Skipped All-Star introductions were latest Rays diss

KANSAS CITY — Brandon Lowe, the longest-tenured Ray going back to his August 2018 debut, is used to the disrespect.

Which explained his sarcastic reaction when he heard how the Fox TV crew inexplicably — and unapologetically — skipped Rays shortstop Wander Franco and injured pitcher Shane McClanahan during introductions for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

“Shocked,” Lowe said. “Color me surprised.”

Lowe had his own All-Star introductions issue in 2019, when his last name was mispronounced by then-Fox broadcaster Joe Buck. He’s also been around through various other slights and slurs, such as ESPN broadcaster Tony Kornheiser saying in 2021 the Rays “are not interesting, nor are they charismatic in any way.” Also of note: The Rays have appeared on ESPN’s spotlight game broadcast — Sunday Night Baseball — once since July 2014, and that was in 2021 vs. Boston.

Wednesday, an MLB Network crawl also identified Yandy Diaz, the Rays first baseman who homered in the All-Star Game, as an Astro.

The missed introductions really stood out to the Rays — “That’s crazy,” starter Tyler Glasnow said — so much so the Rays Twitter account did a crude mock recreation of Franco and McClanahan being introduced.

“How do you forget those guys?” Lowe said. “But it’s the same thing year in, year out. It happens. It’s almost expected on our part, so it doesn’t really bother our guys too much.

“We’re going to go out there, Wander is going to play MVP baseball, Shane is going to go out there and be a Cy Young. And we’re going to play and do what we do.”

Fox PR reps, in replies to several emails from the Times, offered only some background information and did not take any blame. Nor did Major League Baseball, which oversees the production.

Franco and McClanahan followed the Seattle players, who predictably got a huge ovation from the hometown crowd, and ran out while that was still going on.

The Fox cameras stayed on the Mariners, and when they cut back, Fox announcer Joe Davis — who spent 2010-12 broadcasting Tampa Bay’s Double-A Montgomery team — skipped the Rays and introduced the Texas and Toronto players. Davis didn’t acknowledge the mistake or apologize during obvious spots in the game broadcast when talking about the Rays or when Franco batted in the ninth.

McClanahan first said he didn’t notice or really care, that his biggest concern was not tripping while running in from centerfield. But then he added that he felt bad for Franco, whose first All-Star experience was marred.

“I got into the clubhouse, got myself an ice cream cone, and (Rays communications manager) Elvis (Martinez) was like, ‘Dude, we’re all pretty upset.’ I go, ‘Why, I didn’t fall. Like, I didn’t do anything.’ And then he told me.”

McClanahan first said the omission wasn’t a big deal — “It happens” — and he was glad the Seattle players were properly welcomed. But then he added: “Not so much for myself, but I wish Wander got the recognition he deserved. The guy deserved to be there. And he deserved to be selected there.”

So what do the Rays have to do to stop getting dissed?

“There’s an answer I don’t have for you,” Lowe said. “We’ve had one of the best records in MLB since 2018. If it’s not earned our way to it by this point, I honestly think maybe they’re just having fun with us.”

Rays rumblings

The Rays way is spreading to the NFL: Bryant Davis, a Rays research and development analyst the last four years, is headed to the Cowboys as a strategic football analyst, joining a growing analytics department in Dallas. … Infielder Junior Caminero moved up to seventh in Baseball America’s updated midseason prospect rankings, with shortstop Carson Williams 24th, rehabbing pitcher Shane Baz 42nd, infielder Curtis Mead 70th and first baseman Kyle Manzardo 72nd. … Much of the chatter is about Shohei Ohtani, but Jim Bowden writes in The Athletic that the “game-changer” trade acquisition for the Rays would be Royals catcher Salvador Perez — “a huge upgrade for them defensively, offensively and from a leadership perspective.” … One upside of the 2024 schedule is 17 of the first 24 games at home (although the April 5-7 trip to Colorado sounds frosty); one downside is 26 of the last 39 on the road, including two straight three-city, 10-game trips. … Bleacher Report gave the Rays an A-minus for their draft haul; ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel seemed generally pleased, putting then in the group of “four teams that leaned into what they do best;” mlb.com didn’t have them among its top eight. ... Injured pitcher Josh Fleming was quite proud of the Blink 182 T-shirt he bought, after 50 minutes in line, prior to Monday’s concert in Tampa; reliever Pete Fairbanks and ex-Ray Ryan Yarbrough went with him. … Per Bally Sports Sun, household viewership of Rays games is up 29 percent over last year and on pace to be the highest for a season since 2015. … Tampa native and original Ray Fred McGriff said Friday that his speech for next Sunday’s induction into the Hall of Fame is done, and his wife has all the ticket requests and family issues handled. “Right now it’s all a go, but nobody can prepare you for this day,” he said. “Nothing gets you quite ready. So it’s just, we shall see. But I’m looking forward to it.” ... Former Yankees great Derek Jeter said on Fox TV that the Astros “are the best team built for the postseason in the AL.” … Diaz joined ex-Ray Evan Longoria and three others (Brian Dozier, Joe Rudi, Bill Skowron) in getting extra-base hits in their first postseason and All-Star plate appearances. ... Former Ray and current ESPN broadcaster Eduardo Perez is among nine new members of the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame, with induction Sept. 8. White Sox manager Pedro Grifol is another. … All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena is hosting a baseball camp July 24 at Mitchell High; cost is $199, see procamps.com.

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