Panzram
04-01-2005, 02:38 PM
Notes: Five-man rotation from the start (http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050331&content_id=984863&vkey=spt2005news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb)
03/31/2005 10:30 PM ET
Notes: Five-man rotation from the start
Left-hander Kamir solid in final spring tuneup
By Bill Chastain / Special to MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For most of Spring Training, Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella said he would use a four-man rotation early in April due to the team's off days. But the skipper has now decided to set up his pitching staff to use a five-man rotation from the beginning of the season.
Opening Day at Tropicana Field on Monday begins a nine-game homestand before the team takes to the road. A three-game series against the Blue Jays is followed by a day off before a weekend series against the A's. That set will be followed by another off day on April 11, then a three-game series against the Orioles.
The Devil Rays then head to Boston for three games.
Originally, Piniella planned to have Dewon Brazelton, Scott Kazmir, Mark Hendrickson and Rob Bell make up his early rotation. Then Hideo Nomo entered the picture. Nomo eventually became the team's fifth starter.
If the four-man rotation would have stayed, Nomo would not have been needed until the second game of the Boston series, on April 16. But if Piniella goes with his new plan, the veteran hurler would pitch on April 9 against the A's.
The risk of having Nomo in the rotation from the start comes in the down time for the other starters. Brazelton will have five days between his first and second start, while Kazmir and Hendrickson will have a week between starts.
Piniella still maintains that he plans to use six starters during the season to keep his young arms fresh -- even if there aren't any injuries. His goal is for his starters to pitch between 160-175 innings each.
Kazmir settles in: Kazmir started against the Yankees on Thursday night in Tampa, and he had a shaky beginning.
Kazmir began by walking Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, the first two batters he faced. After getting a fielder's choice and striking out Jason Giambi, Kazmir surrendered RBI singles to Bernie Williams and Hideki Matsui, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead.
"I was just rushing a little bit," Kazmir said. "All my sliders were breaking right over the middle of the plate."
However, the 21-year-old southpaw settled down nicely.
"It started feeling a whole lot better," Kazmir said.
He retired the next seven Yankees he faced before Williams broke the spell with a leadoff single in the fourth. Kazmir then struck out Matsui before getting a 4-6-3 double play to end his stint.
Kazmir threw 59 pitches, including 38 for strikes. He did not walk another batter after the two, and he struck out four.
"[It] seemed like every inning [I started feeling stronger]," Kazmir said.
Kazmir was acquired in a trade with the Mets -- in a deal generally rated as a steal for the Devil Rays -- so the youngster always is in the spotlight when he pitches against any New York team.
"I don't know if that's ever going to end," Kazmir said with a smile.
Japan was nice, but ... The Devil Rays began the 2004 season with two home games -- in Japan -- against the Yankees. In hindsight, the trip was nice, but the lingering effects might have been costly.
After splitting the pair of games in Tokyo, the team had a 17-hour flight home. The final game in Japan took place on March 31 and the team did not play again until April 6, but the team's performance dragged. Tampa Bay hitters put together a .243 cumulative average in the 21 games played in March and April, leading to an 18-31 start.
With that history, beginning the 2005 season at home in St. Petersburg never looked better.
This and that: Nomo is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Sunday, with the goal simply being for the 36-year-old to prepare for his first regular-season start. ... Josh Phelps hit his team-leading fifth home run of the spring off Yankees starter Mike Mussina in the second inning of Thursday night's 2-1 loss.
Coming up: The Devil Rays travel to Viera on Friday to play the Nationals in a 1:05 p.m. ET contest. Left-hander Mark Hendrickson will make his final start of the spring before starting the team's third game of the regular season. Right-hander Zach Day is scheduled to start for Washington. Hendrickson is 1-3 with a 3.18 ERA in five spring games. There are 32 players still in camp, and the team needs to get down to 25 by midnight on Saturday.
03/31/2005 10:30 PM ET
Notes: Five-man rotation from the start
Left-hander Kamir solid in final spring tuneup
By Bill Chastain / Special to MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For most of Spring Training, Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella said he would use a four-man rotation early in April due to the team's off days. But the skipper has now decided to set up his pitching staff to use a five-man rotation from the beginning of the season.
Opening Day at Tropicana Field on Monday begins a nine-game homestand before the team takes to the road. A three-game series against the Blue Jays is followed by a day off before a weekend series against the A's. That set will be followed by another off day on April 11, then a three-game series against the Orioles.
The Devil Rays then head to Boston for three games.
Originally, Piniella planned to have Dewon Brazelton, Scott Kazmir, Mark Hendrickson and Rob Bell make up his early rotation. Then Hideo Nomo entered the picture. Nomo eventually became the team's fifth starter.
If the four-man rotation would have stayed, Nomo would not have been needed until the second game of the Boston series, on April 16. But if Piniella goes with his new plan, the veteran hurler would pitch on April 9 against the A's.
The risk of having Nomo in the rotation from the start comes in the down time for the other starters. Brazelton will have five days between his first and second start, while Kazmir and Hendrickson will have a week between starts.
Piniella still maintains that he plans to use six starters during the season to keep his young arms fresh -- even if there aren't any injuries. His goal is for his starters to pitch between 160-175 innings each.
Kazmir settles in: Kazmir started against the Yankees on Thursday night in Tampa, and he had a shaky beginning.
Kazmir began by walking Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, the first two batters he faced. After getting a fielder's choice and striking out Jason Giambi, Kazmir surrendered RBI singles to Bernie Williams and Hideki Matsui, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead.
"I was just rushing a little bit," Kazmir said. "All my sliders were breaking right over the middle of the plate."
However, the 21-year-old southpaw settled down nicely.
"It started feeling a whole lot better," Kazmir said.
He retired the next seven Yankees he faced before Williams broke the spell with a leadoff single in the fourth. Kazmir then struck out Matsui before getting a 4-6-3 double play to end his stint.
Kazmir threw 59 pitches, including 38 for strikes. He did not walk another batter after the two, and he struck out four.
"[It] seemed like every inning [I started feeling stronger]," Kazmir said.
Kazmir was acquired in a trade with the Mets -- in a deal generally rated as a steal for the Devil Rays -- so the youngster always is in the spotlight when he pitches against any New York team.
"I don't know if that's ever going to end," Kazmir said with a smile.
Japan was nice, but ... The Devil Rays began the 2004 season with two home games -- in Japan -- against the Yankees. In hindsight, the trip was nice, but the lingering effects might have been costly.
After splitting the pair of games in Tokyo, the team had a 17-hour flight home. The final game in Japan took place on March 31 and the team did not play again until April 6, but the team's performance dragged. Tampa Bay hitters put together a .243 cumulative average in the 21 games played in March and April, leading to an 18-31 start.
With that history, beginning the 2005 season at home in St. Petersburg never looked better.
This and that: Nomo is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Sunday, with the goal simply being for the 36-year-old to prepare for his first regular-season start. ... Josh Phelps hit his team-leading fifth home run of the spring off Yankees starter Mike Mussina in the second inning of Thursday night's 2-1 loss.
Coming up: The Devil Rays travel to Viera on Friday to play the Nationals in a 1:05 p.m. ET contest. Left-hander Mark Hendrickson will make his final start of the spring before starting the team's third game of the regular season. Right-hander Zach Day is scheduled to start for Washington. Hendrickson is 1-3 with a 3.18 ERA in five spring games. There are 32 players still in camp, and the team needs to get down to 25 by midnight on Saturday.