Inside Pitch / May 9 – June 15, 2014  3

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rick Vaughn EXECUTIVE EDITORS George Pappas, Dave HallerCREATIVE DIRECTOR Erik Ruiz MANAGING EDITOR Jake Hornstein PHOTOGRAPHY Steven Kovich, Skip Milos PRINTING HOUSE MLI Integrated Graphic SolutionsCONTRIBUTORS Dave Scheiber, Lauren Mannion, Andrew Tortu, Craig Vanderkam

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16 The Dirt on Heath BellHeath dishes on food trucks, gingerbread houses and clubhouse gags.

39 Positive ImpactChris Archer has taken the road less traveled on his way to major league stardom, and as his mentors

and books have all told him, that’s made all the difference. Now he’s

paying it forward.

49 Road WarriorsThe Rays have owned the AL East on the road the last five years. Inside Pitch asked players and coaches to size up the parks around the division.

HEART OF THE ORDER

  5  Promotions & Events Schedule

  8  The Rundown » Longo homers for the pups » Wil Myers produces for MTV » Kids read their way to the ballpark

20  The Squad: 2014 Roster

30  Game Break: Guess the Autograph

34  Game Scorecard

59  Fan 411: Ballpark Info » Frequently Asked Questions » Local Craft Brew on the Porch » Things to Do

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The LineupMAY 9 – JUNE 15, 2014 / ISSUE 2

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Teams otherwise compete in settings with other variables in play that can affect the outcomes of games — and often do. Among them, high walls, low-hanging catwalks and short foul lines are a trio of factors from the many nuances that affect the context of a game and make any one major league park play differently from another.

The Rays have enjoyed tremendous success at Tropicana Field; since 2008, they’ve put together the second-best home record (302-184) in Major League Baseball. But going on the road has done nothing to faze them against the ultra-competitive American League East. Although about 46 percent of their annual road schedule passes through Baltimore, Boston, New York and Toronto, to their credit, the Rays have compiled the best road record (99-84) among their AL East counterparts during division play since ’09.

“It creates an electric atmosphere whenever we’re playing in-division games because it seems everyone is our rival now,” Ben Zobrist says.

“We’ve developed a following most every place we go to now,” Manager Joe Maddon adds. “To be able to play in this division and have fans come up to you and say, ‘I like what you’re doing and respect your team,’ that’s kind of impressive. And we may hear a smattering of boos because we’ve gotten better — and I love that.”

The Rays are familiar with the parks around their division, and it’s given them an edge when they venture from home. They told us about each AL East park’s unique features and how they play differently compared to Tropicana Field.

UNLIKE OTHER PROFESSIONAL SPORTS, BASEBALL’S FIELDS OF COMPETITION DON’T HAVE TRULY UNIFORM DIMENSIONS. THERE ARE A FEW STANDARD MEASUREMENTS, LIKE BASES BEING SPACED 90 FEET APART, AND 60 FEET, 6 INCHES SEPARATING THE MOUND RUBBER FROM HOME PLATE.

49PG.

�elds � Play�AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

E X A M I N I N G T H E B A L L P A R K S O F T H E

S T O R Y B Y G E O R G E P A P P A S

FENWAYPARK

TROPICANAFIELD

ROGERSCENTRE

ORIOLEPARK

YANKEE STADIUM

50PG.

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A GROUP OF PITCHERS INCLUDING EX-RAY JAMES SHIELDS REQUESTED HILLTOPPER PACKING CLAY FROM ARIZONA FOR THE MOUND AND HOME PLATE AREAS. HEAD GROUNDSKEEPER DAN MOELLER SAYS HILLTOPPER RETAINS MOIS-TURE BETTER THAN MOST CLAYS, NOTING HITTERS AND PITCHERS CAN DIG IN AND STILL GET GOOD FOOTING.

With its deep outfield and power alleys, Tropicana Field has a reputation as a pitcher’s park.

“When the ball gets in the gap here, it does not car-ry out,” hitting coach DEREK SHELTON says.

Tropicana Field has consistently rated in the lowest quarter of major league ballparks for runs based on park factors, a scaling system giving stadiums context and a baseline for comparison. In comparison, all four of the Rays division rivals have ranked among the top five offensive parks in the AL. The run environment might appear to be a detriment, but the conditions fa-vor pitching and defense, Joe Maddon’s mantra, and allow the Rays to better defend their home turf.

Speaking of turf, the playing field is comprised of about 136,000 square feet of AstroTurf Game Day Grass 3D-60 H. Its synthetic fibers are 2 1/4 inches thick and sit on 1 3/4 inches of layered sand and rubber backfill, which provides a cushion beneath the turf and gives players relief from the cement floor.

Notably, Tropicana Field is the only major league park to feature an artificial surface and all-dirt base paths, which measure about 6 inches in thickness. Because batted balls travel faster on synthetic turf than natural grass, the grounds crew uses 3 inches of firm, Tennes-see clay for the top layer on the infield and base paths. This allows the ball to travel at a consistent speed and hop as it moves from infield turf to clay.

Concrete beneath the field and the air condition in-side the ballpark dry out the clay over the course of the game, meaning a sharply hit grounder in the ninth

w H O M E O F T H E T A M P A B A Y R A Y S w

inning or later could move quicker across the clay than the same ball hit in the first inning. Head groundskee-per Dan Moeller and his assistant, Mike Deubel, flood the clay with water every day to revitalize it for optimal playing conditions, and maintain a running dialogue with players to keep the field manicured to their speci-fications.

“Dan does such a good job,” EVAN LONGORIA men-tions. ”They listen to everything that every guy says about how they like their areas and try to tailor it to what we like.”

“We talk to Longoria every day,” Moeller says. “Sometimes he’ll approach us or we’ll go to him, but we know if the clay is too chunky or chipping away.”

46.8PERCENTAGE OF TRIPLES ABOVE LEAGUE AVERAGE AT TROPICANA FIELD, AMONG THE MOST FAVORABLE PARKS IN THE MAJORS.

YEAR OPENED: 1990CAPACITY: 31,042SURFACE: Synthetic (AstroTurf Game Day Grass 3D-60 H)FENCE HEIGHT: 11'5" in left and right field, 9'4" in center field.

370404

370

315 322

PARK PROFILE

THE RAYS KNOW THE NUANCES OF TROPICANA FIEL

D AND

ITS TURF, AND HAVE DEFENDED THEIR HOME PAR

K TO

THE SECOND-BEST RECORD IN THE MAJORS SINCE 2

008.

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THE RAYS HAVE PLAYED THEIR BEST ROAD BASEBALL WHEN THE SCHEDULE TAKES THEM THROUGH TORONTO, POSTING A 27-18 RECORD SINCE 2009. “THEIR FANS GET ON US THE MOST,” JOE MADDON SAYS, “BUT IT’S A BIG, INTERNATIONAL CITY WITH A STRONG EUROPEAN VIBE. IT’S ONE OF OUR FAVORITES.”

Rogers Centre is the other ballpark in the AL East with an artificial surface, but the differences start from there. Toronto’s AstroTurf Game Day 3D is half as thick as the turf at Tropicana Field. Groundskeep-ers roll and store it to accommodate for events at the facility when the team is out of town. The result is a harder playing surface that gives batted balls more height as they bounce along the turf and oc-casionally funky hops when they strike the seams connecting the panels.

“Their turf creates a bit of a different game,” BEN ZOBRIST says. “When I’m playing the infield, I sit back on the ball more than I might at other places to get it on the big hop. The bounce continues for a longer period of time, and more balls get through that infield.”

Balls hit on the fly to the outfield are also more prone to carom over outfielders’ heads.

“You might have to jump to knock them down, and they take off when they get by you,” DAVID DEJESUS says. “And whenever you’re diving for a ball in the outfield, those are impact hits on your body. You’ve got to make sure you’re getting treat-ment and recovering.”

Another factor at Rogers is the retractable roof, the only one of its kind in the East, and one of six around the majors.

w H O M E O F T H E T O R O N T O B L U E J A Y S w

“During the day, it’s more difficult for the glare off the fans to see the ball off the bat,” WIL MYERS says.

The position of the roof also affects ball flight.“You can tell the difference in the time of year,

how the weather or the atmosphere is, and how the ball carries,” DEREK SHELTON explains.

The ball tends to fly the best when the roof is closed, Zobrist says. He’s logged an .892 OPS in 50 career games at Rogers Centre. “But with the roof closed, it won’t fly as well. I’ve always hit well there.”

22PERCENTAGE ABOVE LEAGUE AVERAGE FOR EXTRA-BASE HITS & HOMERS FOR RIGHT-HANDED BATTERS AT TORONTO.

YEAR OPENED: 1989CAPACITY: 49,282SURFACE: Synthetic (AstroTurf Game Day Grass 3D)FENCE HEIGHT: 10'

TROPICANA FIELD OUTFIELD COMPARISON

375 375400

328 328

PARK PROFILE

HARD TURF CAN CHALLENGE CLUBS VISITING TORONTO’S ROGERS CENTRE, BUT THIS INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION WITHIN THE DIVISION IS A RAYS FAVORITE — ESPECIALLY FOR HITTERS.

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THE HIGH RIGHT-FIELD WALL AND SHORT POWER ALLEYS AT ORIOLE PARK MAKE IT ONE OF THE WORST PARKS TO HIT TRIPLES, ESPECIALLY FOR LEFTIES. THE PARK FACTOR FOR TRIPLES RATES CAMDEN YARDS 23 PERCENT BELOW LEAGUE AVERAGE.

Major League Baseball has applauded Oriole Park at Camden Yards since its opening for being the first of the baseball-only facilities built in the 1990s and 2000s using retro design elements. The O’s had previously occupied Memorial Stadium, which was built to accommodate Baltimore’s baseball and foot-ball franchises. Their old home was a predecessor to the concrete-and-steel, symmetrical, multi-purpose parks of the ‘60s and ‘70s. In contrast, Oriole Park’s arched façade and asymmetrical playing dimensions signaled a departure from the era of “cookie-cutter” stadiums and a welcomed return to the classic ball-park design of the early 20th century. The league landscape has changed dramatically since then, marked by the building or renovation of 12 retro-clas-sic and 11 retro-contemporary ballparks.

The dimensions also have turned it into a real home run park. That explains in part the Rays’ .819 OPS rat-ing there since 2009, their highest among road parks in the AL East.

“Balls go out there that wouldn’t go out in any park in our division,” BEN ZOBRIST says. DAVID DEJESUS agrees. “In the summertime, when it gets really hot, the ball starts traveling. Balls in the gap are either go-ing to be homers or played off the walls, so you can play a little shallower and take away those ‘bloop’ hits.” It also allows for highlight-worthy grabs. “The other thing with Camden: The walls are 7 feet, so you can see some spectacular catches because the guys

at Camden Yards

w H O M E O F T H E B A LT I M O R E O R I O L E S w

Oriole Park�

can get up over it,” DEREK SHELTON notes. The Rays favor the infield in Baltimore over the

other road parks within the division. “Their infield probably plays the best, as far as the surface and the trueness of the hops,” EVAN LONGORIA comments. Zobrist adds, ”It gets a little dry and choppy during the day, but they’ve got a great surface there at night.“

And the fans? “The Baltimore fans are really into their ball club,”

JOE MADDON says. “You could go back in the day when [Earl] Weaver was there and Jim Palmer, and eventually Eddie [Murray] and Cal [Ripken Jr.]. You’ve had all that winning going on.”

65RAYS HOME RUNS AT CAMDEN YARDS SINCE ’09, THEIR MOST AMONG ALL ROAD PARKS.

YEAR OPENED: 1992CAPACITY: 45,971SURFACE: Natural (Kentucky Bluegrass)FENCE HEIGHT: 7' high, with a 21-foot wall extending 100' from the right-field line toward center field.

TROPICANA FIELD OUTFIELD COMPARISON

364410

373

333 318

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NESTLED JUST WEST OF BALTIMORE’S INNE

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HARBOR, THIS ORIGINAL RETRO-CLASSIC

PARK IS KNOWN FOR ITS HITTER-FRIENDLY

DIMENSIONS AND OPTIMAL PLAYING SURFACE

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MLB ESTABLISHED MINIMUM FIELD DIMENSIONS. FENWAY PARK AND WRIGLEY FIELD FALL SHORT BUT ARE EX-EMPT BECAUSE THEY WERE BUILT BEFORE 1958. ALTHOUGH THE COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE ISSUES PROVISIONAL EXEMPTIONS, RULE 3.13 MAKES ALL DIMENSIONS LEGAL IF FOUND ACCEPTABLE BY THE VISITING MANAGER.

The oldest and smallest ballpark in the majors, Fen-way Park has plenty of celebrated eccentricity. The Green Monster, the high wall in left field, is its most famous feature. Positioned a short 310 feet away, the Monster rises 37 feet and entices batters — es-pecially righthanders — to try to pop balls over and onto Lansdowne Street. Pesky’s Pole, in right field, juts into the playing field 302 feet from home plate, creating the shortest foul line in the big leagues. Hit-ters have long favored the field’s irregular configura-tion, but Fenway presents its share of challenges for visitors.

“Fenway, to me, is one of the toughest parks to hit in because it’s so odd-shaped,” BEN ZOBRIST says.DEREK SHELTON elaborates, “We’re fortunate

because we play there a lot; our guys don’t try to change their approach to it. But a left-handed batter may think, ‘All I’ve got to do is slap a ball that way,’ and a righthander will end up spinning off trying to hit balls over the Monster.”

Fenway is one of EVAN LONGORIA’s favorite parks to hit in, “But center to right field gets big pretty quick,” he says. “Usually the wind blows in from right and makes it tough to lead the ballpark the other way and drive the ball into the gap.”

Some players have trouble during the day with the non-traditional batter’s eye. “There’s actually seats you’re picking the ball out of,” WIL MYERS says.

Defending balls hit off the Green Monster can also trouble visitors.

“The first time I played a ball off it, the ball hit,

w H O M E O F T H E B O S T O N R E D S O X w

bounced and went over my glove when I tried to catch it,” MATT JOYCE recalls.

“If I’m looking at the wall, it’s going to bounce to my right — that’s usually how it comes off,” DAVID DEJESUS suggests. “Then you get those points on the scoreboard where, if it hits an edge, the ball can shoot anywhere,” he says. “You can get some cheap hits off the wall. I think that’s something they use to their advantage and why they’re tough to beat at home.”

But, as JOE MADDON notes, the Rays enjoy Fen-way. “Just being a historian, being able to play in that ballpark is fascinating, interesting and wonderful.”

33PERCENTAGE OF TRIPLES (FROM MLB AVERAGE) THAT FENWAY’S DIMENSIONS AND FEATURES TAKES AWAY FROM RIGHT-HANDED BATTERS.

YEAR OPENED: 1912CAPACITY: 37,071 (day), 37,499 (night)SURFACE: Natural (Kentucky Bluegrass)FENCE HEIGHT: Green Monster (37'), Center Field (17'), Bullpens (5'), Right Field (3-5')

TROPICANA FIELD OUTFIELD COMPARISON

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FENWAY’S QUIRKY FEATURES AND IRREGULAR DIMENSIONS MIGHT INVITE EXTRA-

BASE HITS AND HOMERS, BUT THEY’VE TAKEN AWAY THEIR FAIR SHARE, TOO.

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ACCORDING TO RAYS PLAYERS, BATTED BALLS AND BASE RUNNERS TRAVEL SLOWER ON YANKEE STADIUM’S INFIELD THAN ANY OTHER PARK IN THE DIVISION. “THEY LEAVE THE GRASS A LITTLE BIT LONGER ON THE INFIELD, AND THE DIRT IS THICKER,” EVAN LONGORIA SAYS.

The spacious visiting clubhouse, state-of-the-art train-ing facilities and gourmet food service place Yankee Stadium among the Rays favorite destinations. “After a getaway day, they have lobster tails and steaks,” DAVID DEJESUS notes. In spite of the off-the-field comforts, the House that George Built has been in-hospitable in division play. From 2009-13, the Rays have suffered their only losing road record to an East opponent (21-25) while visiting the Bronx, compared to their 27-18 record against the Yankees at Tropicana Field over that span.

Built in the image of the 1923 original, Yankee Sta-dium III retains a characteristic feature from all historic phases of the ballpark: the short porch in right field. “Even though it’s Yankee Stadium [III], it still has that moniker on it,” JOE MADDON quips. “It’s always fun and a pleasure playing versus that tradition and all the ghosts and banners.”

During the era of Babe Ruth, the fence stood as close as 295 feet down the foul line, while the deep-est part of center field measured a daunting 490 feet. Today’s fence is positioned 314 feet away at the foul pole, consistent with the dimensions at Yankee Sta-dium II. However, the wall averages five feet closer to the plate on the right side because it runs almost entirely straight from the corner approaching center field. This was a change from the curved walls at the previous park, but was necessary to accommodate for the embedded scoreboard.

“The Stadium plays different, especially when you get left-handed pull hitters, which is what they’ve built their club around,” DEREK SHELTON says. “The advan-tage we see with a guy like Longo is the ability to drive

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the ball the other way. A ball that may be an out or a double at the Trop ends up carrying into the seats.” (Evan Longoria’s 12 homers in 40 games as a visi-tor to Yankee Stadium III lead all active players.) BEN ZOBRIST chimes in: “There are balls I’ve seen hit into right field there that are sure outs in every other park and there it’s a home run. They can tailor their game to it, but we’ve taken advantage of it when we go there.”WIL MYERS hit his first career homer, a grand slam

off CC Sabathia, to right-center and homered twice in a game on the Rays next trip to New York. “It’s got such good carry to right,” he says, adding, “The bat-ter’s eye at Yankee Stadium is the best. It’s dark, high. You see the ball really well there.”

23PERCENTAGE OF HOMERS ABOVE LEAGUE AVERAGE HIT BY LEFT-HANDED BATTERS AT YANKEE STADIUM III SINCE ITS OPENING.

YEAR OPENED: 2009CAPACITY: 50,291SURFACE: Natural (Kentucky Bluegrass)FENCE HEIGHT: 8'5" from left field corner until Yankees bullpen in right center, ultimately decreasing to 8' in the right field corner (Previously 10' at Yankee Stadium II).

399

408

385

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318 314

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THE SHORT PORCH IN RIGHT

FIELD MAKES YANKEE STADIUM

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