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Remembering ex-partner Hubert Mizell’s impact

March 4, 2016 College Sports in Florida

Friday, 6 a.m. The newspaper clippings — the fossils of a bygone era — were faded and yellow, the droppings of a more literate era. Most of them had long given way to film, and then to digital files. Only these remained. For some reason, they were in the desk I was cleaning out a […]

Tagged as: Columnist, Mizell, Tampa Bay, Times

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Rays encouraging despite losing spring opener

March 3, 2016 general

Thursday, 6 a.m. The final score turned out wrong. There’s that. Still, a lot of things turned out okay in the spring training opener of the Tampa Bay Rays, who lost to the Washington Nationals 6-2 Wednesday. For instance, starter Jake Odorizzi had an easy enough outing, retiring the order on eight pitches. For instance, […]

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Can Rays’ pitching win enough games?

March 2, 2016 general

Wednesday, 6 a.m. The questions are like apples in a tree. If you don’t find one you like, hang around. One will hit you on the head. For most teams, spring training comes with three, maybe four questions. Will the new free agent catch on quickly? Can the injured star heal? Can the new ace […]

Tagged as: Archer, Rays, Rotation, Winning

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Tampa Bay’s owners needed harder questions

March 1, 2016 general

6 a.m., Tuesday As the men in charge of the games approached their chairs on the stage, it was a bit like the ascension of man, each trying to stand tall and walk erect. There was Bryan Glazer, whose Bucs look as if they might be improving. There was Stu Sternberg, whose Rays have gone […]

Tagged as: Glazer, Sternberg, Tampa Bay, Vinik

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Ask Gary: Was Archer wrong in leadership try?

February 27, 2016 general

(Each week, the readers take over GarySheltonsports.com and play Ask Gary. They send in a question, or a couple, on Thursday night or Friday morning and we all talk about the world of sports.  Think of it as a radio show where you don’t have to be on hold. Join us and ask a question, make a comment […]

Tagged as: Archer, Kazmaier, Leader, Rules

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Rays’ Hickey has to work his magic again

February 26, 2016 general

Friday, 6 a.m. The years go by, and he gets smarter. These days, there is something you trust about Jim Hickey, the most accomplished man in a Tampa Bay Rays’ uniform. He is the Svengali, the mentor, the teacher. He can take a questionable pitching staff and turn it into something that works. Year after […]

Tagged as: Archer, Hickey, pitching, Rays

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Like it or not, Longo is still the leader

February 25, 2016 Baseball

Thursday, 6 a.m. If the mantle of leadership has become too heavy for Evan Longoria to bear, I say he put it down. By all means. Someone else can call the clubhouse meetings. Someone else can talk to the rookie who isn’t going all out. Someone else can run the Kangaroo Court. If Longoria, the […]

Tagged as: Clubhouse, Leadership, Longoria, Rays

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Where is Losersville? It’s not around here

February 23, 2016 general

Tuesday, 6 a.m. In the tiny nation of Losersville, we can assume that children wear their T-shirts inside out. Here, kids keep training wheels on their bikes until they are 17, and they drink New Coke, and they still watch Mr. McGoo reruns. Adults still drive AMC Pacers, and eight-track tape players are still big, […]

Tagged as: Buc;s, Lightning, Losersville, Rays

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Random thoughts: For UM, recruiting is child’s play

February 21, 2016 Baseball

Sunday, 6 a.m. Hi. I’m Sam Bruce, the eighth-grader who was offered a scholarship by the University of Miami. I’m flattered, of course, and I can see this happening provided I can get into that class on Spongebob Squarepants. – USA Today put together a fairly impressive 22-man lineup for less money than Roger Goodell’s […]

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Ask Gary: Do you believe in the Rays?

February 20, 2016 general

(Each week, the readers take over GarySheltonsports.com and play Ask Gary. They send in a question, or a couple, on Thursday night or Friday morning and we all talk about the world of sports.  Think of it as a radio show where you don’t have to be on hold. Join us and ask a question, make a comment […]

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