Seth McClung

After the Season...There's Still P-Rays' News

10/10/06 - Appalachian League (ApL) Princeton Devil Rays

Despite the recent completion of the 2006 Appalachian League season, present and past P-Rays are still making a splash throughout the world of baseball. **On the night of September 5, 2006 in St. Petersburg, FL, former P-Rays' pitcher Juan Salas (1999, 2004) and catcher Shawn Riggans (2001) both made their major league debuts for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in a game versus the Minnesota Twins. Salas, who was originally a third baseman on the 1999 P-Rays before resurfacing as a member of the P-Rays' 2004 pitching staff, pitched one inning while Riggans made a pinch hitting appearance late in the game and had two strikes on him before connecting on a single in his first majot league at-bat. They became the second pair of former Princeton players to make their major league debut for the same team in the same game, joining outfielder Rocco Baldelli (2000) and pitcher Seth McClung (1999), who both debuted in Tampa Bay's 2003 season opener on March 31, 2003. Salas and Riggans became the 39th and 40th former players in Princeton's franchise history to see time in a regular season major league game.

**The always popular but hard to get Appalachian League "Top Prospects" card sets are on sale at Hunnicutt Field, the home of the Princeton Devil Rays, but fans who are interested in purchasing these cards are encouraged to act fast as the team only has a very limited supply. The "Top Prospects" set is a 30-card set that features three players from each of the league's teams that have been determined by coaches, scouts, and front office executives to be the best major league prospects for the class of 2006.

**Rain did follow the P-Rays on the road this year as they had games either rained out or suspended by rain at Bluefield, Bristol, Elizabethton,Greeneville, Johnson City, and Kingsport.

**Despite its 28-36 final record, the P-Rays played exciting baseball that local fans appreciated and kept games close as 24 of their 64 games were decided by two runs or less. The P-Rays had a record of 11-13 in these games.

**The team does have some souvenir items remaining and interested persons are invited to contact the P-Rays' front office either by e-mail at raysball@sunlitsurf.com or by telephone at the stadium at (304) 487-2000.

**Elsewhere on this website, a story can be found about P-Rays' fans abusing a car for charity. The result of this car bashing was a presentation of a check by the P-Rays, and on behalf of their fans, for $156.00 to the Mercer County (WV)Animal Shelter.

**The P-Rays' "Salute to Baldness Night" on August 26 was certainly a big hit and the first three fans who had hair and got their heads shaved, not only got free admission for the event (as did all other already bald people) but also received a free book of season tickets for the 2007 season. The first three fans to lose their hair for 2007 tickets were Ted Hill of Princeton, Claude Fletcher of Princeton, and Michael Holbrook of Bluefield, VA. All bald fans on attendance also received a "Bald Is Beautiful" t-shirt which featured in jersey style on the back the name and uniform number 7 of P-Rays bald catcher Craig Albernaz while also having a group picture with Albernaz on the field before the game which was entitled "Alby's Army." It turned out to be Albernaz's night all the way around as he was promoted to Tampa Bay's AA affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits, immediately following the game.

**The aggressive managing style of Jamie Nelson was demonstrated again in 2006 as the P-Rays led the Appalachian League in stolen bases as a team. Centerfielder Desmond Jennings won the league stolen base title to become the third player in Princeton's franchise history to win the stolen base crown, joining Chad Cooper (2003) and and Gregory Sims (1988).