Oct 31, 2008 10:26 AM EST
The Rays hope to begin talks with Rocco Baldelli regarding a new contract soon.
Baldelli, who hit a solo homer in Game 5 of the World Series, played both right field and designated hitter for Tampa Bay in the second half of the season after returning from a mitochondrial disorder.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Rocco on and off the field," Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Thursday.
"We do have a special relationship. To be a part of what he's gone through, and see him at the lowest of moments, I think, has created that personal relationship. I'm sure we'll talk in the next few days."
Via ESPN
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Game 5 of the World Series resumed on Wednesday night after nearly a 46-hour delay, and a little more than an hour later the Phillies defeated the Rays 4-3 to win the World Series.
The Phillies didn't waste any time, scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning, just a few minutes after the game was resumed, on an RBI single by Jayson Werth to shallow center.
Rocco Baldelli answered quickly for the Rays, hitting a solo home run off Ryan Madson in the top of the seven, but Philadelphia answered back just as quickly in the bottom of the inning.
Pat Burrell led off the inning with a double, and Pedro Feliz then singled home Eric Bruntlett, who ran for Burrell, to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.
Philadelphia reliever J.C. Romero recorded four outs before closer Brad Lidge came on in the top of the ninth.
Lidge got Evan Longoria to pop out to Chase Utley behind second base for the first out of the inning, with the crowd at Citizens Bank Park waving their white towels in anticipation.
Dioner Navarro then singled to right to put the tying run on the base pads with Ben Zobrist, pitch-hitting for Baldelli, coming up to bat.
Fernando Perez, running for Navarro, stole second before Zobrist lined out to right. Perez was forced to stay at second on the play, and manager Joe Maddon sent Eric Hinske to the plate to hit for Jason Bartlett with Tampa Bay down to their last out.
Lidge then struck Hinske out to win the game and the World Series for the Phillies and the city of Philadelphia.
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Fox Sports president Ed Goren says that the network didn't orchestrate the sixth-inning suspension of Game 6 of the World Series.
"I didn't know they were going to stop the game until I saw the tarp pulled," Goren said, "and I didn't need to know ... It's their game."
Goren says Fox didn't have much motivation to halt Monday's action, claiming that the ratings might have increased as the deciding-game continued. Monday's action drew an 8.2% share of U.S. households.
"If the game stayed competitive," Goren said, "it might have gone to 14."
Via USA Today
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Rays Oct 2008 Archive
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MLB.com | Oct 28, 2008
When Game 5 of the World Series resumes, Phillies' Manager Charlie Manuel will send a pinch-hitter to the plate against Rays righty Grant Balfour.
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Press Release | Oct 28, 2008
Game Five of the 2008 World Series will not resume tonight due to inclement weather. Game Five is now tentatively scheduled to resume on Wednesday evening.
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Philadelphia Inquirer | Oct 28, 2008
Fans of the Rays have complained about how they have been treated at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia during the World Series.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 27, 2008
Excessive rain and wind has suspended Game 5 of the World Series in Philadelphia until Tuesday with the Phillies and Rays tied a 2-2.
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MLB.com | Oct 27, 2008
Tampa Bay Manager Joe Maddon has decided to shake up the team's batting order in an attempt to keep the team's World Series hopes alive.
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MLB | Oct 27, 2008
A disputed play highlighted the bottom of the first inning in Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday night, as the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins was ruled safe diving back into third base, while replays show
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News Journal | Oct 27, 2008
Jamie Moyer was violently ill early Saturday and the previous night with a stomach virus that kept him from eating much.
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Philadelphia Inquirer | Oct 27, 2008
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon alerted home-plate umpire Tom Hallion after the second inning of Game 4 on Sunday night that he believed pitcher Joe Blanton had pine tar on his hat.
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ESPN | Oct 27, 2008
With a 91-minute rain delay, Game 3 of the World Series drew a record-low television rating on Saturday night.
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AP | Oct 27, 2008
Ryan Howard drove in five runs with two homers as the Phillies beat the Rays 10-2 on Sunday night, to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series.
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CBC | Oct 26, 2008
Ray's third baseman Evan Longoria is still searching for answers against the Phillies after having gone 0-for-12 through the first three games of the World Series.
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ESPN | Oct 26, 2008
Game 2 of the World Series between the Phillies and Rays received the second-lowest rating ever for a World Series game.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 26, 2008
The Phillies outlasted the Rays, 5-4, on Sunday night thanks to a crazy ninth inning in which Carlos Ruiz hit an infield single with the bases loaded to win the game.
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Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | Oct 25, 2008
Phillies' first baseman Ryan Howard isn't worried about his lack of home runs in this month's postseason.
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Tampa Tribune | Oct 25, 2008
The forecast for Saturday night in Philadelphia has improved, with reports that the expected rain could move out of the city in time for Game 3 of the World Series.
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New York Times | Oct 24, 2008
The ratings for Game 1 of the World Series between the Phillies and Rays on Wednesday night were down 14 percent from what Fox enjoyed last season.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 23, 2008
The Tampa Bay Rays evened up the World Series on Thursday night with a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
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St. Petersburg Times | Oct 23, 2008
There was speculation that the Rays had somehow moved the Tropicana Field pitching rubber a few inches to benefit James Shields, but Major League Baseball says there's nothing to the story.
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ESPN | Oct 23, 2008
Major League Baseball is beginning to insist that the Tampa Bay Rays get a new stadium.
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ESPN | Oct 23, 2008
Game 3 of the World Series between the Phillies and Rays in Philadelphia could be delayed or postponed due to rain that is expected to pelt the city this weekend.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 23, 2008
The Philadelphia Phillies took Game 1 of the World Series over the Rays, 3-2, in Tampa Bay on Wednesday night.
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Courier Post | Oct 22, 2008
Philadelphia backup catcher Chris Coste may start in Game 1 of the World Series against Tampa Bay as the team's designated hitter.
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MLB.com | Oct 21, 2008
Rays' Manager Joe Maddon has set his rotation for the World Series, and Scott Kazmir will take the mound for Game 1 on Wednesday.
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ESPN | Oct 21, 2008
Game 7 of the AL Championship Series drew the most viewers ever for a baseball game on cable television.
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ESPN | Oct 20, 2008
Las Vegas sports books favor the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies.
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Christopher Reina/RealGM | Oct 20, 2008
Six different teams have won the seven World Series since the Yankees won it three years in a row. The 2008 World Series will now make seven.
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Boston Channel | Oct 20, 2008
Manny Ramirez did not watch Game 7 of the ALCS, but he was pleased with the result, a Red Sox loss.
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MLB.com | Oct 20, 2008
Rays' Manager Joe Maddon was thought of as crazy when he told his team in spring training that they could make the postseason, but seven months later they are in the World Series.
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MLB.com | Oct 20, 2008
The Rays and Red Sox combined to set a new record for home runs in a league championship series on Sunday night in Game 7.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 19, 2008
The Rays defeated the Red Sox in Game 7 of the ALCS, 3-1, on Sunday night behind series MVP Matt Garza to advance to their first-ever World Series.
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MLB.com | Oct 19, 2008
The Red Sox and Rays have made a few lineup changes prior to Game 7 of the ALCS in hopes of advancing to the World Series.
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AP | Oct 19, 2008
The Red Sox beat the Rays 4-2 on Saturday night to force a Game 7 in the ALCS.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 18, 2008
Rays outfielder B.J. Upton hit his seventh home run of the 2008 postseason on Saturday night in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Red Sox.
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New York Post | Oct 18, 2008
Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon says that he isn't concerned about how his team will play in Tampa Bay this weekend with their backs against the wall.
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New York Post | Oct 18, 2008
Rays' Manager Joe Maddon claims that his team isn't focused on their Game 5 collapse heading into the two deciding games at Tropicana Field.
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AP | Oct 17, 2008
J.D. Drew's two-out double, in the ninth inning, gave the Red Sox a stunning 8-7 comeback win over the Rays on Thursday night, to send the ALCS back to Tampa Bay for game six this weekend.
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RealGM Staff Report | Oct 16, 2008
Until Games 2, 3 and 4 of the ALCS, the Tampa Bay Rays had never hit 10 home runs over three consecutive games in their history.
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Denver Post | Oct 16, 2008
Rockies' management thought hard about selecting Evan Longoria with the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft.
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ESPN | Oct 16, 2008
Major League Baseball has agreed to move the first pitch of Game 6 of the World Series by about 15 minutes to accommodate a half-hour Barack Obama ad buy.
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St. Petersburg Times | Oct 15, 2008
Rays' outfielder B.J. Upton's left shoulder will require surgery once the season is over.
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ESPN | Oct 15, 2008
Scott Kazmir will start for the Rays against the Red Sox in Game 5 at Fenway Park on Thursday.
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ESPN | Oct 15, 2008
With the demand for Rays tickets running high, the team has decided to remove the tarp that has covered the highest upper-deck seats all season.
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St. Petersburg Times | Oct 15, 2008
Rays' outfielder Carl Crawford tied an ALCS record on Tuesday night when he went 5-for-5 in Game 4 against the Red Sox.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 14, 2008
The Tampa Bay Rays thumped the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park for the second-straight night, 13-4, on their way to a 3-1 lead in the ALCS.
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Multichannel News | Oct 14, 2008
TBS has enjoyed increased viewership while broadcasting the first two games of the ALCS this month.
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RealGM Staff Report | Oct 14, 2008
B.J. Upton has hit five homers in the 2008 playoffs, becoming the first player to hit five homers in the postseason after hitting fewer than 10 during the regular season.
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Boston Globe | Oct 14, 2008
Whether directed at him, or the Red Sox as a whole, Fenway fans booed following Jason Varitek's foul out to end the fourth inning.
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AP | Oct 13, 2008
The Rays went deep four times on Monday, defeating the Red Sox 9-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the ALCS.
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Los Angeles Times | Oct 13, 2008
The Dodgers fought back on Sunday night, on the field and the scoreboard, en route to a 7-2 win over the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS.
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MLB.com | Oct 12, 2008
The Tampa Bay Rays have honored a 12-yard old fan on Saturday after hearing the child was suspended by his school for sporting a mohawk like many players on his favorite team.
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AP | Oct 12, 2008
The Rays outlasted the Red Sox 9-8 in 11 innings on Saturday night to even the AL championship series.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 11, 2008
The Red Sox and Rays have tied a postseason record for home runs in a game with seven on Saturday night.
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MLB.com | Oct 11, 2008
Rays' Manager Joe Maddon believes that rookie third baseman Evan Longoria needs to be more selective at the plate.
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AP | Oct 11, 2008
The Red Sox beat the Rays 2-0 Friday night in the opener of the ALCS.
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New York Post | Oct 10, 2008
Yankees' outfielder Johnny Damon believes that the Red Sox have a very good chance to repeat as World Series champions this month.
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RealGM Staff Report | Oct 9, 2008
Dick Vitale, who is a longtime Tampa Bay Rays' season ticket holder, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the ALCS versus the Boston Red Sox.
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AP | Oct 8, 2008
The Red Sox plan to open with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound against the Rays on Friday.
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MLB.com | Oct 7, 2008
Red Sox manager Terry Francona hasn't decided who will pitch in Game One of the ALCS against the Rays on Friday.
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AP | Oct 6, 2008
The Rays finished off the White Sox 6-2 on Monday in Game 4 of the AL playoffs.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 5, 2008
The White Sox stayed alive on Sunday afternoon with a 5-3 win over the Rays.
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AP | Oct 3, 2008
The Rays beat the White Sox 6-2 on Friday night to take a commanding lead in their first-round AL playoff series.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | Oct 2, 2008
The Tampa Bay Rays won their first-ever playoff game on Thursday afternoon in Game 1 of their ALDS series, 6-4, against the Chicago White Sox.
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Christopher Reina/RealGM | Oct 2, 2008
Before a heated top of the 7th at bat with two outs and the bases loaded, Orlando Cabrera had faced Tampa Bay's Grant Balfour on four separate occasions dating back to 2004.
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ESPN | Oct 2, 2008
Rays first baseman Carlos Pena was removed from Thursday's ALDS game against the White Sox in the third inning with blurred vision in his left eye.
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Christopher Reina/RealGM | Oct 2, 2008
Evan Longoria joined 29 other players who have homered in their first at bat in the postseeason. He and Gary Gaetti are the only two players to homer in their first two playoff at bats.
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ESPN | Oct 2, 2008
The Rays appear to be leaning towards leaving closer Troy Percival off their roster for the ALDS against the White Sox.
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