Do the Tampa Bay Rays need a team captain?

July 12, 10:05 PMTampa Bay Rays ExaminerRob Quinn

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Should Carlos Pena don the 'C' for the Rays? AP/Steve Nesius

The Rays limped into the All-Star break by dropping two home games in disappointing fashion to the last-place Oakland Athletics. Blowing two late-inning leads at home to end what would have to be considered a fairly successful first half of the season will certainly leave a bad taste in your mouth. Some Rays’ fans may be searching for answers. How can we limit similar disappointments in the future?

Here’s a thought: Name a team captain. It’s not a tactic often employed by MLB clubs, but there may be some merit in the idea for the Rays. It’s a tough decision to make, because you don’t necessarily want to mess with the good chemistry of the young Rays. It could be helpful, however, to have that extra leader on the field to help extend Joe Maddon’s positive influence outside the dugout in crucial times for the team.

Maddon is an excellent manager, in my opinion the perfect man to lead the Rays. He’s somehow managed to accelerate the development of the team with his patience and positive attitude. Every member of the Rays has learned a lot from Maddon. He’s been the rock and has not allowed any negativity to infiltrate the clubhouse and he’s shielded the players from any criticism (not that there’s been much to criticize over the last year and a half). As the years go by, however, it’s possible the relationship between Maddon and the players will have to change.

This is a team in transition, and so far they are handling it well. The Rays are making the transition from talented youngsters who don’t know they’re not supposed to win yet to talented veterans with playoff expectations. A big part of making this a successful transformation will be the Rays’ ability to deflect the pressure of expectations and remain focused on playing to the best of their abilities and having fun – the same combination of factors the Rays rode to the 2008 World Series. Joe Maddon may find it useful, as the Rays make this transition, to have that team captain as an extension of himself and his own leadership, to help refocus the Rays when necessary in ways a manager cannot possibly accomplish.

Who would be the ideal candidate? Four players come to mind. Ideally, you want your team captain to be an everyday position player. Pitchers, though they may have an incredible influence in the clubhouse, are not on the field everyday and to carry out the responsibilities of team captain, you really need to be involved in every game. Here are my four candidates:

Carl Crawford: The dean of the Rays, he lets his play do the talking and is a lead-by-example kind of guy. He’s been with the team through the dark times and nobody wants to lead the Rays to glory more than this guy. The only drawback for Crawford is his contract. You don’t want to make a guy team captain and then have him leave less than two years later. The Rays have an option for 2010, but beyond that his future with the team is uncertain.

Jason Bartlett: The MVP of the 2008 Rays is already recognized as a clubhouse leader. He’s such a consistent contributor and a very smart player. The Rays pretty much have a second manager on the field with Bartlett at shortstop, why not just go ahead and make him the captain? He may not be the most vocal guy in the world, but he gets a lot of respect from his teammates.

Evan Longoria: Making Longo the captain would be the equivalent of going the Pittsburgh Penguins/Sidney Crosby direction with the captaincy. The Rays know Longoria will be the face of the franchise and its best player for years to come. They have him locked up to a long-term contract and would like nothing more than to see this kid spend his entire career in Tampa Bay. Longoria is already a fan favorite and if he can become a team leader on and off the field, it will be very beneficial. It always helps when your team’s best player is also the one who takes on the leadership role a la Sidney Crosby or Derek Jeter.

Carlos Pena: If the Rays were to name a team captain, this would be my recommendation. He embodies the attitude of Joe Maddon and would be the perfect extension of Joe’s positivity onto the field. Pena, in addition to being an All-Star player, has the effusive personality that makes you like him. He’s all smiles out on the field and loves playing the game. Pena hides an intense competitiveness behind all of his smiles though. Carlos has a real feel for the game and is already a leader on the field – he’s always the first infielder to head to the mound to offer a word of encouragement or strategy to a Rays’ pitcher. The oldest young guy of the Rays’ position players, Pena’s teammates love and respect him and he would be an incredibly effective team captain if called upon.

Do the Rays need a team captain? If so, who should it be? Let me know in a comment.

Jason Bartlett hits: 86

Jason Bartlett groundball singles between short and third: 16

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