Retro Rays Throwback jersey has surpising number on the back!

Look what I stumbled across today while shopping at the St. Petersburg Kohl's: A retro jersey t-shirt. At first, I thought it must be in the wrong section. It should be in clearance. Then, I thought the last few years may have been a dream and I awoke to find the Hit Show had returned.
But, alas, it wasn't as bad as I thought. When I turned it over. I realized this was a planned abomination and the Hit Show really was gone. Because this jersey had number 3/ Longoria written on the back of it. For my money, I believe this is a case of "Too Soon."



If you want to buy this shirt, I took these picture at the Kohl's in St. Petersburg. It's on Park Street. A quick disclamer: Mrs. Weber does work for Kohl's, but I was in no way compensated for this ad.

Just a heads up, Rays Revolutionary is becoming RaysRev.com. The new site is under construction and promises to be an even better place for Rays fans to come and enjoy talking about their favorite sport.  I'm keeping the site live while I work on it, so I can get your opinion. RaysRev.com is a labor of love for me. I'm using my love of the Rays and this blog as a way to learn new coding and creating skills. I would love your feedback.  Thanks to Truly Nolen pest control who is sponsoring the first half of the season for RaysRev.com.

Hurtin' Howell, Hatin' Pat, and no Pinstripes for CC

Here are some thoughts as we get closer to Opening Day:

The JP Howell injury is looming large for the Rays. Joe Maddon had big plans for Howell this year. He was supposed to be the big-out gettin' set-up man for Rafael Soriano. He's also the main guy in the bullpen that can get A-rod out. Unfortunately, overuse or bad conditioning has caused the "dude" to get sidelined for the start of the season.  Now, the Rays have to hope Soriano lives up to billing and maybe Joaquin Benoit has a few innings left in him.  It's a big hole with no real way to fill it.

Just give me a chance, okay?

Why's everybody hatin' on Pat Burrell and the season hasn't even started, yet? The chorus to cut ties with the Rays Designated Hitter seems to be growing louder as we get closer to the season.  Like it or not, the guy's probably going to be on the roster to start the season. Furthermore, the Rays line-up could use a good start from PtB for that quick April. I think PtB is going to open a lot of eyes. I also think it's really not going to matter for a lot of Rays fans. Pat Burrell will always be the "year after" guy or the "free agent bust of 2009." Too bad, we spent a lot of time in 2008 imagining a right-handed power hitter to complement the line-up.

Last I checked, CC is NOT in pinstripes yet.  To hear some put it, the CC in pinstripes is so much a done deal that Crawford might as well mail it in this year. SI's Jon Heyman is the latest to speculate about the Yankees' hunger for the Rays starting left-fielder.  If I have one wish this season, it's that the front office figures out a way to screw the Yankees out of CC.

The Curious Case of Hank Blalock. As Spring Training progresses, Blalock looks more and more likely to make the roster. As early as last week, Maddon seemed dismissive of the idea of Blalock on the 25-man roster. But, a couple of injuries and a couple of nice days from Blalock has him closer to making the roster. I'd like to see him make the roster. I think, if he can stay healthy, he'd make a good replacement for Carlos Pena if the Rays have to move him.

Reid or Rodriguez. These two have both demonstrated what a true spring training roster battle is all about.  Now, both have the chance to make the team and make a big impact.  The question: Which one will make the bigger impact in 2010.

And if you'd like to do some more brain work on the Rays' roster, check out RaysIndex. The Professor breaks it down for you.

Doesn't spring training seem much longer when you're actually excited about the Rays chances? 

More insight on what some people in St. Pete think about the Rays

News flash: The Rays aren't staying at Tropicana Field. They're moving. The question is: Where?

I just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page, because I'm not sure some of the people in St. Pete understand what's really going on. It's not just Us (St. Pete) vs Them (Hillsborough). This is about the viability of the franchise staying in the Bay Area. A train is rolling through and it seems that some in the area prefer to stand there with their hands in their ears, hoping it will go away.

Count St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster among the group that is hiding his head in the sand.  The St. Pete Times reported today that when the Mayor heard that a member of the ABC Coalition said keeping the Rays in the Trop was a "death sentence," all he could say was "Wow."

Look, I understand that Foster is in the middle of a negotiation. He's not in a position to show his cards just yet, nor does he really have to. He has to take a hard stance in order to get as much from the Rays as he can. But, what really concerns me is the comments I read in the Times article and on other blogs of St. Pete. 

The "I Love the Burg" Downtown St. Pete blog posted the Times story on its facebook feed. Reading through those comments, you can see all kinds of people that really don't understand the magnitude of what's at stake here.

The Rays, in good faith, offered a proposal to St. Pete during 2008.  The city thumbed its nose at the Rays without even opening a dialogue.  They made the Rays pull it off the table and squander any goodwill between the Rays and the city.  Now, the Rays are on to Plan B.  And whether the people of St. Pete like it or not, Plan B doesn't involve the Rays staying the Trop. The Rays are going to move. It's up to the people and the politicians of St. Pete whether the team stays there or goes somewhere else.

As for me, I really don't have a stake one way or another where the Rays play. I live in Hillsborough but work in St. Petersburg. That makes the trip across the bridge a moot point. Of course, I probably wouldn't have to pay any extra out of my pocket for a taxpayer funded stadium in St. Pete. But, that doesn't necessarily bother me. I would, if asked.

Baseball is very important to this community. I remember growing up having to root for teams that were on TV and only getting to go to games when we traveled out of town. We are very fortunate to have baseball in the Bay Area, I just don't want to see it ruined.

O'Rays in Charlotte

As promised, the Rays donned their green hats today for some St. Paddy's day baseball against the Minnesota Twins.  I got the chance to edit the highlights for our sports in the 6pm newscast, so I grabbed some stills to share with you.

S-Rod shows some range in centerfield.

Big Game James Shields striking guys out

Rafael Soriano making us forget about Troy Percival

Thoughts about Spring Training, so far

Photo by Brandi Ottinger

Spring training is in full swing and the Rays are really creating a buzz with their hot spring, so far.  As we inch closer to Opening Day versus the Baltimore Orioles at the Trop, I thought I'd share a few thoughts I have from Spring Training.

Platoon at 2nd? 

The Sean Rodriguez, Reid Brignac, and Matt Joyce battle for a roster spot has turned out just as good as advertised. Right now, Joyce seems to have lost some ground because of an injury. Now, I'm wondering if Joe Maddon isn't considering some sort of platoon at 2nd. I'm not a big fan of middle infield platoons. I think consistency from one game to another helps in the middle.

Weber's thought: Maddon's playing with fire.

Collecting 1st baseman.

Is it me, or are the Rays collecting 1st baseman this spring. First, they sign Hank Blalock and then they pick-up Cuban defector, Leslie Anderson. I'm not really sure what's going on, but it seems the front office is in the business of worrying about that position. We already know that Carlos Pena could become a salary casualty as early as mid-season.  Willy Aybar, Pena's back-up, isn't exactly a 1st base juggernaut. I wonder if the Rays are making early preparations for life without Pena, whether they're in the race or not.

Weber's thought: Enjoy Pena's last games in a Rays uniform.

Redemption 2010

This is the year of redemption for at least 2 Rays' starters: Pat Burrell and BJ Upton. Neither are fan favorites. In fact, I get the distinct feeling that many people wearing Rays' blue would rather see both someplace else. Unfortunately, both of these guys are important for the line-up and, in Bossman Jr's case, important for the outfield.  Bossman's defense is worth his salary by itself. Anything he hits from the bottom of the order is just bonus. As for Pat the Bat,  I'm expecting big things from him this year. He has to prove he still belongs in baseball. I think he does.

Weber's thought: PtB comes out like a monster and fans still hate him.  Bossman Jr find a niche at the bottom of the batting order.

Hellboy, Price, or Davis

I think one of these guys is getting ready to emerge... big time.  David Price would seem to be in the driver's seat for biggest break-out season, but I can imagine Jeremy Hellickson is only one call-up to the majors from being the next big time Rays pitcher. I know he's young and I know that the grass is always greener in Spring Training and Durham. But, watching that guy strike out Derek Jeter and Mark Teixiera without even blinking showed me a lot.  As for Wade Davis, I'd still like to see a little more from this guy. But if he can keep his workman-like approach going and translate it into this year. He could be the next big thing.

Weber's thought: For the Rays to have the most success this year, they need David Price to live up to his potential and become the anchor of the rotation.

Tampa Bay becoming blue

For the first time in history, I'm really feeling the Rays buzz around the Bay Area. People are dusting off their Rays gear and sporting it proudly when out and about. In fact, in my non-scientific count, Rays gear is outnumbering the World Series champion New York Yankees gear.  And that's saying a lot in this community. It's good to see the pride out there.

Weber's thought: With the Buccaneers shopping in the cheap aisles with no end in sight, the Bay Area is craving a winner. And say what you will about fans around here, the sure know how to fill a bandwagon quick. I love it!