Bayside director inspires Tampa Bay Rays

ST. PETERSBURG — As Gregg Ellery and his wife, Valerie, walked through the tunnel under Tropicana Field April 5, they could hear a familiar — yet out-of-place — sound. It was the sound of music — of someone wailing on a drum set — to be exact.

And the man holding the drumsticks? None other than Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria.

“Apparently, he keeps a set of drums there and plays them to relax,” Ellery says, laughing.

Longoria’s musical stylings were just a part of a unique perspective of the Tampa Bay Rays organization the Ellerys enjoyed earlier this month, when Ellery delivered a motivational message to the Rays organization the day before the regular season began. Ellery spoke to more than 200 of the Rays’ professional and managerial employees, retelling a story that also originates in Tropicana Field.

“For my birthday last year — Sept. 28 — I wanted something that I could do with the whole family to make a memory,” Ellery said. “I decided I wanted tickets to a Rays game.”

So, that night, the Ellerys, along with their children — Brooke, Jacey and Derek — headed over the Sunshine Skyway to see the Rays battle the New York Yankees in game 162. And, as any Rays fan knows, for the first seven innings, that game was anything but fun. The Yankees piled on the offense and entered the top of the eighth up 7-0.

Dejected, disappointed and discouraged, Ellery made the decision to take his family away from the misery at the end of the seventh inning.

“I was thinking, ‘I just wanted this wonderful family experience; what a terrible birthday present,’” Ellery said.

As he drove his family back over the Skyway, Ellery finally mustered enough courage to press the power button on the car stereo — just in time to hear the announcer shout, It’s a long fly ball, and the Rays have tied it 7-7!

“I couldn’t believe it,” Ellery said. “And as a dad, I kind of blew it (by leaving early).”

The Ellerys returned home just in time to see Longoria connect for the final home run in the 12th inning that gave the Rays both a spot in the playoffs and one the most incredible comebacks in Major League Baseball history.

About a month later, Ellery, Bayside Community Church’s director of events, shared his story with the East County congregation as a lesson in perseverance and dedication.

“I related it to everyday life,” Ellery said. “How many times do we give up on something? How many marriages could have been saved? How many estranged children could have come back home? What would have happened if a business owner just hung in there for a little bit longer? Maybe that business would still be around.

“The Rays didn’t give up,” Ellery said. “They were down 7-0 with just six outs to go. And play by play, out by out, they battled back. And in 25 minutes, everything changed. And as we get tired or feel weak and we want to quit, we need to look back at what those players did that night.”

Although Ellery didn’t know it at the time, Nancy Berry, the Rays’ scouting administrator, was in the audience. Following the service, Berry approached Ellery about speaking to her company.

“I was so intrigued by it,” Berry said of Ellery’s tale. “I thought, ‘What a great story to come share with our employees.’”

And what more perfect a way to kick off the Rays’ 2012 campaign than to recall one of the most memorable moments in team history?

“It was a great reminder of what we did last year — right before the season opened,” Berry said. “Gregg did a great job. He won over everyone in the room, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the end. He really left a big impact.”

And, perhaps Ellery’s story helped put the Rays in the right mindset as they opened their season against the Yankees with another come-from-behind victory April 6.

While at Tropicana Field, the Ellerys also enjoyed an all-access tour of the facilities, including the locker rooms, dugout and field. Next month, the team will roll out the red carpet for the entire Ellery clan as the Rays take on the Chicago White Sox May 29.

“God has a really weird way of honoring those who humble themselves,” Ellery said. “I made that decision to leave that game early, but that turned into all of this. That’s just how God works.”

Contact Michael Eng at [email protected].