PORT CHARLOTTE (620 WDAE) -- It doesn't seem to be that long ago that Denard Span was the young up-and-comer on a Major League team. But it has certainly hit him that he's the grizzled veteran on this Tampa Bay Rays team.
"We just went out for stretch, and I'm looking around. I got a couple of guys ask me how many years have I got in the big leagues. And I think I've got probably more time in the big leagues than a lot of guys have been playing professionally," Span laughed Saturday. "It's crazy. It seems like just overnight that I was a 23, 24, 25-year-old trying to establish myself and the roles were reversed."
Span was dealt to Tampa Bay in the deal that sent Evan Longoria to the San Francisco Giants, and while he has tried to keep the thought out of his head, there is excitement in the opportunity to play for his hometown team for the first time in his big-league career.
"I've tried not to jinx it, I guess you could say, because of the unknown," he said, referring to the number of free agents that are still available on the open market. "Just taking it one day at a time. I think once Opening Day comes and a I have [a Rays] uniform on, then I think it would really hit me."
The soon-to-be 34-year-old learned from guys like Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau how to be a good teammate, and manager Kevin Cash feels he can impart that wisdom to the young player in Tampa Bay's clubhouse.
"Talking to Denard, he prides himself a little bit on that one," Cash said after Saturday's practice. "When the trade went down -- we do a good job of finding out about players, and his image throughout the game is unbelievable. The way he has carried himself...he's been to a lot of places and he's always been a team player who goes about his business the right way."
Listen to Span and Cash below after Saturday's workout.