Colton Gordon grew up a huge Rays fan. Monday, he pitches against them
Colton Zimring Gordon was a fervid Rays fan growing up between his parents' homes in the St. Petersburg and Bradenton areas.
He went to his first game at 7 months old and averaged 25-30 a year for a while.
Advertisement
'We've always been Rays fans,' his father, Steve, said Sunday.
'He was the kid always chasing foul balls all game. After games, he'd beg me to take him to the parking lot so he could get autographs. He attended three of their summer camps and was in one of their TV spots.'
All that allegiance will be pushed aside Monday night. Gordon, who made his major-league debut Wednesday with the Astros, will get his second start against the Rays.
Some 50-70 relatives, friends and former coaches are expected to be in the stands at Steinbrenner Field to watch the left-hander take the mound.
'This is really, really exciting,' Steve Gordon said. 'It's just crazy.'
Advertisement
Colton dreamed of playing in the majors since the third grade, and Steve said he made it his goal to provide every opportunity to help make it happen.
That included St. Petersburg's Fossil Park Little League program, travel ball with the Tampa Terror and Florida Burn (under the coaching of former Rays reliever Mark Guthrie), and Lakewood Ranch High.
Colton committed to Florida and redshirted his first year. Seeking a greater opportunity for the next season than the Gators offered, he switched to Hillsborough Community College, playing on the community field adjacent to where the Astros and Rays will meet Monday. He ended up at UCF, where he worked through Tommy John surgery and recovery, and made himself into a pro prospect.
With his family hoping the Rays would draft him in 2021, Gordon went in the eighth round to the Astros. He worked his way through their system, with the added benefit of pitching for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Advertisement
Gordon was 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA in eight starts for Triple-A Sugar Land this season before he was summoned by the Astros. He worked into the fifth inning of his debut Wednesday against the Royals, allowing three runs.
Now, he's returning home as the major-leaguer he'd wanted to be since age 10.
'It's so exciting,' Steve Gordon said, 'to see your son reach his goal.'
• • •
Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.
Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.
Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X and Facebook.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
21 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Shane Bieber's second rehab start on Thursday brings hope for Guardians' rotation
CLEVELAND — Shane Bieber will make his second rehab start on Thursday with the possibility of the 2020 American League Cy Young winner rejoining the Cleveland Guardians rotation by late June or early July. The right-hander — who had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last April — is scheduled to start for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks after throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings in an Arizona Complex League game on Saturday. Bieber, who turned 30 on Saturday, faced nine batters, allowed one hit and struck out five.
Associated Press
28 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Shane Bieber's second rehab start on Thursday brings hope for Guardians' rotation
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber will make his second rehab start on Thursday with the possibility of the 2020 American League Cy Young winner rejoining the Cleveland Guardians rotation by late June or early July. The right-hander — who had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last April — is scheduled to start for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks after throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings in an Arizona Complex League game on Saturday. Bieber, who turned 30 on Saturday, faced nine batters, allowed one hit and struck out five. Chris Antonetti, Cleveland's president of baseball operations, was pleased that Bieber was averaging 93 mph on his fastball. 'It was really fun to watch Shane just get back out in a competitive setting,' Antonetti said before the Guardians faced the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. 'He's worked on adding some complementary pitches or changing the way some of his pitch profiles look. So his changeup in particular had maybe more depth than it's had in the past.' After spending most of his time at the team's spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona, Bieber is likely to remain in Northeast Ohio for the remainder of his rebab. The Guardians top affiliates are in Columbus, Akron and Eastlake, Ohio, which are all less than a two-hour drive from Progressive Field. The plan is for Bieber to throw up to 50 pitches again on Thursday before ramping things up. With the two-time All-Star likely to pitch every five days, it is possible his return to the rotation could occur between June 25 through 29, when the Guardians have a homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals. 'We have a pretty good plan in place, but the one thing we want to make sure, especially with Tommy John, is that we're really deliberate in helping him get back to a point where once he returns, he's able to pitch for the balance of the season without issues,' Antonetti said. Bieber's return — whenever it is — should provide a lift for a rotation that has struggled the first two-plus months of the season. Guardians' starters went into Sunday's game with the fourth-highest ERA in the American League (4.25). Tanner Bibee is 4-5 with a 3.86 ERA while Ben Lively will have Tommy John surgery later this week. Bieber agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract last fall with a $16 million player option for 2026. Cleveland (31-26) enters Sunday six games behind Detroit in the AL Central, but has one of the three wild-card spots. 'I think we're right in the mix. I think what we're seeking to do is be a little bit more consistent in all areas of the game, whether that's starting pitching, our bullpen, defense, offense, all of those areas,' Antonetti said. 'I think we've seen periods of what we're capable of doing, but we feel like we still have our best baseball yet in front of us and that's part of something that goes along with being a young team.' ___ AP MLB:
CBS News
38 minutes ago
- CBS News
A couple, new to South Florida, get ready to withstand their first hurricane season
People new to Florida are getting ready for their first hurricane season People new to Florida are getting ready for their first hurricane season People new to Florida are getting ready for their first hurricane season The 2025 hurricane season is now underway. With an average of more than 1,200 people moving to Florida each day, many will be experiencing their first season in the state. Two of those people are Joe Rosen and Darlene Turner. The couple got married and moved to West Palm Beach at the end of 2024. From picking mangoes in their backyard to taking their pup to the dog park, they are soaking it all in. Rosen is from Canada, and Turner is from Vermont. "I mean, sure, we have to batten down the hatches, and we've got to gather anything that can be thrown around that's outdoors. That I know," said Rosen. The couple said they've heard a lot about hurricanes from their neighbors. "They really said they can be really bad, sometimes they're not so bad," said Turner. She and Rosen said the best advice they received was on how to prepare for the hurricane season. "Some people say they get generators. Make sure you've got canned food and bottled water, and a transistor radio," Rosen said. "So we're going to have to get all of that." The couple said they have some food and bottled water, but will be getting more. They also plan to pay extra attention to the news this season to make sure they are aware and informed. If a storm is headed this way, the couple plans to shore up their home and stay put, unless they're told to evacuate. The two said that as they get ready for the season, they hope it will be calm in South Florida. "I'm going to do a lot of praying come hurricane season," said Rosen.
