Durham Bulls prepare for Opening Day
Posted April 5, 2011 6:22 p.m. EDT
Updated April 5, 2011 6:32 p.m. EDT
Opening Day is just over one week away for the Durham Bulls, and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays is getting ready for what they hope is another championship season.
“We have good players. We’ve got a great manager, good assistant coaches, and we’ve always got talent here in Durham,” outfielder Desmond Jennings said.
Jennings is returning for his third season with the Bulls, and he said he loves where he is at.
“Durham is a great place to play. The fans come out and support us,” he said.
Jennings, who is ranked in Baseball America’s Top 10 Tampa Bay Rays prospects, is just one of many talented players on the tentative 2011 Durham Bulls Opening Day roster, released over the weekend.
Jennings isn’t the most veteran Bull on the roster this season though.
Durham all-time Triple-A hit leader Justin Ruggiano returns for his fifth season with the Bulls this spring. Ruggiano has recorded 480 hits and 285 runs scored, which is also a Durham Bulls all-time record.
Ruggiano spent the entire 2009 season in Durham, playing in 123 games, posting 23 steals, 71 runs and 72 RBIs, helping lead the Bulls to a Triple-A National Championship.
“I think it’s going to be really good,” Ruggiano said of the upcoming season. “We’ve always had really good teams, sometimes we’re not the most talented team, but we figure out ways to win.”
Ruggiano believes the team is very talented in all areas of the game this season, and he expects that will lead to success on the field.
Pitcher Richard De Los Santos will get the Opening Day start against Norfolk on April 14. De Los Santos is the Bulls’ single-season leader for victories in a Triple-A season with 14 last year.
De Los Santos will be part of a starting rotation that also includes Dirk Hayhurst, prospects Alex Torres and Alex Cobb and Major League Baseball veteran Edgar Gonzalez.
The bullpen includes lefty R.J. Swindle, a returner from last year’s squad, as well as newcomers Chris Bootcheck, Rob Delaney, Dane De La Rosa, Brandon Gomes and Cory Wade.
“It looks like we’re going to have a good group of guys and we’re going to have a lot of fun, and that’s the important thing, having fun,” said Manager Charlie Montoyo. “It’s a grind… so if we can have fun while playing, it makes a big difference.”
