Better Than The Cycle?

Is the cycle a big deal? Not to Rays outfielder Sam Fuld, who passed on one by hustling for a second double. Batting in the 9th inning yesterday at Fenway Park in his hometown of Boston, Fuld already had a homer, a triple and a double. He lined the ball into the left-field corner, and rather than stopping at first to complete the cycle, as his teammates wanted, he ran hard to second base for the two-bagger.

Fuld actually, in fact, had a better game as a result of this. Sure, many thought it would have been better if he had stopped at first, like his teammates, who were jokingly covering the faces and throwing their hands in the air when he did not. Manager Joe Maddon sure appreciated the play, though, tweeting, "Speaks to Sam's integrity that he didn't stop at 1st to get the cycle in the 9th. Its what he's all about." We'll see if a simple, fun play like this can help rejuvenate the struggling Rays.