"After a winter of departures, Rays players and manager Joe Maddon liked hearing that Manny Ramirez had been added to their roster.

They were even more excited Thursday by the sounds of Ramirez's first morning in camp.

First, that he was in the batting cage by 8 a.m. for an extended session with hitting coach Derek Shelton four days before he had to be here.

Then, that he talked about how motivated he is to produce this season.

"I've just got a chip on my shoulder that I want to be here and I want to get my stuff right and show people that I can play," Ramirez said. "That's just me. I want to go and get that feel back that I've still got it."

Said Maddon, "It means it could be a very exciting year for the Rays. I just see, for me, a guy that is focused, that is driven right now. And I love the idea that he feels as though he needs to go out there, wants to go out there and prove something.""