Ray on the Tribe

By Brian Bohl on May 28, 2009

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY- Ken Ray entered the season as a question mark in the Ducks starting rotation.

The 6-2 right-hander spent the entire 2006 campaign as an Atlanta Braves reliever, coming out of the bullpen for all 82 of his major league appearances. But Ray was successful as a starter in the Mexican League last season and became one of the few shut-down Ducks pitchers this year, emerging as the staff ace following a 4-0 start.

Ray’s surge could be a ticket back to the big leagues. Cleveland signed the 35-year-old Wednesday, assigning him to the Indians Double-A affiliate. Ducks manager Gary Carter hinted last week that Ray’s Long Island stint could be short after the former Royal picked up his fourth win, tying him for second-most in the Atlantic League.

“We’re very happy and proud for Ken and wish him the best,” Carter said. “He’s been a vital part of our pitching staff this season, and we’re excited that he will have the opportunity to get back to the big leagues.”

Ray cracked the league’s top-10 in ERA, allowing just nine runs in 27 innings. In five starts, Ray struck out 26 and walked just three while hitting three batters. With the hit to the rotation, Carter said the Ducks could use left-handers Randy Leek and ex-Yankee Brad Halsey to shrug off slow starts.

Leek is 1-4 with an 8.13 ERA as the Levittown native battles mechanical issues while Halsey, the Opening Day starter, is 0-3 since winning the season’s first game. Former Montreal Expo and Baltimore Oriole Julio Manon got his first chance to replace Ray, allowing three runs (two earned) during his first start of the season in Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss to Southern Maryland at Citibank Park

“They’ve been off their games,” Carter said. “I’m sure they are hoping to turn things around because it’s not the Brad Halsey we know and the Randy Leek we know.”

Ray pitched six scoreless innings in the Ducks 4-1 win over Camden May 17, though a line drive injured his left (non-throwing) thumb in his final start for the Flock. Carter said the bruise shouldn’t have any long-term effect. Yet he also said the comebacker might have caused the Indians organization to hold off a few more days before signing him.

Cleveland could still try to turn Ray back into a reliever, though that move would make little sense considering most players and coaches equate the Atlantic League’s talent level favorably to Triple-A. Ray said he would like the chance to start in the major leagues and shrug off a typecast bestowed on him years ago.

“I’d like to have an opportunity in an affiliated organization to where they would give me an opportunity to start,” Ray said. “It just seems that everyone sees me as a bullpen guy. Hopefully, I can change that.”

The lineup’s depth also took a hit. Tabasco, a Triple-A team of the Mexican League, signed outfielder Raul Gonzalez, who led the Ducks in on-base percentage at .425. Gonzalez was batting .333 with 10 RBIs through 24 games, scoring 19 runs and belting seven doubles while adding one home run.

“I’m just trying to find the right combination right now,” Carter said. “We have the possibility of players coming in as replacements.”

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