Fans energizing Rays, Choi: 'Different vibe'

Ji-Man Choi had longed to hear it again: the crowd chanting his name in the form of three staccato syllables.

“Ji! Man! Choi! Ji! Man! Choi!”

When he homered on Friday, the fans’ roar was restored.

“It’s definitely fun to be out there when they’re cheering your name,” Choi said Monday, ahead of the Rays' 14-8 win over the Blue Jays in 11 innings. “It’s something that we missed last year, we definitely missed last year, when there were no fans and it was very quiet in the stands. But this year is different: different vibe, different atmosphere, and it’s given me a lot of energy.”

On Monday, Choi drew two walks and scored on Joey Wendle's first-inning grand slam, then exited in the sixth when his knee flared up again. Manager Kevin Cash doesn’t expect him to miss much time, though, if any.

“His knee just started to bother him a little bit,” Cash said. “I think there was a throw somewhere earlier in the game that just grabbed him and it got a little sore. At that point in the game, it’s 5-0, I’m sitting there saying, ‘OK, let’s get him off his feet.’ I’m not sure if we make that decision in a tighter situation.”

A return of fans is one thing, but what made Choi’s warm reception this past weekend unique is that it came in a road venue. The Blue Jays played out their final days at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., which is about 22 miles from Tropicana Field.

As a result, the Rays’ four-game set against the Blue Jays brought with it a home-away-from-home feel.

“From the time Ji-Man kind of stepped out to pinch-hit [Friday], I think the atmosphere has been pretty exciting,” Cash said. “And look, I understand that there's Blue Jays fans, but we are playing in the Bay Area right now and we appreciate the fan support.”

The Rays won each of the first three games of the series by two runs, and the crowd noise ramped up on both sides in the most tense moments. That energy wasn’t lost on the players, especially on Sunday, when Tampa Bay rallied with a four-run ninth inning to steal a win.

“You know what? Shoutout to the fans out there who came out to support the Tampa Bay Rays,” outfielder Brett Phillips said. “That was loud. I was surprised how loud it got. So shoutout to them. Obviously our fans back home watching, thank you guys. And no, that was a fun one. … They're loving everyone out there. They're giving [an] equal amount of love to everyone.”

Monday marked the Blue Jays’ final game in Dunedin -- their next “home” game will take place in Buffalo, N.Y., on June 1 -- but that’s no bother for the Rays. Tampa Bay will be back in its real home, The Trop, on Tuesday.

Choi providing instant impact
Sure, part of reason Choi has been cheered loudly is because the Rays played so close to home. But the first baseman has earned the praise, too, in a remarkable return from injury.

Through his first eight games, Choi is 10-for-25 (.400) with five extra-base hits, eight RBIs, seven walks and a 1.291 OPS. He has recorded at least one hit in seven games and has reached base more than once in six games.

That’s quite a start, given what Choi went through. He played in just five Spring Training games due to recurring soreness in his right knee, which led to a cortisone shot on March 13. The issue remained, so on March 31, he had surgery to remove loose bodies in the knee.

After some time at the alternate training site, Choi played in six games for Triple-A Durham: posting a mere .261/.333/.348 slash line in the process.

In the handful of days before Choi returned to action for the Rays, hitting coach Chad Mottola noticed a “bad habit” Choi had developed in his swing during rehab. Together, they worked it out, and now Choi is thriving at the plate.

Oh, and so far, the Rays haven’t lost with him in the lineup.

“It definitely feels good just to be back,” Choi said. “But I’m playing well and that’s even sweeter. Especially [because] our team is playing well at the same time. You can’t ask for any more.”