OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Expansion Revision: 1998 Devil Rays and beyond

Moriarty9 · 03-08-2009, 10:32 PM

Opening Day roster announced
11 pitchers, 14 position players on squad

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Opening Day for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays is still a couple days away, but the team announced its roster, pitching rotation, and planned lineup to kick off the season.

Pedro Martinez will take the mound on Monday in Minneapolis as the Devil Rays take on the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome. Martinez, the reigning American League Cy Young award winner, went 19-3 with a 3.04 ERA and 266 strikeouts in 34 starts last season.

Behind Pedro in the rotation will be Kevin Millwood (9-12, 4.22 ERA, 28 starts), Rick Helling (11-11, 5.88 ERA, 34 starts with the St. Louis Cardinals), left-hander Bruce Chen (7-5, 3.92 ERA, 17 games, 16 starts), and Scott Erickson (9-4, 4.16 ERA, 19 starts with the Oakland Athletics).

Kip Wells (4-5, 5.51 ERA, 15 games) will work as a long-reliever and spot-starter for the Devil Rays while Chad Ogea (8-15, 5.28 ERA, 31 starts) also works as a long-reliever for Tampa Bay.

Paul Quantrill returns as the team's closer after going 3-5 with 30 saves and a 1.86 ERA in 57 appearances last season. Helping bridge the gap between the starting staff and Quantrill will be Byung-Hyun Kim (5-2, 1 save, 5.54 ERA in 45 games), Rich Garces (5-2, 4 saves, 4.15 ERA in 57 games), and left-hander Gabe White (6-4, 2 saves, 3.35 ERA in 47 games).

The team will start the season with three pitchers on the disabled list: Mike Hampton, Livan Hernandez, and Danny Graves. Hampton, a left-handed starter acquired in a trade this off-season, suffered a torn tricep muscle in a spring training game and will likely miss the entire 2000 season. Right-handed reliever Graves will miss most of the season due to a torn labrum, a setback for the 26-year-old who went 1-2 with two saves and a 3.62 ERA in 38 games last year. Hernandez suffered a tricep injury in his second start of the 1999 season and has been undergoing treatment and rehabilitation since. He is still at least a month away from returning, club officials say. Hernandez went 14-15 with a 4.08 ERA in 33 starts for the 1998 Devil Rays.

Rookie of the Year winner Erubiel Durazo (.287, 30 HR, 100 RBI) will sit out the first five games of the season due to a suspension from a spring training exhibition game incident with an umpire. After those first five games, the left-handed power hitter is expected to be batting third as the club's regular designated hitter while also getting some time at first base.

Charles Johnson (.265, 20 HR, 67 RBI, 388 AB) looks to win another Gold Glove as the Devil Rays catcher with rookie backstop Jason LaRue, acquired from Detroit in September, working as the backup catcher.

Paul Konerko (.314, 38 HR, 135 RBI) will anchor the lineup and play first base again this season.

Free agent acquisition Tony Graffanino will start the season as Tampa Bay's starting secondbaseman. The 27-year-old hit .289 with a home run and 21 RBI in 149 at bats with the Atlanta Braves last season.

Ed Sprague, also a free agent signing this winter, takes over as the starting thirdbaseman. The veteran hit .256 with 26 home runs and 78 RBI in 150 games with the Montreal Expos last season. Tim Naehring (.268, 9 HR, 59 RBI), who signed on with Tampa Bay after 10 years with the Boston Red Sox, will back Sprague.

Dave Berg and Wilton Guerrero will share time at shortstop to start the season. Berg hit .276 with two homers and 29 RBI in 301 at bats last season while Guerrero quietly hit .306 with two homers and 44 RBI in 337 at bats.

In the outfield, veteran Rickey Henderson looks to show that at age 41, he can still be a productive starter. Henderson was a pleasant surprise for many Devil Rays fans, hitting .295 with five home runs and 34 RBI in 295 at bats, stealing 27 bases.

Carlos Beltran (.303, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 120 G) will anchor the outfield, starting in centerfield with Raul Mondesi (.264, 24 HR, 75 RBI, 141 G) alongside him in rightfield.

Benny Agbayani (.285, 16 HR, 54 RBI, 104 G) and Mike Cameron (.240, 13 HR, 41 RBI, 99 G) will find their way into the lineup as the club's extra outfielders.

03-08-2009, 10:32 PM	#188 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Opening Day roster announced 11 pitchers, 14 position players on squad ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Opening Day for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays is still a couple days away, but the team announced its roster, pitching rotation, and planned lineup to kick off the season. Pedro Martinez will take the mound on Monday in Minneapolis as the Devil Rays take on the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome. Martinez, the reigning American League Cy Young award winner, went 19-3 with a 3.04 ERA and 266 strikeouts in 34 starts last season. Behind Pedro in the rotation will be Kevin Millwood (9-12, 4.22 ERA, 28 starts), Rick Helling (11-11, 5.88 ERA, 34 starts with the St. Louis Cardinals), left-hander Bruce Chen (7-5, 3.92 ERA, 17 games, 16 starts), and Scott Erickson (9-4, 4.16 ERA, 19 starts with the Oakland Athletics). Kip Wells (4-5, 5.51 ERA, 15 games) will work as a long-reliever and spot-starter for the Devil Rays while Chad Ogea (8-15, 5.28 ERA, 31 starts) also works as a long-reliever for Tampa Bay. Paul Quantrill returns as the team's closer after going 3-5 with 30 saves and a 1.86 ERA in 57 appearances last season. Helping bridge the gap between the starting staff and Quantrill will be Byung-Hyun Kim (5-2, 1 save, 5.54 ERA in 45 games), Rich Garces (5-2, 4 saves, 4.15 ERA in 57 games), and left-hander Gabe White (6-4, 2 saves, 3.35 ERA in 47 games). The team will start the season with three pitchers on the disabled list: Mike Hampton, Livan Hernandez, and Danny Graves. Hampton, a left-handed starter acquired in a trade this off-season, suffered a torn tricep muscle in a spring training game and will likely miss the entire 2000 season. Right-handed reliever Graves will miss most of the season due to a torn labrum, a setback for the 26-year-old who went 1-2 with two saves and a 3.62 ERA in 38 games last year. Hernandez suffered a tricep injury in his second start of the 1999 season and has been undergoing treatment and rehabilitation since. He is still at least a month away from returning, club officials say. Hernandez went 14-15 with a 4.08 ERA in 33 starts for the 1998 Devil Rays. Rookie of the Year winner Erubiel Durazo (.287, 30 HR, 100 RBI) will sit out the first five games of the season due to a suspension from a spring training exhibition game incident with an umpire. After those first five games, the left-handed power hitter is expected to be batting third as the club's regular designated hitter while also getting some time at first base. Charles Johnson (.265, 20 HR, 67 RBI, 388 AB) looks to win another Gold Glove as the Devil Rays catcher with rookie backstop Jason LaRue, acquired from Detroit in September, working as the backup catcher. Paul Konerko (.314, 38 HR, 135 RBI) will anchor the lineup and play first base again this season. Free agent acquisition Tony Graffanino will start the season as Tampa Bay's starting secondbaseman. The 27-year-old hit .289 with a home run and 21 RBI in 149 at bats with the Atlanta Braves last season. Ed Sprague, also a free agent signing this winter, takes over as the starting thirdbaseman. The veteran hit .256 with 26 home runs and 78 RBI in 150 games with the Montreal Expos last season. Tim Naehring (.268, 9 HR, 59 RBI), who signed on with Tampa Bay after 10 years with the Boston Red Sox, will back Sprague. Dave Berg and Wilton Guerrero will share time at shortstop to start the season. Berg hit .276 with two homers and 29 RBI in 301 at bats last season while Guerrero quietly hit .306 with two homers and 44 RBI in 337 at bats. In the outfield, veteran Rickey Henderson looks to show that at age 41, he can still be a productive starter. Henderson was a pleasant surprise for many Devil Rays fans, hitting .295 with five home runs and 34 RBI in 295 at bats, stealing 27 bases. Carlos Beltran (.303, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 120 G) will anchor the outfield, starting in centerfield with Raul Mondesi (.264, 24 HR, 75 RBI, 141 G) alongside him in rightfield. Benny Agbayani (.285, 16 HR, 54 RBI, 104 G) and Mike Cameron (.240, 13 HR, 41 RBI, 99 G) will find their way into the lineup as the club's extra outfielders.