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Roger Mooney
Roger Mooney covers the 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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Upton apologizes for latest lapse
Posted Aug 19, 2008 by Marc Lancaster
Updated Aug 19, 2008 at 03:21 PM
B.J. Upton returned from a round of early batting practice to meet with the media this afternoon. He called what happened on the bases last night a “mental lapse” and said he doesn’t want his actions to be a distraction to the team as it makes a run for the playoffs.
“There’s no excuse for it,” he said. “It can’t happen, especially in the middle of a pennant race. Every run matters, every out matters. I want to apologize for it. It’s just something that can’t happen.”
Upton said he hadn’t seen Cliff Floyd’s comments made following last night’s game, but he knows he has to get it together so as not to derail everything positive that’s going on.
“It wasn’t something that I think I was ready to deal with last night,” he said. “But I’ve got to do what I can do to push it behind me and move on. The last thing I want to become is a distraction to this team. We’ve got something way too good going on right now to have to deal with this. We just want to win ballgames and right now I think I’m becoming a distraction. I just can’t let it happen, for my sake and for the team’s sake so we can move on and get where we need to be.”
As for getting booed by the home crowd at Tropicana Field, Upton said that wasn’t as big a deal as what he knew he would face in the clubhouse.
“I’ve been booed before. It probably won’t be the last [time],” he said. “I don’t think it was that big of a deal. The biggest thing for me is dealing with the guys in this room – the guys that care and the guys that matter. I’m just going to move on.”
Upton is in the starting lineup tonight, as Joe Maddon had said he would be. In fact, it’s the same crew as yesterday:
Iwamura 2B
Upton CF
Pena 1B
Floyd DH
Aybar 3B
Hinske LF
Navarro C
Gross RF
Bartlett SS
Shields P
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Reader Comments
Por (Holly) on August 19, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Oh someone please inform BJ that the people who care the people who are important are the people paying for tickets!! That is where the money comes from and if he can not give his all for a sport he is supposed to love that the fans pay huge amounts of money to support then go home. He did not hustle in the minor leagues and has not learned anything from being benched, they need to find a new way to get it through his head, fining him sounds good to me. If he does not run then make him donate his salary for that game to a charity.
Suggest removalPor (charles stone) on August 19, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Upton has dogged it all seson and has never learned his lesson no matter if the Manager benches him or a team mate talks to him. Cure him with a trip to Double A and see if riding buses instead of planes helps him learn what a major leaguer is all about!
Suggest removalPor (BrooksMorgan) on August 19, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Believe it or not, I am glad to see last night’s incident happen exactly the way it did. We won and BJ was humiliated like never before. I think the point was driven home in his own mind like nothing else could as to what his lack of hustle could cost his team. I am thankful that he got the resoundingly clear and crisp message now instead of in the postseason when his lollygagging could end up costing us a series win.
Suggest removalPor (Bobby Bowden) on August 19, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Now dadgummit, it ain’t like he shot the president
Suggest removalPor (Holly) on August 19, 2008 (Suggest removal)
In tonights game the tv was doing a close up of Evan Longoria so you could see the splint on his wrist as he was TAKING A PINCH OUT OF HIS SKOAL CAN OF TOBACCO AND PUT IT IN HIS MOUTH. So much for tobacco free florida or having a camera man smart enough not to show this. Tonight, Shields, Upton and Longoria have so much tobacco in there lip it is disgusting.
Suggest removalPor (Me) on August 19, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Upton, your dumber than you look! Reality check, who do you think pays your salary. Seriously, I think you need to think a little harder when you state you don’t care about your fans.
Suggest removalPor (Dingle B) on August 19, 2008 (Suggest removal)
you are kiddining about the tobacco chewing thingy,..........right?
No?
Then SHUT UP!!......
i can’t believe i can’t get the last 23 seconds of my life back….
Suggest removalLord i apologize…
Por (Rick C) on August 20, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Wow people. He didn’t say he didn’t care about you as fans, he was just trying to downplay the boos b/c as he said earlier “he wants to move on and put this behind him.” And he knows the only way to do that is to go out and hustle. Upton will be fine, the Rays will be fine, and if we don’t want this situation to be a distraction then don’t make it one.
Suggest removal