Rays Revolutionary treated by Truly Nolen

The end of an era for Rays Revolutionary

2010-04-07T18:19:00.000-04:00

As of Opening Day 2010, Rays Revolutionary is now http://www.raysrev.com/. I've redesigned the site from scratch and rebuilt it using the Joomla! content management system. I hope you'll follow me over there. You can also find me on twitter and facebook.

Thanks for inspiring me to move beyond the free blogger site into something more!

Michael Weber
Rays Revolutionary
4/7/2010
www.twitter.com/m_weber
www.facebook.com/producerweber
m_weber @ raysrev.com

Retro Rays Throwback jersey has surpising number on the back!

2010-03-27T22:20:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-23T23:22:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-18T13:00:00.002-04:00

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

2010-03-17T18:27:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-15T08:59:00.000-04:00

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!

Rays Officially Hit the Big Time

2010-02-28T14:45:00.003-05:00

Yes, they have been in existence for 13 years, and yes, they have played in a World Series, but finally, the Tampa Bay Rays are officially big time. That's because they finally have a player who can be marketed on a national level.

The MLB 2K10 commercial, featuring Evan Longoria, finally started airing nationally, including on ESPN. Longo is one of MLB's bright young stars, and like Marc Topkin wrote about last July, his Q score is quickly going through the roof. Kids across the nation are identifying Evan with the Rays - which is huge. That means more merchandise, more nationally televised games, higher ratings, etc. At this rate, Longo could be heading toward Derek Jeter territory. This commercial is the first step. Take a look - it's pretty cool.

Maddon announces Rays pitching rotation... for spring training

2010-02-26T18:48:00.000-05:00

Photo: Brandi Ottinger

Manager Joe Maddon announced that he will go with the rotation of James Shields, Matt Garza, Jeff Niemann, David Price, and Wade Davis for the exhibition season. Maddon told reporters they could glean from that information what they may.

The only curiousity is the position of Dave Price in the rotation after Jeff Niemann. You would think Maddon would use Price to separate the Shields/Garza and Niemann/Davis. However Niemann did have the most wins on the pitching staff last year, so he very well may have earned that number 3 spot.

This is the first year the Rays are going into the season pretty much with the rotation set. That bodes well for early in the season. These guys can bond as a group and work together to make this a real solid rotation. As I've said before, one of these guys is really going to have to step up and become the "ace" this year. Otherwise, we could end up with another year of 3 number 2 pitchers and no number 1 pitchers.

Forget CC and Pat - It's All About the Staff

2010-02-23T18:25:00.003-05:00

It seems everyone has their own opinion on the impending Carl Crawford situation, and it's nice to know that Pat the Bat is looking to rebound in 2010, but the Rays don't need those two players to perform to make the playoffs.

Let's harken back to the 2008 Rays, shall we? If I recall, Pat was on his way to a World Series ring with the Phillies, while Crawford played in only 109 games, hitting .273 and stealing a career-low 25 bases. Yet, the Rays won the AL East, and made it all the way to the World Series. How did they do it you ask?

It's easy. Pitching, pitching, and more pitching. In 2008, the Rays ranked 2nd in the AL in every pitching category imaginable. When it came to team ERA, innings pitched, hits allowed, and runs allowed, the Rays were behind only the Toronto Blue Jays.

Last season, the Rays' team ERA dropped to 6th best in the AL, and was middle of the pack when it came to giving up runs. That has GOT to change to get back to the playoffs.

So in 2010, don't worry if Pat the Bat keeps thinking the AL is a beer league, and who cares if CC whines about his legs on the Trop turf. The more important questions are: Will Matt Garza bounce back to his dominant form? Can David Price become a consistent starter? Will Jeff Niemann suffer a sophomore slump?

If the answers to those questions are yes, yes, and no; the 2010 Rays are playoff bound.

Joe Maddon shares thoughts heading into spring training | Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota | WTSP.com 10 Connects

2010-02-21T11:09:00.000-05:00

Joe Maddon shares thoughts heading into spring training | Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota | WTSP.com 10 Connects

My collegue at 10 Connects (WTSP) Angela Jacobs got the chance to sit down one on one and ask the skipper some questions. Some of these questions came from some of the Rays Revolutionary fans. I wanted to share this with you. I, myself, could listen to Joe Maddon for hours. He's easily the best manager in AL East.

How to Get Fans to the Trop? Just Offer Free Autographs

2010-02-20T17:27:00.012-05:00

Hey Matt Silverman and Stu Sternberg, I think I know how to fill up the Trop. I'm sure the last ten words really got your attention.

Here's the plan: offer free autographs two hours before first pitch, and you're guaranteed 30,000 folks at every game. At least, Rays Fan Fest 2010 proves that theory. I arrived shortly before 11 a.m. thinking I would have no problem getting an Evan Longoria autograph. Boy, was I wrong.

The line for Evan wrapped around at least five times and out the right field door. So, it was off to Plan B. Evan signed autographs at noon. Carlos Pena was scheduled for 1 p.m. The Pena line at 11 a.m. wasn't so bad. The really sad part is that Rays minor league phenom Desmond Jennings was also signing autographs in the same line - just an hour earlier than Pena. So basically, if anyone decided to get a Desmond autograph, they lost their place in line for Pena.

Oh well, it seemed as if Carl Crawford's future replacement...er, Desmond was still having a good time despite watching a line of 500 people try not to make eye contact with him, in essence, saying, "Sorry kid, but I know I'll have another opportunity at the 2011 Fan Fest to get your autograph, and according to Stu, this is my last shot for Pena."

And another thing to keep in mind for Stu and Matt, if you truly want to incite a riot, it's really easy. Just have a big time Rays player, such as Carlos Pena, completely stop signing autographs only to be interviewed by Rich Herrera, thus reducing his allotted autograph time. I never thought I would hear hundreds of people cursing Rich's name in unison until today.

Another observation I made while in line -- people really like Andy Sonnanstine. He and Wade Davis were signing at the table next to Pena's. That line did move much faster, but it was still pretty long. And I was somewhat astonished at how many people wanted to take their picture with Andy.

I guess if you seem like a nice enough guy like Andy, Rays fans will ultimately like you no matter what. And I mean no matter what. Did everyone forget his 6.77 ERA in 2009 including two games as Ben Francisco's personal batting practice pitcher? If Sonnanstine starts even one game in 2010, the Rays are not going to the playoffs.

Overall, I must admit Fan Fest 2010 was pretty impressive. I've heard reports of 30,000 plus showing up on Saturday, and that seems accurate. It's encouraging to know that there is plenty of enthusiasm in this town for Rays baseball.

I did have to wait nearly two-and-a-half hours for a Pena autograph, but it was well worth it. Although, I must admit. I will never question Carl Crawford again. Your legs do hurt while standing on the Trop's field turf for long periods of time.

How the people of St. Pete really feel about the Rays via Facebook

2010-02-20T11:20:00.003-05:00

This morning, while doing my normal Facebook stuff (you know deleting people's mafia wars and the like), I came across an interesting thread on the Downtown St. Pete Facebook fan page. The guy that runs it linked Topkin's article this morning about the stadium and what Stu Sternberg had to say about it. He basically says the Rays need a new stadium, but they're staying out of all the stadium talks that are getting bantered about on the other side of the Bay.

Interestingly enough, the comments section blew up below the posting. The opinions varied from "I hope the city sues" to "people in St. Pete will realize we have to build a new stadium or we will lose the Rays." There were also arguments about outdoor vs indoor and retractable roof, references to the contract, call to run them out of town. attendance concerns, etc.

I believe the "I love the burg" members are a good microcosm of St. Petersburg's feelings on the new stadium in general.

Here is some of what was said:

The Trop is fine. Leave it alone.

The city has bowed enough to these GREEDY CLOWNS. The Trop is a PALACE compared to many MLB stadiums. SUE!!

its about BUSINESS...where can they make the most money, where can they pack the stands, baseball teams have been known to LEAVE a metro, so i say wherever they land from a business perspective is fine with me, as long as they STAY in the Tampa Bay market. And not everything has gone to from St. Pete to Tampa, St. Pete did nail the home of the Florida Orchestra.

Are you people serious? What exactly have the Rays done for us? Bring in money to local business? I don't think so... For all ya'll who weren't living here back in the early 90's, the majority of St. Pete residents didn't want the "Thunder Dome" (as it was known then) to be built!!! We protested outside of city hall, and went to city councilmeetings, as usual, they didn't listen to us.

That's where the problem lies for St. Petersburg and the Rays: the town isn't united one way or another. And that's causing the city's leadership to freeze up at the most inopportune time. In fact, it seems as though Mayor Bill Foster is busy putting his fingers in his ears and saying, "You will stay. You signed a contract." He's not sure what side of the fence to go on, so he's just frozen in the middle.

But, that's not going to work. A snowball is rolling and where it's going to land we don't know. What we do know is that Rays ownership under Stu Sternberg is willing to take chances and think outside the box when it comes to just about anything. That includes stadiums. Precedent means nothing for these guys, so we really don't have a blueprint to go on.

As for St. Petersburg, it seems like the town almost suffers from a "little brother" complex. I grew up in St. Pete, but now live in Brandon. I know how suspiciously people from the "other side of the Bay" are viewed. It's like the city likes having the Rays to show off, but they don't want to be bothered doing anything to make them happy.

If St. Petersburg really wants to be home of the Rays, they'd better get their heads out of the sand and do something or they're going to get rolled. Sternberg has said repeatedly (including yesterday) that they're not planning on playing that lease out. He says he has baseball behind him and Hillsborough seems to be gathering troops. This is a war St. Pete can't win.

A Millionaire and a Dillionaire

2010-02-19T17:53:00.000-05:00

A Millionaire and a Dillionaire

The Big Ray himself was out at the Park Almost Called Mosaic this morning for the beginning of Spring Training. Pitchers and catchers reported this morning and it appears the Big Ray was giving a pep talk to the boys. There are a lot of expectations for this squad. The Big Ray has approved quite a payroll to start the season.

The best part about today is that it finally seems as winter is over. I know we don't have it that bad in Florida, but it'll be nice when we can stop complaining about the chill and start complaining about the heat.

As for the team, we usually don't learn much the first few days. Rafael Soriano had to cut his workout short because of a cold. J.P. Howell was sporting a new look for 2010 with a longer haircut and a full on beard.

The one thing that still bothers me about the starting pitching staff is the lack of a "veteran" presence. Joe Maddon said yesterday that this group will have an interesting dynamic because of their age. James Shields is the "gray beard" at the ripe old age of 28. The good news is that Shields, Matt Garza, and David Price all have playoff pitching experience. They've also had a full off-season to get ready for this year. I'm interested in seeing which of these pitchers steps up as the leader this year.

The team does seam to know the importance of starting out strong this year. Howell said, "We learned the hard way last year that it starts in April and we thought we could catch up and it was false, and now we know. It was a good lesson to learn."

We'll know real quickly if that lesson sunk in.

It's all about the timing when it comes to moves involving Crawford or Pena..

2010-02-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

To quote one of my good Twitter friends (Stephanie): Baseball season must almost be here because "everybody is busy reconfiguring the team for 2011."

Stephanie's right. As pitchers and catchers prepare to report to Port Charlotte, the Rays online fanbase seems to be energized about the thought of the Rays unloading a couple of players before next year. The biggest names coming up are Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena. I've even heard talk (from an ESPN analyst) about the Rays moving a guy who hasn't yet even thrown a pitch for the Rays. Yep, spring training is almost here for Rays fans.

This morning, Rays Index went into further detail about his thoughts on a possible mid-season fire sale for the Rays. I agree with the Professor, it's all about the timing. I've resigned myself to CC and Pena leaving the Rays with nothing but memories. But, what I don't want to see is the Rays move these guys while the team is still fighting for a pennant.

Ownership is treading in very treacherous waters right now.

For some reason, a good majority of the fanbase had enough of Kazmir last year. For every person trying to point out how bad the timing was, there were 3 others salivating at the thought of 3 "prospects" from Anaheim and 2 others just glad to see Kid K gone from the rotation.

I still don't believe it's a coincidence that the team went into a solid nose dive after the Kaz trade. Professionals or not, when your ownership seemingly gives up on you... you're going to give up on them. It's basic psychology. Whether or not, we the fans or ownership thought the Kaz trade was good, the players obviously realized the implications of it. The Rays may not have been able to beat the Yankees, but isn't it important to give them the chance?

Back to this year. It seems the Rays are already taking pre-emptive strikes in getting the fanbase ready for them leaving. I'm just afraid that the Rays FO is going to be so enamored with getting "something" for these guys that they take their eyes off the prize: Winning a championship.

The players have to believe that ownership is just as worried about this year as they are about the next five or we won't see the fire that this team had in 2008. You can break down the stats all you want, but baseball is also about emotion. A 162 game season is a marathon that none of us at home really understand. It takes a lot of effort to get motivated and play at the highest level day in and day out. The Rays front office should keep an eye on that.

I'm all for getting "something" for CC and Pena, just not at the expense of playoff baseball. One more note: The Rays fanbase has been discussing the possibility of life without CC almost from the moment he broke in. And guess what? He's still here.

Longo in Powder Blue

2010-02-17T10:56:00.005-05:00

The Rays have made it official -- they will be in powder blue on Sundays. Also, the team has not dumped the dark blue jersey they wore on many Sundays last season. Instead, it's going into the jersey mix as well. In fact, the Rays issued a press release boasting that they're "one of 16 teams with four jerseys."

Also, you catch some Rays showing off the powder blue tonight on both sides of the bay.

James Shields and Wade Davis are heading to Champs Sports at International Plaza in Tampa from 7 p.m to 8 p.m.

Jeff Niemann and Kelly Shoppach are heading to Champs Sports at Tyrone Square Mall in St. Pete from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Now let me ask you the question, does Longo look less intimidating in powder blue? Seriously, powder blue hasn't given the San Diego Chargers nor the Denver Nuggets much post season success.

Zim's Crystal Ball

2010-02-15T16:53:00.000-05:00

For the past few years, I have had the pleasure to work alongside Beau Zimmer at WTSP. He's Rays senior advisor Don Zimmer's Grandson. From time to time, Beau offers me some tidbits about the Rays that he picks up from his Granddad and passes along to me.

The first tidbit I got from Beau was on Opening Day 2008. Beau, Matt, and I were attending some training on Florida's East Coast. Our travel day to the training happened to be March 31, 2008, the day the Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles to kick off the 2008 campaign. Earlier in the day as we started checking into our rooms, Beau mentioned that his grandfather really liked this year's team and thought they had the potential to be the best Rays team ever. At the time I made a mental note, but given the Rays history, it may not have been a stretch.

As the 2008 wore on, I kept thinking back to Zim's prediction. It seemed be coming true. The 2008 squad was the best Rays team ever.

About half way through Spring Training in 2009, I decided to ask Beau what his Granddad thought of the 2009 team. Beau didn't have a good report. He said his Granddad wasn't as confident in the 2009 team as he was in the 2008 group. He said they were a little lackluster looking.

At the time, I got all upset. How could Zim not possibly be excited about the 2009 team? They were just coming off the World Series. They had basically the same group, plus the much needed right-handed power DH they so sorely missed in 2008. Of course, we all know how that turned out. The Rays missed the playoffs and played pretty much as Zim predicted during Spring Training: Lackluster.

Now that the precedent has been set, I was excited to hear what Zim thought of the 2010 group. Beau came up to me today and said that his Granddad is really, really, really excited about this year's team. In fact, he really likes the pitching staff and thinks that the Rays have a real good chance of competing in the AL East this year.

It's still early. The pitchers and catchers have yet to report, but given his track record... I'm looking forward to Zim being right once again.

ESPN Officially Ga-Ga Over the 2010 Rays

2010-02-15T12:23:00.002-05:00

Oh...and if a CC profile wasn't enough, ESPN also chronicled a Longo workout. This is easily the most offseason publicity and attention the Rays have ever received from Bristol.

They must agree with us that a big season is on the horizon for 2010. Thankfully, Longo is under the Rays control until 2016, unlike Crawford who is working his tail off for a big-time deal in 2011.

Whether that deal comes from the Rays, still remains to be seen. I wouldn't bet on it. Ah, why be a Debbie Downer in February? Let's enjoy Longo's workout:

CC to Be Even Faster in 2010?

2010-02-15T10:13:00.006-05:00

On Sunday night, ESPN and "Baseball Tonight" spent A LOT of time on Carl Crawford and his efforts to be even faster in 2010.

Crawford is working with a trainer who showed him that in the second half of 2009, he was taking too much time in turning his left arm, thus he wasn't getting an efficient jump off of first base.

Barring injury, expect Crawford to have a HUGE 2010. I'm thinking possible MVP huge. He's in the last year of his contract, and is looking for a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal. Here's the video:

David vs 2 Goliaths

2010-02-09T09:32:00.000-05:00

Silverman on tons of talent, dueling Goliaths and being a favorite elsewhere | The Heater

Posted using ShareThis

David vs 2 Goliaths.

That's the gauntlet team president Matt Silverman threw down yesterday during a radio appearance just days before pitchers and catchers report. Silverman says "he's never seen this much talent on a Rays club" and "we'd be the favorite in any other division in baseball."

Folks, that's big talk before the pitchers and catchers have even reported.

After last year, there's no doubt the Rays are the underdogs in the AL East. Nobody expects them to really compete with Red Sox and Yankees. In fact, if you ask most people (excluding Silverman), the Rays are still the "little brother" of the AL East. They'll always be in the trail of their big brothers. If they get to close, the big brothers will smack them down.

Going back to the David vs 2 Goliaths reference for a moment, how exactly can the Rays fight off 2 Goliaths? What will it take for this team to play "meaningful games in August, September, and October?" The answer, of course, is pitching. Specifically, starting pitching. Nobody will argue that there are some talented pitchers in the AL East, but the Rays may have the most solid 1-5 rotation in the East. The 2 Goliaths still have question marks in their 4 and 5 spots. That could be the difference between winning a series against the A's in April that gives the Rays the wins they need to get in the playoffs.

It's still early. Plenty can happen between February and April. But, with the team president throwing out terms like "David vs 2 Goliaths," aren't you starting to get a little excited?

How pumped are you for baseball!

2010-02-02T17:18:00.000-05:00

St. Petersburg, Florida - I just got an e-mail from the Rays with a list of important Spring Training dates. While it was nothing earth shattering, it did get me daydreaming about baseball.

This year promises to shake out real well. This is the year the Rays marked on the calendar to become a contender. Evan Longoria is no longer a young rookie. Carl Crawford is vet looking toward his next contract. The starting pitchers now have some serious innings under their belt. And the Rays have a legitimite closer. This year promises to be a big year battling the Yankees and the Red Sox for the AL East.

Here's the schedule of events:

Thursday, February 18 Pre-spring training press conference with Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman,
Charlotte Sports Park, noon

Friday, February 19 First workout, pitchers and catchers, 10 a.m. (all other workouts, 9:30 a.m.)

Saturday, February 20 Fan Fest Tropicana Field, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, February 24 First full-squad workout, 9:30 a.m.

Friday, February 26 Photo Day, 7:30 a.m.

Monday, March 1 2010 Rays Charity Golf Classic, Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club in Bradenton, noon

The Super Bowl officially ends football season this weekend, now we can start looking toward some baseball. Go Rays!

Did Carlos Pena lose weight?

2010-01-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

First off, I would like to commend Carlos Pena's efforts today to help the victims of the Haitian earthquake. 'Los was in the Dominican Republic during the quake and is doing what he can to help his next door neighbors. The St. Pete Times did a good piece on Pena this morning. At 10 Connects, we covered his work raising money for the Red Cross.

However while watching the coverage, someone near me remarked that Pena looked as though he lost weight. I say that most ballplayers look smaller outside of their uniform normally, but this person claimed that Pena's face even looked smaller.

Since I'm not an expert on Pena's physique, I thought I'd leave it up to the Rays Revolutionary readers. Do you think Pena lost weight since his finger injury?

Aki Trade: What it means for the Rays.

2009-11-04T16:58:00.000-05:00

The Tampa Bay Rays wasted no time making sure they didn't get stuck with Akinori Iwamura's half-million dollar buy out option. The team traded the 2nd baseman to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed reliever Jesse Chavez.

So, what does the deal mean for the Rays? In the short term the Rays unload Aki's salary, opening up more payroll for next year. In the long term, the Rays get a reliever that is in their control for the next few years. Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman says Chavez has a real upside.

The Pirates used Chavez as a setup man late in the season. He was able to get some outs against lefties, but had trouble against righties. He does have a 96-mile-per-hour fastball and the Pirates were considering a possible closer role for Chavez.

It's still to early to envision exactly what Chavez's roll will be in the Rays bullpen. I think the main problem with the Rays bullpen is the lack of a closer. If they get a closer, the rest of the pieces could fall in to place.

It's sad to see the Aki era end in St. Petersburg. Who can forget some of the big hits he had in 2008? He'll also be immortalized in Rays' lore as the man who made the final out in the 2008 ALCS.

This trade opened my eyes to one other thing. No matter how much I complain about the Rays and their payroll, the Pirates and their fans have it much worse. Aki became the highest paid Pittsburgh Pirate yesterday.

Color chart needed to figure out Rays ticket prices next year

2009-10-29T17:04:00.000-04:00

The Rays today released their 2010 ticket prices and it looks like you're going to need a color chart to go along with your schedule to see how much a ticket will cost.

The Rays will have five categories of individual ticket pricing: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Here's how it breaks down:

Diamond games are all weekend games against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Tickets for those games start at $20 for Upper Reserved and TBT Party Deck. The Rays will play a Diamond series against the Yankees in the first week of the season. After that, the Rays don't have a Diamond series until the last week of July. In all, there are 9 games with Diamond pricing: 6 vs the Yankees, 3 vs the Red Sox.

Platinum games include all other Saturday games, weekday games versus the Yankees and Red Sox as well as Opening Day versus the Balitmorie Orioles on April 6. Platinum tickets start at $18 for Upper Reserved/ TBT Party Deck. There are 20 Platinum games. If the Rays continue their summer concert series, those would be Platinum games.

Gold games are all Friday and Sunday games that don't involve the Red Sox and Yankees. There are 20 Gold games. Tickets for Gold games start at $12. That's the biggest drop between color codes. For example you can see the Royals Friday, May 20th for $12. The same game will cost you $18 on Saturday night.

The last two price categories is the Silver and Bronze. Silver includes all the rest of the weekday games, except for the 5 Bronze games. The Bronze games are April 29 vs Kansas City, May 17 vs Cleveland, June 9 vs Toronto, July 8 vs Cleveland, and August 2 vs Minnesota.

As for free parking, it looks like it's going to get a lot tighter next year. The Rays will still allow vehicles with four or more passengers to park for free-- on Bronze and Sunday games. For all other games it's just the first 100 cars with four or more people. Other than that, you'll have to pay $10 to $20.

Despite being a little complicated, the Rays seem to be trying to price their tickets along with demand. We all noticed last year how weekday games were all slow, while the weekends did real well. It looks as though the Rays want to increase their profit a bit on the weekend games, while trying to encourage people to go to weekday games by offering discounted tickets. We'll see how it works.

Rays get new hitting coach

2009-10-21T11:27:00.000-04:00

The Rays named Derek Shelton their new hitting coach today. He replaces Steve Henderson who was let go after the season. Shelton comes over from the Cleveland Indian organization (a team that has had some success against the Rays lately). The 39-year-old has been their hitting coach since 2005.

Shelton does have some playing experience. He played 2 years in the Yankee organization as a catcher before an injury derailed his career.

I say it's good to see a little shake-up in the organization. I hope Shelton can keep the bats going and figure out a way to turn Pat back into the Bat.

Congratulations, Bossman Junior

2009-10-03T08:41:00.000-04:00

It's rare that a team playing out the streak give you something to really root for, but credit the Rays for showing that there is still life left in this organization. Last night, the Rays made a statement to the Yankees. They not only kept CC Sabathia from getting his 20th win, they punched the Yankees in mouth with a good old fashioned butt-whuppin'

And, of course, the star of the night was Mr. Melvin Upton, aka Bossman, Junior. The Bossman continued his hot streak in games that don't count by hitting for the cycle. Watching the game you could just feel it coming, especially after Bossman got his homer. The crowd at the Trop gave Bossman a standing ovation as he headed into the history books as the first Ray ever to hit for the cycle.

Overall it was a nice win for the Rays, but they still have a long way to go. The Yankees are a real good team and the Rays are going to have to play great baseball to keep up next year

Ex-Rays helping other teams in 2009 playoffs

2009-09-30T09:49:00.000-04:00

This time last year Rays' fans were sporting "Beast of the East" and "Playoff Bound" shirts. Kevin Costner was recording songs. And the Rays were the darling Cinderella story for the national media. This year, the Rays are battling just to stay above .500 for the year. It's been a disappointing run, but the future looks bright for next year.

While Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, James Shields, and the rest of the team will be hitting the golf course very soon, several ex-Rays will be trying to make a post-season impact in other uniforms. So it may be worth watching some of these guys as the post season gets going.

Eric Hinske, New York Yankees - Who knew that having Hinske on your roster was a precursor to winning the AL East. Apparently, someone told Hal Steinbrenner who acquired Hinske from the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this year. Yankee fans appreciate his workman like approach. This is Hinske's third AL East Championship in a row. Maybe the Rays should look at bringing him back next year.

Rocco Baldelli, Boston Red Sox - It was great seeing Rocco get the chance to play some playoff baseball in a Rays uniform. But, questions about his medical condition made him expendable for the Rays 2009 plans. However, it's good to see him get the chance to play some post season ball with the team he grew up watching.

Scott Kazmir, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that this one is the most disturbing to me. I still think the Rays season went in the tank after the Rays got rid of Kazmir for several prospects who weren't ready to help the team.

While we won't know how the Rays made out until years down the road, we will soon see how the Angels made out on the deal. They plan on using Kazmir as their starter in Boston for Games 3 or 4 in the ALDS.

Edwin Jackson, Detroit Tigers - Granted the Tigers haven't clinched, but E-Jax is still playing meaningful games in October. Of course, one could argue that Matt Joyce played a big roll in the Durham Bulls championship run. But, I won't go there.

I must admit I wasn't too distraught over the trade when it happened. But, following the Kamzir move, I've been looking at this trade in a little different light. Maybe Joyce will get the chance to play for an AL Championship next year.

Trevor Miller, St. Louis Cardinals - I wonder if the Rays wouldn't like to have this guy back in their bullpen this year. His whopping 2.10 ERA would've looked real nice when the Rays' bullpen was blowing games. I think his loss hurt this team more than they expected. J.P Howell and Miller did a good job of locking down lefties. This year, they were replaced by the Dynamic Duo of Brian Shouse and Randy Choate. See the problem?

Jason Hammel, Colorado Rockies - I'm sure not too many Rays' fans shed tears over the loss of Jason Hammel to the Colorado Rockies. Our 2008 long reliever did a good job in the back end of the Rockies rotation. Him and his teammates are busy trying to fight off the pesky Atlanta Braves.

Caption This: Late September at the Trop!

2009-09-29T19:14:00.000-04:00

They say a picure is worth a thousand words. If so, I wonder what this picture says to Rays ownership?

Please feel free to leave your caption below.

One advantage of not making playoffs: Cheap Rays gear!

2009-09-28T09:06:00.000-04:00

Got this Nike shirt for $7.99 at JC Penney's over the weekend.

I was a bit saddened on Friday when I received an e-mail from Stub Hub advertising MLB playoff tickets. It struck me for a moment just how exciting last year was. Once the Rays had clinched their playoff berth, I was running around buying shirts, looking for playoff tickets, planning television specials, etc. This year, I can barely bring myself to watch the final few games. Yesterday I even chose to suffer through the Buccaneer humiliation at the hands of the Giants before finally turning on the Rays.

However, there is one bright side to this year's performance: Cheap gear! On Saturday, as I was tooling around town with my wife, I realized just what kind of deals are already out there. Think about it, before last year the Rays gear didn't sell too well so department stores didn't stock up. However, they got caught off guard during the playoff run and couldn't keep the stuff on the shelf. So, when this year started, the retailers stocked up early and often. And now that there isn't going to be a playoff frenzy, they're going to get stuck with Rays merchandise they can't move during football season.

So, I picked up the shirt pictured above for $7.99. The price tag said $9.99 which I was happy to pay for a Rays Nike T-shirt. But, then when I got to the cash register, it rang up for another 20% off. Good deal. There were about 15 shirts just like that on the rack at the J.C. Penney's in Spring Hill.

Later on that day, at Dick's Sporting Goods, they had a Scott Kazmir white Rays jersey on sale for $19.99. That's a bargain, even if you don't like Kaz. For that price, you can cut off the name and have a great home jersey to wear to the Trop.

I guess the Rays losses this year will bode well for my wardrobe. I already put in a request to the Mrs. for one of the Blue Red Sox beater jersey shirts for Christmas. I could also use another hat or two. So, celebrate the losses by stocking up. I'm pretty sure the retailers will be much more conservative next year and you won't ever see these kind of deals again.

2010 Outfield: Bossman stays, CC goes

2009-09-24T09:32:00.000-04:00

Now, that's the Bossman we've been looking for all year. Last night BJ Upton put on a big show, going 2 for 3 with 3 RBI's in the Rays come from behind win over the Seattle Mariners. He also made a spectacular game-ending catch to make sure the Mariners didn't rise from the dead. And Bossman's performance last night is a perfect example of why Bossman may be in the 2010 outfield without Carl Crawford.

I know. You wish Bossman would just go away. He's been so disappointing. I've heard over and over again from Rays fans that the team needs to part ways with their center fielder. Last year, it was Fernando Perez that was going to take his spot. I hear Rays fans whispering now about Desmond Jennings. The chorus calling for the ouster of Bossman grows with each strikeout, with each base running mistake, and each day his average sits below .250. Heck, I was even mocking him earlier in the year for not being able to break the .200 mark.

Yet despite fan protests and despite the rough season, I fully expect BJ Upton to be starting center field for the Rays in April. And it could be an outfield without Carl Crawford. That's right. I said it. An outfield without CC that includes the Bossman.

Blasphemy, you say! CC is a fan favorite. The team would never trade him! Why would they keep Bossman over the face of the franchise, Carl Crawford? The reasons: Money and risk.

Right now, BJ Upton is arbitration eligible for the 2010 season. Based on his performance this year, I would expect the Rays to come out pretty good when it comes to Bossman's 2010 salary. With Bossman's talent, that could make him a real bargain. A bargain they couldn't get anywhere else. So if the Rays think 2009 was anomaly and not proof of Upton's future, than they would be crazy to move him now.

On the other side, there's CC. He was one of the Rays most consistent players, he's a fan favorite, he was even the All-Star MVP. Yet, the Rays may still move him. CC is one of the "big 3" when it comes to salary next year. CC, Carlos Pena, and Pat Burrell are expected to make almost $30 dollars combined next year. CC would be worth $10 million. One of these guys has to go.

While Pat Burrell would be the obvious choice, it may not be as easy as you think. The Rays would have to find a team willing to take on the salary of a guy who appears to be the shell of his former self. John Romano from the Times suggested that the Rays talk to the Cubs about trading Burrell for Milton Bradley. However, that would only work if the Rays can convince the Cubs that American League pitching and the DH role are behind Burrell's slide. The Rays would also have to decide if bring a guy like Bradley to the team is good for clubhouse chemistry. At the end of the day, the Rays may be stuck Burrell for at least half the season.

As for Carlos Pena, I think the Rays are too thin at 1B to get unload Pena. He's their power-hitting left-handed bat with a good glove at 1B. I just don't think the Rays have a guy that could step in and take his place. They could check out the free agent market, but are they really going to find any value. They may be better off just keeping Pena.

That leaves Carl Crawford. He's coming off a great year and his value may never be higher. The Rays have plenty of outfielders waiting in the wings that could take over in left field, including Ben Zobrist or Desmond Jennings. The Rays could get some real good ball players for CC at bargain rates. It could also leave the Rays in a position to address some of their other glaring needs like catcher and bullpen.

Would I like to CC gone? Absolutely not. Crawford is the face of this franchise, both the good and bad years. We've watched him grow up along with the team. But, I think the Rays are going to put aside emotion and look at CC's value strictly be the numbers. Ownership has already show that they can be very cold when it comes to making moves (trading Kazmir). As long as I keep the $$$$ in mind, moving CC while keeping Upton makes perfect sense.

Rays are eliminated from playoff contention

2009-09-23T09:12:00.000-04:00

I guess I shouldn't really take it too hard, this is only the 2nd time in the Rays history that they were even this close. But, last night's loss to the Seattle Mariners officially shut the door on the Rays chances of defending their championship. I think it was a little ironic that the Seattle Mariners snuffed out their playoff chances. This is the same team that brutalized the Rays in mid-August in a series that could've been the catalyst that led management to trading Scott Kazmir.

Now that the 2009 season seems to be winding down, it's time for the Rays to look toward the future. Management has some very tough decisions coming up in the off-season. And depending on how the American League playoffs play out, the Rays could see their divisional rivals loading up even more (just imagine what would happen if the Yankees some how get eliminated).

Between now and this time next year, the Rays need to figure out how to capture just a little bit of that magic they had from last year. That way, we can enjoy a little more post-season magic ourselves.

A Glimpse at the Future: Durham Bulls win Triple-A Championship

2009-09-23T08:58:00.000-04:00

Can you identify these guys? (Wendy Eagan/MiLB.com)

I got the rare opportunity last night to watch the Durham Bulls plays some baseball. The Bulls beat the Memphis Red Birds 5-4 in the Triple-A National Championship game. The game was televised on ESPN 2. As someone who mostly focuses on the Rays, it was a good chance to get a glimpse at the Rays' future. All I can say is that I'm excited about that glimpse!

Minor league pitcher of the year Jeremy Hellickson took the mound to start the game for the Bulls. The 22-year-old looked impressive only allowing 2 hits in 5 innings. He has good control and command. I could easily see this guy throwing for the Rays real soon. I was impressed with his mound presence and the way he was able to get outs in a workman like way. He was voted the game's MVP for shutting down a hot Memphis Redbirds lineup. I"m not sure why Bulls manager Charlie Montoya took him out, but either way I enjoyed watching him.

I also came away real impressed with outfielder Desmond Jennings. This guy would look real good in Rays gear, tearing up the base paths and patrolling the outfield. Jennings got the first RBI of the game. He knocked Raimer Olmeda in on a double. What I really like was how he hustled to stretch what should've been a single into a double. Later in the game he won a foot race with the Memphis pitcher to the first base bag, allowing another run to score. I will tell you now that Jennings give the Rays options in the outfield in the upcoming months.

And then there's Sean Rodriguez or S-Rod as he's known in some circles. As many of you know, I'm not the biggest fan of the Scott Kazmir trade. But, S-Rod could make me forget real easily. He led of the 4th with a solo homer, showing off his nice swing and his ability to come up big. He played 2nd last night, but I'm not sure what position the Rays are projecting him for in the majors. ESPN 2 interviewed S-Rod after the game and he's a real well-spoken guy. Maybe he can help lessen the pain from the Kazmir trade.

All in all, it was an interesting experience watching the Bulls play on TV last night. Besides Hellickson, Jennings, and A-Rod, I also got to see our old buddies Joe Dillionaire and The Greatness that is Michel Hernandez. In fact, Hernandez lead of the bottom of the 11th with a double that turned out to be the winning run. I also got to see Matt Joyce and Justin Ruggiano in the outfield. I'd really like to see Joyce step it up in the off-season to earn a roster spot next year.

As the big team winds down it's season, it's good to know that there are some bright spots in the Rays future. I look forward to seeing many of these guys next spring as they battle it out for a roster spot in the show.

(Wendy Eagan/MiLB.com)

Durham Bulls or Tampa Bay Rays

2009-09-22T08:52:00.000-04:00

It figures, every fall I end up with some sort of TV viewing conflict. But tonight it's not about NCIS or Hell's Kitchen, it's about the Tampa Bay Rays versus the Durham Bulls. Tonight, the Rays take on the Seattle Mariners in a game that really doesn't matter in the big scheme of things. However, the Durham Bulls get a nationally televised game on ESPN 2 when they take on Memphis for the Triple A Baseball National Championship.

The Bulls game offers several things for me to watch for the future of the Rays. First off, Jeremy Hellickson is the starting pitcher for the Bulls tonight. He's the Rays minor-league pitcher of the year and a guy I've heard plenty about, but never seen. Also, I could get my first decent looks at Sean Rodriguez and Desmond Jennings. Both could be on the Rays' roster next year. I also get to see some of my favorite fringe Rays players, such as Joe Dillionaire, The Greatness that is Michel Hernandez, and that Matt Joyce guy that got traded for E-Jax.

Tonight will give me a great chance to evaluate some of the Rays future with my own eyes. While it may be only one game, I trust my eyes much more than I trust some "Baseball Prospects" ranking. Some e-mailers and twitter friends have accused me of being naive when it comes to the Rays prospects. I will agree that I don't get as fired up about prospects in the minors as others. However, I refuse to rate a player that I've never seen with my own eyes in a game situation. I'm not going to get excited about a PTBNL because some guide says he's a great prospect. Maybe that makes me less of a fan, but honestly I don't care.

Tonight, I will get to look at some of these guys and make my own opinions (as much as I can in one game). I will also get the chance to see a team actually playing for something. It's just too bad that the only thing the Rays are playing for is a winning season.

Durham Bulls vs Memphis Redbirds Tonight 7pm ESPN 2

Too bad the Rays couldn't play Toronto all year long

2009-09-21T16:09:00.000-04:00

Watching the Rays complete the sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend, I couldn't help but wonder what could've been. The Rays have had some serious success against the Blue Jays this year, taking 14 out of their 18 match-ups. If only the Rays could equal that success against the other the AL East, we would be making playoff plans right now.

It's good to see the Rays taking care of business as the season winds down. I think it's very important for this team to end successfully this year to build toward next year. The better they do right now, the more confidence the young pitching staff will have in April.

Two weeks from today, the 2009 season will be history. The Rays and their fans will be watching the playoffs from home. Let's hope we're watching with an eye toward next year.

Fan Photos: Thanks for those of you who've sent in some photos for the project I'm working on. But, I still need more. I'm looking for any photos: fans, players, or anything else having to do with the Rays. You can e-mail them to m_weber @ tampabay.rr.com

Magic Number: 7 and a call for submissions!

2009-09-19T10:28:00.000-04:00

With wins on Thursday and Friday the Rays have knocked down their magic number to 7. With 7 wins, they can ensure themselves of an over .500 record in the year after the World Series, only their 2nd winning season in franchise history. Now, if they can just keep this kind of momentum going for next season, I may hold out some hope of a return of the magic for 2010. Go Rays!

Call for submissions: Like some of the Rays last week, I'm already looking ahead to the off-season. I'm working on a project and I need your help. I'm looking for any fan pictures you have from the 2009 season. Go through your "my photos" folder or wherever you keep them and find your best pictures.

Don't forget to scroll through your camera phone as well. You can send them to me at m_weber @ tampabay.rr.com. Make sure you put "Fan Photos" in the subject line so they don't get lost in my inbox. I'll be using these for a project you should see around the beginning of next year. I won't use them without getting your permission first, but as a Rays fan, I'd like to see what kind of pictures you have. Thanks in advance!

Was last year the fluke? 2009 Rays = 2007 Rays

2009-09-17T08:58:00.000-04:00

Rays look much like the 2007 version right now. Photo courtesy of Stephanie.

To think, I thought these kind of stretches were a thing of the past. Long losing streaks. Blown games. No offense. Players fighting in the clubhouse. Season-ending injuries. Bullpen pitchers who can't get anybody out. Career minor leaguers in the starting line-up. For a moment last night, I thought the time machine had slipped me back a few years.

Welcome to the 2009 Rays, a version of the 2007 Rays with higher expectations and a better winning percentage in June. Other than that, they seem to pretty much be the same team. And now that the Rays are at .500 with 16 games to play, they're in danger of following their magical 2008 season with a real clunker. It's a shame really, this team had all the potential to make life interesting all year. Instead, they bagged it when it counted most.

I'm not sure what's going on in the locker room right now. Nobody seems to know what prompted Carl Crawford and Pat Burrell to argue in the clubhouse before yesterday's game. But, the fact that they did argue tells me a lot about the mood in the locker room. I'm sure the players are just as fed up as we are about their performance. But the difference, they can do something about it.

I wrote yesterday that the Rays need to play out the streak with pride and professionalism. They need to play each game like they're still in the hunt. Joe Maddon needs to find a way to motivate a bunch of guys who seem to have packed it in. They need to do what they can to stay over .500 so this team doesn't become some sick footnote to history. My biggest fear is that the true footnote in Rays history won't be this year, it was last year.

Round 1: Pat the Bat vs Carl Crawford

2009-09-16T19:00:00.002-04:00

Update: 11:30 PM After the Rays walk-off loss to the Baltimore Orioles, Pat Burrell left the clubhouse before it was open to the media. Crawford said he's not talking about the pre-game incident. This is from Marc Topkin of the St. Pete Times Twitterfeed.

Marc Lancaster from TBO is reporting that some sort of shouting match took place between Pat Burrell and Carl Crawford this afternoon. The two exchanged words in the clubhouse. According to Lancaster, both players met with manager Joe Maddon, who said "everything's good."

No, Joe. Everything's not good. This clubhouse is falling apart at the seems. I don't know the details behind this altercation, but the lack of leadership on this team is becoming more and more obvious each day. These are still important games. They're going to set the tone for the off-season and next season. The fade that everyone expected of the Rays has finally come to fruition. The next few days will show whether this team will continue down the drain or try to salvage something.

The most annoying giveaway since the Cow Bell

2009-09-16T16:31:00.023-04:00

Red Sox fans if you thought the Cow Bells were obnoxious, wait until you see this weekend's giveaway. The first 10,000 kids 14 and under will receive a Rays Rattle Drum. This drum is the same one featured in the Karate Kid 2. Upon getting the drum in my hand, I proceded to go Mr. Miagi with it and learned just how quick the drum can annoy people. My co-worker was ready to pull it out of my hand and stomp it. In fact, I had to go in to a sound proof edit booth just to shoot the video. Otherwise, I risked my life.

The Rays are also giving away a Matt Garza figurine, similar to the Evan Longoria Rookie of the Year that was given out earlier this year. All fans to Saturday night's game will get the figurine and also a chance to see Tito Nieves perform in the Rays 10th post-game concert.

Back to the Garza figurine. I figured that most of you, like me would wonder how authintic it was. So, I've included a close-up of the goatee. You decide. I didn't see any sunflower seeds dripping of the chin.

I couldn't resist having Garza pitch in front of Kazmir's good-bye newpaper ad

That's what she said: Jan from the Office to be Rays fan for a day

2009-09-16T11:18:00.000-04:00

In order to kick-off their their new syndicated runs of the Office, More TV 32 is bring Melora Hardin to Friday night's game versus the Toronto Blue Jays fans. Office fans know Melora as Michael Scott's former boss Jan. Hardin will throw out the first pitch on Friday and sing during the 7th inning stretch.

Just the other day, I saw Hardin in the move "17 Again" (don't hate on me, I have a daughter who loves High School Musical). It made me wonder, just how much work she has done throughout her career. A quick look on imdb shows that Hardin has quite an expansive resume.

Here are some highlights:

As a child actor, she had several guest appearances on shows such as Different Strokes and Love Boat before getting a recurring roll on Little House on the Prairie.

In a role that might have made her a star sooner, Hardin was set to play McFly’s love interest in “Back to the Future” (1985), but was recast because of her height when her co-star to be, Eric Stolz, was let go and Michael J. Fox, who was shorter than Hardin, was given the lead.

In the nineties, she appeared in the movie "The Rocketeer," along with appearances on Quantum Leap, Caroline in the City, and Friends.

In 2004, she began to be seen on the critical fave “Monk,” playing wife to the obsessive compulsive investigator (Tony Shaloub).

Since getting cast in the office, she's appeared in “Thank You for Smoking” (2006), “27 Dresses” (2007) and “17” (2008) with Zac Efron and Matthew Perry.

10 things I want to see from Rays as the season ends

2009-09-16T08:39:00.001-04:00

Photo courtesy of Stephanie

With 17 games left, the Tampa Bay Rays 2009 season is quickly coming to a close. For most of the season, the Rays were chasing the Yankees and the Red Sox. However, recent events have left the team out of the division race and on life support for the wild card. Needless to say, it's almost time to look toward next year.

As Rays fans have learned through the years, it's never easy watching a team try to play out the season with nothing on the line. For the most part, the Rays will be playing teams that are already out of it. So, as fans, what do we look for as the season winds down?

Here's my list of 10 things I want to see over the next couple of weeks:

Hustle and Heart. How the Rays finish this season could go a long way into how they start the next season. I think it's very important for them to show hustle and heart. Guys can use this time to show management that they haven't given up and they want to try again next year. When Joe Maddon and management meet after the season, they're going to remember who showed up and who didn't.

Finish above .500. This should be a big goal of this team. If they somehow let this season end with a losing record, all the strides they've taken to be respectable will be gone. History won't remember that they were 12 games over .500 going into September. All history will remember is that a team that went to the World Series in 2008 ended with a losing record in 2009. Meanwhile, Rays fans will be left with only one winning season to remember.

Younger Bullpen. I'm not sure about you, but I'm ready to see some of the newer faces in the bullpen. Let's see some more Dale Thayer or let's see some Andy Sonnanstine in the bullpen. I'm not sure who else the Rays can bring in once Durham's season's is over, but I think the Rays should try some guys in some new roles.

Wade Davis innings. This is a good chance for the young Mr. Davis to get some innings under his belt and maybe avoid some of the early season troubles that rookies David Price and Jeff Niemann faced this year. If he can get the kinks out now and have some things to think about in the off-season, maybe he can slip right into the number 4 spot in the rotation next year.

Home crowd love. I'm guessing Tropicana Field isn't going to be busting at the seems these last few games, but this team should show some love for the die hards that are still supporting the team in the end. Keep that home record looking pretty good and look forward to next year.

Finish in at least 3rd. The Rays also need to make sure they stay ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays in the standing. Finishing 3rd looks much better than finishing 4th. The Rays have a home series against the Jays where they can make sure that happens. Plus, because of a bet I made earlier in the season, I get to go to a Bucs game for free as long as the Rays finish in third. If they drop to fourth, I'm buying tickets.

Bartlett's Average. I wouldn't mind seeing Jason Bartlett pass Derek Jeter in the AL Batting Average list. Right now Jeter is at .332, Bartlet at .327. A couple of good games could make the Bartlett the best hitting shortstop in the AL.

Longo's RBI's. With a couple of good games against some bad pitchers, Evan Longoria could make it a race for the RBI title. Before long, Joe Girardi's going to start giving off days to some of his players here and there. Longo needs to show up and knock people in. It would be nice having the RBI leader on the Rays.

Yankee Killers. I know the Yanks may be shutting it down before the final series against the Rays at the Trop. But, I would like to see the Rays redeem themselves a bit against the Bronx Bombers. The Rays haven't really played the Yanks well since early last season. A sweep or a series win to end the season could give the Rays some good Karma going into next year.

Matt Joyce, Reid Brignac, Fernando Perez, Shawn Riggans, Sean Rodriguez, etc. I'd like to see a good sampling of these guys in the next couple of weeks. I'm not suggesting that Joe Maddon go all Durham on us. I'm just suggesting he mixes these guys in a little with an eye toward next year.

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2009-09-15T18:46:00.000-04:00

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Rays 2010 Schedule Posted

2009-09-15T16:03:00.000-04:00

The Tampa Bay Rays released their 2010 schedule today. I normally don't study the schedule too much before the season. Baseball isn't like the NFL where you can start making predictions based on next year's schedule.

With that being said, here are some of the things I noticed on first glance:

The Rays start 2010 at home on April 6th against the Baltimore Orioles. Not a bad way to start the season, although they play 6 of their first 9 against the O's. I'd much rather face them at the end of the season.

Long west coast road trip in May. The Rays play 3 @Seattle, 3 @Oakland, 3 @LA from May 4th to May 12th. They get one day off before returning home for a 3 game set against Seattle.

Speaking of May, the Rays only get 2 off days. In fact, they play ever day from May 14th to June 2nd.

The Rays get to face the Boston Red Sox each month of the season.

The big thing now is for the Rays to finish 2009 strong, so that we actually have something to look forward to next year.

No more! Reid Brignac leads the team out of the void.

2009-09-15T09:01:00.000-04:00

I am the new president of the Reid Brignac fan club. Photo courtesy of Stephanie.

I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't the biggest Reid Brignac fan. Every time he came up to the Rays, he seemed to be a non-factor. Many Rays fans chided me for not giving Reid a chance and dismissing him outright. But last night, the Durham Bulls shortstop truly made his major league debut. Brignac went 4-4 with a homer, 2 doubles, a single and 3 RBI's. It was almost as if he willed the Rays out of their 11 game losing streak to an 8-4 victory of the Baltimore Orioles.

To be sure, the Baltimore Orioles are not in the same league as the Yankees and Red Sox. But, they're still a major league baseball team and in the first inning the Rays looked like they were still in the same funk that plagued them over the last 11 games. They got an early 1 run lead, but a combination of scoreboard and mental errors allowed Baltimore to jump to a 4-1 lead. The bottom of the 1st, the Rays looked like a team who hadn't won a game in a long time.

Then came Brignac. BJ Upton was on 1st, 2 outs. The game very well could've hung on this at-bat and Brignac came through with a 2-run homer. And like that, the gates were open. The Rays found their offense. They found their defense. And David Price found enough to keep putting up zeros on the O's. The bullpen even found some of its groove with the combination of Dan Wheeler, Brian Shouse, and JP Howell getting the final 6 outs... a task that hasn't been easy for the Rays lately.

The Rays have had serious leadership issues since Carlos Pena got hurt. It's one thing to step up and say you're embarrassed by the losing streak. It's another thing to go 4-4 and have a career game when given a rare start. And, for that, I must tip my hat to Mr. Reid Brignac. I hope you're able to play your way on to the opening day roster in 2010.

Open Letter to Joe Maddon

2009-09-14T08:44:00.000-04:00

Dear Joe:

I understand it's tough. You never expected this kind of performance from your team after last year. You, along with the rest of us, thought the worm had turned for the Tampa Bay Rays. No longer would the team and its fans be subjected to the kind of torture that comes from losing 11 games in a row.

I'm not placing the total blame on you. I know that you have no control of the bullpen meltdowns. I know that you've tried every mix and match you have to try and get the final outs. I know that you've tried leaving the stater in there a hair longer. I also know that you can't control the disappearing bats. I know that it's not your fault that Carlos Pena broke his fingers and BJ Upton's gimpy angle.

I know that you can't say how the Scott Kazmir trade completely demoralized your team. I know that keeping your mouth shut must be tough. I know in the back of your mind you're trying to figure out how that could've happened. How a team could sell of parts, while its competition was busy signing players specifically to beat your team.

I know you're now looking to the future. Looking to 2010 when things are supposed to be better. But, I'm not. I'm looking at right now and the rest of the season. I'm asking for you to do something that is tough for any manager: motivating a team that has given up. When things are going good, it's easy to get the guys motivated. When things are going bad, that's when a manager can earn his stripes. Dealing with the last few weeks of the season could define you and this season for years to come.

If this team finishes below .500, it's going to reflect on you. Nobody will remember that the Rays were 12 games over .500 going into September. Nobody will remember that the Rays were still in the Wild Card hunt when the front office pulled the trigger on the Scott Kazmir deal. All they'll remember is how a team that went to the World Series, finished below .500 the next year. And with that, all the swagger will be gone, and this team will once again be the Devil Rays.

So, I don't want to hear about next year. I don't want to hear about the slow start in April. What I want to see is some wins. All I'm asking is for .500 ball and a 3rd place finish in the AL East. Draw deep, Joe and figure out how to get these guys to win some games. End the season on a good note so your predictions for next year don't ring hollow. This team is better than that. You are better than that. Don't let the magic from the 2008 season end with a return to 2007. Draw deep and finish strong.

Sincerely,

Michael Weber

Rays Revolutionary

This is what happens when you give up on your team

2009-09-13T07:19:00.000-04:00

The moment I heard about the Scott Kazmir trade, I knew this was what we were going to be left with.

Argue about the prospects. Argue about the money. Argue about the future. Argue all you want, but this is what happens when you give up on a a team: The team gives up on you.

Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of blame to go around. We can blame Joe Maddon. We can blame the Carlos Pena injury. We can blame the bullpen. But ultimately, the slide started the day the Rays front office secretly traded Scott Kazmir to another contending AL team.

Maybe ownership learned a valuable lesson this year. Maybe they learned the value of a "team" over the value of "money." I'm not asking them to break the bank to compete. I'm not even asking for trading deadline additions. All I'm asking is that the Rays front office give this team the chance to win. That chance was clearly taken from them and their play on the field shows.

What's wrong with the Rays?

2009-09-09T12:50:00.000-04:00

With the losses piling up, I've been running out of honest post-game discussion about the Rays. Since September 1st, I basically could've written one article and just published it over and over again. I just would have to change the name of the teams. This is the worst we've seen the Rays since 2007. It's obvious something is fundamentally wrong with them right now. Some are blaming the manager, others are blaming the front office (that's me on the Kazmir trade), others are blaming pitching coach Jim Hickey. Meanwhile, columnists at the Times and Tribune are already looking toward next year and what the roster is going to look like.

No many (myself included) would've guessed this is how the season would be unwinding. Since the final out of the World Series, I expected the Rays to battle night in and night out toward a repeat permance. I at least expected them to compete in meaningful games in September. However, it looks as though the "wall" many people predicted for the Rays going back to last season has finally happened.

To get a better pulse on what Rays fans think of this "wall" I posted this question on Twitter this morning: What do you think the problem with the #Rays is right now? Why do they look so bad?

Jennay1821 : it seems like they lose or gain their motivation too early in the game. If ONE thing goes wrong too soon, they almost give up :(

pdriscoll81 : Pen collapse & Los injury have taken little life that was left out of us. Don't think they've "packed it in", just not playing well

JohnMAbbott : I just think they gave up. Losing Kazmir (and now Pena!) was just too much of an emotional blow.

mgrad92 : Same here. Maybe a long season of bailing out starters burned out the 'pen?

deedee70 :I think there are several things causing them problems. 1) There only seems to be a few players who have been able to hit. 2) They just lost Pena their big hitter. 3) The bullpen does look good at all. They are lacking some talent there. and finally, 4) They have had some questionable calls against them by the Umps.

Pixie1212 : broken spirit- they were showing lack of hustle before the Kaz trade and Los injury- those two things have only made it worse.

Jstein2469 : a team that just went to the series a year ago, has had the pen break their hearts numerously, and watching the standings.it really looks like a young team that knows there's no post season and doesn't know how to finish the season professionally.

NTFHoops : Starting pitching actually good (sans Sonny). Hitting and fielding poor due to lack of focus. Relief poor due to 0 confidence. None of the negatives are Mgr's fault. He's not walking guys, giving up HR's, striking out, or hitting into dp's. Guys nd to stepup

ramedy : I think they're just physically/mentally taxed from frustration. I don't think Kaz trade mattered after game or two. Also, Maddon's dye job and Fernando Perez' mustache

mattsinn : Bullpen, bullpen, and the bullpen. It's atrocious. #Rays

JudgeWhopper : losing recent games in the 8th & 9th innings, need to look at all these reliever changes in a new light.

PatrickinNC : What do you think the problem with the #Rays is right now? Why do they look so bad? >>> They've given up.

This season has become disappointing all around. Last year, it seemed Rays fans had some ammunition to fight back against Yankee fans and Red Sox nation. This year, they can rightfully say they put us back in our place. This Rays team is only a shell of the magic we saw last year. Now, we begin the speculation on whether the Rays can regain some of that magic in 2010.

One game so far in September

2009-09-09T08:16:00.000-04:00

In case you're keeping track, the Rays have only won 1 game in September. And with one more game at New Yankee Stadium and a 3 game set at Fenway this weekend, the Rays may not be able to get back on track until Monday at the earliest.

This team's slide is verging on disgraceful. I hope Andrew Friedman and Stu Sternberg are taking notes. This is what happens when you show a team you don't have faith in them. Any September attendance bump was lost with this losing streak.

I know that some will argue that this slide was inevitable. That the Yankees, Tigers, and Red Sox are just better this year, but I'll argue over and over again that trading Scott Kazmir to the Angels led the Rays to where they are now. I've said it over and over again: Dumping Kazmir for prospects sent a message to the team that management thought this team didn't have a chance of making it back to the World Series. While no player will ever come out and admit it, their play on the field speaks volumes.

The Rays don't have much to play for now. It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks. Will the Rays have some pride and play out the season on a strong note? Or are they going to keep thinking about the golf course and the fishing hole?

Tampa Bay Rays: Small Market Team?

2009-09-08T16:01:00.000-04:00

One of my colleagues,Noah Pransky published a story on 10connects.com about the Rays and their label as a small-market team. In it he points out that the Tampa Bay market is the 14th largest television market, yet the Rays spend less on payroll than several teams in lower television markets. So, to automatically label the Tampa Bay Rays as small market is a bit disingenuous.

I agree with much of what Noah is saying. The Rays ownership are running the team based on an acceptable profit margin for them. Ownership has said they need to keep payroll around $65 million to maintain their margins. The question is: What margins are they shooting for?

To answer that question, you have to decide whether ownership is in the business to make money or are they in the business for ego. The more ego involved, the more likely they are to decrease those profit margins. However, if ownership is looking for specific returns on their investment, then expect more moves like the Kazmir trade. Or it could be some sort of combination of both. Taking risks (increasing payroll for a run this years) when they present themselves or bailing out when those risks don't look like they're going to pay off.

Overall, I have to give the Rays management credit for turning this franchise around. The fact that I actually care enough to get upset about the Kazmir trade is huge turnaround from the first few years of this franchise. I love what they've done with the team and I only critique because I care. I'm anxious to see what this off-season holds. Are we going to see more "money moves" or "winning moves?"

So, you had a bad day

2009-09-08T08:25:00.000-04:00

Just about a month ago, yesterday's day-night double-header looked like it could be a great day for Rays baseball. What could be better than facing the AL East leader with the chance to pick up 2 games in one day? It could become a day the 2009 Rays reaffirm themselves and show that 2008 wasn't a fluke. Instead, we get a DH sweep that adds on to the back end of a losing streak. A bullpen that can't get anyone out. A starter who's a shell of his former self and should be working on Durham's playoff run. An injury to starting first baseman that could've made that game his last in a Rays uniform. Overall, a bad day for the Rays.

I'll give credit to the Rays, they made it interesting this year. But now, they look like they've just packed it in. The only group that looks like they have any fire is the starting pitchers (minus Sonnanstine). The offense and the bullpen are already thinking about off-season plans. And with Carlos Pena out for the season, we don't even get to see a Ray possibly win the home run crown.

I think Joe Maddon needs to start looking toward next year when it comes to playing time. Do some experimentation and see what kind of things he can do. I know many fans are already calling for Jim Hickey's head. I'm not sure I agree. I think this year's pitching has as much to do with last year's innings as it does with Hickey. Some fans are even calling for Maddon's head. I also think he should be given another year. This season gave the Rays a glimpse of what it's like to be in the hunt without being in the lead. Hopefully, Joe and the front office learned plenty of lessons that will keep this from happening next year.

Have we seen the last of Carlos Pena in a Rays uniform?

2009-09-07T17:19:00.000-04:00

Is that it for 'Los? That was the first thought I had when I got word that Carlos Pena may be lost for the season. My mind imediately drifted to a time when his smiling face may not be the starting first baseman for the Rays.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't want to see Carlos gone. I don't want to see the team trim payroll at the expense of decent Rays. But if recent history has taught us anything, the Rays are a cold and calculating organization. They're going to run the numbers and come up with a formula. That formula will be the deciding factor on whether the Rays keep Pena or send him packing.

Time will tell. I'd like to think that the Rays front office takes more into consideration that just the numbers. But, if not, we very well could've seen the last of Carlos Pena in a Rays uniform.

Davis solid in debut, bullpen falters again

2009-09-07T06:56:00.000-04:00

Rays rookie Wade Davis opened plenty of eyes in his debut on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers. Looking like a man who could become a nice fixture in the Rays rotation, Davis went about the work of getting Tigers out. He gave up only 1 run on 7 hits with 9 strikeouts in what only can be described as a brilliant performance for a rookie. Then, the shoe dropped.

For the third game in a row, the bullpen takes the loss. It was the eighth blown save out of 12 attempts in the last 28 games. Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell have become nothing more than walk machines. And speaking of walking, manager Joe Maddon is getting plenty of exercise going from the dugout to the mound. Yesterday, he used 5 pitchers to get the final 2 outs. Those 5 pitchers gave up four runs in the process. Somewhere (probably in California), Troy Percival is laughing.

So, what's the problem? Maddon claims that the bullpen is having a "hiccup." J.P. Howell thinks the bullpen just doesn't believe. Whatever the problem is, the Rays have wasted a golden opportunity in this homestand to make a run toward the wild card. Instead, they seemed resigned to their fate as a third place team. Now, they have to go up to New Yankee Stadium for a double-header against two of the best pitchers in the league.

At this point, the Rays have all but written their script on the finally of this season. If I'm Joe Maddon, I'm watching each and every one of these players to see who still has the fire and who's packing it in. This team needs some changes in the off-season and the ragtag group in the bullpen would be a good place to start.

As for Davis, I'm encouraged by his first start. I think this run in the last month of the season will be good for his confidence going into next season. Maybe he can avoid some of the rookie problems that plagued Jeff Niemann and David Price early this season and get them out of the way before April 2010.

Guest Post: Reasons to support the Scott Kazmir trade

2009-09-06T13:15:00.004-04:00

Editor: This is a guest post from Stephanie, a fervent Rays fan who wanted to get her thoughts about the trade that sent Scott Kazmir to the Angels. Rays Revolutionary has gone on record questioning the timing of the trade during a playoff hunt. Stephanie provides a differing view point.

I had been so busy at work on that Friday that I hadn't had a chance
to look at any baseball related news. On my way home, I got a message
asking me what I thought of the Kaz trade. It was a good thing I was
at a red light when I read it, as I might have driven off the road
otherwise - I didn't have a clue what was going on, all I knew is that
I didn't want to lose Kaz. Having watched what was Kaz's last start
at the Trop in a Rays uniform (though I didn't know it at the time),
the standing ovation he received made me think of him as the prodigal
son for all long-time Rays fans. He had taken a lot from the fans in
the first half of the year, but the emotion behind the ovation was
more than just fans being happy about a well-pitched game, it was
pride in watching our boy return to form as the best pitcher the Rays
ever had. For me, Scotty was more than just a baseball player, and
trading him hit me personally. Although I had been crushed when Sonny
and Joe Nelson were sent down, at least they were still in the
organization.

Unlike the rest of the fanbase, who has gone through the same sadness
and confusion that I did, I haven't felt the anger or resignation that
a lot of people have expressed. Some people have accused me of being
a fangirl, and they're right. I am a big fan of not only the team,
but of the front office, and where possible, I'm going to look for
reasons to support what they do.

It is clear that the decision to trade Scott Kazmir carried a heavy
price. We can debate the odds that the Rays were going to make the
playoffs before and after the trade, whether it hurt the team or
helped. Either way, they've taken a big hit in terms of public
perception and fan reaction. They have certainly lost some ticket
sales, some merchandise sales, some fan loyalty. I don't know the
exact dollar figure, but it was certainly a predictable loss. The
front office isn't stupid either - they knew that this reaction would
happen. Any discussion of the Kazmir trade, then, starts with one of
two possibilities. Either the team is run by complete morons who woke
up one morning and decided that slapping the fanbase would be a good
lark or they felt that the hit they would take for trading him would
be worth it.

Is it a straight salary dump? I think it's hard to argue that it is.
If we wind up with a significantly lower payroll next year, I'll take
this statement back, but I'm guessing, between contract increases,
Garza, Upton, Howell, and Bartlett all going to arb. or being signed
to a long term deal, and needing to do something with Niemann, that
the 2010 payroll will be higher. Nor do I think it was dumping salary
for this year alone; I would estimate between the salaries they added
after the deadline combined with the hit in attendance that it comes
out essentially neutral.

So if it wasn't salary, what could make it worth the hit to trade him
in the middle of the wild card hunt? I believe it was a pure risk
evaluation. There's a lot we'll never know about players, and I won't
pretend to guess at what information the front office has on Kaz. I
do know that, before the year started, there were a fair number of
journalists and sportswriters arguing that the Rays should trade
Kazmir because he had peaked. I don't really agree with that, but
there were enough people repeating it that the idea was at least out
there. Unfortunately, Kaz didn't do a whole lot to refute the theory
during his first half. It was undeniably bad. 7.11 ERA, 1.79 WHIP
He had worked back up to an ERA+ of 77 by the time he was traded. If
he finished out the year strong, teams would probably be willing to
chalk up the first half to a fluke. It's not inconceivable, however,
that he could have ended up with a couple more bad starts - say, rough
outings at New Yankee Stadium and at Fenway - even if all his
mechanical and psychological issues are truly behind him and he has
returned to form as a dominate pitcher. The Rays would be left in the
uncomfortable position of trying to trade a starter with a 6 or 7 ERA
with a reputation for being emotional and due $22.5 million. During
the off season, their leverage would be next to non-existent, as
everyone knows the Rays payroll has limitations and Kaz is a big chunk
of that. As a free agent, almost everyone would take a chance on
Kazmir, in a trade, the centerpiece might well have been the money,
with some roster hamsters thrown in as secondary considerations.

There's a further risk - the economy has changed. Remember that the
Yankees didn't pull the trigger on a trade for Brian Bannister because
the *Royals* wouldn't kick in a few hundred thousand dollars. It's
easy to say that they'd be able to trade with all 29 teams after the
season, but it's not really the case - you're still talking about
being limited to probably 4 or 5 teams or so, 2 of which are in the
division.

I'm not *happy* about Kazmir traded, and I'm less happy about the
timing. However, the market size and share of the Rays means that
hard decisions are going to have to be made sometimes. Sternberg's
"get used to it" comment riled a lot of people, but I think it's a
fair comment. They're going to have to make trades and decisions that
are difficult and sometimes not optimal because they can't afford to
do otherwise. Once I accepted that, I don't think the trade looks
awful. I want the Rays to do everything they can to maximize their
chances at the playoffs this year - but I keep in mind that this team
isn't build to just contend this year; they're built for a decade of
dominance. The reason running a major league team is hard is because
questions don't have easy answers. Weighing the risk of Kaz finishing
poorly, the risk of making bad trade, the risk of not being able to
make a trade at all, the changed economy, the hit to playoff chances
this year, playoff chances next year, the hit with the fanbase...there
are an awful lot of competing factors.

I don't know whether the Kazmir trade will end up being good or bad.
There will be times that the front office will end up making bad
decisions, whether this one or others. The bottom line for me is that
I do trust that the front office is absolutely vested in putting a
superior team on the field, year in and year out. They won't be
perfect, but I don't know anyone that I would rather have running this
team. This trade has done nothing to change how I feel about the
team. It's been a rough year, but it's also been our 2nd best year
ever. We are playing meaningful games in September, for the 2nd year
in a row, and the 2nd year ever. Not much broke right for us this
year, but we have an outside chance now, and next year looks good.
That's worth supporting.

Since the Rays aren't bothering, why should I?

2009-09-06T07:25:00.000-04:00

Today I'm going to forgo my usual column about the Rays. I figure if they don't have to show up, why should I?

The Rays are 3-6 since trading Scott Kazmir.

A new off-season wish: A real closer

2009-09-05T10:22:00.000-04:00

Don't get me wrong, I like J.P. Howell. I thought he made a great transition from starter to reliever. He also has the ability to use that nasty curve to make guys look bad. Unfortunately, it looks like his shelf life as a closer may have come to an end.

For most of the night, it was a pitcher's duel between Justin Verlander and Jeff Niemann. Runs were at a premium all night and the game scooted right along. Then came the ninth. J.P. Howell put two guy on with walks before giving up an RBI single to Adam Everett. The Tigers tacked on two more insurance run, more than enough to keep the Rays from mounting a full come back.

The Rays bullpen has been questionable most of the year and it's a big reason they find their selves in the position their in. Last year, they win that game. This year, they come up just short. I think the Rays are in serious need of a bullpen overhaul in the off-season. A solid closer would be a good start. I've got no problem keeping Dan Wheeler and J.P. Howell as set up men. Grant Balfour probably pitched over his head last year and what we're seeing this year is the true Balfour. As for the other guys, they all can go as far as I'm concerned. The old, tired reliever act isn't working.

Red Sox moves help them get the thorn out of their side

2009-09-04T08:39:00.000-04:00

I guess things are right in the universe of the AL East this morning. Boston Red Sox fans are finally celebrating getting that thorn out of their side. It's a thorn that's been bothering them for a little over a years. A thorn that showed up quickly, but is now petering out. With a 6-3 victory over the Rays, the Red Sox all but ended the Rays chances of returning to the playoffs for a second year in row.

It was painfully obvious last night the difference between the "haves" and the "have-nots." The Red Sox moves during the trade deadline seemed aimed at stopping the Rays. They shored up all the positions that caused them problems with the Rays last year. They made huge upgrades at the shortstop and catcher position. The addition of notorious Rays' killer Victor Martinez was like icing on the cake. In the bullpen, Danial Bard and Billy Wagner are both guys who got Rays out without a problem last night.

The lesson to be learned here: The Rays have to get at it early if they want to make the playoffs. Like it or not, the Rays are still chasing their slow start in April. They're learning this year that it's much easier to be the team looking down. Maybe it's a lesson they'll carry into next year. As for Boston, they've made the moves to beat the Rays... but, their's a giant elephant staring down at them from the Bronx. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Carlos and the Rays remind me why I love this team

2009-09-03T08:47:00.000-04:00

I know I've been spewing a lot of negativity on this blog since the Scott Kazmir trade. But right now, I'm putting all that aside in honor of last night's beating of Boston and Carlos Pena's emergence as the true leader of this team.

For a few moments last night, things looked a little hairy. J.P. Howell came into a base-loaded situation in the eighth and threw a wild pitch that scored the tying run. It looked like the 2009 Rays were going to come up just short again.

But here comes Robo-Los. With a strength unmatched, Robo-Los picked up the team and put it on his back. He started the bottom of the 8th with a double, followed by a Pat Burrell RBI single which was in turn followed by an Evan Longoria homer. Three runs, no outs, bye-bye Boston. It was a beautiful reminder that the Rays are still the thorn in the side of the Boston Red Sox.

The Rays did a good job of turning it around last night. Let's see if they can ride the momentum into tonight's game.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 8-5 victory over the Red Sox:

Evan Longoria, Red Sox Slayer. In case you're wondering, Evan Longoria absolutely feasts on Red Sox pitching. He's batting .362 with 8 homers and 26 RBIs. Sick.

Bullpen Moves. I heard more than a few Red Sox fans questioning Joe Maddon's match-up pitching changes over the last two nights. But, one big difference between Tuesday and Wednesday was Boston's bullpen. Terry Francona used Jonathan Papelbaun 2 innings on Tuesday, making him unavailable for Wednesday. That probably changed the dynamics of the 8th and 9th for both teams.

Getting to Beckett early. The Rays did a good job of getting to Beckett early before he settled it. Unfortunately, the Red Sox offense spent the evening chipping away at the lead the Rays built.

So, where is that "pitching depth" you were talking about Mr. Friedman?

2009-09-02T08:56:00.000-04:00

No pitching depth here!. Photo courtesy of RaysRenegade via twitter.

I'm still looking for that pitching depth Andrew Friedman said allowed the Rays to make a move during a playoff run. It was nowhere to be found. Instead, I saw a starter who is nothing more than a generic righty and a team that looks like it's playing without a hope.

How else would you expect the players to respond? Across the field in the other dugout is a team that goes and gets what they need. They have a new catcher. They have a new shortstop. They have a new middle-reliever. The Rays? They replaced one of their most consistent starters with a guy who had trouble getting AAA guys out.

Of course, management will point to the stands and say that's why they had to move Scott Kazmir. But, isn't that putting the cart before the horse? This is only the Rays second winning season. It's only the second time games in September have actually meant something. You expect us to believe that Rome was built overnight? Last night's attendance was a referendum on the Scott Kazmir trade. If the Rays management doesn't think the Rays are making the playoffs, why should the fans? We know that the walk-ups are your bread and butter. Who's going to walk-up to watch a team playing the rival with one hand tied behind their back?

In the end, all of the Red Sox fans and all the Yankee fans were right. The Rays are nothing more than a farm team for the big boys. For one magical year and a half, I was able to suspend that disbelief and think that this team may be something different. But I guess in the world of major league baseball, there will always be haves and have-nots. The Rays will always be the Yankees and Red Sox pesky little brother. The boy that every once in awhile gets one over on the big guy, but later learns his lesson.

Here are some of the things I noticed in last night's 8-4 loss to the Red Sox:

Errors, errors, errors. I'm not sure who gave the Rays the dropsies, but they sure looked bad out there. If you want to contrast the difference between the Rays and the Red Sox this year and last, look no further than the defense. Jacoby Ellsbury made to big stops in center field to prevent runs, while the Rays spent all evening giving the Red Sox extra outs. Last year, that wouldn't have happened.

Robo-Los. I've got to tip my hat to Carlos Pena. He's single handedly trying to carry this team. I fear, however, it may be to little, too late.

Andy Sonnanstine. I'd really prefer never to see him pitch a game in a Rays uniform again. It looks like the league has figured him out. But, I guess management thought he had enough left to trade last night's scheduled starter.

Pitching depth, part 2. I misspoke early when I said I couldn't find any pitching depth. I found it in the bullpen. Joe Maddon seemed to have a pitcher for every batter in the Red Sox lineup. We got to see all of them.

Sean Rodriguez from the Angels. People tell me that's a good pick-up. I guess I would be more impressed if he played for the Rays last night.

Attendance Woes. This will be talked and talked about today. Fans will be called out. Management will use it to justify the Kazmir trade. Don't worry, I'm sure the Rays will draw well on Saturday for the Beach Boys concert.

Red Sox fans. I really dislike many Red Sox fans. At least Yankees fans were humbled a little by last year. Not so for Red Sox fan, who seems to think this one win justifies all their theories on how the best team did *not* go to the World Series last year. Keep telling yourself that, Red Sox fan. I hope it makes you sleep better at night. In case you're wondering, you're no different than the Yankees. The only difference is that the Yankees signed their big guns before the season. You picked yours up during the season.

Robo-Los tries to exorcise Scotty Kazmir

2009-09-01T15:30:00.002-04:00

Look what I arrived in the newsroom this afternoon: Robo Los. Kids going to the Trop on Sunday will get Robo-Los.

Robo-Los wasted no time taking over my desk and working to exorcise any ghost of Scotty Kazmir. He knocked some sense into the bobblehead with a piledriver. Robo-Los said [in best Arnold Terminator voice], "We're going to smack around the Boston Red Sox tonight!"

Go Rays! Beat Boston!

Primary today for Mayor of St. Pete. Could determine future of Rays.

2009-09-01T09:58:00.000-04:00

You may not know it if you don't live in St. Petersburg, but today is a big day when it comes to politics and the Rays. St. Petersburg residents will be narrowing down the field of candidates to replace Mayor Rick Baker. And today's decision could determine the future of the Rays in St. Petersburg.

My colleague, 10 Connects reporter Noah Pransky has been closely monitoring the election and the stadium fight. He's talked with the candidates and covered the ABC Coalition, the group researching the Rays stadium issue. He did a report in July the candidates' position on the Rays and the ABC Coalition findings. You can also follow this link for an overview on today's election and follow the results.

Beat Boston!

2009-09-01T09:32:00.003-04:00

This morning I pulled myself out of the doldrums a little and sported my "Beat Boston" shirt from last year's playoffs. But for me, this series has lost a little bit of its luster after the Rays traded Scott Kazmir. Tonight's game should've been the battle of lefties: Lester vs Kazmir. Instead, the Rays subtracted from their team while the Red Sox shuffled their rotation and signed a veteran leader.

To be sure, the Rays playoff chances depend on a good showing the next three games. Joe Maddon will tell you that it's only one game at a time, but in reality all these games count double. Andy Sonnanstine makes his triumphant return to the Trop where he's usually pitched well. The Red Sox are red hot right now and the Rays are going to have their hands full slowing them down.

It's a big stage. Let's see if the Rays can still "Feel the Heat."

Here are some of the things I noticed in yesterday's 11-7 victory over Detroit.

Winning record on the road. Give the Rays credit for overcoming adversity and still getting a winning record for the road trip. It's just too bad they let two of the games get away from them. Those games could come back to haunt them down the stretch.

Lineup changes. All year, Joe Maddon stuck with his "Vicious Circle" lineup regardless of slumps or match-ups. Over the last week or so Maddon's been more proactive in his lineup, moving guys all over the place with great success. Evan Longoria seems to be coming out of his slump a bit and Carlos Pena continues his tear.

"Big Game" James Shields and run support. No more whining about run support for James Shields. Getting a 6-run lead before your first pitch goes a long way into making up for past inadequacies.

Bartlett's Power. I just wanted to point out that Jason Bartlett has 12 homers this year. He had 1 last year.

Brian Shouse's effectiveness. No wonder Maddon didn't bring that guy in the other day to face Granderson, I can't remember the last time I saw him actually get somebody out.

Pending Implosion?

2009-08-31T08:25:00.000-04:00

If you thought the past few games were rough, get ready. It could get worse.

When a middle reliever starts questioning game strategy after a heart-breaking loss, you can just feel the implosion coming. The comments in question came from Grant Balfour, who gave up the game-winning 3-run homer to Placido Polanco.

Balfour said, "They come out and say can I pitch around him. I don't want to pitch around Granderson to be honest. I feel like I'm pitching on the defense them. I wish I never even got that in my head."

It sounds like the players aren't too happy with management these days. And that's the part of the equation that ownership didn't figure when they decided to trade Scott Kazmir. In order for this team to be successful, the players have to "believe." That was the rallying cry last year. Now, the Rays have put some doubt in their players head. They don't believe. They're not drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid.

John Romano of the St. Pete Times wrote a column this morning about the impact of losing players on the team from last year to this year. He talked to Johnny Gomes, Cliff Floyd, and Eric Hinske. I think Hinske (who's on his way to another AL East Division crown) had the most telling quote of the piece.

He said, "The one thing that the guys upstairs on the computers can't assess is clubhouse chemistry. They can look at all the numbers they want, but chemistry in the clubhouse is a huge deal."

I think he's right. Chemistry and belief are something that the Rays need to place a premium on if they're going to compete with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. This year, both are in short supply. Unfortunately, the team could use a little bit before facing the Red Sox this week.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 4-3 loss to the Tigers:

Niemann still battling. Give credit to the starting pitcher yesterday. He battled like a champ for 7 innings. Niemann is the one guy who seemingly still believes. He did exactly what he was supposed to, giving the Rays shut down innings and matching Tigers' ace Juster Verlander pitch for pitch. He gets to do it again on Friday.

Aki-san homer. I've got to be honest, I didn't realize Akinori Iwamura hadn't hit a homer all year. It was good to see him go opposite field yesterday.

Red Sox aren't discounting the Rays. The Red Sox are ready to put the wild card chase to bed this week. They shuffled their rotation so the Rays would get a rotation of Lester, Beckett, and Buchholz. The Red Sox have the chance to pretty much end the Rays wild card chances this week. Andy Sonnanstine will get the nod on Tuesday.

September call-ups. Expect to see some additional faces starting Tuesday. Sonnanstine, Perez, a catcher, Wade Davis and a couple of others could be joining the team. This is the depth Andrew Friedman was talking about when he said they could afford to trade Scott Kazmir. We'll see on Tuesday.

More reaction from the Kazmir deal

2009-08-30T15:34:00.004-04:00

Now that the dust has settled a bit and Andrew Friedman has had time to give his reasoning, it's time to take another look at the Friday deal that sent Scott Kazmir to the Angels for 2 prospects and a player to be named later.

Let's start with how the Rays handled the trade. The Rays were way behind the curve from the get go on this one. News first broke via an Angels beat writer on MLB.com and spread like wildfire via social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. So instead of getting a call from the GM, reporters hearing about the rumors had to confront Kazmir who actually asked if they were "joking." Joe Maddon didn't have anything to say. In fact, the team said there wouldn't be an announcement until after the game. Even though he was all but gone, there sat Kazmir next to David Price on the bench during Friday night's game.

Following the game, the Rays sent out a press release making it official without giving any sound. We got a couple of quotes from Andrew Friedman in the newspaper and then the message started taking shape.

"We have depth in starting pitching," executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "And while it would be a great luxury to keep a deep reserve there, our budgetary constraints as a low-revenue club dictate that we allocate our resources to bolster areas where we may not be as deep and make sure that we can expand our competitive window."

That quote makes perfect sense, unless you're talking about a team that was just 3.5 games behind the wild card leader at the time the trade was made. If you take them at face value, that means the Rays place their "budgetary constraints as a low-revenue club" over being successful on the field. That's where my problem lies.

I'm fine making moves to help make budget and keep the payroll down. I applaud ownership for what they've been able to do so far. I'm fine with tough off-season moves. I'm fine with not picking guys up during before the trade deadline. But this trade, at this time, just tells me that the budget trumps giving the team a chance to win.

The Rays can talk all day and night about "future" considerations when it comes to trading Kazmir. But, they're discounting the fact that they may not always be in a playoff race. This is only the second time in the history of the team that the Rays have contended so late. You can have all the talent in the world, but a couple of ill-timed injuries, a rough schedule, or a division opponent getting red hot all make it tough to contend year in and year. Just as last year was special, this year is special.Why waste it by unloading Kazmir right now? I have no doubt there are teams that would be willing to take on his salary next year for the chance to see the Kaz of old.

Despite what people keep writing, the Rays did not have to make that trade on Friday. That trade could've waited until the off-season. But the Rays had a willing partner that was willing to absorb the rest of Kaz's salary this year, so they made the move. They save money on this year's payroll and say that Andy Sonnanstine and Wade Davis will do a fine job of replacing Kaz in the rotation.

The Rays proved to me on Friday something that I didn't want to believe: they're the same team they always were. My eyes were opened up a bit and the luster of the "Rays" has worn off. This team considers the budget more than they do going to the wild card. Last season caught them off guard, just as it did the fans. They thought a couple of well-placed pieces could get them over the top. Instead they were left realizing they had too much money tied up in a team that wasn't in first place. So, they sold.

"This decision goes against every bit of passion in a competitor's soul"

2009-08-29T10:43:00.001-04:00

Normally this time of day, I'm writing a recap of the previous night's game. But since the players decided to take the night off in honor of Scott Kazmir's last game, I'm not going to justify that garbage with a post. Not that I blame them. If management seems to think 3.5 games are too much to overcome, why shouldn't the players.

Maybe I'm not the most sophisticated of fans. Maybe I don't care about the "business" of baseball. Maybe I have too much of a "win now" philosophy.

I think John Romano summed up my thoughts in his column from the St. Pete Times this morning:

"This decision goes against every bit of passion in a competitor's soul. When you have a chance to win, you do whatever possible to take advantage. By completing this deal, the Rays have sent the opposite message."

That's where the problem lies for me. The message.

Other sites are looking at the bright side of the deal.

The Rays Party chooses to look more at the "Rise of Wade Davis" as opposed to the loss of Kazmir. I agree, that's one way of looking at it. But if Wade Davis was a better option than Kaz, he would've already been here. No matter how you look at it, Davis is not going to push the Rays over the hump and in to the playoffs.

The guys over at DRaysBay say this deal really didn't affect the Rays playoff chances too much one way or the other. They say that this deal kills any notion that the Rays front office cares about public perception. And finally, they're excited to see what the front office can do with extra cash in the off-season.

Like I said, I understand the Rays playoff chances weren't the greatest. But fan reaction isn't the only thing to consider. The Rays also have to consider the reaction of their own players and players around the league. This kind of move shows a front runner mentality that won't be easily overcome. And maybe this kind of move will be more common than you think. There's no guarantee that the Rays won't try to move Carl Crawford this off-season.

Bye-bye, Scotty. Bye-bye, season.

2009-08-29T00:02:00.000-04:00

Shocked. That's the emotion I felt when I heard the first rumblings of the Scotty Kazmir trade. Why trade Kazmir? Why now? Why trade a starter when the wild card is still up for grabs?

The mechanics of the trade are simple. The Rays moved the franchise's all-time wins leaders for 2 prospects. The Anaheim Angels get Scott Kazmir. The Rays get left-handed pitcher Alex Torres, third-baseman Matt Sweeney, and the ever popular "Player to be Named Later." To boil it down: The Rays, in the middle of a playoff hunt, traded for prospects.

To say I'm upset about this turn of events is an understatement. The Rays were getting ready to face a do or die stretch of their season. They are still in a playoff hunt. They were 3.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox with 6 games remaining against them. And instead of facing the stretch head on, management trades one of the starting pitchers. Not only that, they trade a starting pitcher that's actually looked good his last couple of starts. Kazmir was someone who could actually help the team now.

As it stands now, it looks like the Rays' front office threw in the towel. I know that some are saying the Rays were looking toward the future. I know that some say the Rays are just selling high. But, I say they're giving up. Does anyone actually think the Rays couldn't get an AA pitcher and a single-A 3rd baseman in the offseason? Why the rush?

Of course, Andrew Friedman and company could have a master plan. They say they don't make moves in a vacuum. But, if that's the case, they handled today real poorly. The rumors started flying hours before the game and we didn't get official word until after the game with a short press release saying a bunch of things we already knew. Kazmir had to find out from reporters in the locker room before the game!

And even if I do accept the premise that this was "just business," what about the team? Think about the message this kind of move sends to the team. To me, the team looked shell-shocked. They didn't want to be there. If Scotty gets sent west, who's next? We're all one team. Right?

I hope this is more than just a salary dump. But, to be honest, something really stinks here. This is only the 2nd time the Rays have ever contended this late in the season and here we are doing the same thing we did before last year. To me, it's as if the curtain has been pulled back on the wizard.

Resistance is futile. Robo-Los makes cyborg debut!

2009-08-28T15:53:00.000-04:00

In what has to be the coolest giveaway of the year, the first 10,000 kids on Sunday, September 6th will get "Robo-Los." I guess this is a sneak peak of what baseball would've looked like if the substance abuse policy was not created. Eventually, players would've turned from drugs to help their bodies improve to robotic parts to make the stronger, faster, and better than their human counterparts. It may have started with a few cyborgs, until eventually players had their brains transferred into robots to create the ultimate baseball battling machine.

Stuffed Zorilla!

2009-08-28T11:31:00.002-04:00

Check these guys out! The Zorilla Gorilla is going to be available at Tropicana Field starting 9/1 and until supplies last. These little guys cost $20 and the proceeds will go to the Rays Baseball Foundation. Get them while they last. Thanks to the Tampa Bay Rays facebook fan page for posting this picture.

Do or die time for the Rays down the stretch

2009-08-28T08:32:00.000-04:00

I'm ready. Are you?

The Tampa Bay Rays are getting ready to face a stretch that the team has never seen before. For only the 2nd time in their history, the Rays are going into September in the middle of a playoff hunt. But, it's a little different this year. The Rays aren't trying to hold anyone off. This year, they're chasing.

The good news: The Rays have a schedule favorable to make up ground. The bad news: The Rays have a schedule that could knock them out of contention over the next 17 days. Three playoff teams. Seventeen games. Starting tonight, each pitch becomes do or die. Each at-bat takes on new meaning. There's no room for error. There's no room for mistakes. The Rays are on the outside looking into a room where nobody wants them.

The next 17 days are going to be a roller coast ride for both the team and their fans. This is still uncharted territory for the Rays. They've never chased the way they're chasing now. In the lean years, Rays' fans longed for a chance to chase a wild card berth.

This team has the talent to pull together a nice run. The question is: Can they?

Here are 5 things the Rays need to do to make that run:

1. Defense, defense, defense. As each out gets magnified in this chase, the Rays can't afford to have the defensive lapses that have plagued them all season. Last year, the defense was a big key to helping the pitchers. This year, the defense seems to give the pitchers a little more work. The return of Akinori Iwamura should help in the infield. But, the Rays need to stay focused. Some of the defensive lapses seem to come from lack of concentration.

2. Deep starting pitching. If we start seeing a lot of Randy Choate, Brian Shouse, and Russ Springer then get ready to watch the Red Sox and Yankees in the playoffs. The Rays need strong starts to set up the Grant Balfour, Dan Wheeler, J.P. Howell combination in the late innings. Scott Kazmir has looked like the Kaz of old lately. Now, the rest of the guys need to return to the dominant form that carried them to the World Series last year.

3. No more offensive slumps. All year, the Rays have been battling slumps in their lineup. Except for Jason Bartlett and Carl Crawford, all of the hitters have been streaky. That has to end now. The Rays lineup needs consistent at-bats from everybody 1 to 9. Last year, the Rays lineup looked like murderer's row every day. This year, opposing managers have exploited weaknesses in that row each and every night. It's time to shore it up and put some fear into the guy on the mound.

4. No off nights. For some reason, the "off game" has plagued the Rays all year. I'm talking about the games that they don't even seem to show up for. Games where the other team's starting pitcher looks like Cy Young and the Rays are baffled from the get go. There's no room for that kind of game any more. There's no room for coasting through a game for the first three innings. Each game counts. Each inning counts. Each at-bat counts.

5. Get some breaks. Let's be honest, the 2008 Rays seemed to get a lot of lucky breaks. Just ask the Red Sox fans, they'll tell you. While I believe you make much of your own luck, the Rays need a little bit of the charm now.

The next 17 games aren't for the faint of heart. It's going to be a roller coaster ride that starts tonight. We'll truly find out what this team is made of.

A Tale of Two Cities

2009-08-27T08:23:00.002-04:00

It's a tale of two cities this morning. In Boston, the picture of David Ortiz's walk-off homer swing graces the sports page. Here, it's J.P. Howell walking off the mound with his head hung as Rod Barajas circles the bases on his game-tying homer. In Boston, the fans are celebrating a win on the same night the Rangers and Rays lost. Here, we're staring at September with a 4 game deficit. In Boston, they're making trades to shore up the eighth inning. Here, we're still not sure what to do in the 9th. In Boston, they're preparing for a post-season battle with the Yankees. Here, we're looking to 6 games in September to make up ground.

Baseball is a remarkable game. The Rays were just 2 outs from completing a sweep of the Blue Jays. Instead, they're left wondering what could of been. Meanwhile, the Red Sox and their easy September schedule could prove that April was much more important than we thought. Don't get me wrong, the Rays are still in this. But, all this team has shown me this year is their ability to flirt the big boys. Every time they seem to get close, they can't close the deal. And that's what September's going to be all about. Can this team close the deal or will they end up just short like last night and the entire year.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays:

Beam me up, Scotty Kazmir. Another good performance from the lefty. He posted 10 strikeouts for the first time in more than a year. If I have any criticism of Kaz, it was the pair of doubles he gave up in the 6th. The Rays really needed a shut down inning after Gabe Kaplar's 2 run shot.

Umpire Craziness. I was getting ready to criticize the Rays bats a little bit, but I think I'll cut them some slack since they had to deal with 3 different home plate umpires.

JP Howell. Not that I'm making excuses, but I'm not sure bringing Howell in the 8th was the best idea. For some reason, I like Howell better when he starts the ninth. However, Joe Maddon was trying to save Dan Wheeler, so JP got the call in the 8th and did his job before the 9th inning meltdown. Just remember Rays fan, no closer is perfect. It's not an easy job and even the best sometimes get hit.

Speaking of closing. Last night was the 7th time the Rays failed to close out a sweep on the third game of a series. Think about that in comparison with their place in the standings.

Double Play Machine. New Longo nickname?

I guess the Rays won last night?

2009-08-26T09:27:00.002-04:00

That's what the computer, newspaper, and TV reports told me last night. Of course, I couldn't see it myself because the game wasn't broadcast on Sun/FSN. It's amazing how the change in fortunes of a team can change a fan's temperament. Just two years ago, I had no problem if a game wasn't on TV... especially a game in August. Usually by this time, the Rays had already had their "fire" sale and were playing a bunch of call-up Triple-A'ers. Last night, I found myself especially bothered that the game wasn't on TV. It reminded me of those Saturday night concert games last year that were blacked out because of their starting time. On the bright side, I'll now get to watch Sunday's game against the Detroit Tigers.

Here are some things I would've noticed had I been able to watch the game:

Carlos Pena... on fire! Yesterday, I described him as "toasty." Today, he gets the "on fire" designation for his 2 homer night. He now has 37 homers on the year, 200 in his career, and 117 in a Rays uniform. Not bad for a guy who barely made the squad in 2007. Over the last couple of weeks, Pena has really stepped it up not only at the plate but as a leader as well. This is what leaders do. Hopefully, Pena can do this all the way to the playoffs.

James Shields and some run support. I'm glad the Pena and Burrell show gave some runs to Shieldsy. I was getting tired of the "run support" garbage defending Shields. "Big game" needs to find some more moxy like he had last night to keep this team going. The Rays have to be able to pencil him in for a win every fifth day to catch the Red Sox and Rangers.

Carl Crawford's back. I love CC, but it really irks me when I start hearing his complaints about too many games in a row on turf. I understand your back hurts, just take a couple days off and we'll see you in Detroit.

Playoff watch. The Rays didn't gain any ground last night because the Rangers and Red Sox both won. Get used to that. It's hard to pick up ground on teams when you're not playing them unless you go on a 10 game or so win streak. September 1st to September 13th will probably decide this team's playoff chances.

Some comparisons to last year. At 125 games this year, the Rays are at 69-56. The 2008 Rays were at 77-48, eight games ahead of this year's pace. The 2009 Yankees are 1 game ahead of the 2008 Rays pace.

The 95 game mark. I still say the Rays need to win 95 games to make the playoffs. Right now, that means they need 26 wins in the next 37 games. It can be done.

Programming note. Friend of the blog "Sam from Tampa" will be guest hosting on 1040 AM Espn radio this afternoon. Even though he's a U of M guy, he knows his Rays and will be giving plenty of air time to the Rays. Take a listen, starting at 3. Here's the link: 1040 ESPN.

Back in the saddle

2009-08-25T08:12:00.003-04:00

To my loyal readers: I apologize for my abrupt absence from the Rays' blogosphere. For the past week, the Rays were on the back burner in my life. However, I'm climbing back in the saddle today to give you the Rays Revolutionary opinion on the state of the team!

Last night, the Rays battled back from plenty of adversity in yet another battle against the Toronto Blue Jays and their ace, Roy Halladay. They did a good job of staking a lead against Doc early, only to see it evaporate with a Rod Barajas grand slam.

Fortunately, Carlos Pena once again put the team on his shoulders and knocked his 35th homer of the year. Pena lead a devastating offensive comeback that showed no resemblance to the farce we saw on Sunday.

And you've got to give credit to Jeff Niemann. He really battled back after the nasty 2nd inning, took control, and pitched like a veteran. If all the Rays pitchers can summon that kind of grit, the playoffs are a no-brainer.

Here are some of things I noticed in the Rays 12-7 victory of Toronto:

The hunger. I will say one thing about the 2009 Rays, they certainly don't let the Toronto Blue Jays off the hook too often. Last night's victory was one of those that showed me the type of grit and determination this team is going to need to make it to the playoffs. The only problem is that we need to see that every night. At this point, every game is a must win and should be treated as such. A bad inning out in the field needs to be countered with a good inning at the plate. A good inning at the plate needs to be followed by a quick inning in the field. That is what will get the Rays back into the playoffs. Last night, the team showed no signs of folding after that Grand Slam.

Toasty Pena. Pena's hot bat is going to translate all the way down the lineup. Managers are starting to fear him again and that only means good things for Ben Zobrist and Pat Burrell. Both need to make the other team pay dearly for their fear of Pena. As for Carlos himself, he needs to keep it going and continue to carry the offensive load for this team. It will go a long way in catching the Boston Red Sox or the Texas Rangers.

Crawford's Back. The Rays are saying that Crawford's back isn't serious and he should be back in a couple of days. That's very important. The Rays are going to need CC in the upcoming days. If he's not available by the time the team gets to Detroit, the Rays may have to make a roster move.

James Shields, do your thing. Don't worry about run support. Don't worry about anything but getting Blue Jays out. I know you've had a run of bad luck this year, but now is the time to start running good. Keep your head in the game and let it fly.

Which mullet is better? Gregg Zaun or Jeff Niemman. I'm not sure. But, I'm already working on mine. Expect some pictures in a few months.

Rays on life support.

2009-08-15T08:45:00.004-04:00

Matty from St. Petersburg sent me a simple text after last night's game: Time to write an obituary for this team. I'm not sure I agree, but this team is definitely on life support now. Showing the same sort of passiveness that permeated the west coast trip, the Rays came out and laid another egg at home. Granted, they were facing Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay. But, the ol' Doc didn't have anything to do with the 5 runs given up in 3 innings. That was all on "Big Game" James Shields.

At least some of the Rays understand what's at stake. Carlos Pena called a team meeting before the game to discuss the need to "pause" and not overreact to recent result. Carl Crawford showed his leadership on the field, going 4 for 4 with only a homer away from the cycle. BJ Upton went 2 for 3 and had a couple of nice defensive plays. And catcher Gregg Zaun introduced himself to fans at the Trop with a homer.

But in the end, it wasn't enough. This game started at 7:38. It was over by 7:45. Spotting Doc Halladay a 2 run lead won't win you too many games against the Blue Jays. Starting pitching like that brings us back to the Devil Ray days, when guys who shouldn't be starting for the Durham Bulls used to grace the roster.

The Rays are really running out of time. Last August, the Rays lost 7 games all month. Last night, they tied that... and there's still half of the month left. Let's hope the Rays can finally create that mythical "run" we've been looking for all year.

Here are some things I noticed in last night's 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays:

Middle of the lineup goose eggs. The 4 through 7 hitters didn't have too good of a night. They only accounted for 1 hit- and that was from Willy Aybar who didn't even start. With that kind of production out of the middle of the order, it's no wonder Carl Crawford can go 4 for 4 and only score once.

Ben Zobrist's bat. I know it's vogue to criticize Pat the Bat and BJ Upton for their miscues at the plate, but Zorilla hasn't made an appearance in awhile. He's only got 4 hits in his last 10 games. His average has dropped from .294 to .282.

PtB's stiff neck. That's not a good sign. Honestly, I was hoping this guy wouldn't turn out to be a bust. But if he goes on the DL with another stiff neck, I'm going to have to give him the "bust" label for the 2009 season. Maybe he can turn it around next season.

Zaun learning the pitchers or the pitchers learning Zaun. I'm just going to throw this out there: The Rays starters haven't looked too comfortable since Zaun took over primary catching duties. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy. He brings a spark to this team. But, I'm just wondering if changing catchers mid-stream is causing just a little bit of problems for the starters.

The Angry pitcher takes his act to Durham. It didn't take long for the Angry Pitcher's act to get tired here. The Rays optioned Jeff Bennett to Durham last night. Looks like Reid Brignac is going to make a Tropicana Field appearance. You know the season's getting rough when I'm actually looking forward to Brignac bringing a little energy to the team.

I would also like to thank Southernmojo and djberg on Twitter for volunteering to help me with the Twittering the #Rays fan page on facebook. I would like to bring a little diversity to that page for a little extra value instead of rehashing all of my thoughts. If you haven't become a fan, go click on it and get a quick "facebook" dose of the Rays.

What the Rays need to do to make a "run"

2009-08-14T08:50:00.006-04:00

The last week has been real tough for the Rays and their fans. The joy of sweeping the Boston Red Sox and gaining ground in the wild card race was swiftly destroyed by a nightmarish west coast swing from Seattle to Anaheim. Just when we were ready to start printing playoff tickets, the Rays revert back to the 3rd place team they've been pretty much all season.

So, what now? Andrew Friedman believes this team still has a run in them. He believes they have a run that could make September really special. I'm not as convinced as Friedman is. But, this is major league baseball and stranger things have happened. This team certainly has the talent to do it, but can they put it all together and make this a memorable run to the post season.

Here's what I believe needs to happen for the Rays to make a run at the wild card:

Home domination. For the most part, the Rays have been money at home this year. However, there has been some times when they've played rather lackadaisically at home. The last time was the Yankees series. That kind of play has to stop now. The Rays aren't going to win every home game from here on out, but they better win most of them if they want to make a run. Boston doesn't lose much at home. The Rays have to lose even less than that now.

Killer instinct from the starting pitchers. I'm specifically referring to the staff "aces:" James Shields, Scott Kazmir, and Matt Garza. A team like Toronto should be looking at the pitching match-ups right now and quaking in their boots. The Blue Jay fans should be wondering how they got so unlucky to get these three guys in a row at Tropicana Field. Instead, these guys scare nobody. They're just 3 guys the Rays are running out there for a 3 game series. I don't want to see anymore flopping around the mound, hitting the ground with your glove, dirty looks at the umpires, screams in frustration, etc. Go out there like you have a pair and take care of business. We've seen it from each of you in the past. I want to see it again.

Put the ball in play. One thing that really frustrates me about this team is the strikeouts. Last year, they did such a good job of putting the ball in play to make things happen. This year it seems like strikeouts are always killing rallies. We just got done watching the Angels' brand of baseball. They don't strikeout. They slap the ball into holes and before you know it, they've scored three runs. Then, they hit you with the long ball. This applies to the usual suspects, along with certain others who seem to fall in that trap.

No extra outs. The 2008 Rays were praised for their defense and their mental approach to the game. The 2009 squad seems like the Bad News Bears out there at times. Take pride in your defense. Don't force the issue. Do the right thing when the ball comes to you. Extra outs always seem to come back to bite you, so don't take the chance.

Enough with the walks already. Honestly, I'm tired of the walks. I'm tired of leadoff walks. I'm tired of 2 out walks. I'm tired of close walks. I'm tired of 4-pitch walks. I'm tired of all of them. Somehow, someway... this pitching staff needs to figure out how to throw strikes.

Have fun. We heard the other day that Joe Maddon told B.J. Upton he needs to have fun. That goes for the rest of the team as well. Go out there an play ball. This team is way more uptight than last year's squad was. Look, you have nothing to lose. You're in third place. Why put all the pressure on yourselves?

I also solicited some twitter advice for the Rays and what other people want to see.

TheBrainStem is looking for more productive outs from this team and would like to see Pat the Bat play some outfield. Maybe that's a good idea. Get PtB in the flow of the game and see if it helps him become the monster we hoped he would be. I'm definitely on board with the productive outs. I'm tired of the double plays all the time.

Pixie1212 is looking for more hustle/killer/instinct/desire/focus- whatever you wanna call it. I would like all of those wrapped in a nice 9=8 motto and taped all over the clubhouse. Maddon did a good job of motivating overachievers last year. Can he figure out a way to motivate some underachievers this year?

Off Day Fun: Bossman Junior visor giveaway on Sunday

2009-08-13T19:10:00.000-04:00

Just days after B.J. Upton was demoted to the number 9 spot and complained that it was a "kick in the face"... the Rays are giving away Bossman Junior Visors to the 1st 10,000 kids 14 and under. The giveaway is during this Sunday's game versus the Blue-Jays.

I've got to admit. I like it. I wonder how much grief I would get if I wore it out in public?

Disapointment settles in

2009-08-13T08:52:00.003-04:00

I'm finally experience a new emotion as a Rays fan: Disappointment. Never in the history of the team have I ever really felt this level of disappointment in the Rays. The World Series? Nah. The fact that they were so far beyond my expectations last year lessened the sting. This west coast trip was like a tornado ripping through my expectations. When it all settled in Anaheim yesterday afternoon, I finally realized that I'm looking at a team that's probably not going to make the playoffs.

Coming into this year, I scoffed at the experts who picked the Rays 3rd in the AL East. The pitching rotation was pretty much intact. The Rays added a few bats to the lineup. The young guys were a year more experienced. BJ Upton was going to be the best lead-off hitter in baseball. Pat the Bat was going to bring a power element to the Rays that was going to benefit both him and Carlos Pena. Evan Longoria was going to cruise as the AL MVP. And the Rays were going reaffirm the new AL East pecking order... showing the Yankees that money can't buy a championship.

Yet, here we sit. 114 games into the season and the Rays are chasing a wild card. They're 10 games behind the Yankees in the AL East and 3rd among 3 teams in the wild card standings. With a chance to pick up some ground over the last week, the Rays folded and went right back to the mediocrity that they've shown all season.

Of course, this team could still get hot and make a run. It's happened before. But, was there anything that really showed us this week that the Rays are capable of making the type of run needed to get back into this thing? I'm not sure there was. All that I'm sure of is that the Rays are in third place this morning and that each day that goes by the playoff hopes grow dimmer and dimmer.

Here are some things I noticed in the Angels 10-5 victory over the Rays:

Carlos Pena, team leader and home run leader. I will give Pena credit for picking up his game yesterday. He looked like a man trying to get his team out of a funk by example. Unfortunately for 'Los, his power surge was wasted with a homer by the 8th guy in the Angels lineup.

Jason Bartlett, the good and the bad. You really can't argue with 4 for 5 from the leadoff guy, unless the throws a ball away and gives up an extra run. Or maybe he lets a flyball drop between him and the left fielder. Don't get me wrong, I love 4 for 5... but, the Rays need tight defense more than offense from their shortstop.

Jeff Niemann's day. Give the big man credit, he was able to keep the damage to a minimum most of the game. But just like Price and Garza before him, he fell victim to the Angels lineup. Some may complain that Joe Maddon pulled Niemann too early. To that, I say didn't you watch the other games against the Angels?

Bullpen problems. The bullpen seems to not be immune to the funk going around the team. Grant Balfour served up a nice one to Gary Matthews, Jr to blow the Rays lead. Dan Wheeler didn't fare much better. Kevin Kennedy seems to believe that the lack of quality starts is causing the bullpen to fall apart. I just think they've got the same funk going as the rest of the team.

The Angels are really that good. I've been harping on how bad the Rays look, but let's face it... the Angels are a pretty good team in their own right. That team comes at you from every different angle. It doesn't matter who's up to bat. It doesn't matter how many outs there are. That team knows how to win games. The Boston Red Sox took the same 6-game west coast road trip in May and went 2-4. The Yankees got a series in Seattle coming up... and in September, they get to do the Seattle/Anaheim roady. If the Rays are close enough to strike....

One more day in west coast nightmare

2009-08-12T08:54:00.003-04:00

The last few days have become a nightmare for Rays fans. After winning 5 of 6 at home against the Royals and Red Sox and picking up some ground in the wild card race, the Rays have completely fallen apart during the 1st 5 games of their west coast swing. Right now, they've only won 1 of 5. Two of the games were winnable. The other 2 were blowouts. Last night was a blowout... even after it started so promising.

Like I've said before, anything can happen before the end of a baseball season. Right now, I think the Rays are at the lowest point in the season. All year there's been "time" to come back. But that "time" is ticking away and the Red Sox seem to be back on track. The Rangers are still out there and Seattle's beginning to make a move in the wild card standings.

Maybe today the Rays can end their little west coast nightmare with a win in a getaway. It would make the return home trip a little more tolerable. And it might give Rays fans a little sliver of hope in a season that's rapidly become a letdown.

Here are some things I noticed in the Angels 6-0 victory of the Rays:

Yes, the Angels are that good. While it would be easy to blame the Rays for all their woes this week, a tip of the cap is due the Angels. Like the Yankees, you got to respect how good they are. They keep coming at you. They make you pay for your mistakes. They seem to be flawless. The Rays had trouble in Anaheim last year, so it's no surprise they're having trouble against one of the hottest teams in baseball.

Dr. David and Mr. Price. Things fell apart quickly for the Rays rookie. After 4 innings of no-hit ball... a single up the middle lead to a complete breakdown. The Angels aggressive base running and timely hitting allowed them to put up 3 on the Rays in the blink of an eye. They did it again the next inning making it an almost insurmountable lead.

Glad Gregg Zaun decided to show. It seems like the Rays crusty new catcher was the only guy that decided to show up offensively... getting two hits off Ervin Santana. Evan Longoria got the only other hit.

So long my old friend. Troy Percival will be calling it quits. Percy made a clubhouse appearance yesterday with the team. He told reporters that his body just isn't able to do it anymore. I know Percy was a favorite whipping boy of Rays fans, but he was an extremely important piece to last year's squad. He helped the Rays early in the season both on the field and off the field. He was one of the veteran leaders that helped the young Rays realize their true potential.

Rays make sure status quo remains in AL East.

2009-08-11T09:23:00.007-04:00

Just like that, all is right in the world of Red Sox Nation. Yankees lose. Check. Red Sox win at Fenway. Check. Rays lose on the west coast. Check. The reason Red Sox fans can be so smug this morning is that they woke up and realized their 6 game losing streak didn't really hurt them that bad. They're still in 1st in the wild card standings. They're still within striking distance of the Yankees. And the Rays missed the opportunity to slingshot themselves past them into the wild card driver's seat.

It's time to face facts. The Rays are not a playoff team. They lose games they should win. They're not getting quality starts out of their starters on the road. The bullpen is a ragtag group of other people's has-beens. The center fielder is moping. The high priced DH doesn't come through in the clutch. The manager's forcing lineups. And they just can't get the bounces.

I'm not writing the season off, just yet. But time is running out on these guys. If they're going to turn the corner, they need to do it now. Pitching performances like we saw from Matt Garza last night and Scott Kazmir the day before are unacceptable. The starters have to go out there and give their team a chance to win. The Rays need to make their own luck. They need to stop hanging their heads and get angry... show some heart.

The Rays are doing just enough right now to keep us interested. For every step forward they take, they go back a step. That's not going to be enough to get it done. At some point someone's got to step up and say: We're not going out like that! I'm not sure who that person is, but they better hurry up. Time is wasting and everything is right in Red Sox Nation.

Things I noticed from last night's 8-7 loss to the L.A. Angels:

Just a few more inches higher, please? Ben Zobrist was so close, yet so far.

Matt Garza turns in to Scott Kazmir. Honestly, that was the worst I've seen Garza pitch all year. The Angels really could've broken this game open in the 4th when Garza went into full meltdown mode. Fortunately for him, Lance Cormier came in and got a double play ball to keep the damage to a minimum. The Rays can't afford those kinds of starts from Garza.

No love from the bottom half of the order. The radio guys kept harping on this last night. One hit from the bottom 4 of the line-up. That's unacceptable. It's hard to keep a rally going when you've got that kind of dead zone going.

The Willy Aybar at 2nd experiement. Still a failure. I'm not sure why Maddon keeps running Aybar out there at 2nd base. Last night his error gave up an early run and in a 1 run ballgame that could be the difference in the game. Of course, we'll excuse those kind of miscues if we get the Applebottom Bat... instead, we got 0-3 with 2 strikeouts. One thing this experiment is showing me: Expect Akinori Iwamura to take his rightful place at 2nd when he comes of the DL. Ben Zobrist will probably become the everyday right fielder.

MVB, almost a cycle. Jason Bartlett knocked off the hard part of hitting for the cycle: the homer, triple, and double. He couldn't close the deal in the 8th, striking out in his final at bat. The Rays have never had a player hit for the cycle.

Entertained in Anaheim. If nothing else, Angels versus the Rays series are always entertaining. I would love to see these two teams and their managers get the chance to battle it out in a postseason series. It would be fun to watch.

B.J. Upton. Really? You're better than that.

Seattle series leaves a sour taste

2009-08-10T07:02:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, I'm a regular optimist when it comes to the Rays. The glass is always half full and there's always tomorrow. But, this morning, I'm feeling especially pessimistic about this team's chances of making the playoffs. The "it's early argument" is over. Now, it's time for "it's getting late."

Each time the Rays make a little progress, like sweeping Boston at Tropicana Field, they seem to take leave it on the table and regress just enough to stay in 3rd place. This weekend was the perfect opportunity to take the wild card position by storm. Instead, a combination of bad luck and bad play keep the Rays at 1 1/2 behind the Red Sox and Rangers. If anything, the Rays have shown an inability to get over the hump and to the next level.

And if you're wondering where the Rays may end up at the end of the season, look no further than the 2008 New York Yankees. Last year's Yankees squad was just good enough to be dangerous, but never good enough to get over the hump. All year they just seemed to hang behind the Red Sox and the Rays. When they got a little traction, something always knocked the back. They always looked threatening without ever really threatening. At 111 games last year, the 2008 Yankees were 60-51... the same record the 2009 Rays hold today.

Mathematically it's not over for the Rays, but they're running out of chances. Teams have to make up ground when they can. This weekend, the Rays gave up a golden opportunity to a Seattle Mariners team ready to make its own mark on the wild card hunt.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 11-2 loss to the Mariners:

Will the real Scott Kazmir please stand-up? I like Scott Kazmir. He's probably been my favorite player on the Rays for the past few years. I cannot forget the way he owned batters and the way we counted strikeouts every time he came to the mound. Like the Rays, Kazmir seems to take a step back every time he gets some success. His pitching is like a microcosm of the season. The Rays gave him a 2-1 lead, but he could not keep it... giving the runs right back on a Franklin Gutierrez homer. Not Kazmir's brightest day. Rays fans can only hope *yesterday* was the anomaly, not his 2 previous performances. Like it or not, the Rays need Kazmir this year.

Bad luck. One big difference between this year's team and last year's team is plain old luck. Last year's Rays had it, this year's team doesn't. A perfect example was Pat Burrell's at-bat in the 1st inning. Bases loaded with one out, all PtB has to do is hit the ball hard to the outfield and a run probably scores. Instead, PtB's liner up the middle gets snagged and Evan Longoria gets doubled up. Rays score 0 in the 1st. If that ball gets through, it could've been a whole different game.

Getaway days. Rays Index pointed out on Twitter after the game that the Rays are 6-13 on road getaway games... 4-13 in their last 17. Something doesn't seem to be working there. Maddon may want to try something different.

Scheduling Seattle. I'm usually not one to complain about scheduling, but how did the Rays get 6 games in Seattle and only 2 games against them at home?

The Angry Pitcher wears out his welcome. It didn't take long to figure out why Bobby Cox had no more use for the Angry Pitcher in Atlanta. Jeff Bennett really likes to walk guys. If he isn't walking them, he's hitting them. If he isn't hitting them, he's giving up grand slams. All the walls were trembling in fear after Russel Branyon's homer.

Bossman batting 9th. B.J. Upton doesn't like batting ninth. In fact, he calls it a "kick in the face." Look, Bossman, I'm going to give you some free unsolicited advice: Keep quiet! The Rays fan base already dislikes your "work ethic." Spouting complaints about your batting order position isn't going to gain you any friends. In fact, you should model yourself after Jason Bartlett. Instead of saying anything about his position in the batting order, he just went out and performed.

Rays shake off Saturday morning loss Saturday night

2009-08-09T08:48:00.002-04:00

One sign of a good team is the ability to shake off a rough loss and come back and get 'em the next night. That's exactly what the Rays did last night at Safeco Field in Seattle. Instead of dwelling on "what could of been" the night before, the Rays took care of their own business and, thanks to the New York Yankees, got themselves within 1 1/2 games of the wild card lead.

"Big Game" James Shields finally got some run support, gave it up, and then got some more... before turning it over to the bullpen to finish the job. The offense even tacked on some late runs to make sure that the Mariners didn't have any thoughts of another comeback.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 10-4 victory over the Mariners:

Big Game and his runs. Run support has been a major problem for Shields this year. In fact, until last night, he hadn't won a game in 8 starts. While I understand the frustration, I still think Shields has some responsibility in his struggles. He still has a tendency to give up sloppy innings here and there... innings that come back to haunt him. He gave up a couple of sloppy innings last night, but the offense picked him up.

Longo/Pena combo. Maybe it's just me, but these two are starting to get a little "toasty." Nothing but good can follow when they're hitting homers in the same inning.

More arms. The Rays are playing with an extra bullpen arm instead of a bench of a position player. I really don't think it will be a problem unless someone gets a minor injury. The fact is, Joe Maddon hasn't used Joe Dillionaire much at all. Might as well use his roster spot for a pitcher.

4pm game. I, for one, am happy today's game goes down at 4. These late night games can play havoc on my sleeping schedule.

Two new Rays become elder statesman for playoff run

2009-08-08T20:35:00.003-04:00

As the Rays left St. Petersburg for Seattle, the roster only contained one player older than me: Brian Shouse. Tonight, before they play the Seattle Mariners in game 2 of the 3 game series, the Rays now have 2 more players older than me on the roster: Gregg Zaun and Russ Springer. I'm not saying these guys are old, but Springer was once traded for Jim Abbott, the one-armed pitcher. Zaun has been to the World Series once and that was before the Tampa Bay Devil Rays played their first game.

Both of these guys bring a wealth of big league experience to the team. Both have been many places and have seen many things. Arguably, the biggest thing they bring is veteran leadership to a team who is seemingly lacking in that department. Both guys will undoubtedly tell the Rays young players how hard it is to get to the postseason and how it's even harder to be successful in the post season.

Zaun is very familiar with the AL East as a whole. He's been in the division since 2004, so he knows exactly how to call a game against the Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Orioles. He also provides an improved alternate at catcher as Dioner Navarro continues to struggle.

As for Springer, he's spent most of his time in the National League. He's coming from Oakland 4.10 ERA in 48 games. He's know for his feud with Barry Bonds a few years back. He hit Bonds rather than let him hit a homer off of him while chasing Hank Aaron. Sounds like he's got a little fire that may do the bullpen some good.

I've been saying that the Rays need some *spark* or *fire* to really get going. Maybe these two guys are just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, we may have seen the last of "The Greatness that is Michel Hernandez" and Joe Dillionaire. Both were DFA'd this afternoon to make room on the roster.

The number 36 is the key to unlock a Rays postseason

2009-08-06T18:25:00.006-04:00

Many people asked me who I was rooting for this weekend between the Yankees and Red Sox. To be honest, I don't really care who wins that series. For the Rays it's more important to keep their eyes on the team in front of them, instead of the team's their chasing. That's because I believe the Rays will make the playoffs with 36 more wins, no matter what the Red Sox and Yankees do.

I know the 1st week of August is a little early to start talking "magic numbers" in baseball. But yesterday, Times writer Marc Topkin said he believes the Rays need to win 40 games to make the playoffs. To me, that number was a little bit high. Forty wins out of the next 54 games would put the Rays at 100-62 for the season. That would mean that either the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers, or even another team would've won 99 games. Recent history suggests the wild card threshold isn't that high.

I went back 5 years in AL history and here's what I found:

Wild Card Wins
2008 Boston 95
2007 NY 94
2006 Detroit 95
2005 Boston 95
2004 Boston 98

As you can see, the most wins for a wild card team in the American League in the last 5 years was 98 for the 2004 Boston Red Sox. It averages out to 95.4 wins a year for the wild card. But, the wins for a team doesn't necessarily show the whole picture. It's also important to look at the the wins of the team behind them. This shows a much different picture.

2nd in Wild Card

2008 New York 89

2007 Detroit 88

2006 Chicago 90

2005 Cleveland 93

2004 Oakland 91

As you can see, the threshold becomes even lower. Looking at that, the most games an American League team has had to win to make the playoffs is 94. The 2005 Cleveland Indians had the most wins of any team in that stretch and failed to make the playoffs. The average is 90.2 wins... so, history suggests 91 wins is usually enough to get the wild card.

The most wins ever for an American League wild card berth post-expansion was the 2001 Oakland A's who won 102 games. However, their closest competitor that year was the Minnesota Twins, who won only 86 games.

For the Rays this means if they win 36 games out of their next 54, they should make the playoffs. That means .666 ball from here on out... 2 out of every 3 games. That may sound like a tall order, but last year the Rays played .750 ball in August. A good run over the next couple weeks will go a long way in determining whether the Rays make the playoffs or not.

Rays wins, not what Boston, NY, or Texas do is the key to the playoffs. They need to win the games in front of them and let the race play out. In the end, if the Rays win 96 games and miss the playoffs... all you can do is tip your cap to the Yankees and Red Sox and wish them well.

So, you had a bad day!

2009-08-06T16:04:00.000-04:00

I'm guessing the person who was driving this car in Brandon today wasn't enjoying themselves too much today. Ha! Go Rays!

Rays send message to AL: We're not going away

2009-08-06T09:17:00.003-04:00

For Boston Red Sox fan, Tuesday and Wednesday was going to be the chance their team needed to finally put away the pesky Rays. It was a chance to show that the standings are correct, the Red Sox are a better team. It was a chance to show that last year was a fluke and those "Devil Rays" in Tampa were still the little brother of the AL East. It was a chance to show off their new 1B/DH/Catcher. A chance to show off their new bullpen phenom. A chance to right, what to them was wrong.

But, the Rays had other plans. The Rays showed the Red Sox and their fans that they're not going anywhere. They're in it for the long haul. They showed that the Red Sox are not going to cruise their way into the playoffs this year. They're going to have to battle, every night, with the Rays right on their tail. Tuesday night was a marathon test of wills. Wednesday night was the shorter sequel. In both cases, the Rays prevailed.

The series when was nice and provides the perfect momentum going into a 6 game west coast swing. For the Rays, it's all about the game in front of them. Win today's game and worry about tomorrow when it get here. The Rays have had some other momentum swings during the season, but failed to take advantage. Let's see how they play this one out.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 6-4 victory over the Red Sox:

Starting pitching. It looks like the starters are beginning to bear down. David Price looked like a veteran last night, cutting through the Red Sox dangerous lineup with precision. He really did a number on the reigning AL MVP, Dustin Pedrioia. He retired him 3 times and got him to strand 3 runners. That's the kind of performance that's going to win games in August.

Answering the call. I was very impressed how the Rays offense was able to answer back every time the Red Sox scored. Jason Bay hit a solo shot in the top of the 2nd and Carlos Pena answered with a 2-run shot in the bottom of the inning. Victor Martinez homered in the 6th. Pat Burrell answered with his own solo shot. And when the Red Sox scratched one across in the 7th, Jason Bartlett answered. The Rays offense never left Price out to dry. They picked him up each time he gave a little. That will go a long way in helping the starters' confidence.

"He-who-must-not-be-named-closer" It's real refreshing to see JP Howell embrace his new roll with such success. It's amazing how easy the end of the game becomes when you got a guy who can go out there and get outs. His emergence as "he-who-must-not-be-named-closer" has swung the advantage toward the Rays in close games.

PtB answers his call. Joe Maddon repeated what I've been saying: The Rays need PtB to get hot to be successful here in the endgame. Last night, PtB did his job... getting a solo shot to answer a Red Sox run. If PtB and Carlos Pena can both get hot, look out! This team's going to do some serious damage.

Yankees or Red Sox? With no game tonight, you may want to turn on the Red Sox vs the Yankees on the MLB network tonight. The question is: who to root for? My gut instinct is to say root for the Yankees because the Red Sox are the team directly in front of us. However, the Rays seem to play better against the Red Sox, so it might be beneficial to see the Yankees lose ground and get closer. Either way, the Rays must take care of their own business. It doesn't matter who wins that series if the Rays lay a west coast egg.

35 games. That's how many games I believe the Rays have to win to get to the playoffs. It's not going to be easy, but it will sure be fun.

Caught on Tape: @RaysUpdates catches some fans sharing some "choice" words

2009-08-05T19:15:00.000-04:00

Our buddy @Raysupdates on Twitter posted this video today. It's an argument between a Red Sox fan and a Rays fan. While it doesn't come to blows, it's always fun watching these kind of altercations... in a "train wreck" sort of way.

WARNING: Video does contain foul language. Watch at your own risk.

Longo brings spark Rays were looking for

2009-08-05T08:44:00.002-04:00

All night, I was looking for the spark. Something that showed me the Rays realized how precarious their situation was getting this year. For the most part, I didn't see it. Up and down the Rays went. Striking out. Grounding out. And flying out. In the 8th, Evan Longoria looked like he had the spark... hitting a homer to tie the game. But, then the Rays offense continued to putter and got no runs even with a bases-loaded, no out situation.

Then comes the bottom of the 13th. By then, the game had become a battle of the wills. Neither the Rays nor the Red Sox were giving an inch. Each team was deep in their bullpen. The Rays had cleared their bench. The rally energy was gone. Every one was looking for the big hit to end the game.

It's moments like this that are the difference between good players and great players. The great ones know they have to put their team on their back. The great ones know that it's up to them. They know what they did before wasn't enough. They know they have to shake off their earlier failures and live for this moment. And that's what Evan Longoria did last night. He responded. With his arms raised watching the ball go out of the park, Longoria once again showed what makes him so special. Longo showed why, at 23, he's one of the most popular players in the American League. He showed why he's the bane of Red Sox nation. Now, let's see how the rest of the team responds to that kind of leadership.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays long 4-2 victory over the Red Sox:

Run Prevention rules. Before Longo's heroics, run prevention was the rule of the day. The Rays pitchers and defense did a real good job of keeping the Red Sox from getting a rally going. Their 2 runs came off of solo shots from the normal Rays killers: Kevin Youkillis and Dustin Pedroia. But, other than that, the Rays kept them at bay with good pitching and solid defense. If the Rays are going to be successful in catching the Red Sox and Yankees, run prevention is the key.

Line-up changes. Joe Maddon kept his Sunday line-up intact for last night's game. Jason Bartlett led off and B.J. Upton went down to the 7 spot. Meanwhile, Willy Aybar got the DH duties and Pat Burrell came off the bench. I'm not sure that the switch provided the "spark," I was looking for. The Rays entire offense looked listless against Jon Lester. Bossman couldn't get anything going and Aybar's big play was a ground-rule double error (more on that later).

The case of the equipment bags in the bullpen. Although I don't like it, the umpires made the right call according to the rule book. The fact remains that the Rays needed to push those runs across, regardless of the play before. Not only that, the equipment bags shouldn't have been there.

The Red Sox upgrades aren't really that intimidating. The Red Sox were active at the trade deadline, getting Victor Martinez from Cleveland. But, to me, the Red Sox lineup was just as intimidating with a healthy Mike Lowell at 3rd and Youk at 1st. Judging from last night's game, these teams are still pretty evenly matched.

Send the Red Sox to New York beaten and broken. The Rays have the opportunity to send the Red Sox up to New Yankees stadium beaten and broken. Hopefully, they can keep that spark going tonight and finish them off.

The 2009 endgame begins today

2009-08-04T08:13:00.002-04:00

The endgame of the 2009 season begins tonight at Tropicana Field. The Rays have 56 games to make up 5 games on the Boston Red Sox... and that's just to make the playoffs. Whether we like it or not, it's no longer early. It's no longer a long marathon. There's no longer time to make up ground later. The Rays must turn it on now!

We can already see that Joe Maddon's thinking about the endgame. Yesterday's insertion of Willy Aybar in the DH spot and Jason Bartlett in the leadoff spot shows that skipper knows he's run out of time to get "streaky" players hot. Each game must be treated as a must-win. Do the Rays have to win every game on the schedule? No. But they can't let games like Sunday get away from them. The offense can't take nights off. Pitchers can't work through their troubles. All in all, it's crunch time.

So buckle up and get ready! We, as Rays fans, have never got to see our team "chasing" in the last couple months of the season. Last year, the Rays were the hunted. This year, the Rays are the hunters. I think this team has the roster to make up the ground and get in the playoffs. The question is: Do they have what it takes mentally to grind out a five game differential over the next 56 games? And that's how Joe Maddon will earn his paycheck this year.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 10-4 victory over the Royals:

Applebottom jeans, boots wit da fur. Willy Aybar is a man of few words. Instead, he lets his bat do the talking for him. And, if yesterday was any indication, Willy's ready for a run to the playoffs. Aybar rewarded Joe Maddon's decision to start him at DH with not one, but 2 homers from each side of the plate. Aybar has now made Maddon's job of filling out the lineup card a little more difficult tonight. Should he listen to the angry villagers and go with Aybar over Pat Burrell? Or will he keep his right handed DH in the lineup to do what he's supposed to do: hit lefties.

Batting first, playing shortstop, Jason Bartlett. Another Ray who decided to reward Maddon for a little change in the lineup. MVB, as he's called in some circles, went 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI's in the leadoff spot. More importantly, he started the game with a walk to get a 2 run rally started against Zack Greinke. How many times have we seen B.J. Upton start the game with a ground out? This is another place where Maddon will have to make a tough choice today. Stick with Bossman or go with the hot bat? Judging by his comments: I think we'll see a batting order change today.

Scott Kazmir, trade deadline acquisition. I know it's only been 2 starts, but the change in mound presence from Kazmir has been night and day over the last couple of starts. It's almost as if Mark Buerhle's perfect game inspired him in some strange way. The Kazmanian Devil didn't go deep into the game, but he provided 6 solid innings and left the bullpen in good position. A solid Kaz during the endgame will be much more valuable than any trade deadline acquisition the Rays could've made.

The Greatness that is Michel Hernandez. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Hernandez's first ever triple. He's another guy pushing for more playing time.

Some 2008 vs 2009 comparisons. If you inserted the 2008 Rays after 106 games into the 2009 standings, the 2008 Rays would be in 3rd place. They would be 1 game behind Boston and 1 1/2 behind the Yankees. But, the 2008 Rays got really hot in August. They went 21-7. They only lost 2 games in row once in the month. The Rays need that kind of August this year.

From near history to sad meltdown

2009-08-03T07:10:00.005-04:00

View of James Shields from the upper deck.

We weren't talking about it, but we sure were thinking about it. Going into the 8th inning James "Big Game" Shields was tossing a no-no. He needed only 6 outs and I was going to be there for history. But somehow, as they have a few times this season, the Rays figured out a way to completely meltdown... ending a game that could've been special in a not-so-special way.

You have to give credit to Shields. The man was a pitching machine for most of the game. For those of us at the Trop, the excitement grew with each out. Too bad the offense couldn't get anything going for Shields. It just felt like 1 run would be enough. But, maybe that was too much to ask.

If anything, yesterday's game tempered my enthusiasm about this team's chances of making the playoffs a little bit. The complete lack of offense and the terrible defensive execution late in the game marks a stark contrast to what we saw last year. If the Rays can't finish a game like this, at home, against the Kansas City Royals, what chance do they have head-to-head versus the Yankees and the Red Sox. The next couple of weeks will be very telling. The Rays have to have an almost perfect August to make a playoff run. Yesterday's game was not a good sign of things to come.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 4-1 loss to the Royals:

Not saying "no-no." This was the first Rays game I had been to where a pitcher took a no-no so long into the game. The fans were into the game, yet the talk was at a minimum. You could tell people were taking notice because nobody was leaving their seat... even to go get food. The stairs were empty and the movement was kept to a minimum. Too bad we weren't rewarded.

Gross not laying out. I'm not going to blame Gabe Gross for not laying out on John Buck's soft liner. I'm going to blame the offense. I have not doubt Gross would've laid out for that ball if the Rays are up 2 or more to nothing. But in a 0-0 game, he made the right play.

Dioner Navarro's troubles. I haven't been incredibly hard on the Rays catcher since early in the season, but things are not going well for the catcher. It's one thing to slump a little bit at the plate. It's another to slump a little bit on defense, but that error in the 8th was an absolute mental error. Trying to go for the double-play instead of the sure out cost his team a run... maybe two. That was *not* an example of the "run prevention" Andrew Friedman was looking for at the trade deadline.

Little league play. To compound Navarro's error, Jason Bartlett made his own mental mistake in the 8th. The Royals perfectly executed the "little league" play where you attempt a steal at second with a runner on third. The runner at 1st stops half-way and induces a rundown... while the runner at third goes home. Perfection for the Royals. Nasty for the Rays.

Royals hideous bullpen. I'm sure the Rays figured, like I did, that there was no need to get to starter Brian Bannister because the Royals bullpen is so hideous. However, Royals manager Trey Hillman hedged his bets... letting Bannister go an extra inning and then bringing in closer Joakim Soaria to finish the job. It could've backfired on Hillman, except the Rays let the Royals put up 2 insurance runs in the top of the ninth. I liked the Rays chances down 2 runs with Soaria in the ninth. 4 runs was a little much to ask.

Bossman gunned down. How big was the play where Mitch Maier gunned down B.J. Upton at the plate? To me, that was the turning point in the game.

Strange jersey sighting at the Trop

2009-08-02T18:52:00.003-04:00

As I hurried up to my seats in the upper deck on Sunday to catch the game with my family, I made a quick stop at the Rays store on the third base food court. It's not the big store, it's the smaller one. Imagine my surprise when I found, not 1 but 2 odd-colored Rays jerseys staring at me. I had to do a quick take. So, I did what any good journalist/blogger would do... I pulled out my cell camera and took a picture.

So, what do you think? I may have to do some more research on them tomorrow, but I wanted to get the pictures posted to see what Rays fans thought of them. I actually think the blue one isn't too bad. I'm not as sure about the red one.

Jeff Niemann, Rays' Ace

2009-08-02T07:18:00.003-04:00

Jeff Niemann is the 1st Rays starter with double-digit wins. Let's repeat that, Jeff Niemann is the 1st Rays starter with double-digit wins. Not James "Big Game" Shields, not Matt "ALCS MVP" Garza, and certainly not Scott "AL Strikeout King" Kazmir... nope, it's Jeff "barely made the rotation because I'm out of options" Niemann.

Over the past couple of month, Niemann has become the most consistent pitcher of the starters. He's big. He's in control. And he's looking real good. The Rays front office has been criticized all year for trading Edwin Jackson to the Tigers, but Niemann keeps showing why he's the #5 starter for this team.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 7-1 victory of the Kansas City Royals:

The Rays love playing the Royals. For some reason, the Rays absolutely own this team. They're 8-0 against the Royals and have outscored them 49-19. It's too bad they can't play like this against the other last place teams in the AL. The Rays have had trouble with both Oakland and Baltimore this year.

Scoring Early. The Rays again set themselves up nicely, by jumping to an early 3-0 lead. Jason Bartlett got it going with a triple in which he scored on an error. That seemed to be more than enough for Jeff Niemann.

Run Prevention. Andrew Friedman says that was the Rays motto in the trade deadline and the Rays are keeping it going. Carl Crawford nailed Royals catcher Brayan Pena at the plate... keeping a crucial run off the board. Pitching and defense... pitching and defense.

The Angry New Pitcher. The Rays didn't waste any time getting Jeff Bennett, aka The Angry New Pitcher to the mound. The came in for the last 2 outs of the ninth. I saw Jason Bartlett run over to ANP and make sure everything was cool after he couldn't get to a grounder. ANP's reputation precedes him.

Today is Scott Kazmir bobble head day for the children. I already have mine at my desk, but my kids will get theirs.

Chicago White Sox vs AL East. The Yankees have lost 3 in a row, including an absolute annihilation at the hands of the Chicago White Sox. Ozzie Guillen really has his boys playing well against the AL East powerhouses. They're 8-2 against the Rays and Yankees combined. The good news for the Rays: They don't have to play them any more. However, the Yankees still have 4 games versus the Sox and the Red Sox have 7. Go Ozzie!

Red Sox brutal schedule. In case you're wondering about the Red Sox, their schedule goes like this: @TB, @NY, DET, @Texas. Time for the Rays to make up some ground.

New Rays relief pitcher really hates the Yankees

2009-08-01T14:02:00.004-04:00

The Rays today signed righty relief pithcer Jeff Bennett. The Braves recently released the 29-year-old a non-playing injury. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Bennett punched the dugout wall during a June 24th game against the Yankees. He broke bone in his left hand and had to get surgery. The Braves suspended him and quit paying him. Bennett filed a grievence and MLB said the Braves had to either pay him or allow him to become a free agent. That's where the Rays found him today... and our good friend Mr. Spock, Joe Nelson finds himself in Durham for the next month or so.

Here's a link to some video of the Rays new pitcher when he spontaneously developed a bloody nose while pitching:

http://www.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=2618054

Here's a look at a blog from the AJC, where they recapped Bennett's night when he broke his finger: Mark Bradley Blog from June 26

I also found this article from after the game. Aparantly, Bennett was in such a rage that he forgot punching the door until he saw the dent and his hand started swelling. He pushed the bone back into place and then pitched another inning. He said he was "ashamed and embarrassed."... At least he's got a high pain tolerence. Maybe he can teach Scott Kazmir a thing or two.

No Deadline Deals. Rays say, so what?

2009-08-01T09:14:00.004-04:00

Flo Rida peformed after the game. The Rays are 12-1 in concert series games. Apple-bottom jeans, indeed.

For the 2nd year in a row, Rays fans expecting some "big move" from the front office were left disappointed at the end of the trade deadline. No last minute deals. No Victor Martinez. No Roy Halladay. While a couple dozen players changed uniforms, the Rays stood pat.

Andrew Friedman said the Rays wanted to focus on "run prevention." He says he believes the team has the in-house options on offense. They may have just needed to shore up some pitching and catching.

It's not that they didn't try. Friedman said they had some things going, but couldn't find the right fit. I'm fine with that. The Rays aren't the Yankees or Red Sox. They can't supplement their team mid-season. Don't forget, the the Red Sox held back on some moves in the off-season just to prepare for the deadline.

While on the surface it looks like the rich got richer and the Rays couldn't keep up, just remember that the season isn't decided on the last day in July. Both the Red Sox and the Angels made moves last year that didn't help them get to the World Series. There's still plenty of baseball left to play and the current roster has to show the front office that their faith in them is justified.

We may have seen some of that last night. The biggest public enemies right now among Rays fandom seems to be: Pat Burrell, Dioner Navarro, and Carlos Pena. All three came up big last night showing that they've still got some worth to the team and can help lead this team past the Red Sox and Yankees.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals:

Staking an early lead. One thing that's really bothered me about this team since the All-Star break is their lack of runs early. It seems like they're always playing from behind. Last night B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford got hit... and Carlos Pena knocked them in for a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 1st. The Rays never looked back.

PtB: Public Enemy Number 1. I guess now that Troy Percival is out of the picture, some Rays fans need someone to hat. Well, Pat Burrell has become the man. PtB is now getting booed at Tropicana Field. Many complained that the Rays need to dump him or at the least bench him. While I'm not pleased with his production, dumping him or benching him does nothing at this point. The Rays need him to get hot. The only way that's going to happen is if he gets at-bats. Maybe in a few weeks we'll look at his triple last night and say that it was where the "streak" began.

Dionar Navarro, dead to the fandom. Outside of Scott Kazmir, the catcher position has been the biggest source of rumors when it comes to the trade deadline. The Rays were linked with Victor Martinez, almost from the start. I, for one, am glad he went to the Red Sox... so I can resume my dislike for him. As for Navarro, I don't think Martinez would've been an upgrade defensively. While his bat would've helped, I don't think he was worth the price. As for Mr. Navarro, he knocked one out of the park. Maybe the rumors shook him up, just enough.

Looking good, Mr. Price. He was throwing a ton of strikeouts, but he did keep the game in control and went 7 innings. Those are the kinds of performances we need to see from the Rays starting pitchers every night if the Rays are going to climb back into the race. Now, if we can just see 3 or 4 of those in a row from the starters.

Bye-bye, Mr. Spock. I'm not sure why, but it appears Joe Nelson and his Vulcan change-up are headed to Durham. The Times said Spock learned about it after the game. The Rays said they would make a corresponding move today.

I know the Rays are playing the Royals. But, this series could go a long way toward building some momentum.

39 wins to go. The Boston Red Sox needed 95 wins to get the Wild Card berth last year. I'm using that as a benchmark for this year. After last night's win, they need 39 more to get to 95.

Still holding out hope, the season is not over

2009-07-30T08:58:00.005-04:00

This guy's still holding out hope for a Rays turnaround!

I'm holding out hope. I'm holding out hope that these Rays will somehow find what they're missing. I'm holding out hope that this team can get hot. I'm holding out hope that the starting pitching becomes dominant again. I'm holding out hope that Pat Burrell and Carlos Pena didn't forget how to swing the bat. I'm holding out hope that Dioner Navarro can get clutch hits. I'm holding out hope that the Rays will be a playoff team.

Last night's loss to the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field has a very demoralizing feel to it. Many are saying today that the Rays are done. Columns declaring their death were published and Yankee fan thinks the Rays were just a fluke. But, I say ... there's still hope. Somewhere, buried deep, is the Rays we know and love. We saw them Tuesday night. We've seen them in flashes during other parts of the season. Where are they now?

This team, as it stands, is capable of going on a run. The Yankees did it. The Red Sox did it. Now, it's the Rays turn. And maybe, just maybe, if the Rays get hot at the right time... they can ride it all the way to the promised land. I know many of you may think I'm overly optimist. But, this is baseball, not football. One game or two doesn't get you eliminated. Baseball is 162 game marathon. It's a marathon that miracles can happen. The Rays have plenty of games against the teams in front of them. It's up to them to seize the opportunity.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 6-2 loss to the Yankees:

Get some offense going, please! I'll say this for the Rays lineup, they really know how to stink up the joint. I've got to give some credit to Joba Chamberlain for his excellent performance, but the Rays gave him a lot of help. For some reason, this team isn't making adjustments as they go through the order. The Rays need to change their approach on the 2nd and 3rd trips up against a pitcher. The Yankees did it last night. Why couldn't the Rays?

PtB Hate. Pat Burrell has become the new Troy Percival to Rays fans. He got booed at the Trop last night as he continues to look absolutely lost at the plate. He went 0-4 with K's. PtB even got his own "hate" column from St. Pete Times writer John Romano this morning. He's an easy target. He wasn't part of last year's run. He's making a lot of money. And he's not doing what he was paid to do. I'm not sure there's any use of hating on PtB, because he's here to stay. It may be easier just to root for him to get on one of those "streaks."

Carlos Pena's falling stock. Pena's starting to get some bad vibes coming his way from Rays' fans. It's a little harder to hate on Pena because he's such a nice guy and he represents so much about the Rays turnaround. However, if he keeps looking bad at the plate or something happens to PtB... Pena could be in for his boo birds at the Trop. I've even heard some talk from fans that the Rays should trade Carlos Pena. That's a subject I don't think I've ever heard until this week.

Matt Garza and Derek Jeter. If you want to point to one big mistake Garza made last night, it was giving up the triple to Jeter to begin the game. For some reason, that run loomed large all game. It seemed to give Joba some extra energy as he took the mound in the bottom of the 1st. For the most part, Garza was solid... just not solid enough.

Good defense. One common thread among these games is the defense. On Monday and Wednesday, the Yankees made some great plays and won. On Tuesday, they didn't look as good and lost. It's like Joe Maddon keeps saying: Pitching and defense will win games.

Royals Relief. This week would be a good time to start a win streak. The Rays are 6-0 versus the Royals this year. Tomorrow night starts a 4 game set.

5 games back. The 2009 Rays are now 5 games back on the 2008 Rays. But, the 2008 Rays would be 3 games back from the 2009 Yankees.

Picture post: Kazmir bobblehead takes place of honor on my desk

2009-07-29T16:23:00.002-04:00

One day after his fine performance against the New York Yankees, the Scott Kazmir bobblehead arrived in the newroom. Kaz is sporting the road grays and seems to be mid-pitch with a big grin on his face. I've been told that there is precedence for trade before bobblehead day. The Cubs traded Michael Barrett in 2007 before his bobblehead giveaway. The promotion went on as planned.

As for Kaz, I would like to see him stay a Ray for awhile. He's going to take his place next to my phone on my desk for the rest of the season. That way, I can have Kaz watching me as go about my day.

Kaz takes his place of honor on my desk.

Here's a look at a quick video of the Kaz bobblehead:

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Trade deadline suggestion: Stay the course

2009-07-29T08:45:00.004-04:00

Staying the course is never easy. It wasn't easy last year when the Rays were in first place, trying to hold off the Red Sox. The 2008 team had some holes. They needed a right handed bat. They could've used a solid closer. Those holes led to rumors. This closer is coming here for so-so. That team wants some unknown prospects for the right-handed right fielder. We've got to make a move! The Red Sox are dealing, so should we. The Yankees are making moves, we need to slow them down. In the end, the Rays front office didn't get any major moves done. Yet, the Rays still won the Al East. The Rays still went to the World Series. The Rays still finished better than the wheeling and dealing teams.

Fast-forward to 2009. These Rays don't have as many glaring holes as the 2008 Rays, yet they're in 3rd place. Panic is setting in. And the rumors are flying again. Big names. Big prices. To read some publications, you would think Andrew Friedman is on the phone non-stop, figuring out ways to get Cliff Lee for Scott Kazmir. Or Victor Martinez for Carlos Pena. Or even Carl Crawford for Roy Halladay. What a deal, right?

I'm going to say that none of those deals really make any since in the long run. Would I like to see Roy Halladay in a Rays uniform? Of course. Would I like to gut the farm system to make it happen? No. Would I like to see the Rays trade Carl Crawford for Roy Halladay? No.

Here's the deal. The Rays are a talented team. There is no doubt that this group of guys has what it takes to compete with the Yankees and the Red Sox. This is a team that struggled in April and has been playing catch-up ever since. This is a team that is capable of going on a run and scooting right past the Yankees and the Red Sox. It's also a team that has a friendly August and September schedule to do just that. The Rays don't need to mortgage the future now. They just need the players they have to play better.

And then there are those who say the Rays should start selling. Get rid of Kazmir. Trade Crawford. Dump salary. Start over. I disagree. The Rays are still very much in this race. They are 9 games above .500. They have plenty of games left against the teams ahead of them. It would be foolish for the team to give up on the season right now.

What kind of message would that send to the locker room? What kind of message would that send to the entire team? Guess what guys? You're playing good ball... but, not good enough. We have standards. You'd better be in first place by the trade deadline or we're throwing in the towel.

As for those who say the Rays can't afford to keep the roster, I would like to remind everyone that baseball does *not* have a salary cap. The only spending limitations the Rays have are their own, self-imposed limits. Limits that Stu Sternberg has already shown willing to break. We don't know what goes on inside the Rays front office. This is a team looking to get a stadium. They're not going to have a fire sale with some of their most bankable stars. Sternberg didn't buy this team as an investment. He bought it because he wants to own a baseball team. And that means he wants to win. Am I suggesting that he's going to go deep into a hole? No. I'm suggesting that the Rays are more flexible on payroll than you might think.

Maybe I'm just a little too loyal. Maybe I don't get the "business" side of things. But, I just think it would be a travesty to trade Carl Crawford or Carlos Pena or Scotty Kazmir in the next couple of days. It would be overreacting. Stay the course. Catch fire. Return to the playoffs. This team has the talent as it stands right now.

No doubt, the Rays can still compete

2009-07-29T08:22:00.002-04:00

Last night's game was a breath of fresh air. For nine innings, the Rays reminded us that they could hang with the New York Yankees and the $100 million infield. For nine innings, the Rays played defense like a team possessed. They pitched. They played great defense. They got timely hits. They took advantage of the Yankees' mistakes. They scored runs. They played "Raysball."

If anything else, the Rays showed us that they're capable of playing with the Yankees. They also showed us that they can beat the Yankees. Good pitching and good defense is what it takes. Now, the question is: Can they keep it up? Can they play like this for the last 2 months of the season? Can they turn it around? We'll see soon enough. But, for now, we know that the disparity between the two teams is not as big as Monday night's game suggested.

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 6-2 victory of the New York Yankees:

Scotty Kazmir, welcome to 2009. I've taken a lot of heat for my support of Kazmir. I understand he's had some difficulties this year, but it's still too early to write him off. If anyone needs to know why, just rewind the DVR and watch last night's game. Kazmir gave a performance that reminded us of his days in green. He reminded us why, as early as last year, he was considered one of the best up-and-coming lefties in the Majors. He reminded us why fans of the "Devil Rays" would show up just to see him. He reminded us why Met fan gets a knot in their stomach when they see him. He reminded us why he was an All-Star last year and why he was the strikeout king in 2007. Most of all, he reminded us that he's only 25 year-old... much too early to give up on.

Defense steps up. In Monday night's game, the Yankees showed how effective their defense is now. Last night, the Rays made sure everyone knows where the true gloves are at. After the game, Joe Maddon pointed out that the Rays got good pitching and good defense and they won the game. It's not rocket science.

Getting early runs. For the first time since the All-Star break, the Rays staked an early lead and held on for nine innings. It was a breath of fresh air from what we had been seeing. It also seemed to give Kaz some momentum when he went back out to the mound.

Slump busters. Carlos Pena's slump is getting so pronounced that his name is now being mentioned in trade rumors. He does look sad up at the plate, but I'm sure Pena will figure out a way out of this slump soon enough. When he does, the lineup becomes that much more dangerous.

Garza versus Joba. I'd like to see the Rays starters put 2 good, quality starts together in a row. I'm sure Matt Garza is up to the task. If the Rays pitch and play defense like they did yesterday, the Yankees don't stand a chance.

Yankees resume bullying the Rays

2009-07-28T08:38:00.004-04:00

It looks like order is restored in the AL East. The Rays are back to being the Yankees little brother. A brother that's never going to be as tall. A brother that's never going to be as handsome. A brother that takes his bullying and doesn't lift a finger to stop.

That's how the Rays came across last night in what could've been their biggest game of the season. The Rays had no answer on the mound. The Rays had now answer at the plate. And they didn't have the answer on defense. They let the Yankees come into the Trop and push them around, just like they did the first 10 years of the Rays existence.

I understand that the Yankees are a great team. They have great pitchers. They have an incredible lineup. But, really... would it be too much to ask for a little resistance? Maybe a close game. Maybe a real battle. The Rays seemed to fold early in this game and let the Yankees just cruise their way to a victory. I know the season isn't over yet. The Rays could win the next two games or put together a big win streak to get back in it. But, at least for last night, the Yankees took their place once again as the team who pushes the Rays around like a little brother.

Here are some things I noticed in last nights 11-4 loss to the Yankees:

Where are the bats? I'm not sure who took the wind out of this lineup, but it's gone. Some may argue that AJ Burnett is a tough pitcher. I say he's not Roy Halladay... a guy the Rays have handled.

Need some early life. The Rays offense has been abysmal early in games since the All-Star break. Last night was not exception. In the 1st inning, after a BJ Upton strikeout, the Rays had the opportunity to pound on Burnett for a run after a walk and an error left Carl Crawford on 3rd. Longo struck out. Zobrist lined out. And the Yankees scored three in the top of the 2nd.

Game plans. In my 10 things I'd like to see column yesterday, I claimed that I thought Joe Maddon was a better a manager than Joe Girardi. I'll have to retract that a bit and say that Girardi definitely out managed Maddon last night. It was obvious the Yankees had a plan to attack James Shields and they did it with precision.

James "Big Game" Shields, 1-7 versus the Yankees. Much has been made about Shields like of run support, but in reality he's just not pitching that well. He's consistantly inconsistant this year. Giving up big innings here and there while looking great in other innings. In a game like that, the Rays need their #1 pitcher to step up... Shield didn't.

Grab momentum. One thing the Rays were really good at last year was grabbing momentum when they got it. Somewhere along the line, they've lost that skill. In the top of the 5th, Shields got Alex Rodriguez to strikeout looking. And then Gabe Gross made a great play on a Hideki Matsui line drive to right. The Rays could've grabbed on to those plays as a momentum shift and taken control in the bottom of the fifth. Instead, the Rays go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth and the Yankees start the 6th off with back-to-back homers.

Yankees defense, a reminder of what was. The Yankees didn't fail to notice how important defense was to the Rays run last year. This year, the Yankees are using the Rays playbook to cut rallies short. They made several plays to rob the Rays of hits. Hits that could've started rallies. The Rays don't have that kind of defense this year. And, it shows.

Any better tonight? On paper, the Rays look like they're in for another long night tonight. Scott Kazmir takes the mound. He hasn't won a game since coming off the disabled list. He faces C.C. Sabithia, the Yankees hot ace lefty. If the Rays have some resolve, tonight would be the time to break it out.

It's Time: Rays need to step-up or sit down

2009-07-27T08:44:00.002-04:00

It's crunch time for the Tampa Bay Rays. The 1st place New York Yankees come to Tropicana Field tonight for a 3 game set. The Rays are 6 1/2 games behind them for 1st place and 4 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the Wild Card.

The Rays are running out of excuses... and time. They need to take this opportunity not only to gain some ground, but to send a message to the rest of the league that they're not going away. They have to show their best games are in front of them. They have to show that their stud pitchers still have it. They have to show that they can keep up with the monstrosity that is the New York Yankees.

Will it be easy? No. The Yankees are playing their best baseball in years. They've got their top 3 starters going against the Rays top 3 starters. The Yankees bats are hot. The Rays bats have been lukewarm at best. Tonight's series could be the difference between playing in the post-season or missing out a year after the World Series trip. This series will show if these Rays have the same swagger that their counterparts from last year did. At 7:08 tonight, we'll start learning a lot about this team.

10 Things I want to see this series from the Rays:

1. Dominant starting pitching. We still haven't seen too much in the way of dominant starting pitching all year from the Rays. James "Big Game" Shields needs to live up to his nickname and put some goose-eggs on the board. I don't want to hear about run support or any of that. I want to see domination of one of the toughest line-ups in baseball.

2. Early leads. Since the All-Star break, the Rays seem to meekly go about their jobs in the first three innings. It doesn't matter who's pitching... a rookie or Roy Halladay. The Rays need to get going early this week. They can't let AJ Burnett and CC Sabathia fly through their order the first time. Make them work. Make them think. Get some runs. Don't wait for the 8th inning to try and mount a comeback.

3. Solid defense and concentration. Against a team as hot as the Yankees are right now, every out counts. The Rays need to get every out they can and not let any go. The Yankees will make you pay for runs. They will make you pay for mental mistakes. The only remedy is to not make them.

4. Take what you can get. At times, the Rays seem to be up there swinging for the fence every chance they get. Leave that to the Yankees. Instead, go out there and play some small ball. Runs are going to be at a premium. The Rays need to do what they do best and take what the pitcher gives them.

5. Hot. Hot. Hot. The Rays offense has been an enigma all year. When they're hot, they're really hot. When they're cold, they get handled by rookie lefties. All that has to end tonight. Slumps are no longer part of the vocabulary. When you're chasing the Yankees and Red Sox this late in the season, you don't have time to wait for some to get "toasty."

6. Outfox the Yankees. Joe Girardi has had it pretty easy the last couple of weeks. The Yankees are peaking and making his job that much easier. I'd much rather have Maddon in crunch time than Girardi. That being said, I think the Rays need to make sure Girardi's uncomfortable in the dugout. The Rays know what they need to do for that.

7. Bullpen dominance. Of course, these games may come down to the Rays bullpen versus the Yankees bullpen. We've seen some brilliance out of the bullpen as of late. They need to keep it going. He-who-must-not-be-named-closer will probably see some big action against some of the toughest bats in baseball.

8. Give me some swagger please. We saw it all last year. We've seen flashes of it this year. The Rays need to find some of that swagger they had last year. That feeling you got, that they wouldn't be pushed around by their big brothers in the AL East anymore.

9. Home Field Advantage. The Rays have been a much better team at the Trop this year, they need to make sure they establish that again. It may not be a sell-out, but the Rays have been able to make the Trop feel very hostile.

10. 9=8. If nothing else, go back to what got you going last year. All nine players need to make sure they have their "A" game on tonight. The Yankees aren't going to give the Rays anything. The Rays are going to have to show they want it, and then take it!

The Rays offense watches in silence as Buehrle pitches the perfect game

2009-07-23T22:20:00.002-04:00

First off, congratulations to Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle for pitching a perfect game. It's a rare and honorable feat to retire 27 major league batters in a row... without a mistake. Good job.

As for the Rays, the offense has finally frozen up. They seemed to be a bit on the chilly side for the first 7 games since the All-Star break. On the 8th day, Beuhrle froze them. One by one they came to the plate... and one by one they went back into the the dugout. Sure there were a couple of chances. The most noticeable being DeWayne Wise's robbery of a Gabe Kaplar home run in the bottom of the ninth. But, all in all, the offense didn't bother to show up.

That seemed to be the story of the entire series. The Chicago White Sox and Ozzie Guillen have seemingly avenged themselves for the Rays bouncing them from the playoffs last year. The Rays need to take a lesson from this series and realized nothing's going to be easy for them for the rest of the yar.

Here's a list of things I noticed in the White Sox 5-0 victory over the Rays:

Scott Kazmir still finding ways to give up runs. A grand slam, Scotty? Really? I know in the big picture it didn't matter. Beuhrle was dealing. But, I've said over and over that the Rays need Scott Kazmir to make a serious run. I didn't get a good feeling after today's game. Apparently, the feeling extended to Kazmir's arm... which he still says is feeling tight.

Trade Rumors. All kinds of rumors are flying around involving the Rays and the trade deadline. But, I still think the Rays are going to stand pat like they did last year. They may get a middle reliever, but I don't expect a "blockbuster" deal.

Get the bats going. Honestly, the Rays are going to have to figure out how to score more than 4 runs over the next couple of days. Four or less isn't going to cut it against the Yankees next week.

Rays give one away

2009-07-23T08:52:00.002-04:00

The Rays margin for error is slim. They can't giveaway games like they did last night too many more times. The Yankees are playing lights out ball and the slumping Red Sox are making moves to right their ship. It's imperative that the Rays are able to close the door on games that they're up 3-1 on in the 7th inning. Last night, a series of misadventures lead to a White Sox comeback that gave them new life and took some of the wind out of the Rays sails.

Here are some things I noticed in the White Sox 4-3 victory of the Rays:

Big Game James Shields still not dominating. While Shields wasn't horrible last night, he did make a couple of mistakes that cost him the game. He couldn't get the final out in the 7th inning and walked Gordan Beckham. That walk turned into 3 runs for the White Sox.

BJ & Bartlett. Both made costly defensive mistakes in the seventh. Jason Bartlett tried to rush a throw. It ended up in the dugout. And Bossman misplayed an Alexi Ramirez fly ball that drove in 2 of the 7th inning runs. I'm not going to call either player out, both have been superb defensively all year. However, those are the types of plays that seperate playoff teams from those on the outside looking in. The 2008 Rays made those plays.

Where's the offense? Seriously, the Rays offense for the most part has slumbered since the break. I keep waiting for the break out game, but they can't seem to score more than 4 runs. Maybe they're saving it for the Yankees on Monday.

Trade rumors. There are plenty of trade rumors swirling around the Rays as we approach the deadline. First off, I don't think the Rays are going to trade Carl Crawford. Secondly, I believe the Rays may make a deal for a right-handed middle reliever. I don't think we'll see any "big" moves unless something falls into their laps that is too good to pass up. It's interesting that last year's team seemed to have more glaring holes, but they had the better record. Stay tuned.

Rays giving away All-Star t-shirts during next homestand

2009-07-22T18:53:00.001-04:00

It looks like the Rays will be giving out some t-shirts next week during the homestand. Each of the Rays All-Stars will get their own shirt, starting with Carl Crawford on July 27th against the Yankees.

For a full list, go to this link from 10 Connects:
Rays giving away All-Star t-shirts during next homestand | 10connects.com | Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater

I would venture a guess that this is a good sign that Carl Crawford won't be traded at the deadline. I'm not sure it's good form to feature a guy on a t-shirt and then trade him a few days later.

The upcoming homestand is really jam-packed. Besides the t-shirts during the Yankees and Red Sox series, the Kansas City series has 2 concerts and a Kazmir bobblehead. Very interesting.

Here are the pictures of the shirts:

Jeff Niemann, Rays ace

2009-07-22T08:50:00.003-04:00

Say it with me: Jeff Niemann is the best starting pitcher on the Rays right now. Say it again, this time slowly: Jeff Niemann is the best starting pitcher on the Rays right now. I have to pinch myself every time I think about that. Going into the season, I never would've predicted Niemann would be doing this well halfway through the season. I didn't even think he'd be a starter. But, there he was last night...owning a Chicago White Sox team that was out for blood.

If you go through the Rays starters, they all have issues. James Shields gives up big innings. Matt Garza can't control his emotions. David Price is going through growing pains. And Scott Kazmir is trying to find his mechanics. Through all of that, every fifth day, here comes Niemann.

I hope Shields, Garza, Kazmir and Price were taking notes last night. Niemann didn't let the lack of run support get him down. He didn't walk guys. He didn't fold when the White Sox got a couple of runs. He went out there throwing first pitch strikes. And when he had to make the really big pitch... he did, time and time again. Jeff Niemann, the fifth pitcher, has set the bar. Can the rest of the Rays stable of pitchers keep up?

Here are some things I noticed in the Rays 3-2 victory over the White Sox:

Ninth inning heroics. It wasn't as dramatic as a late home run, but Pat the Bat's walk in the top of the ninth off Bobby Jenks was quite a sequence. Jason Bartlett took some heat for swinging at strike 3 against Jenks the night before with the bases loade and PtB looked like he may have learned a thing or two. He got up 3-0 in the count and took a strike. I expected PtB to be swinging a 3-1, and apparently so did Jenks. He threw a high inside fast ball that PtB laid off and walked in the game tying run.

He-who-must-not-be-named-closer. For Rays fans, we're seeing something we haven't seen in awhile: a legitimate shut-down guy. JP Howell has converted 4 saves of 1 run games on the road in a row. And he seems to do it effortlessly. I wasn't nearly on the edge of my seat in the bottom of the ninth as I would have if Troy Percival was trying to shut the door.

Lefty murder. Joe Maddon tried to mix up the lineup a little to offset White Sox lefty Clayton Richard. It didn't work. Joe Dillionaire and Willy Aybar were 0-6 against Richard for the night. I'm pretty sure Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford could've done that. The Rays do get a break today. Sox lefty starter John Danks is out because of a split on his finger. They will start RHP Carlos Torres tonight, fresh up from Triple A. The Rays need to welcome him to the league.

1-run games. The Rays have played some real nail-biters since the All-Star break. All 5 games have been 1 run affairs. The offense still seems to be struggling a bit, especially early in the games. They need to come out early against Torres and get some runs. I'm sure James Shields would appreciate the run support.

AL East balance of power. For the first time since the end of the 2006 season, the New York Yankees have earned first-place outright in the AL East. They're hot right now and on a 5-game win streak. Each day, the July 27th series at the Trop looms larger and larger. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are learning what the Rays did before the break: Playing Texas in Arlington is no fun at all.

Scott Kazmir's cramped arm update. It appears the Kazmanian Devil will not miss a start due to arm cramp. That is all I have to say about that.

2009 Rays vs 2008 Rays. The 2008 were 55-39 at this point last year. Right now, they're 52-42 and 3 games behind that pace. The 2009 Rays are going to have to keep winning to keep pace... the 2008 Rays really started taking control of the division at this point last year. From games 95 to 136 the 2008 Rays won every series they played in.

Submitted for your approval: Cowbell Kid

2009-07-21T15:00:00.002-04:00