[Moriarty9]

Devil Rays, Twins make trade
Cromer to Minnesota for minor league reliever
March 26, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Faced with a few roster decisions, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays today traded infielder Tripp Cromer to the Minnesota Twins for a minor league pitcher.

Cromer, 31, was out of minor league options and would have to pass through waivers in order to be sent to the minor leagues, so the Devil Rays decided to trade him rather than demote infielder Dave Berg. Cromer hit .236 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 157 at bats with Tampa Bay last season.

Cromer will be a bench player for the Twins with J.T. Snow at first base, Todd Walker at second base, and John Valentin at third base. Alex Arias and Denny Hocking have been fighting for the starting job at shortstop, a position Cromer has played in the past — including 94 innings last season — but does not have the range to play short daily for most, if not all, Major League teams.

In return, the Devil Rays acquire 22-year-old Joe Fontenot. Fontenot appeared in 13 games with Minnesota last year, 10 of which were starts, going 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA. He has a 10-10, 2.33 ERA in 26 minor league starts in 1997 and 1998. In 23 innings this spring, Fontenot went 0-2 with two saves and a 4.70 ERA, walking 10 and striking out 20.

[Moriarty9]

Devil Rays set Opening Day roster
Pedro will take moung in season opener tomorrow
April 4, 1999

BALTIMORE — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays finished their inaugural season tied for last place in the division, but believe they have a roster that can improve on that this time around.

The Devil Rays will open up the 1999 season here tomorrow to start a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles before heading home for three games with the Boston Red Sox, and then embarking on an eight-game road trip. Although 11 of their first 14 games will be on the road, and highly touted outfielder Carlos Beltran will be out until May with a back injury, Tampa Bay manager Christian O'Neal is confident his team can perform this April.

"We've got some good ballplayers here and I think we'll do okay," O'Neal said. "I don't want to come off as arrogant or necessarily quote Dick Williams, but I think this club will win more games than it loses; so long as these guys play hard everyday and we don't suffer major injuries to key players."

There's an old saying in baseball that good pitching will beat good hitting, and Devil Rays pitching coach Brian Hoskins likes his staff.

"We have some good young arms with Pedro (Martinez), (Kevin) Millwood, and Livan (Hernandez), and a young veteran workhorse in Aaron Sele to put us in a good position with the rotation," Hoskins said. "And as far as the bullpen goes, we have a number of strong arms down there and they're all competing for roles."

O'Neal plans to start the season with Martinez on the mound for tomorrow's opener against the Orioles, followed by Millwood, Sele, Hernandez, and fifth starter Chad Ogea.

Martinez went 13-12 with a 3.45 ERA, striking out 290 batters in 240 1/3 innings last season. The flamboyant young ace has made comments about "cashing in" on a $1 million bonus if he wins the Cy Young Award.

Millwood was acquired by Tampa Bay from the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline last year and was very impressive in his 11 appearances with the Devil Rays. Millwood finished the year at 13-7 with a 4.12 ERA, but went 6-2 with a 2.97 ERA with Tampa Bay.

Sele suffered a serious back injury last June, knocking him out for the rest of the year. He filed for free agency and appeared to be heading elsewhere before agreeing to a one-year, $8.2 million deal with the Devil Rays. Sele likely settled for the one-year deal in hopes of raising his markey value with a healthy season.

Hernandez was a pleasant surprise for the Devil Rays last year, going 14-15 with a 4.08 ERA in 33 starts at the age of 23. The Cuban-born hurler proved himself to be an innings eater (220 1/3 innings) and kept his team in most games. Hoskins said he thinks Hernandez can be a dominant pitcher if he makes the right adjustments.

Ogea was acquired in the expansion draft and was initially pencilled as a member of the starting rotation for last season before the acquisitions of Martinez and Jeff Fassero. Ogea spent much of the year in the minor leagues but did make a couple appearances for Tampa Bay, including one start. In his big league career, mostly with the Cleveland Indians, Ogea has gone 18-12 with a 4.33 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 61 games, 43 starts.

Vic Darensbourg starts the year as the only left-handed pitcher on the Tampa Bay staff, working out of the bullpen. Darensbourg, 28, made 29 appearances last season, going 2-0 with one save and a 1.21 ERA in 22 1/3 innings.

Free agent acquisition Todd Jones will be the Devil Rays' closer this year. Jones went 4-4 with 33 saves and a 4.73 ERA in 58 games with the Detroit Tigers last season. He has 93 saves in 298 big league appearances with a 3.45 career ERA.

Right-handed relievers Rich Garces, Danny Graves, Byung-Hyun Kim, and Paul Quantrill will serve as the set-up men and middle relievers this season.

[Moriarty9]

Six-run ninth gives Tampa Bay win
Konerko slam puts Devil Rays on top
April 5, 1999

BALTIMORE — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays mustered only two hits through the first eight innings but the bats broke through in the ninth to give the team a 6-1 win over the Orioles.

Shane Reynolds and Pedro Martinez were locked in for an entertaining pitchers' duel up until the ninth inning. Through the first eight innings, Reynolds had given up no runs on two hits and no walks while Martinez gave up one run on five hits and three walks, striking out eight.

Reynolds took the mound in the ninth, looking for a complete game shutout win, but immediately gave up back-to-back singles to Dan Wilson and Wilton Guerrero before Mike Cameron reached on a fielders' choice on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Jeff Frye then singled to load the bases with one out as the Baltimore bullpen became busy in a hurry. Reynolds walked Erubiel Durazo, forcing Guerrero in from third base to tie the game. Reynolds remained in the game with Paul Konerko due at the plate. Konerko took a 1-0 fastball deep to left-centerfield for a grand slam, giving the Devil Rays their first lead of the game.
Armando Benitez relieved Reynolds and finished off the game, giving up a solo home run to Jose Hernandez to cap off the ninth inning rally.

Tampa Bay southpaw reliever Vic Darensbourg retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth, striking out switch-hitter Brian Banks and left-handed hitter Roosevelt Brown before inducing a groundout by left-handed hitting Marlon Anderson to end the game.

[Moriarty9]

Finley injured in off-field accident
Angels veteran quiet of circumstances
April 7, 1999

ANAHEIM — Chuck Finley has suffered a fractured ulna in an off-field accident that the Angels pitcher has declined to comment on.

Finley, 36, is expected to be out until mid-May as a result of the injury. Club officials have suggested the injury took place on the way home from last night's game against the Cleveland Indians, but would not elaborate. Finley was scheduled to pitch tonight but 22-year-old A.J. Burnett has been moved up to the No. 2 spot in the rotation and lefty Allen Watson will move into the starting rotation.

Finley is married to actress Tawny Kiaten, best known for her lead role in Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again." The couple has had a rocky relationship and some sources have speculated the injury is somehow related to a domestic situation between the couple.

[Moriarty9]

Lucky 13!
Rays edge O's in extra innings
April 7, 1999

BALTIMORE — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays let a 5-1 lead slip away late, but managed to come back defeat the Orioles in a 13 inning contest at Camden Yards.

The Devil Rays had a 5-1 lead heading into the seventh inning thanks in part to home runs from Andruw Jones and Mike Cameron, as well as the pitching of Kevin Millwood.

A fielding error by Paul Konerko — playing third base tonight — led to two unearned runs in the seventh, narrowing the Tampa Bay lead.

New closer Todd Jones took the mound in hopes of recording his first save in a Devil Rays uniform but surrendered a two-run home run to Jose Canseco, tying the game at 5-5.

Tampa Bay tried to regain the lead in the top of the 10th, putting two men in scoring position with one out — and bases loaded with two outs — before Baltimore reliever Mike Williams escaped the jam.

Neither team mounted much of a threat again until the top of the 13th. Charles Johnson led off the inning with a six-pitch walk with Wilton Guerrero coming to the plate. The switch-hitter, batting left-handed against right-hander Anthony Telford, laced a line drive over center fielder Brady Anderson's head for a double, allowing Johnson to hustle all the way around the bases for the go-ahead run.

Paul Quantrill, who served as the team's closer for much of last season, came on in the bottom of the 13th inning to try and nail down the win for the Devil Rays. With the the meat of the Orioles lineup due — No. 2 hitter Roberto Alomar, No. 3 hitter Anderson, and cleanup hitter David Dellucci — Quantrill retired the side in order on just six pitches to pick up the save.

Millwood did not factor in the decision after giving up three runs, one earned, on nine hits and two walks through 6 1/3 innings. Byung-Hyun Kim earned the victory with two perfect innings of relief work.

Alomar and Anderson had three hits each to lead the Orioles while five Devil Rays batters collected multiple hits. Konerko, who went 0-for-7 and left six men on base, was the only Tampa Bay starter not to collect a base hit.

[Papi]

Originally Posted by Moriarty9

Finley injured in off-field accident
Angels veteran quiet of circumstances
April 7, 1999

ANAHEIM — Chuck Finley has suffered a fractured ulna in an off-field accident that the Angels pitcher has declined to comment on.

Finley, 36, is expected to be out until mid-May as a result of the injury. Club officials have suggested the injury took place on the way home from last night's game against the Cleveland Indians, but would not elaborate. Finley was scheduled to pitch tonight but 22-year-old A.J. Burnett has been moved up to the No. 2 spot in the rotation and lefty Allen Watson will move into the starting rotation.

Finley is married to actress Tawny Kiaten, best known for her lead role in Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again." The couple has had a rocky relationship and some sources have speculated the injury is somehow related to a domestic situation between the couple.

She beat him with a shoe!!!!!

[Moriarty9]

Baltimore bullpen blows ballgame
Devil Rays sweep Orioles in season-opening series
April 8, 1999

BALTIMORE — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are one of three undefeated teams in baseball after rallying late to overcome the Orioles, 6-4, at Camden Yards.

The Orioles went into the eighth inning with a 4-2 lead and into the ninth inning with a 4-3 lead, but Baltimore relievers Mike Williams and Mark Acre couldn't stop the Devil Rays from coming back in the end.

A Jeff Frye RBI double brought Tampa Bay within one run of the Orioles in the eight inning off Armando Benitez, but it was Williams who gave up back-to-back home runs from Jose Hernandez and Charles Johnson to tie the game and then give the Devil Rays the lead.

Having given up more than 750-feet worth of home runs to the only two batters he faced, Williams was replaced on the mound by Acre, who promptly loaded the bases by walking Dave Berg, Mike Cameron, and Frye. After Acre struck out the struggling Paul Konerko, he induced a groundout from Erubiel Durazo that allowed Berg to score from third base and give Tampa Bay an insurance run.

Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal called on Rich Garces to close out the ballgame after a 13-inning contest last night that required 39 pitches from Todd Jones and a late save from Paul Quantrill. Garces gave up a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Jose Canseco and later walked Charles Gipson, but ultimately came out of the inning unscaved and with his first save of the season.

The loss is a tough one for the Orioles, who fall to 0-3 on the season, and especially for Baltimore starting pitcher Mark Redman. Redman was impressive, holding Tampa Bay to two runs on three hits and one walk, striking out eight over seven innings.

[Moriarty9]

Devil Rays drop home opener
Red Sox batter Tampa Bay pitching
April 9, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Boston Red Sox put on a show for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' home opener at Tropicana Field, pounding out 17 hits in a 16-5 victory.

The Red Sox scored early and often, scoring multiple runs in four innings and being held scoreless only in the fourth and eighth innings. It was Boston's Carlos combination that led the attack as leadoff hitter Carlos Febles and No. 2 hitter Carlos Lee went a combined 9-for-10 with six runs scored and eight RBI, including three doubles.

Tim Naehring and Jason Varitek, batting seventh and eighth respectively, also played well, picking up three hits each. Mo Vaughn, 1-for-4, had a walk and a home run before being lifted for a pinch runner in the eighth inning.

Livan Hernandez was belted for 10 runs in five innings, Byung-Hyun Kim gave up two runs in three innings, and Todd Jones struggled through a four-run ninth inning in which he gave up three earned runs.

[Moriarty9]

Jones irked by Boston baserunning
Carlos Connection's double steal in ninth upsets Rays
April 10, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Devil Rays reliever Todd Jones is upset with his first two appearances with his new team, and isn't terribly happy with some late inning baserunning from two Boston Red Sox players.

With the Red Sox up 12-5 in the top of the ninth inning with Carlos Lee on second base and Carlos Febles on second base with no outs, Jones was hoping to induce a double play from Nomar Garciaparra to help bring an end to a difficult night for the Devil Rays. Instead, Boston opted to try and stay out of a potential double play as Febles and Lee pulled off a double steal on the first pitch of the at bat.

"That's pretty ridiculous," Jones said after the game. "You're up by seven runs in the ninth in early April and you're pulling off that sort of [expletive deleted]? That's bush league."

Within the game, Jones responded by plunking Garciaparra in the hip with the very next pitch, loading the bases with nobody out.

Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal was also unhappy with the baserunning bravado shown by Febles and Lee, nicknamed the Carlos Connection by the Boston media.

"I wasn't happy with what they did either, but there was a lot not to be happy with when you're getting beat like that. Especially at home. And during the home opener," O'Neal said.

[Moriarty9]

Bad blood brews with Boston
Jones, Suppan face suspension after brawl
April 10, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Bad feelings from last night's ballgame boiled over into tonight's contest between the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Boston Red Sox.

Devil Rays outfielder Andruw Jones and Red Sox pitcher Jeff Suppan are expected to be suspended by the league after sparking a bench-clearing brawl at Tropicana Field tonight. Suppann entered the fourth inning with a 2-0 lead before giving up a solo home run to Erubiel Durazo and, after a Paul Konerko single, a two-run shot to Raul Mondesi. After surrendering the lead with three straight basehits, including the two home runs, Suppan drilled Jones with an inside fastball, hitting the outfielder off the hip. Jones immediately charged the mound and both benches and bullpens emptied.

Jones and Suppan were the only two players ejected from the ballgame and both are expected to face further discipline, including suspension. Jones was replaced by Benny Agbayani while John Wasdin took the mound for the Red Sox.

[Moriarty9]

Boston beanball battle
Rays, Sox testy once again
April 11, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For the third consecutive night, the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays have exchanged proverbial blows with one another, furthering an early season feud between the clubs.

Andruw Jones and Jeff Suppan were each ejected from last night's game after Suppan hit Jones with a fastball in the fourth inning and a bench-clearing brawl was ignited. Today it was announced that both players would be suspended for five games.

Tonight, with the previous 48 hours fresh in the players' minds, the Devil Rays jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the first inning and offensively battered Boston, picking up a 15-6 win. Tampa Bay ran the bases aggressively throughout the game, despite their large lead, which was 15-3 at one point. The aggressive baserunning was not well received by some Boston players and coaches, but was locally seen as fair after the Red Sox were criticized for the same thing earlier in the series.

Things escalated in the sixth inning of tonight's contest as Jim Corsi hit Mike Cameron with a first-pitch fastball after surrendering consecutive RBI-doubles after coming on to relieve Ron Mahay. Cameron quickly jogged down to first base and did not look at Corsi at all while the fans and some of his teammates chirped at the Boston reliever.

Pedro Martinez returned the favor in the the top of the seventh inning. After retiring the first two batters, Martinez pelted Carl Everett with a first-pitch fastball. Everett pointed his bat at Martinez and the two exchanged words before teammates and umpires separated the two and avoided additional drama. Both benches were warned and no ejections were made.

Boston manager Cito Gaston was nearly ejected in the ninth inning when he argued Devil Rays reliever Todd Jones should be ejected after Jones hit Nomar Garciaparra with a pitch. The umpires said they did not believe Jones intentionally tried to hit Garciaparra, whose hands often hang very close to the plate. Jones hit Garciaparra with a pitch earlier in the series and was vocal with the media regarding Boston "running up the score" previously.

The two teams will begin a four-game series in Boston on Friday.

[Moriarty9]

Hernandez out for season
Devil Rays hurler ruptures tricep tendon
April 14, 1999

TORONTO — Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Livan Hernandez will miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious arm injury in his start against the Blue Jays today.

Hernandez ruptured a tricep tendon in his pitching arm during a 3-0 loss to the 8-1 Blue Jays. The 24-year-old Cuban defector went 14-15 with a 4.08 ERA in 33 starts for the expansion Devil Rays last season and was counted on to help the team move forward this year. Hernandez struggled in his first outing of the season and was adequate tonight before leaving the game after 6 1/3 innings of work.

"It's a big loss for us," said Tampa Bay skipper Christian O'Neal. "Livan is a good kid who has a lot of talent and a lot of potential. Hopefully this setback won't stunt his progress too much."

[Moriarty9]

Agbayani's 7 RBI a grand number
Devil Rays rout Red Sox courtesy of two grand slams
April 18, 1999

BOSTON — Benny Agbayani made his first appearance as a big league thirdbaseman today and responded by reaching base four times, hitting two home runs, and driving in seven runs out of the last spot in the lineup.

Agbayani, an outfielder by trade, was pencilled in as the starting third baseman for this afternoon's game with the Boston Red Sox. He fielded each of the four grounders hit his way with no problem, recording four assists, and was fantastic at the plate.

"We've been looking for a way to let Benny get some opportunities out there because he's really had so few so far," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "He's been taking some groundballs at third this year and we decided to give it a shot for today's game. He held his own defensively, all things considered, and obviously had a great day with the bat."

Agbayani singled to lead off the third inning in his first at bat, and hit a three-run home run off Jeff Suppan in the fourth inning, giving Tampa Bay an early 5-1 lead. Agbayani went deep again in the fifth inning, crushing a 389-foot grand slam off southpaw reliever Ron Mahay, making it 9-1 Devil Rays. He later drew a walk and flew out, finishing the day with three hits in four at bats, two runs scored, and seven RBI.

"I got some good pitches to hit today and, man, it worked out," said Agbayani after the game. "That's my job — to produce. Whenever I'm in the lineup, I've gotta go out there and hit the ball, make the most of those opportunities."

Agbayani was not the only Tampa Bay player to hit a grand slam this afternoon, as rightfielder Raul Mondesi added some late padding to the Devil Rays lead with a grand slam off Heathcliff Slocumb in the eighth inning.

Devil Rays starting pitcher Aaron Sele, a former Red Sox hurler, picked up his first win (1-1) of the season. The curveball specialist gave up one run on two hits and seven walks, striking out five Boston batters.

[Moriarty9]

Sele shuts down ChiSox
Cameron suffers minor hand injury
April 29, 1999

CHICAGO — Aaron Sele shutout the White Sox tonight, winning his third straight decision, improving to 3-1 on the young season.

Sele held Chicago to just three hits and three walks, striking out four White Sox batters. He threw 114 pitches, 74 for strikes, in the complete game shutout win for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Devil Rays catcher Charles Johnson was the offensive star, going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and three RBI to pace Tampa Bay to six runs against the White Sox. Former Devil Ray southpaw Jeff Fassero gave up all six runs, five earned, for Chicago. Fassero, 0-3, gave up 12 hits and one walk, striking out two, before yielding to reliever Tony Castillo, who threw four perfect innings in relief.

Tampa Bay outfielder Mike Cameron left the game with a hand injury. Team officials had no information available immediately after the game other than to say it was not a serious injury and Cameron was expected to be back in the lineup by early next week. Fellow Devil Rays outfielder Carlos Beltran is also expected to make a return soon. Beltran, 22, suffered a back injury during spring training and has been on the disabled list since. There is no indication as of yet whether Beltran will be sent to the minor leagues for rehabilitation or if he will immediately rejoin the Devil Rays.

[Moriarty9]

Reliever latest in Long list of injured
Devil Rays add fifth player to disabled list
May 5, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have seen players hit with injuries on an every-other-day basis so far this month, with reliever Joey Long the latest addition to a disabled list that is becoming quite crowded.Long, making his first big league appearance of the season, suffered a back injury after just two-thirds of an inning against the Kansas City Royals. Preliminary reports are that the injury is serious enough to keep Long out for the rest of the season.
On Monday, it was secondbaseman Jeff Frye heading to the disabled list after suffering a pinched nerve in his neck. Frye was placed on the 15-day DL and is expected to miss only a few weeks. He had been hitting .274 with three RBI and 12 runs scored in 25 games.
Two days before that, infielder Wilton Guerrero suffered a rotator cuff injury that will keep him out until sometime around the All Star break. Guerrero has spent most of the young season at third base, hitting .315 with one home run, 11 RBI, 10 runs and four stolen bases in 22 games.
As a result of these injuries, infielder Lou Merloni had been called up from AAA. In three games so far, Merloni is 3-for-11 with two doubles and a RBI. Phil Plantier, a .241 lifetime hitter with 91 home runs in 687 big league games, has also been added to the roster, though the outfielder has not yet appeared in a game. He will likely be removed from the roster early next week when Carlos Beltran is activated from the disabled list, where he has sat all season. Gabe White, who had 12 1/3 shutout innings in AAA, will replace Long in the bullpen. White went 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in 14 appearances with Tampa Bay last year.

[Moriarty9]

Papa Jack pink-slipped by Padres
Fired after 198 games as San Diego skipper
May 16, 1999

CINCINNATI — Although the team is set to play the final game of its brief three-game road trip with an off-day tomorrow before returning to San Diego for six games, the Padres have fired manager Ron Jackson.

Padres General Manager Ed Wade made the announcement this morning after the team lost their fourth straight game. It was also San Diego's eighth loss in nine games and eleventh in thirteen games. The Padres are 14-22, 7 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are, however, ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks (14-23) and Colorado Rockies (13-24).

Jackson was in the second year as San Diego skipper. He led the team to an 83-79 record last year, good enough for second place in the National League West. The team's pitching has been strong but the offense has suffered greatly, hitting .235 as a club. He leaves San Diego with a 97-101 record as a manager.

Bench Coach Johnny Oates will fill in as interim manager for tonight's game with the Reds. Wade said the organization expects to settle on a new permanent manager before the team begins its home stand two days from now.

[Moriarty9]

Kimm hired as Padres manager
Rookie skipper takes reigns in San Diego
May 17, 1999

SAN DIEGO — The Padres today announced they hired Bruce Kimm as the team's new manager, effective immediately.

Kimm, 47, has never managed at the big league level before. Though the club has not confirmed who was considered for the position, it is believed Kimm beat out bench coach Johnny Oates for the job.

Oates owns a 618-573 career managerial record with the Baltimore Orioles (1991-1994) and Texas Rangers (1995-1998). Oates acted as manager for San Diego's last game after Ron Jackson was fired. The Padres lost that game 8-1 in Cincinnati.

Kimm played for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers during his big league career as a catcher. In 186 games from 1976-1980, he hit .237 with one home run. He is perhaps best known as the personal catcher for Tigers phenom Mark "The Bird" Fidrych.

Kimm signed a contract to manage the Padres through the 2001 season. He won the 1995 Southern League Manager of the Year award while with the Cubs organization.


Kimm while with the Cubs organization.

[Moriarty9]

Rays acquire infielder Cora
Plantier dealt to Baltimore
May 20, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays made a quiet transaction today, trading outfielder Phil Plantier to the Baltimore Orioles for minor league infielder Alex Cora.

Plantier, 30, was designated for assignment when Carlos Beltran was activated from the disabled list. Plantier refused an assignment to the minor leagues and, if he had not been traded, would have become a free agent.

Plantier went 0-for-3 with a stirkeout, a stolen base and a run scored with Tampa Bay after hitting .325 with six home runs in 83 at bats in AAA this year. He has big league experience with the Boston Red Sox (1990-1992), San Diego Padres (1993-1995, 1997), Houston Astros (1995), Oakland Athletics (1996), New York Yankees (1998), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1998).

In exchange, the Devil Rays acquired Cora, a 23-year-old middle infielder from Puerto Rico. Cora hit .364 with one home run and two RBI in 21 games with Baltimore last season as a September call-up. He has hit .199 with 23 RBI in 42 games with the Orioles' AA and AAA affiliates this year. Cora will be assigned to Tampa Bay's AA affiliate.

[Moriarty9]

Bell tolls for Baltimore manager
Orioles own worst record in baseball
June 5, 1999

BALTIMORE — The Orioles have fired manager Buddy Bell after a disappointing 15-38 start to the season.

Bell was in the third year of a three-year contract with Baltimore. He previously managed the Detroit Tigers (1996-1997). He was fired by the Tigers after a 7-25 start to the 1997 season and within a couple weeks was hired as Orioles skipper. He went 157-173 as manager of the Orioles, going 83-79 last season.

The Orioles pitching staff has struggled this year, posting a team ERA of 5.93. Only the Boston Red Sox (6.19) in the American League has a worse team ERA, while the Chicago Cubs (6.07) and Colorado Rockies (6.03) have worse ERAs in the National League.

Nobody on the Baltimore coaching staff has any big league managerial experience, leaving General Manager Pat Gillick with a difficult task in choosing a replacement.

[Moriarty9]

Simpson signs on as skipper
Orioles ask rookie manager to right ship
June 6, 1999

BALTIMORE — Less than 24 hours after firing Buddy Bell as manager, the Orioles have hired Bryan Simpson to take the reigns of the team with baseball's worst record.

Simpson, 40, managed the San Francisco Giants' rookie league team in Miami earlier this season to a 16-35 record. He owns a 77-98 record as a minor league manager with San Francisco's organization.