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

• Rays-Red Sox, Round II: Can Rays afford a beanball war?
• Robinson product Gibson advances to NCAA track finals
• Panini previews Gold Standard autographs
• UD unveils Military Machines inserts for 2012 Goodwin Champions set
• Rays @ BoSox: Guyer out for the season, Jennings close to returning and lineups
• USF softball: It’s game day
• Weekly Tampa Bay fishing report
• Rays at BoSox: Rivalry renewed
• Karen Cooley returns as Zephyrhills girls swimming coach
• USF beats Pitt, stays alive
• The Nerds head north
• Jeffrey Shank out as Gulf boys basketball coach
• Berkeley Prep captures Academic Team Champion Award - again
• This week’s signings and offers
• Berkeley Prep wins FHSAA Academic Award standings

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 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011

Rays at Orioles lineup, etc.

Posted Jul 19, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Jul 19, 2010 at 06:50 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

BALTIMORE - We reported earlier on the Rays signing special instructor and injured outfielder Rocco Baldelli to a minor league contract and assigning him to Class A Charlotte.

Manager Joe Maddon sounded excited about the development.

“He’s still a young man; I don’t know exactly where this is going to lead, but I watch him take batting practice on occasion and, my goodness, he still has a ton of power. He’s still such an interesting athlete.”

Maddon said Baldelli, 28, is one of the best athletes he has been on a baseball field with and could see him helping out as a DH/pinch-hitter and reserve outfielder after rosters expand Sept. 1 if he’s healthy.

“By that time, we should have a pretty good indication of what you think about his abilities,” Maddon said. “And with Rocco, knowing him, he’s going to be very honest with us in regard to what he can do. If he thought he could be of use to us, he’s going to tell us that. If he doesn’t, I’m sure he would also tell us that too.”

Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg was on the field during batting practice and will be here tomorrow night when First Lady Michelle Obama visits to announce a new joint initiative between Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the White House. She also will throw out the first pitch.

Carl Crawford is back in left field after DH-ing Sunday in New York to save wear and tear on his strained left shoulder. Maddon said Crawford will play in the field all three games in this series and, after Thursday’s day off, will probably play the field in all three games at Cleveland if he wants to.

Maddon has a group of family and friends here from his hometown of Hazleton, Pa., and they’ve dropped off some home-made pizza and hoagies in the press box. Maddon’s mom made the hogies.

Here are the lineups for tonight’s opener in the three-game series between the Rays and Orioles at Camden Yards:

RAYS

Ben Zobrist, RF
Carl Crawford, LF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Carlos Pena, 1B
Matt Joyce, DH
John Jaso, C
B.J. Upton, CF
Jason Bartlett, SS
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
—
Wade Davis, RHP

ORIOLES

Felix Pie, LF
Miguel Tejada, 3B
Nick Markakis, RF
Ty Wigginton, 1B
Luke Scott, DH
Adam Jones, CF
Scott Moore, 2B
Craig Tatum, C
Cesar Izturis, SS
—
RHP Chris Tillman