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 The following is commentary and interviews from Sunday's MLB on TBS game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox featuring Chip Caray, Buck Martinez, Rays hitting coach Ken Hickey, and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.
****** ****** ****** Tampa Bay Rays (5) @ Chicago White Sox (6) – The game ended in 10 innings. Game announcers: Chip Caray and Buck Martinez Martinez on White Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin being an MVP candidate: “(Quentin is the) MVP in my mind for the start that he’s had and the way he’s maintained it. He does everything, he plays in the outfield, he has a strong arm, he’s a great base runner, goes first to third with the best of them and he is a middle infielder’s nightmare on double plays.” Caray on the Rays taking advantage of extra outs early in the game: “You give good teams extra outs and they are going to bludgeon you, and that’s what’s happening in the early innings today.” Martinez: “Make no mistake, this Rays team is a good team, they will take advantage of every opportunity you give them.” Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey spoke to the TBS announcers between innings. Hickey on starting only seven pitches outside of the normal rotation: “That’s the thing that I’m the most proud of and these guys should be proud of also, the fact that they go out there and they take the ball every time and give us a chance to win a ballgame again.” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen spoke to the TBS announcers between innings. Guillen on the importance of getting players on base: “We have to get on base. Every time we get on base we have a chance because everyone in the lineup is capable of hitting a homerun.” Martinez on the personality of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen: “I remember when (Guillen) came in the game and he’s still the same person as when he first came into the game. He was outgoing, very talkative, loved to talk baseball as a rookie and he continues that same personality. This is what you get, everyone in Chicago He’ll tell you what he thinks of his ballclub, what he thinks of management and what he thinks of the GM. That’s just the way he is.” knows Ozzie is going to say a few things that will ruffle a few feathers, he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Martinez on the Rays believing in the strategy set by manager Joe Maddon: “When you get your players believing in what you’re trying to accomplish, they will have lead off bunts to start innings, they will have opposite field ground ball outs to move runners, they will do the little things without you leading them. I told Joe Maddon that you can’t take a player’s hands and lead him through a pennant race and he had turned the clubhouse over to (Troy) Percival and (Cliff) Floyd and some of the more veteran players.” Martinez on why the Rays are having such a successful season: “Joe Maddon’s club, you look at their stats and you look at their offensive numbers and you say how are they doing it? They’re doing it because they are pitching well and playing good defense and they get clutch hits like we’ve seen from Carols Pena. How about Carlos Pena using a bunt to lead off the sixth inning and coming up with a big two out opposite field double to put the Rays ahead in the seventh inning? That’s hitting with your head and taking advantage of what the team gives you.” Martinez on the solid foundation laid by former Rays management led by Chuck LaMar: “We mentioned the current management team here with Andrew Friedman the GM, Matt Silverman the president and Stuart Sternberg the principal owner, and certainly they are reaping the benefits of some foundation laid by Chuck LaMar and his group ahead of them. It’s not unlike what happened with the Tampa Bay Bucs and Tony Dungy who built that team up to become a pretty competitive team and then Jon Gruden comes in and the timing was perfect (to win a Super Bowl in 2002). After that, Gruden decided to get rid of some of the key parts and they haven’t been the same since.” Martinez on the ninth inning battle between the Rays and White Sox that led to extra innings: “If you wanted to get a postseason preview this is a pretty good one, both of these teams not wanting to give up a thing.” Caray on an interference call against Rays first baseman Willie Aybar when White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski intentionally ran into him to draw the call: “Here is the spot where you really do wish you have replay so the umpires could see unbelievably acting job that A.J. Pierzynski just turned in. I mean you talk about Academy Award-winning, polish up the statue and mail it to 35th and Shields because A.J. Pierzynski just stole 90 feet on the base pads and may end up stealing a win in this 10th inning.” Source: TBS
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