Sanchez looks ahead

[BuckFoston]

ST. PETERSBURG - Three hours before Thursday's Orioles-Devil Rays game, a dozen reporters with notebooks and recorders crowded around Rays centerfielder Alex Sanchez . A few minutes later came Round 2, with a half-dozen cameras and microphones.

Now Sanchez hopes all the hubbub of his 10-day suspension for using a performance-enhancing substance has ended and he can talk about baseball.

"I'm going to be focused on the game right now and not on what happened to me," said Sanchez, who made his season debut. "I really don't want to look back anymore. I want to put it in the past."

But will it stay there?

"I think if he plays well it will be a forgotten event except for trivia: Who was the first player suspended?" Rays manager Lou Piniella said. "Outside of that, I don't see it having an adverse effect."

Piniella and the Rays did their best to shield Sanchez from controversy, shipping him to the minor-league facility for most of the suspension. Before Sanchez returned to the Rays, Piniella and the public relations staff advised him on how to deal with the aftershocks.

"I think he has been positive in his comments and has shown remorse in his comments," Piniella said. "It's not like he has to defend that he hit 55 home runs last year or anything like that. He made a mistake and he has paid for it, so now let's leave the kid alone and let him play baseball."

There's a chance, though, that fans on the upcoming trip to Boston and New York won't leave Sanchez alone.

"I'm hoping he doesn't (face comments from fans)," Piniella said. "I don't see why he should. He's not a household name."

GATHRIGHT DEMOTED: To make room for Sanchez, the Rays sent speedster Joey Gathright to Triple-A Durham.

"Rather than have Joey sitting on the bench, we felt the best thing for him was go down and play on an everyday basis and be ready in case we need him," Piniella said. "You want your kids playing, not sitting."

The Rays, overall, were pleased with Gathright's stint. He struggled a bit defensively, but batted .350 (7-for-20) with a triple and three stolen bases.

"He is much improved over what we saw last year," general manager Chuck LaMar said. "He's more confident in his own abilities, both offensively and defensively. I think he showed everybody that if he continues to progress like he has, he can be an everyday player."

COLOME OUT: Reliever Jesus Colome will go on the disabled list today because of tendinitis in his right (pitching) shoulder. Colome threw only six pitches Thursday in the seventh inning before being removed by Piniella, who noticed Colome's fastball was around 86 mph, much slower than his usual mid 90s.

"Feels bad," Colome said after the game. "I could not get any extension at all."

Colome said he will examined further today in St. Petersburg.

Piniella said St. Petersburg's Doug Waechter will be called up and work out of the bullpen. Waechter was 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts in Durham.

JOHNSON DEBUT: Catcher Charles Johnson made his Rays debut. That was delayed because of a five-day personal leave, which he still won't discuss even though it might end any speculation.

"People are going to say what they want to say," Johnson said. "It was a personal matter and I had to take care of it. I really don't have any more to say about it. People are going to write what they want to write anyway."

MISCELLANY: Jorge Cantu extended his hitting streak to nine games, a career high and the team's third longest to start a season. In 2003, Rocco Baldelli started with a 13-game streak. ... Rightfielder Aubrey Huff played despite having an abscessed tooth pulled before the game. ... Sanchez batted third for the first time in his career. ... The Rays drew 109,445 in the nine-game homestand.http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/15/Ra...ks_ahead.shtml

[j05son]

The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno was making fun of that situation...sanchez' suspension.

not word for word...but close...

"Sanchez on steriods, he hit 2 homers last year...Better get him so more."

"I love this new rule that Baseball has, everytime giambi and bonds hits a homer, Sanchez gets suspended."

[RockSports17]

I expected to see some of those late night shows to make fun of MLB, Steroids, and anybody who gets caught.

I just don't find Jay Leno very funny.