool reporter:

“He made an attempt to run to second base. Little jab step and a shoulder I’ve called guys out for less.”

When told about Maddon’s pointed comments on the matter, Darling declined to reads the comments or make any general reply.