PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Scott Kazmir can’t wait to take his cuts.
With the World Series shifting to Philadelphia for the next three games, National League rules apply and there will be no designated hitter in either team’s lineup.
So that gives Kazmir and other Tampa Bay Rays pitchers a rare chance to hit – on baseball’s biggest stage, no less. They might not get much experience at the plate in the AL, but they sure sound eager.
Kazmir is lined up to face Phillies ace Cole Hamels in Game 5. Kazmir is 1-for-10 with one RBI in his big league career.
“Definitely looking forward to it. It’s going to be exciting,” Kazmir said with a smile Friday. “Got a couple bats ready, lined up. It depends on what he’s giving me. If he’s giving me a lot of changeups I’ll just go to the Cliff Floyd model. If I’m getting a lot of heaters I’ll go to the Fernando (Perez).”
pitchers is the biggest threat to go deep?
“We all are,” Kazmir said. “We just had BP yesterday and I think every one of us hit at least one bomb.”
Even teammate Carl Crawford was impressed, but he thinks James Shields is the best hitter of the bunch. Shields isn’t scheduled to start any of the games in Philadelphia.
“They can hit. They love to hit. They practice it,” Crawford said. “It’s too bad Shields don’t get to hit because he’s probably the best hitter out of all of them. But they take a lot of pride in their hitting.”
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CLEMENTE AWARD: Albert Pujols will be presented with the Roberto Clemente Award prior to Game 3 on Saturday, according to a schedule of events issued by the Phillies.
Nominated for the fifth time in six years, Pujols has a charitable foundation and raises money to assist children with Down Syndrome.
The award is given annually to a major league player who combines community service with excellence on the field. Pujols also could win the NL MVP award for the second time in four years next month.
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SWINGTIME: At this point in a long season, some hitters like to cut short their batting practice sessions. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel thinks he has a better idea: Go swing even more.
t in arguments with guys, like Kenny Lofton comes into my mind. When he first started playing, and I’m using him as an example, I used to get mad at him because on Sundays sometimes he’d go to the manager and he wouldn’t have to hit.
“And we came out and it seemed like Kenny was the guy getting all the hits. I told him one day, I said, ‘Kenny, there will come a time when you’re going to have to hit a lot. I said, you’ll see.”’
Manuel learned that discipline when he played pro ball in Japan.
“When I first went there and I got in the batting cage and I could hit like five minutes or take 10 or 15 swings, 25 swings or something, I was dead,” he said. “Let me tell you something: I got to the place where I could stand there for two hours, and it was doing me good.”
“All the years I managed in the minor leagues, nobody outhit our team. When I was hitting coach in Cleveland, nobody outhit our team. I’m big on repetition. And the more you hit, the better you’re going to get,” he said.
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AROUND THE HORN: Hall of Fame pitcher and former Phillies star Steve Carlton is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3. … The Phillies are 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park this postseason but 5-9 in home World Series games. They’ve lost five of the past six. … Philadelphia stranded 22 runners during the first two games.
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AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and Ben Walker contributed to this report.
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