TAMPA -- As a freshman at Mississippi State University, Jake Mangum turned to his high school baseball teammate and college roommate for some important advice. He needed a walk-up song.
His friend, Trace Lovertich, suggested ¡°Your Love¡± by The Outfield, a classic mid-1980s sing-along. Mangum had a great season for the Bulldogs and went on to become the Southeastern Conference¡¯s all-time hits leader and ¡°The Mayor of Starkville,¡± accompanied all four years by the same guitar riff and opening line: ¡°Josie¡¯s on a vacation far away¡¡±
Mangum stopped walking up to that song in the Minors, from his professional debut in 2019 to his first full season in ¡®21 and through three seasons at Triple-A from 2022-24. But he made a promise to himself: ¡°If I get a debut, I¡¯m going to walk out to it.¡±
The song rang out from the speakers at George M. Steinbrenner Field during Mangum¡¯s Major League debut on Sunday. On Monday night, he followed the hit song with four hits of his own. Mangum went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, two steals and a run scored in the Rays¡¯ 6-1 win over the Pirates.
¡°It's good to hear that song again,¡± Mangum said afterward. ¡°I wanted to wait for a debut, if it came, to walk out to it again. Good memories. Just for real, man, this is all just indescribable. I can't even wrap my head around it still.¡±
Mangum¡¯s performance helped back Drew Rasmussen¡¯s scoreless return to the rotation, as the right-hander fired five innings of two-hit ball with no walks and four strikeouts in his first traditional start since May 11, 2023. Four games into the season, Tampa Bay starters have allowed only five runs (four earned) in 23 innings (a 1.57 ERA), with 26 strikeouts and just one walk.
Two days after his eventful and long-awaited journey from Triple-A Durham to the Majors, and one day after debuting in a 6-4 win over the Rockies, Mangum looked every bit like what manager Kevin Cash called a ¡°pretty complete player [who] does a lot of things that can help you win.¡±
Mangum became the first player in the Majors since at least 1901 to record at least four hits, including an extra-base hit, and multiple steals in a game within his first two career appearances.
Facing Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski in the third inning, Mangum smacked his first Major League hit to left field. He pointed to the stands, wanting to recognize the roughly 15 family members and friends still in attendance after they hustled here from his native Mississippi late Friday night.
¡°There's just so many people that, like, genuinely, I would not be here without all of them,¡± Mangum said. ¡°To celebrate these moments with them, it's just been indescribable.¡±
Mangum did the Rays¡¯ standard celebration for a single, too, but his teammates were too busy calling for the baseball to reciprocate the gesture.
¡°He can hit. We'll take it,¡± Rasmussen said, smiling. ¡°It's really cool to see him get the opportunity to debut and then put on a performance like he did tonight. That's something special. I couldn't be happier for him. He's worked really hard.¡±
Mangum promptly stole second base, then -- with the weight of his first hit off his shoulders -- had an even bigger hit in the Rays¡¯ four-run fourth inning: a two-run single to right as Tampa Bay batted around. Afterward, Mangum had both authenticated balls labeled in his locker: ¡°1st Hit¡± and ¡°First RBI.¡± His mother, Stacy, stores all those keepsakes in what she calls her ¡°messy room,¡± and she¡¯s about to add to the mess with two baseballs they won¡¯t want to lose.
¡°You dream about it when you're a kid, for sure. Special night. It's nice to win a ballgame,¡± Mangum said. ¡°Just really, really fun to celebrate with these guys. It's a blast.¡±
Mangum even picked up a hit from both sides of the plate against Pittsburgh, adding to his list of accomplishments. The 29-year-old outfielder whacked a first-pitch slider from left-handed reliever Tim Mayza out to right-center field for a ground-rule double, his first extra-base hit, and scored when Jos¨¦ Caballero doubled to right three pitches later.
Then, with part of the sold-out crowd of 10,046 chanting ¡°MAN-GUM¡± as he came to the plate in the eighth, Mangum ripped a high fastball from lefty Joey Wentz to right field for his fourth hit. For good measure, he stole another base after Yandy D¨ªaz drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
¡°We're pulling for all of them, but certainly Jake,¡± Cash said. ¡°I looked at Brandon [Lowe] his last at-bat and said, ¡®Man, it's that easy?¡¯ And he goes, ¡®I guess so.¡¯
¡°We know it's not, but tonight, it was easy for him.¡±