PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Eddie Gamboa gives the Rays a different look. In return, the Rays are giving the fledgling knuckleballer a baseball rebirth.
The knuckleball is hard to control, it's hard to catch and, most importantly, it's hard to hit.
Gamboa, 31, signed a Minor League deal with the Rays in January. He was selected by the Orioles in the 21st round of the 2008 Draft, and Gamboa enjoyed modest success at the lower levels before reality began to set in.
"I was never a power pitcher," Gamboa said. "I was an average righty, throwing 88, 89 [mph].