Niemann admits he felt like he was cheating

Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann admits some offseason desperation led him to take a shortcut measure and find some success.

"It felt like cheating ...," Niemann said.

Before your thoughts venture of baseball training impropriety, Niemann was talking about his offseason hunting prowess.

Niemann took up bow hunting this year -- Wade Davis did the same last year -- and found himself 0-fer when the final day of hunting season dawned. So, he pulled out his gun, went to the woods and bagged a *hefty* spike.

"I shot a deer the last day so I could say I got one," Niemann said. "It felt like cheating with a gun instead of a bow."

With that, here's today's full story on Niemann, plus the notebook.