Q: How worried are you about Tampa Bay? Here are the Rays, in the middle of a dramatic pennant race, and they're still not selling out.

A: OK, but I'm looking at their numbers. They're at 1.658 million, up almost 411,000. I guess we've got to watch it. I have concerns. But they're going to wind up at a number where they've never been before. It's an amazing story, one of the great stories.

I'm thrilled by it. It's a manifestation of everything I'm trying to do — competitive balance, parity, all that. But of course, I have concerns. I think we need to watch that situation in the next year or two.

Q: What about the Washington Nationals? This is their first season in a new ballpark, and their TV ratings and radio ratings reportedly are terrible.

A: I still have a lot of confidence in the Lerners. I like (managing principal owner) Ted Lerner a great deal. He doesn't seem to be concerned.

The TV ratings are startling — we need to get into that. The attendance is not that bad, given their team. They're averaging almost 30,000 a game.

I have faith that the Washington franchise is going to be a great franchise. They need to be competitive. They know that. Ted Lerner knows that.

Q: Instant replay. Baseball implemented it three weeks ago yet has used it only twice. How would you assess it thus far?

A: The two that we had worked out beautifully. The thing I like is that it has saved time.

Q: Some say that this is only the start, that baseball eventually will extend replay beyond home-run calls, using it on the bases and even on balls and strikes.

A: I meant what I said: As long as I'm commissioner, we're not going to expand it. The umpires are doing a great job. We have QuesTec. The umpires are rated far more aggressively than ever before. We just did this because of the configurations of the new ballparks. A lot of umpires told me that they just can't see.

Q: The players' union filed a grievance after first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez refused to sign his contract with the Pirates. The union alleges that baseball violated the collective-bargaining agreement by allowing the Pirates to sign Alvarez after the deadline on midnight ET Aug. 15. Baseball admits that it extended the deadline for Alvarez and the Royals' No. 1 pick, Eric Hosmer. Why not just enforce all deadlines — trade deadlines, signing deadlines — to the letter?

A: I understand that people have said that. I'll accept that. I always say, sometimes you should use a little common sense. If you're talking about three minutes, eight minutes, 10 minutes, in everything I've done, I've always tried to use good old-fashioned common sense. It's one thing if it's 8 to 10 hours. But having said that, we will look at that.

Q: Some people within the sport believe that the Dodgers' three-way trade for Manny Ramirez was not completed before the 4 p.m. ET deadline on July 31.

A: Manny Ramirez was done. I have Rob (Manfred) involved in all of these things. He's our labor lawyer, a very good one. He tells me that deal was done before 4.

My job would be a lot easier if we adhered to the second. I don't have a problem with that.