Maddon likes result of first game

03/02/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Sure, it was only an exhibition game -- and the first one of the season, at that -- but a lot of good things happened. And as new Rays manager Joe Maddon might say, good things are good.
Maddon set the tone for his first day on the bench by listening to Bruce Springsteen on the bus ride from St. Petersburg to Dunedin.
"I had to get prepared mentally, [listening to] 'Thunder Road,' 'Jungleland' -- things like that," Maddon said.
But the new manager didn't impose his music selections on the team.
"Headphones," he said. "That's part of our policy."
Maddon clearly took some time to smell the roses and to have a little fun along the way, which is something he preaches to his team. He also wants his team to know how to get down to business.
Prior to the Rays' first game of the Grapefruit League season, Maddon said that he wanted his team to play like it was June 2.
"Some guys might not be in shape, but go out there mentally and play the game as hard as you can today based on how your body feels," he said. "We know that it's early in camp, but you still slide hard, you still run hard to first base, you still hit the cutoff man -- all those things -- even though it's the first day.
"And you might strike out twice because your timing is not good," Maddon added. "A pitcher might throw a couple of more balls because he's not ready yet, quite. But that's OK. I look for intent. If the intent is there in regard to what we're trying to get done, I'm happy."
Maddon probably wished that the calendar said June 2 the way the ball bounced the Rays' way on Thursday during a 9-5 win. But it wasn't so much the way the ball bounced their way as the initial positives that went on during the contest.
Nothing that took place on Thursday afternoon could have brought a bigger smile to the Rays than Rocco Baldelli's second at-bat. After missing all of the 2005 season due to knee and elbow surgeries, Baldelli was the DH on Thursday. He grounded out in his first at-bat against Roy Halladay -- but drove home Joey Gathright -- before his next turn against Gustavo Chacin in the second. Chacin got ahead 0-1, then Baldelli stroked a double to left-center field.
"It's tough for me to go on and on about [the hit]," Baldelli said. "I'm just relieved to be back and be playing. Everything feels fine. I don't have any problems physically. It was just getting out there and breaking the ice and playing a game."
But Baldelli wasn't close to being the only positive for the Rays.
Take Gathright.
The speedy Rays outfielder led off the game and reached base on an error before showing off his wheels by stealing second and later scoring. Gathright, whom the Rays would like to see bunt more often, also laid one down. He got thrown out on the play -- which he called a bad bunt -- but it was a start.
"I'll bunt a lot this year, I'll bunt at least 40 or 50 percent," Gathright said. "That's a lot of hits for me. I'm going to practice and get it down."
And there was Aubrey Huff starting at third base. If the Rays start the season with Huff playing third base as opposed to another position, they will have a much more potent offense. Everyone knows that Huff can hit. The question is whether he can do the job with his glove.
Huff had two chances, and he successfully fielded both. The first came in the second inning, when he backhanded a Bengie Molina shot down the line, then made a long throw across the diamond to complete the play.
"It's funny -- the first ball I got was the easiest backhanded ball, and the crowd stood up and cheered like it was unexpected," said Huff with a chuckle.
Huff then made a nice play on a Troy Glaus fourth-inning chopper.
"It's a play where you either get him or you don't," Huff said. "It's a bang-bang play -- it just happened to hop into my hand. I feel pretty good over there right now."
Huff then added some perspective: "[I've] still got a long way to go."
Nick Green, who is in competition for the utility infielder slot, started at shortstop and served as the pivot man on a 4-6-3 double play in the third inning. Green then showed some versatility when he flip-flopped with second baseman Luis Ordaz in the fourth. Green also hit the hardest ball in the Rays' four-run first, lining out to center field.
"It's a nice day," Maddon said. "We had a good workout this morning. ... [We] got some things accomplished, then we came over here, and I wanted the guys to be ready to play."
And they were.
Good things happened for the Devil Rays and Maddon on Thursday. And the tunes on the way home?
"The best of Don Zimmer," Maddon said.

Source: http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/