 |
 Toronto Blue Jays' short stop John McDonald fields a ground ball against the Tampa Bay Rays. (REUTERS/Scott Audette) |
St. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One day after Dave Stieb bobblehead day, Brett Cecil took to the mound.
He watched Aaron Hill charge a two-out dribbler and have it trickle off his glove for an E-4.
He watched shortstop Mike McCoy unable to make a play on the next hitter.
And then after climbing up on the mound, Cecil, who long ago should have been in the dugout, allowed a three-run homer to Carlos Pena.
The first-place Tampa Bay Rays scored a 6-2 win, thanks to four unearned runs, as the Jays put on a how-not-to-field clinic before 11,969 fans at Tropicana Field.
"How did he handle it when he got to the dugout?" manager Cito Gaston repeated when asked. "He was fine."
|
Did he handle it better than Stieb?
"I think they all would have handle it better than Stieb," said Gaston of his combative right-hander.
Stieb used to stare down outfielders Lloyd Moseby and George Bell. One night at Exhibition Stadium, Bell was actually the peacemaker when Moseby challenged Stieb to a fight.
"I understand pitchers, they have to depend on others to get the job done," Gaston said. "As a position player you don't need help from anyone to put up numbers.
"I meant to tell him how well he pitched but I can't catch up with him."
Entering the clubhouse, Gaston asked pitching coach Bruce Walton where Cecil was -- no longer in the shower, try the trainer's room -- as Gaston went to track down his pitcher.
Cecil pitched seven innings, allowing five hits and five runs -- two earned.
His loss column went up (to 11-7) but he lowered his earned run average (from 3.80 to 3.74).
"If not for a minor mistake here or a miscue there, it's a tie game," said Vernon Wells, who had been given the night off, and was impressed with Cecil.
The Rays are knocking heads atop the AL East with a team payroll of $72.8 million US, while the New York Yankees' payroll is $213.4 million. The Jays salary is $76.7, which includes $10 million to B.J. Ryan and $6 million to Roy Halladay, so the on-field product is about $60 mil.
Tampa Bay is on the verge of a third straight winning season and headed to the playoffs for the second time in three years, it wasn't long ago that the Rays were the worst in the majors.
"They've drafted well and have some great athletes, you may have to talk to me next year." Gaston told reporters before the game.
The inference was let's see who's back in 2011.
"They'll probably lose Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford to free agency," Gaston said. "They may have some replacements in their system, but Crawford might be a Hall of Famer some day. Do they have that?"
Crawford, who came into the game with the fifth best average with men in scoring position -- hitting .352 (43-for-122), doubled home B.J. Upton in the first. And he hit the ground ball which Hill booted, no doubt rushing to get the speedy outfielder. Hill was not talking post game.
"When we won our fans supported us, we spent," Gaston said. "You have to spend to win. Maybe if the Rays weren't doing so well, they (Crawford and Pena) would have been moved already.
"Coming out of spring I thought the Rays had the best rotation in our division," Gaston said.
The Rays team earned run average is second best in the American League, behind only the Oakland A's.
Monday was the 24th day this season the Rays have been in a dead heat for first, the most of any team. The Yanks are second with 22, followed by St. Louis (14), Cincinnati (10) and San Diego (seven).
Has a team ever had a smash a bobblehead night?