How Zack Littell turned into a top starting pitcher after leaving SF Giants and landing with Rays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — He’s the one who got away. There are loads of similarities between the pitching departments of the Giants and the Rays, according to Zack Littell. They are smart and well-staffed operations with a penchant for unearthing diamonds in the rough. Now in his second season with Tampa Bay after two years in San Francisco’s bullpen, Littell would know. But only one organization was able to polish the 28-year-old right-hander and turn him into a hidden gem of a starting pitcher. “Who’s to say I couldn’t have done this for the Giants?” said Littell, now firmly situated in the middle of the Rays’ rotation, routinely completing five or more innings and even more effective than he was in shorter bursts out of the bullpen. Littell won’t get the opportunity to face his former team this series — his next start is scheduled to come Monday, missing them by a day — but through the first two weeks of this season, the red-bearded former reliever hasn’t just been a feel-good reclamation project; he’s been one of the best starters in the majors. He