Missing balls trick
The Rays like their new facilities, but a growing problem is the number of balls — dozens a day — they're losing that are hit into the woods and water, and that's with only some of the players taking batting practice. "They're going to fly out and there's not a lot you can about it," manager Joe Maddon said. "Someone was talking about having lefties hit on a certain field and righties on another, but that's ridiculous. We're just going to have to suck it up. … There's no telling what's going to happen when the varsity starts hitting out there. It's going to be a lot of baseballs."
Then again …
The players' parking lot is beyond the leftfield fence on one of the fields, and that could lead to some other problems. "I was thinking of putting a bull's-eye on a windshield on a daily basis, and that would be like the $100 prize," Maddon said.
The dish …
Today's first full-squad workout starts at 10 a.m. at the Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, in Port Charlotte. Driving time from the Tampa Bay area is 1½-2 hours. The suggested route: Take 75 south to exit 179 (North Port/Port Charlotte), turn right (west) on Toledo Blade Road, go about 6½ miles (crossing US 41) to El Jobean Road (SR 776), turn right, go about 2 miles; stadium complex will be on your left. Workouts usually last 2½-3 hours. Admission and parking are free.
List of the day
RHP James Shields prides himself on being a workhorse, and ranks among the MLB leaders in innings the last two seasons:
Pitcher'07-'08 IP
CC Sabathia494
Roy Halladay471.l
Brandon Webb463
Johan Santana453.1
Dan Haren438.2
James Shields430
Joe Blanton427.2
Gil Meche426.1
Javier Vazquez425
Roy Oswalt420.2
Source: Rays
Rays exhibition schedule
Home games at Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte
TICKETS: All reserved seats sold out, berm seating available for $9 except for Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies games (sold out). Available through raysbaseball.com, at Tropicana Field and Charlotte Sports Park box offices, Tampa team store, and through Ticketmaster.
For information: 1-888-326-7297 (FAN-RAYS)
Games at 1:05 unless noted
February
25: Reds
26: at Yankees, 1:15
27: Boston
28: at Phillies
March
1: Blue Jays
2: at Cardinals
3: Astros
4: Puerto Rico, 7:05
5: off
6: at Pirates
7: Red Sox
8: at Red Sox
9: Twins
10: Blue Jays
11: off
12 :Phillies
13: at Blue Jays
14: at Reds
15: Pirates
16: at Pirates, 7:05
17: off
18: Reds
19: Cardinals
20: at Jays
21: at Orioles
22: Yankees
23: at Pirates
24: off
25: Pirates, 7:05
26: at Tigers
27: at Twins
28: Reds
29: at Reds
30: at Twins
31: at Red Sox
April
1: Twins
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
Quote of the day
"I like how spread out everything is. It's not too crowded around here. I like being in the middle of nowhere. I love that."
INF Ben Zobrist, on his first impressions of Port Charlotte
Numbers of the day
9=8=? Manager Joe Maddon today "may" unveil this year's motivational slogan, the sequel to last year's 9 = 8.
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