B.J. Upton News: Pro Sports Daily

Upton hits for cycle as Rays drub Yankees

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October 3

Tampa Tribune

"With the notable exception of making spectacular over-the-shoulder catches in center field look routine, and, of course, that great month of June, B.J. Upton has had a forgettable 2009 season. Friday night was anything but. The demoted lead-off man became the first player in the Rays' 12-year history to hit for the cycle, delivering a three-run triple in the first inning, a double in the third, a two-run home run in the fourth and an RBI single in a 13-4 laugher against the Yankees. That's right, he hit for the cycle in five innings - the quickest anyone in the majors has done so since Colorado's Mike Lansing pulled it off by the fourth inning on June 18, 2000, against Arizona. When his ..."

Upton has chance to return today

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September 13

Tampa Tribune

"Three days of rest and treatment apparently have done B.J. Upton some good. The struggling center fielder, removed from Wednesday night's game in New York after aggravating his sprained left ankle, told Manager Joe Maddon on Saturday that he believes he can play today. With a doubleheader to play against the Red Sox, the Rays could use Upton if he can run at or near full speed. He wasn't expected back until early this week. The condition of the Fenway Park field after two days of rain could play a factor in a decision. "I'm going to wait until he comes out and has a chance to fully run on it," Maddon said. "If he can tell me he's 100 percent, I'm in. And if he can't tell me that, I'm not ..."

Despite ankle, Rays' Upton still wants to play this year

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September 11

Tampa Tribune

"Pondering before Wednesday night's game what the final weeks of a miserable Tampa Bay Rays season might hold, B.J. Upton envisioned simply trying to make the best of a now-meaningless closing stretch. "Things haven't gone the way we've wanted them to all year," he said quietly, sitting in front of his locker at Yankee Stadium. "When it seems like it can't get any worse, it does." You don't need to be a prophet to understand how true that sentiment rings with the 2009 Rays, and Upton in particular. So it shouldn't have come as a surprise that a few hours later the embattled center fielder badly misplayed a ball and had difficulty getting to two others before being pulled from the game after ..."

B.J. Upton aggravates ankle injury

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September 10

St. Petersburg Times

"B.J. Upton talked before Wednesday's game about wanting to finish his disappointing season strong then purge it from his memory: "I'd like to flush this season down the toilet personally, for me.'' Now there's a question if the centerfielder's season might be over. Upton was removed after the fifth inning, when his recently sprained left ankle prevented him from going hard after several balls. Manager Joe Maddon said they are going to "have to rest him for a bit," and they could decide to shut him down. Upton said the ankle - which he sprained last Thursday - got worse as the game went on, but he hopes to return after a few days of rest and treatment. "I want to play again,'' he said. ..."

Upton injures ankle

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September 4

Tampa Tribune

"An already difficult season got a little worse for CF B.J. Upton when he had to leave Thursday night's game after injuring his left ankle in an outfield collision. Upton was examined by team orthopedist Koco Eaton and officially diagnosed with a sprained ankle. X-rays were negative. Manager Joe Maddon said Upton will get at least the next two games off, and the player said that assessment sounded about right. "The moment I feel better and that I'm able to play, I'm back out there," Upton said. "We'll see how it goes the next couple days, see how it feels, and work from there." Upton and LF Carl Crawford were both tracking a drive to deep left-center field by Dustin Pedroia and collided at ..."

B.J. Upton likely out two games with ankle sprain

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September 4

St. Petersburg Times

"CF B.J. Upton is likely to miss the next two games with a Grade A left ankle sprain suffered in a fifth-inning warning-track collision with LF Carl Crawford on Thursday. "I don't think it's going to be extended,'' manager Joe Maddon said of Upton's absence. Upton left the game and was examined by team orthopedic physician Koco Eaton. X-rays were negative. Upton was chasing a fly ball by Dustin Pedroia to left-center and leaped (bumping into Crawford) before landing awkwardly on the ankle. "I think it was just, we were both calling it - it was kind of one of those in between balls," Upton said. "It was just something we haven't dealt with a lot of the time. I tried to move out of the way, ..."

Rays' B.J. Upton has eventful birthday

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August 22

St. Petersburg Times

"B.J. Upton turned 25 on Friday and found himself the center of attention on two eventful plays. In the second, Upton was caught stealing after getting in a rundown between second and third. He tried to dodge a tag by Elvis Andrus but was called out for running out of the baseline. Upton said he didn't leave the baseline. "(Andrus) was coming at me, and I kind of stopped," Upton said. "And when he got there to tag me, I basically just did a pivot and moved." Manager Joe Maddon, who discussed the play with umpires, backed Upton. "I thought it was a bad call," he said. In the eighth, Upton climbed the wall in an attempt to rob Taylor Teagarden of a home run. But as he jumped, the ball ..."

Willy Aybar, B.J. Upton power Tampa Bay Rays over New York Mets

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June 22

St. Petersburg Times

"There were bigger hits in Sunday's 10-6 series-clinching win over the Mets, such as the massive two-run homer B.J. Upton hit to put the Rays ahead to stay. There were bigger momentum shifts, such as the way they rebounded after Joe Nelson gave up the lead in the sixth (and ended up with the win). There were certainly bigger performances, such as Upton, Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria combining for an 11-hit, six-run, seven-RBI parade at the top of the order and relievers Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell teaming to get the last eight outs. But there may have been no bigger moment than the fifth-inning pinch-hit single by Willy Aybar that started them on their way to victory - which was only ..."

Rays' B.J. Upton hears Gold Glove talk

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June 16

St. Petersburg Times

"B.J. Upton may be in only his second full season in centerfield. But with every difficult catch that Upton makes look easy - like his over-the-shoulder grab Sunday - manager Joe Maddon says the 24-year-old shows that he has the ability to win a Gold Glove. And the player Upton would have to unseat for the award - Angels CF Torii Hunter, who has won eight straight - says Upton should receive "big consideration" for it. "He has everything," Hunter said. "He's smooth to the ball, he has a great arm, he plays centerfield pretty well. That's one guy I respect. I respect the way he plays centerfield. … He's just smooth, he looks like he's not going after the ball, but he's there every time. So ..."

Rays' B.J. Upton hears Gold Glove talk

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June 16

St. Petersburg Times

"B.J. Upton may be in only his second full season in centerfield. But with every difficult catch that Upton makes look easy - like his over-the-shoulder grab Sunday - manager Joe Maddon says the 24-year-old shows that he has the ability to win a Gold Glove. And the player Upton would have to unseat for the award - Angels CF Torii Hunter, who has won eight straight - says Upton should receive "big consideration" for it. "He has everything," Hunter said. "He's smooth to the ball, he has a great arm, he plays centerfield pretty well. That's one guy I respect. I respect the way he plays centerfield. … He's just smooth, he looks like he's not going after the ball, but he's there every time. So I ..."

Upton finally likes what he sees

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June 6

Tampa Tribune

"It's difficult to tell from watching B.J. Upton's facial expressions on the field whether he's in the midst of the worst slump imaginable or a world-class tear. His jaw locked, his face expressionless, he'll never be accused of showing anybody up after making a great catch or hitting a clutch homer. And even though the frustration inevitably surfaced at times during a mostly frustrating first two months of the season, he wasn't exactly tearing up dugouts in anger. That lengthy slump at the plate did a number on Upton, though. And now that it appears he has turned the corner on a skid in which his batting average stayed below .200 from April 24 through May 29 - bottoming out at .143 - Upton ..."

Wait on B.J. Upton's bat might finally be over

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May 17

St. Petersburg Times

"When a man is struggling to find his way home, the worst moments usually come late at night. It has been the story of B.J. Upton's season, that lonely drive away from disappointment. Night after night, he has left Tropicana Field for his half-hour drive home, and mile after mile, he has replayed all the shortcomings in a season that has started all wrong. There was Upton's average, which was low, and his strikeouts, which were high, and the fans' boos, which were loud, and his frustration, which was mounting. As Upton would drive, more analytical than annoyed, it was as if his failures would follow him home. All in all, you might say Upton was in search of a new direction. Finally, there ..."

Upton's all-around game one for the ages

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April 14

Tampa Tribune

"Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg was holding court in the press box during the second inning of Monday's home opener against the Yankees when he stopped to watch Xavier Nady send a blast to center field. "Uh-oh, [a] home run," Sternberg said, his gaze fixed on a flat-screen TV monitor. Nope, it wasn't that deep. "Oh, we've got our center fielder back," Sternberg said, still watching. "He's not going to get that one, though." A little faith next time, Mr. Sternberg. What first looked like a home run and then a double over the center fielder's head became an out when B.J. Upton, racing to the wall like a streaking wide receiver, caught the ball over his head and bounced off the padding. ..."

Upton Won't Be Ready For Season Opener

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March 23

Tampa Tribune

"Joe Maddon this morning all but ruled out the possibility center fielder B.J. Upton will be ready for the season opener April 6 at Boston. "I doubt that," said the Rays manager as his team was getting ready to play the Yankees in a sold-out Grapefruit League game at Charlotte Sports Park. "Yeah, I would say no." Rays executive vice president Andrew Freidman stopped short of echoing Maddon's prognosis, saying, "we still have a couple of weeks" but vowing, "we're not going to put him out there until he's 100 percent healthy." Upton has been making steady progress in his recovery from off-season shoulder surgery, and the fact he was starting to getting on the field and was projected to play ..."

Upton won't be ready for Rays' opener

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March 22

MLB.com

"B.J. Upton was already unlikely to be with the team during its season-opening road trip to Boston and Baltimore. But after Upton got hit by a pitch on Saturday during a Minor League game, it became all but official that Upton won't be with the team to start the season, even though the diagnosis was a bone bruise. "I would say no," said Rays manager Joe Maddon when pressed for an answer about Upton's status. Upton underwent surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder on Nov. 11 and had just begun playing in Minor League games this past week. Maddon said simply they do not want to rush the process, and he wasn't certain Upton would be active by the home opener against the Yankees on ..."

For Once, Upton Happy To Swing And Miss

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March 19

Tampa Tribune

"The exhibition game between the Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis was going on Thursday afternoon before a full house at Charlotte Sports Park. A couple of hundred yards away on a back field before a handful of witnesses, though, the action was at least as intriguing. That's where B.J. Upton had his first swings in a game this spring. He was designated hitter for the Rays Triple-A affiliate from Durham, but the fact he was in a game at all was much more important than the team he played for. The Rays have held him back all spring as he recovers from off-season surgery to his left shoulder. He went 0-for-3 against Orioles prospect David Hernandez - like that matters. "The timing was there," he ..."

Upton impressive at batting practice

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March 7

MLB.com

"B.J. Upton did not look the part of someone returning from shoulder surgery. Saturday morning the Rays' gifted center fielder took batting practice alongside his peers for the first time in the batting cage at Charlotte Sports Park. "First time hitting within the group, just trying to turn up the intensity a little bit," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "[Head athletic trainer] Ronnie [Porterfield] felt by having him involved with the group on the field, he might just pick it up a little more as opposed to hitting on the back field by himself." Upton underwent successful surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder on Nov. 11. And clearly, he felt no pain Saturday, as he sprayed line ..."

B.J. Upton expected to miss first week of season

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January 15

St. Petersburg Times

"Even with his recovery from left shoulder surgery ahead of schedule, Rays centerfielder B.J. Upton expects to miss the first week of the regular season. Upton and the Rays have plotted a cautious path and, though still "hoping" to be ready for opening day April 6, he is targeting the April 13 home opener after the team returns from Boston and Baltimore. "They said cold weather is probably going to be an issue with it, make it ache a little bit," Upton said Wednesday. "So we're going to be careful with it and hopefully when they get back off the road, I can start up. … There's really no rush to it. We just want to make sure I'm 100 percent before I get back on the field." Upton, 24, said ..."

Uptons display quality on, off field

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November 9

Arizona Republic

columnist Paola Boivin

"You begin to tire of it, really, all the marketing people whispering in your ear about how accommodating B.J. and Justin Upton are. "They always show up on time." "I'm not used to athletes being this polite." "Not one complaint while they've been here. Not one." It's a perfect day for baseball at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The sky is robin-egg blue, the sun's thermostat two weeks removed from broil. Although many of the major leagues' young stars - the Uptons, Ryan Howard, Joba Chamberlain - are walking around, no games are being played, only athletes modeling and posing for Adidas' "Know the code" advertising campaign. The pitch, about the unwritten rules of baseball that help players ..."

Upton Takes Advantage Of Chances

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October 24

Tampa Tribune

"The Tampa Bay Rays are the bounce-back kids of the postseason. And no player on the team exemplifies that more than outfielder B.J. Upton. It just wouldn't be a World Series game for the Rays if Upton didn't hit into a double play. Luckily for Tampa Bay, Upton did more than that on Thursday night. A day after going 0-for-4, including two at-bats where he hit into a double play, Upton redeemed himself with an RBI single in the Rays 4-2 victory against Philadelphia. He finished the game 2-for-4. "He's the backbone of this team right now," Rays designated hitter Cliff Floyd said. "He's taking advantage of the confidence and using it to his strength. He's told us he's going to put everything ..."

Rays' Upton takes a step back

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October 23

St. Petersburg Times

columnist Gary Shelton

"The problem with stardom is simple. Shine brightly enough, shine often enough, and pretty soon everyone is going to start steering their boats by you. Just like that, the responsibility for avoiding the rocks has become yours. Take the case of B.J. and a brand new bag of expectations, for instance. For once, Upton did not strap the Rays upon his sore shoulder and carry them to victory. For a change, he was not a budding star using the playoffs to announce it. The nerve of the guy. Upton, like the Rays, had a disappointing night in the Rays' 3-2 loss to Philadelphia in the opener of the World Series on Wednesday night. He hit into a double play. He hit into another double play. He popped ..."

Upton's Postseason Power Short-Circuits in Game 1

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October 23

New York Times

"See B. J. Upton gracefully and effortlessly pursue balls that sail into every nook and cranny of center field. See Upton uncoil a pretty, powerful swing and drill balls into the same spots or even off catwalks. See Upton swipe a base, turning into a 90-foot blur for the Tampa Bay Rays. The images of Upton fielding, hitting and running have been pleasant and plentiful for the Rays during their successful and inspirational October. Upton has been Tampa Bay's best player with seven homers in the postseason, which is only two fewer than he mustered during the regular season. But Upton's onslaught did not continue Wednesday night in his first World Series game as he went 0 for 4, stranded five ..."

Maddon is OK with less BP for Upton

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October 19

Boston Globe

"If people throughout baseball think there's anything to this postseason surge by B.J. Upton, then you may not need to rush to the ballpark to watch batting practice in future years. Upton may have started a trend, because Rays manager Joe Maddon, for one, thinks the lack of batting practice has contributed mightily to the young outfielder's stunning postseason. "We've cut back on the number of swings at batting practice and I think that's helped. You've got a stronger guy right now getting the bat out a lot better," said Maddon, whose viewpoint carries a lot of weight since he's seen Upton play on a daily basis and knows a tender shoulder was plaguing the 24-year-old righthanded hitter. ..."

B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly in 11th inning wins it as Rays beat Red Sox

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October 12

New York Daily News

"The clock at Tropicana Field may have read well past midnight, but the glass slipper is still on Cinderella's foot. The Rays pulled out a dramatic 9-8 win over the Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALCS Saturday night, capping the five-hour, 27-minute marathon with B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th to send the best-of-seven series back to Fenway Park with the teams knotted at one game apiece. The AL East rivals exchanged the lead five times, as the hitters took center stage one night after the Red Sox won the opener, 2-0, on Friday. Dan Wheeler, filling in for injured closer Troy Percival, blew the save in the eighth when his wild pitch allowed Dustin Pedroia to score, but the ..."

In Upton's defense, he's just making it look easy

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August 20

St. Petersburg Times

columnist John Romano

"In the past few days, he has become famous for not caring. Yet he sits before you now with eyes growing red, voice dropping low and resolve seemingly fading. And you begin to wonder if perhaps B.J. Upton has been judged too harshly, after all. Since Aug. 5, the Rays' 23-year-old centerfielder has been humiliated by his manager, booed by Tampa Bay fans and benched twice in three separate instances of lackadaisical play. And, make no mistake, his guilt is clear in all three of these cases, and a few more before that. The problem today is in the extrapolation. The presumption that loafing his way into a double play last week means he is lazy. The suggestion that his nonchalant out at ..."

Upton apologizes for gaffes, says it won't happen again

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August 20

St. Petersburg Times

"CF B.J. Upton's wild Tuesday ended with him explaining his role in a controversial play in the sixth. But the day began with Upton apologizing for a "mental lapse" on the basepaths the night before, saying the last thing he wants is to become a "distraction." Upton said he understood the criticism stemming from Monday's play. He hit a line drive off the leftfield wall but, while coasting into second, was tagged out from behind by Angels 1B Mark Teixeira on what should have been an easy double. "There's no excuse for it," Upton said. "It can't happen, especially in the middle of a pennant race. Every run matters, every out matters. So I want to apologize for it. It's just something that ..."

For Upton, Miscues and Apologies

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August 20

New York Times

"One year after establishing himself as one of the Tampa Bay Rays' best players, B. J. Upton has become their most confounding. Upton, a 23-year-old center fielder, has shown a remarkable tendency to slow down on the bases at inopportune times. He committed yet another blunder Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels, when he smacked what should have been a double to left field. Upton did not immediately run hard, and as he cruised into second assuming the base was uncovered, he was tagged out from behind by first baseman Mark Teixeira. The episode was the latest in a bizarre string for Upton, who was benched by Manager Joe Maddon for one game earlier this month for lack of hustle, then ..."

Upton Struggling To Find Way

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July 19

Tampa Tribune

"Last weekend in Cleveland, he got a day off to work through some things with his swing after getting some tips from Manager Joe Maddon . Maddon characterized them as minor adjustments, just a couple of things Upton had done in the past but strayed from lately. Upton said the crux of it is he wants to be using his hands more in his swing, allowing him to extend and drive the ball more effectively."