January 22
Tampa Tribune
columnist Martin Fennelly
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The Rays are getting the band back together. It'll be Longo on drums, B.J. on lead guitar and 'Los on first base. Just you wait. Next month, Carl Crawford is going to come crawling under the fence at Rays spring training. First things first: Carlos Pena is back, and to some that means more than home runs – or strikeouts. When the news broke Friday, I'm sure there were Rays fans rummaging through closets or hampers for their No. 23 jerseys. There aren't many second acts for athletes in towns that they loved and towns that often loved them. This is one. And there's this: Last September, I was in Chicago, at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were playing and a fierce wind was blowing in. It didn't"
January 19
Tampa Tribune
columnist Martin Fennelly
"
So the Tampa Bay Rays' owner and St. Petersburg mayor have met. Was that really so difficult? Apparently nothing earthshaking emerged between Rays owner Stu Sternberg and St. Petersburg mayor Bill "Secret Plan" Foster. Here's a tip: When people start talking up a meeting between a baseball owner and a mayor as if it was Yalta, beware. We still have no idea if the Rays are going to get a new joint, or where it will be, and what this mayor's end game is other than not being the mayor who let the Rays leave. That's going to take the magic word: Lawyers. Yes, things have been testy at times, but at least none of the following has ever been said — yet:"