Mar 09
Archive for March 9th, 2008
Mar 09
Last year the Tampa Bay Rays picked up Joe Maddon‘s two-year option. In reality it was a one-year deal as few teams are willing to enter a season with a manager that only has one year left on his contract. In 2008, Papa Joe and the Rays will either take Two Steps forward, earning Maddon an extension…or he will be fired.
I do not want to place a number on how many wins Papa Joe needed in order to earn an extension. Obviously Stuart Sternberg and Andrew Friedman will judge a number of factors before making a decision. Each week I will take a look at how Maddon is performing in each of five categories. While this list is likely not complete, I do believe these are the most important factors in determining whether or not Joe Maddon can be a winning baseball manager.
- Wins: 7-1 (spring training)
- Fundamentals on the field: Through 8 games. 18-22 in stolen bases. Opponents are only 3-5 in steals. The Rays have committed only 2 errors, have no passed balls, have turned 9 double plays and have the highest fielding percentage (.993) in spring training.
- Consistently competetive: N/A
- Avoid prolonged slumps: N/A
- Control the clubhouse: Nothing to report
- Summary: Nobody wants to place too much emphasis on spring games, but 7-1 is 7-1 and for a team that is trying to build a winning mentality, that sure beats the hell out of 1-14 like the Rays were in 2007. The Rays now have the best record in all baseball and people are starting to notice as it usually takes the Rays a month to reach 7 victories. The Bradenton Herald has a story this morning on Maddon and how he has always played to win but for the first time he feels like he has a lineup he can compete with. There is almost a sense of relief in the voice of Maddon while reading the article. The confidence is finally there. Will it mean more wins in 2008? We’ll see. In the meantime though, we have to believe that if the team had to make a decision on Maddon’s contract now, they would renew him. So the meter goes up one notch.
Mar 09
[ELLIOT JOHNSON] The Collision That Rocked The Evil Empire
Don Zimmer, Elliot Johnson, Joe Girardi 9 Comments »
It is not just spring training for the guys playing in the 9th inning of a spring game.
For those that missed, and we don’t know how you could, the Rays’ Elliot Johnson, a second base prospect, collided with the Yankees Francisco Cervelli, a reserve catcher in the 9th inning of yesterday’s game at Legends Field. The collision resulted in a broken bone for Cervelli.
Joe Girardi, the Yankees new skipper was the first to chime in.
During the season, I’m all for it. It happens in the season.” But, he added, “In spring training, I don’t believe in it…I’m all for playing hard, but I don’t think it’s the time where you run over a catcher.”
Cervelli on the other hand had no problem with the play.
“It’s part of the game,” said Cervelli, who turned 22 on Thursday and played last season at Class A Tampa. “It’s O.K.”
Former Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer said that Girardi’s comments “stunk” noting that Girardi is a former catcher and knows how the game is played.
“Then when I pick up the paper this morning, I was dumbfounded. He blocked the plate. What happens if our man slides in with the plate being blocked and breaks his leg? … I am surprised the way Girardi said what he did. The plate was blocked, and our guy bowled him over. That’s the way to play the game. I mean, I’m talking about a guy who is like a son to me. But I can’t believe he went after it the way he did, because that’s not Joe Girardi — and being a catcher on top of that.”
Zim is absolutely correct. Not surprisingly the Yankees Blogosphere is doing what they do best…whining.
But Elliot Johnson was unnecessarily rough coming home and broke Francisco Cervelli. Turd. It’s freaking Spring Training. There’s no need to barrel someone over.
Here is the problem with that statement: For the guys that are playing in the 9th inning of a spring training game, this is their regular season. These are players that are most likely not making the team, that are fighting for jobs and trying to make an impression on the coaches and front office. You absolutely CANNOT ask them to dial it down for the sake of somebody might get hurt.
Get over it. Go out and buy yourself another AAA catcher. Personally I love the intensity being shown by the Rays in spring training. The Rays compete in the toughest division in baseball with two of the best teams in baseball. The Rays could put their collective tails between their legs and accept losing or they can stand up to the bullies.
The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays have chosen to punch the bully right in the nose and I love it.
Girardi Says Collision At Plate Is Uncalled For [New York Times]
Rays’ Zimmer weighs in on collision [Tampa Bay Rays]
Freaking Devil Rays [Joblog Chamberlain]
Mar 09
[EVAN LONGORIA] Dirtbag-O-Meter: 22 Days Until Opening Day
Dirtbag-O-Meter, Evan Longoria, Willy Aybar No Comments »We call him The Dirtbag because of how he plays and because he played college ball at Long Beach State whose baseball team has the coolest mascot in sports…The Dirtbags.
The biggest question mark for the Tampa Bay Rays in Spring Training is whether or not Evan Longoria will be named the opening day third baseman. Manager Joe Maddon has repeatedly stated that the decision will be based less on his stats, and more on how the 22-year old handles himself on a day-to-day basis and how well The Dirtbag adjusts to everyday life as a major leaguer. From now until the Rays announce a decision on Longoria’s fate, we will track The Dirtbag’s progress through his numbers, our own observations and quotes from Maddon and Andrew Friedman…
Notes on the Dirtbag-O-Meter…
Yesterday: Started at third. In the second he struck out looking with the bases empty. In the 4th, he flied out to center to end the inning. In the 7th he singled sharply to center ending an 0-8 skid “(including rainout). He finished 1-3. In the field he handled a pop up for his only fielding chance…
Quotes:
“I can’t really point to one event because it’s more of a daily thing…It’s like, ‘He got to that ball – wow’ or ‘How did he hit that?’ or ‘How did he hit that solidly?’ Just small things you kind of see over the course of a season or a few weeks or a month and think, ‘This guy’s got a little something extra, he’s got something special.’ You definitely pick that up with him.”-Jeff Niemann
“He’s kind of got that swagger,”-B.J. Upton.
“In my opinion – and I’ve heard it from other guys – it’s the way you go about your business, the way you prepare for the games…That’s kind of what separates guys at this level. There’s a lot of guys in this room that are at the same talent level, physically. I just try to have that extra drive and that extra desire to want to do something better. I think that’s what takes guys to that next level.”- Evan Longoria.
“Every time he comes to the field and he’s on the field, you watch…He’s a game-changing player.”-Reid Brignac.
Summary: All of those quotes come from Marc Lancaster’s piece on Longoria this morning. While Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman may not be convinced that The Dirtbag is ready, it sure sounds like everybody else is…Including the Rays rainout, Longoria has 16 plate appearances and Willy Aybar has 17, while Longoria has now actually logged more innings at third base in the field (27 to 24)…The next couple of days could be important for Longoria as we approach the halfway point. With only 1 hit in his last 5 games, how The Dirtbag responds to this ‘mini-slump’ could go a long way to sealing his fate…For now we are keeping the Dirtbag-O-Meter at slightly above 50%. His bat has been good. His glove has been great. His poise has been outstanding. And he is the best thirdbaseman in camp.
Mar 09
[THE SUNDAY MORNING REVOLUTION] David Price: And So It Begins
BJ Upton, David Price, Joe Maddon, Matt Spring, Prospects, Rocco Baldelli 1 Comment »Tampa Bay Devil Dogs (22 days until opening day)
DRG here again to get you through the weekend…
Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 4, Yankees 1.except for Shawn Riggans at catcher, this is the lineup we could see on March 31 including the batting order with Cliff Floyd in the 5-hole and Jonny Gomes in right batting 6th, followed by Evan Longoria. Willy Aybar came on late and played first. Joel Guzman replaced Longoria at third late in the game. Carl Crawford stole two bases. Matt Garza had a strong outing overshadowed by the professional debut of David Price in the 7th inning. Price hit the first batter he faced and then settled down to strike out the next three. Garza struck out 4 in 3 scoreless innings. He allowed 1 hit and walked 2. Brian Anderson also made his first appearance of the spring, giving up a leadoff single, but then retired the next three on fly balls. Scott Dohmann pitched a perfect 8th and 9th, striking out 2.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Many were impressed with David Price’s debut including his own pitching coach. Price was clocked between 95-97 on the Rays’ guns, striking out three straight after hitting his first professional batter. [The Heater]
“There were a couple of guys in there that had considerable major league experience that didn’t really have much of a chance,” Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey said. “Pretty impressive, period, but very impressive for the first time.”
- David Price threw 17 pitches, 11 for strikes. He admitted to being star-struck prior to the game and felt he overthrew during the game but got “lucky” enough to keep them in the strike zone. [Bradenton Herald]
“Watching this guy throw 98 miles-an-hour on the black inside, that’s cool,” Pena said. “That’s exactly what we were expecting.”
- Rocco Baldelli came out yesterday to clear the air on the rumors surrounding his medical condition. He was emphatic in denying that he has Multiple Sclerosis, a rare blood disorder or that he ever took steroids. He stated that he has taken every test and nothing has been able to pinpoint the problem. [Providence Journal]
“I’ve felt a lot of different sensations…Nothing came back specifically positive.” He won’t detail the specifics of the battery of tests he keeps referring to, the ones that have taken place here in Tampa, and he wouldn’t give specific locations. But he said he’s been examined by doctors around the country…”I feel like I’ve been tested for everything on Earth. The testing I went through last year was pretty extensive …I have had some problems with my muscles recovering. They don’t recover on a day-to-day basis like I would like them to. It’s tough when you wake up one day and they don’t feel as good as they did the day before. It’s not a fun feeling. We’re still looking to get that very specific diagnosis so I can sleep better at night.”
- Joe Maddon reiterated on Saturday that the team needs to know by the end of the week if they can expect to get 9 innings from Rocco Baldelli or start looking for other options…Let’s say nobody seems very optimistic about that. [St. Pete Times]
“Over the course of the next week, something’s probably got to give in a positive direction to know that he’s going to be able to get out there with any kind of regularity,” Maddon said. “You’re looking to get nine innings, whether it’s as a DH or an outfielder. So I’d say the next week is going to be very vital, or important, to determine that.”
- Marc Lancaster catches up with Matt Spring who is in his first major league camp. [Tampa Tribune]
- Some worry that the Rays proposed stadium could end the city’s hopes of becoming a mecca for Arts enthusiasts. [St. Pete Times]
- Minor League Ball is running a community projection for BJ Upton. The final tally was .286/.370/.502 with 25 home runs, 93 RBI and 30 steals. [Minor League Ball]
- Similar to the Prof’s Meta-Analysis of Top Prospects in the sidebar, MLB Scoop averaged all of the lists of Top Prospects to come up with an aggregate list of the top 100 prospects in baseball. The Rays have four in the top 20, and five overall. [MLB Scoop]
