ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays had already taken care of business on Wednesday night, edging the A’s 4-3, but the postgame scene outside Tampa Bay’s clubhouse delivered its own unexpected twist.
As manager Kevin Cash was talking through the performance of the club’s high-leverage relievers, the conversation was interrupted by noise from down the hall. A group of Rays players had gathered near the clubhouse entrance at Tropicana Field, and leading the charge was shirtless outfielder Jonny DeLuca.
The reason for the disruption came from the team’s new post-victory wheel, a growing part of the Rays’ celebration routine. DeLuca had spun it and landed on a prompt that sent him straight toward his manager for an embrace.
So, with a push from teammates - especially veteran starter Nick Martinez - DeLuca stepped into Cash’s postgame scrum and gave him a hug.
“It went great,” DeLuca said. “I’d tried to hug him before, and that's the first time he actually brought me in. It went good.”
The moment added another layer to a celebration system that now gives the player of the game, chosen by the previous game’s player of the game, one spin of the wheel. The pitcher of the game gets another turn as well.
There are several possible outcomes on the wheel, and DeLuca happened to hit on one of the newer ones.
“I don't know how many options are on that wheel, but we haven't had that spin yet, where it says, 'Give Cash a hug.' And if you don't know Cash, he doesn't hug people,” DeLuca said.
“So … even if it was alone, I would have kind of been a little scared. But mid-interview, I didn't think I was supposed to be there, and Nick kind of just dragged me in there.”
Cash took the whole thing in stride.
“Whatever they need,” Cash said.
Martinez said the idea had been added not long ago and, in his view, the execution was perfect.
“We threw that in there not too long ago, and it’s part of the postgame celebration,” Martinez added, noting that DeLuca might have been more clothed than the wheel intended. “First one to give Cashy a hug, so it worked out perfect.”
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