Pro Baseball News

Shields to start season opener for Rays (AP) (sports.yahoo.com)

Rays manager Joe Maddon didn't wait to watch Tampa Bay's best pitchers in spring training. He picked right-hander James Shields on Wednesday as the team's opening-day starter. "Any one of the five starters could be No. 1. It's a tough decision for the guys up top," Shields said before the defending AL champions played Puerto Rico's World Baseball Classic team in an exhibition game.