Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • C1

Blackman wins over FSU teammates and earns starting quarterback job. 6C tampabay.com/sports/ Tuesday, August 27, 2019 HOUSTON The last time Charlie Morton was at Minute Maid Park for a game he was in tears. His Astros were eliminated by the Red Sox in the fifth game of last AL Championship Series, and the end of their dreams of a second straight World Series cham- pionship was tough to take. know how many dry eyes there were in that clubhouse, but not Morton said last week. was kind of goodbye for a lot of guys.

It was kind of a reminder how close you can get and just come up short. And, really, I think it was a reflection of who those guys are and what they mean to each Morton certainly meant a lot, as heard. But he said his goodbye a cou- ple months later when he took a better offer to sign with the Rays, which makes it all the more inter- esting as he returns for the first time tonight, and in an aces-high matchup against former mate Jus- tin Verlander. be Morton said. The two seasons in Houston detailed only a segment of now 12-year career, but included his defining moments: Winning the 2017 pennant- clinching game at home over the Yankees to send the Astros to the Series, then getting the final 12 outs in Game 7 at Dodger Stadium to secure their first championship.

His reputation there still pre- cedes him. hard to describe the emo- tions of Charlie coming back to Minute Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday. place in Astros history is entrenched. He is beloved by everyone who crossed paths with him.

It is impossible to not have a better day once you see him. genuine. consistent. thoughtful and sneaky funny. And from the baseball side, he is nasty on the mound.

will be hard to face him, but it is impossible not to cherish Charlie Morton had much to cherish during his two seasons there, pitch- ing better than he ever had (29-10, 3.36 vs, 46-71, 4.55 before) and win- ning more. Plus, he became kind of a big deal, well-liked by teammates and a huge favorite of the fans. was a really special time in my he said. The connection started early in 2017, as the Astros got to know him. a team full of some big names and likable players, Char- lie Morton quickly became a favor- said Julia Morales, the in-game Astros reporter for SportsNet Southwest.

were drawn to his interviews and the stories we as broadcasters would tell, and you could really see how much his teammates liked him by the way they spoke about So when Morton did what he did in the 2017 postseason, with the Houston-area fans dealing with The choice TAMPA Time will tell if he is ready to fill his shoes. But Vincent Testaverde Jr. decided a long time ago to at least follow in his footsteps as a quarterback. He chased i a a Jesuit High School, just a few blocks train- ing facility. It carried him to Texas Tech, then his alma mater at Miami and finally Albany, where he passed for 1,714 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games last season.

That earned Testaverde an invitation to a rookie try- out camp with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent, which led to a roster spot for training camp. On Thursday night, the son of the 1986 Heisman Tro- phy winner and the 1987 No. 1 overall draft pick by the Bucs will take his place under center in the preseason finale against the Cowboys at Stadium. means the world, obvi- Testaverde said. something always dreamed of as a kid.

You get to live out your dreams. really nothing better than that so going to be Testaverde was released a few weeks ago. But he knew he might be called back after watching No. 2 quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, suffer a dis- located left shoulder Friday against Cleveland. Pretty soon, the telephone rang and it was his famous father, Vinny, who played 21 seasons for eight NFL teams, The dream becomes reality TAMPA Pro football still reels from the stunning decision by now former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who stepped away from the game he loves and ended his cycle of pain.

Hey, I picked league MVP. Yes, the Bucs might now be able to beat Indianapolis when it comes to town with- out Luck in early December. Throw in Cam inju- ries and things are looking up. If Drew Brees can turn an ankle stepping on one of his roller skates Forget all that. Saturday, when Luck stepped away, flushed out when the news broke during a preseason game he playing in, then booed in his own stadium by moron fans who once loved him and who now feel robbed, I could only think of what it must have taken to drive this man away from what he loved before he even turns 30.

The NFL should think about it too. Luck threw 171 touchdowns in 86 games. Only Dan Marino and Aaron Rodgers a Hall of Famer and a future Hall of Famer threw more in the same span of games. Now he is walking away, while he still can. departure has a bit of a Barry Sanders feel to it.

Twenty years ago, Sanders, closing in on the all-time rushing record at the time, decided to leave the game to concentrate on being a retirement: Truth hurts, NFL ST. PETERSBURG For about 10 minutes, Vince Naimoli was our hero. A simmering com- bination of fierce and relent- less at a time when Tampa Bay was in des- perate need of both. If he was also ruthless and short-tem- pered, wel that could be overlooked in a commu- nity that had repeatedly come up short in i ts pur- suit of a Major League Base- ball team. This was the ultimate game of hardball and Naimoli, who passed away ay night, played it well.

If he viewed life as a competition, then business had to be a war. it finally came to pass, when Naimoli had secured the Devil Rays for Tampa Bay, he was allowed to bask briefly in the glory and adulation he had never known as a corporate turn- around artist. And if this was a fairy tale, the story would have ended there. The hero would have stepped aside with the cheers still ringing in his ears. Unfortunately, Naimoli never recognized that his greatest strength was also his eventual downfall.

He was a street fighter. An optics-be-damned kind of leader. And the reality that he was horribly miscast as a base- ball team owner never seemed to cross his mind. In that sense, his passing is even sadder still. Naimoli deserved a trip around the bases in his retirement.

He should have had a reserved booth in every sports bar in Tampa Bay. He should have been taking selfies with fans every night at Tropicana Field. Instead, he was pushed out as the managing general partner in 2005 and the stories of his outlandish management style followed him for the rest of his days. Naimoli the conquer- ing hero had been turned into a punchline. It was an unfair coda for a self- made man.

The son of a subway worker, Naimoli took on a paper route as a boy in Paterson, N.J., Our hero stepped all over his cape JOHN ROMANO tampabay.com Vince Naimoli MARTIN FENNELLY tampabay.com MONICA HERNDON Times Vincent Testaverde was released a few weeks ago, then brought back after backup quarterback Blaine Gabbart was injured. Up next at Cowboys, 8 Thursday, Arlington, Texas NBC; 97.9-FM Back with the Bucs, Vincent Testaverde to play Thursday. RICK STROUD Bucs See FENNELLY, 3C See ROMANO, 4C See BUCS, 3C Charlie Morton pitches tonight in Houston, where he remains a beloved icon. MARC TOPKIN Rays Tonight at Astros, 8:10, Houston Fox Sports Sun; 95.3-FM DIRK SHADD Times Charlie Morton says of his two seasons with the Astros before joining the Rays for this season: was a really special time in my See RAYS, 5C Naimoli dies The man who landed an MLB team for Tampa Bay was 81. 1A.