Strange jersey sighting at the Trop

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

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

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.