2. Inside Pitch / May 9 – June 15, 2014 3
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16 The Dirt on Heath Bell
Heath dishes on food trucks, gingerbread houses
and clubhouse gags.
39 Positive Impact
Chris 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 Warriors
The 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
OFF THE BENCH
COVER&TOC:STEVENKOVICH
The Lineup
MAY 9 – JUNE 15, 2014 / ISSUE 2
39

3. 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 atTropicana 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, NewYork andToronto, 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.
49
PG.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
E X A M I N I N G TH E B A L L PA R K S O F TH E
S T O R Y B Y G E O R G E P A P P A S
FENWAY
PARK
TROPICANA
FIELD
ROGERS
CENTRE
ORIOLE
PARK
YANKEE
STADIUM

4. 50
PG.
PARK
FACTORS
BB
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACT
R
H
2B
3B
HR
M
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
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 TH E TA M PA B AY R AYS 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.”
46.8
PERCENTAGE OF
TRIPLES ABOVE
LEAGUE AVERAGE
AT TROPICANA
FIELD, AMONG
THE MOST
FAVORABLE
PARKS IN THE
MAJORS.
YEAR OPENED: 1990
CAPACITY: 31,042
SURFACE: Synthetic (AstroTurf
Game Day Grass 3D-60 H)
FENCE HEIGHT: 11'5" in left and
right field, 9'4" in center field.
370
404
370
315 322
PARK PROFILE
THE RAYS KNOW THE NUANCES OF TROPICANA FIELD AND
ITS TURF, AND HAVE DEFENDED THEIR HOME PARK TO
THE SECOND-BEST RECORD IN THE MAJORS SINCE 2008.
SKIPMILOS

5. 52
PG.
PARK
FACTORS
BB
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PAR
FAC
R
H
2B
3B
HR
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
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 TH E TO R O NTO B L U E J AYS 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: 1989
CAPACITY: 49,282
SURFACE: Synthetic
(AstroTurf Game Day Grass 3D)
FENCE HEIGHT: 10'
TROPICANA FIELD
OUTFIELD COMPARISON
375 375
400
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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C

6. 53
PG.
PARK
FACTORS
BB
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PAR
FAC
R
H
2B
3B
HR
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
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 TH E B A LTI 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: 1992
CAPACITY: 45,971
SURFACE: 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
364
410
373
333 318
PARK PROFILE
NESTLED JUST WEST OF BALTIMORE’S INNER
HARBOR, THIS ORIGINAL RETRO-CLASSIC
PARK IS KNOWN FOR ITS HITTER-FRIENDLY
DIMENSIONS AND OPTIMAL PLAYING SURFACE.
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7. 54
PG.
PARK
FACTORS
BB
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PAR
FAC
R
H
2B
3B
HR
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
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 TH E B O STO 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: 1912
CAPACITY: 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
379
420
380
310
302
PARK PROFILE
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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8. 56
PG.
PARK
FACTORS
BB
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
PARK
FACTORS
R
H
2B
3B
HR
MLB Average
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
w H O M E O F TH E N E W YO R K YA N K E E S w
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 atYankee 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: 2009
CAPACITY: 50,291
SURFACE: 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
TROPICANA FIELD
OUTFIELD COMPARISON
318 314
PARK PROFILE
THE SHORT PORCH IN RIGHT
FIELD MAKES YANKEE STADIUM
A HOMER HAVEN FOR LEFT-
HANDED PULL HITTERS AND
RIGHTIES WITH POWER TO THE
OPPOSITE FIELD.
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Yankee S