Zimmer's seen it all, and Rays even amaze him

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Tampa Bay senior adviser Don Zimmer, in his 60th baseball season and 10th World Series, says the Rays have produced his most unexpected Series trip.

"I've got calls from all over the country. Hearing from everybody. ... How can this happen? I said one thing, `I didn't get any hits. It's been crazy,"' Zimmer said during Tuesday's workout.

Tampa Bay is just the second major league baseball team to reach the postseason after having the worst record in the majors the year. The other was the 1991 NL champion Atlanta Braves.

"Who expected it?" Zimmer said. "Anybody that did to me would be telling a fib. But I think this club finally made a believer out of a lot of baseball people. Sit in the living room and think: the Rays beating the Yankees, the Red Sox, Toronto, the White Sox. It's unbelievable. Sometimes you don't even know how to explain it."

Zimmer has won six World Series rings as a player and coach. He hopes he'll have to stop wearing one of his old rings and put a new one in its place.

"I'll make room," he said.

Bronze to series: Longtime Phillies minor league manager and coach Roly deArmas was part of the coaching staff for the bronze medalist U.S. Olympic baseball team. Now he's on the Philadelphia's support staff for the World Series.

"It's hard to explain the kind of year I've had," deArmas said. "Who would have thought I'd get a chance to go to the Olympics? It was unbelievable. And then topping the year off by being in the World Series. The man upstairs has taken care of me, there's no doubt about that."

DeArmas has been with Team USA the past three years, taking part in trips to Cuba and Taiwan.

After playing five years in the Phillies organization, deArmas started his minor league coaching career in 1977. He had a couple of stints as a major league bullpen coach for the Chicago White Sox and Toronto.

"Tomorrow, when I start walking to that bullpen for that pregame stuff, it's going be unreal," deArmas said. "It's hard to put into words. Sometimes I think I'm in a dream."

Diversity: Tampa Bay DH Cliff Floyd feels there is more at stake than Tampa Bay trying to win the World Series. He sees an opportunity to increase interest in baseball among young African-Americans.

Floyd, B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford played key roles in the Rays' AL pennant, while Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard helped the Phillies win the NL title. Major League Baseball has been trying to reverse the declining percentage of African-American players and get more blacks to become fans.

"You definitely hope so," Floyd said. "Kids, they definitely need to see it."

Floyd also advocates players getting involved in the community.

"We need to get out there," Floyd said. "Hopefully, this is a step in the right direction, and Afro-American kids get out there and see baseball is a great sport - let them know we are there. We're just not on TV. We have to do something about it."

Men in blue: Tim Welke was appointed umpire crew chief for the World Series, and he will be joined by Tim Tschida, Jeff Kellogg, Tom Hallion, Kerwin Danley and Fieldin Culbreth.

Welke worked the World Series in 1996, 2000 and 2003, joined in the latter two years by Kellogg. Tschida umpired at the World Series in 1998 and 2002.

All six worked during the first round of the playoffs.

The Price is right: Rays rookie left-hander David Price has impressed more than just people involved in baseball. Even a presidential candidate has taken notice of the first overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft.

Less than 12 hours after a four-out save early Monday in Tampa Bay's Game 7 AL championship series victory over the Boston Red Sox, Price helped introduce Democratic Party nominee Barrack Obama at a Steinbrenner Field rally in nearby Tampa.

Price calmly struck out J.D. Drew with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning in Game 7. He wasn't exactly calm when it came to speaking to the Obama supporters.

"Public speaking is tough. It's my enemy," Price said. "I'd rather come in with a 3-0 count, bases loaded in a tie game on the road."

Price had the chance to spent time with Obama, and found out it's not all politics all the time for the Illinois Senator on the campaign trail.

"He goes home and looks forward to watching sports," Price said.

Beanie, baby!: Rays manager Joe Maddon said his mother, 74-year old Beanie, who is still a waitress at the Third Base Dugout in Hazleton, Pa., will travel to Philadelphia for Game 3.

Opening acts: The Backstreet Boys, including Tampa native Nick Carter, will sing "The Star-Spangled Banner;" before Game 1 and Los Lonely Boys will perform the national anthem ahead of Game 2. ... StubHub says its current average ticket price if $499 for games in St. Petersburg and $854 for games in Philadelphia. That's down from $1,279 last year in Boston and $927 in Denver, spokeswoman Nichole Rozendaal said. ... There's even gambling on television ratings. BetOnline.com said the line for this year's average is a 10.2 rating, spokesman Grant Marek said. That's below last year's 10.6 and just above the record-low 10.1 in 2006. ... Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton were selected outstanding players in their league in the Players Choice Awards from the players' association.