Added pressure fine for Maddon

HAZLETON – While it won’t be visible, the Tampa Rays will be going into the 2009 with more than the names and numbers on the backs of the players’ jerseys.

There’s also going to be large target. The kind of target that comes with being a champion.

“We have a bigger target on our back which I kind of dig,” said Maddon, who led the Rays to the American League championship last season and a berth in the World Series. “It’s going to be fun and we’ll be very competitive. It’s going to be a blast.”

The Rays manager is spending a few days in his hometown of Hazleton to visit family members and friends, and to help raise money to restore the auditorium at his alma mater – the former Hazleton High School. Maddon was at the high school Tuesday night to sign autographs and meet hundreds of fans.

Maddon knows there will be much more pressure on the Rays this season, starting with spring training. Going into last season, expectations weren’t very high after Tampa finished in last place in the American League East in 2007.

The reigning American League Manager of the Year says pressure doesn’t have to be negative.

“I like the idea there’s that added pressure,” he said. “I think sometimes there’s a big positive attached to pressure. It pretty much means you have to bring out the best in yourself to maintain a certain level or status.

“For me, for us, we have a bigger target. There’s a lot of pressure. Beautiful. Bring it on.”

While Maddon has been busy getting married, going on a honeymoon, and visiting other countries, the New York Yankees have been busy spending $322 million to secure the services of free agent pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, and first baseman Mark Teixeira.

“A lot is going to be made of the Yankees right now, with Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett. Those guys are all really good players and the Yankees are good. But what I tell everyone, and I say this sincerely, you can’t be concerned about what other people are doing. We have to control what we can internally. We have a certain way we like to play the game. We have a certain way in which we go about obtaining our talent.

“I don’t want to sound pretentious, but I don’t worry about the Yankees, Red Sox or anything like that. It matters what we do.”

Maddon and the Rays were successful last year despite having the second-youngest team and the second-lowest payroll of the 30 major league teams.

I enjoy the competition, competing against them under these different circumstances.

“When you look at our guys, they’re going to be worth that dough in a couple years when they get on the free agent market,” said Maddon. “We happen to have them at a younger age. I love my guys. I wouldn’t trade them for anybody. Furthermore, I really like the way we do things. It’s got a pure feeling to it. A baseball purist’s kind of a feeling. I think the average fan can identify with it.”

Maddon says there will come a day when he’ll be able to enjoy what he and the Rays accomplished last year.

“I was hoping, when I got here, I would have chance to reflect,” he said. “I hope I’ll have that chance over the next couple of days. I know what we did is unusual. I know what we did in an athletic sense is pretty spectacular. I get all of that. It will hit me at some point in a real quiet time when I have that opportunity to reflect. I’ll have to be alone somewhere because that’s just how I operate.

“I was kind of amazing where we had come from the last couple of years to where we arrived at this year. I know that and so do our guys. It was kind of special and unique.”

HT Sports

Tampa Bay manager and Hazleton native ready to get back in dugout.

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