By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 10, 2011
There was a lot, besides nearly 14 seasons and 2,245 games, that went into the Rays recording their 1,000th victory in franchise history last week. A look inside that large round number:
Comparatively speaking
The Rays lineup from their first win, April 1, 1998, with Dave Martinez in rightfield, and the lineup for win 1,000, for which he was the bench coach:
Win No. 1
Quinton McCracken cf
Miguel Cairo 2b
Wade Boggs 3b
Fred McGriff 1b
Paul Sorrento dh
Dave Martinez rf
John Flaherty c
Rich Butler lf
Kevin Stocker ss
Rolando Arrojo p
Win No. 1000
Desmond Jennings lf
B.J. Upton cf
Evan Longoria 3b
Ben Zobrist 2b
Sean Rodriguez ss
Brandon Guyer dh
Casey Kotchman 1b
Kelly Shoppach c
Justin Ruggiano rf
David Price p
By opponents
Blue Jays 120 Orioles 119
Red Sox 94 Yankees 84
Royals 65 Rangers 57
Mariners 56 Tigers 51
Twins 51 Angels 49
A's 48 White Sox 46
Indians 42 Marlins 37
Phillies 12 Nats/Expos 9
D'backs 8 Mets 7
Astros 6 Braves 6
Padres 6 Rockies 5
Brewers 4 Cubs 4
Pirates 4 Cardinals 3
Dodgers 3 Giants 3
Reds 1
Home plate
37 Different stadiums the Rays have won in, including one game each at AT&T Park (Giants), Busch Stadium (Cardinals), RFK Stadium (Nationals), Tokyo Dome (vs. Yankees) and Wrigley Field (Cubs).
By comparison
How long it took to get 1,000 wins compared to other expansion-era teams:
Team Games Team Games
Royals 1,898 D'backs 2,020
Blue Jays 2,076 Angels 2,095
Marlins 2,122 Brewers 2,129
Nationals 2,138 Rockies 2,148
Astros 2,208Rays 2,245
Mets 2,296 Mariners 2,328
Padres 2,375 Rangers 2,380
Milestone wins
No. Date Opp. Winner
1 4-1-1998 11-8 vs. Det. Arrojo
100 7-7-99 3-2 vs. Bos. Eiland
200 9-29-2000 8-6 vs. Bos. Yan
300 8-4-0210-3 vs. CWS Kennedy
400 6-2-04 4-2 at Min. Waechter
500 8-19-05 2-1 vs. Tex. McClung
600 5-28-07 6-5 vs. Det. Glover
700 7-6-08 9-2 vs. KC Shields
800 8-3-09 10-4 vs. KC Kazmir
900 8-18-10 8-6 vs. Tex. Shields
1,000 9-7-11 5-4 vs. Tex. McGee
Time warp
The Rays' improvement is obvious looking at 100-win increments:
To win Games To win Games
100 246 200 237
300 274 400 264
500 232 600 251
700 200 800 181
900 176 1,000 184
Game boys
To get to 1,000 wins, the Rays:
303 players used, with 110 pitchers getting victories
19,905 1/3 innings played
.260 Batting average, scored 10,102 runs, hit 2,172 home runs
4.69 ERA, threw 331,471 pitches, allowed 2,587 home runs
On the other hand …
1,683 Games the Rays needed to lose their first 1,000
9-11 memories
• Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg was in his office two blocks away with a clear view of the World Trade Center and felt the attacks before he saw them. He and his employees evacuated, and he walked amid the disaster and debris 4-5 miles to his sister's apartment. He still has the shoes he wore — "still covered in the soot, stored in a plastic bag where I can see them.''
• The Rays played the first game at Yankee Stadium after the attacks, on Sept. 25, 2001, participating in an emotional ceremony, wearing NYPD/FD caps and donating their day's pay to the relief effort (and winning 4-0). "The way tonight was," Rays starter Tanyon Sturtze said, "everyone was just playing for New York."
Rays rumblings
Executive vice president Andrew Friedman was No. 1 on the Chicago Tribune's most recent "power ranking" of candidates for the Cubs GM job, which noted he "has all the goods that the Ricketts family likes — young, analytical, successful — and raided the Cubs system when he gave up Matt Garza;" senior VP Gerry Hunsicker was 14th. … Who thought we'd see the day when Johnny Damon had shorter hair than Joe Maddon? … The Rays don't have any presence in the Moneyball movie, though Damon's departure from the A's is a central, and somewhat negative, theme. Former Rays Carlos Peña and Chad Bradford are featured. … Guy Gallagher's Tropicana Field visiting clubhouse was voted second best behind Yankee Stadium in the Sports Illustrated poll of MLB players. … RHP James Shields' 2012 option went up $500,000, to $7.5 million, because he pitched 600 innings over 2009-11, and that could increase another $500,000 if he's a top-five finisher in the Cy Young voting. … One theory on ex-Rays GM Chuck LaMar's resignation from his job with the Phillies, per the Philadelphia Daily News, is a dispute over investment in player development. Others say that's not it.
Got a minute? James Shields
Must-see TV? The League, it's a show about fantasy football, and it's hilarious.
Big night out meal? Bern's Steak House; I really like the dessert room.
Band you'd like to be on stage with? I'd have to go with Metallica, for sure.
Worst job? At Bed Bath & Beyond, in appliances. It didn't last very long, put it that way.
With your wife Ryane's permission, dream date? (Actor) Mila Kunis, from Friends With Benefits and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
561
at home
439
on the road
298
in the day
702
at night
365
on grass
635
on turf