Archive for April, 2008

Apr 30

[HAPPY HOUR] Rays Fall Out Of First Place

Al Reyes, David Price, James Shields, Kurt Birkins, Pedro Alvarez, Scott Kazmir Cork Gaines 2 Comments »


DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Bleacher Report breaks down the first month of the season for the Rays. [Bleacher Report]
  • Her Rays breaks down the AL East after the first month. [Her Rays]
  • The Rays are #9 in this week’s power rankings from The Sporting News. [The Sporting News]
  • Big League Stew wonders if the Rays are for real. [Big League Stew]
  • Whoever is the oddman out when Scott Kazmir returns might be able to stay a little longer as Al Reyes is not expected to come off the DL on Thursday as originally thought. The means Kurt Birkins will be sent down when Kid K rejoins the team. [The Heater]
  • Carter Gaddis looks at the upcoming return of Scott Kazmir and wonders who is going to be the starting pitcher without a chair when the music stops. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Outs Per Swing also takes a look at who might be out of the rotation. [Outs Per Swing]
  • Rays the Roof names four Orioles that they hate. [Rays the Roof]
  • David Price threw another live bullpen session. He is expected to make the first of 3 or 4 extended spring training starts on Friday before reporting to Vero Beach. [The Heater]
  • The Rays would make history if they selected Vandy’s Pedro Alvarez with the first pick of the draft in June. [USA Today]
  • James Shields was named player of the week for the AL. [MLB]
  • Scott Kazmir made his final rehab start on Monday night for the Durham Bulls. Everything went well and he is scheduled to make his 2008 debut on Sunday in Boston. [News & Observer]
Apr 28

[RI CONFIDENCE GRAPH] The Tampa Bay Rays Confidence Survey

Confidence graph Cork Gaines No Comments »

Last week’s Rays Confidence Graph results.

Below you will see two polls that ask about your confidence in the Tampa Bay Rays. Please take a moment to answer each question. We will present these same polls every Monday. The results will be presented in graphical form on Wednesday, and will be displayed permanently in the sidebar. The goal of the Confidence Graph is to get a feeling of how Rays fans feel about the team and the franchise and track how that level of confidence changes through time. Thanks!

Raysiverse events of the past week that could impact confidence levels…


Apr 28

[THE HANGOVER] The Tampa Bay Rays Magic Number Is 138

James Shields Cork Gaines 5 Comments »


THE GOOD: The Tampa Bay Rays coming out party. The Rays entered the weekend series with the Sox with a chance to either firmly announce their arrival to the rest of the league or they could have reaffirmed the feelings of many that the Rays are still the Rays. And with that opportunity the Rays swept the defending champs and now sit in first place in the AL East. 25 games into the regular season and nobody can argue that as of right now, the Tampa Bay Rays are a legitimate playoff contender. And my fellow RAYSHEADS, the magic number sits at 138.

THE BAD: Not even we can find anything bad about this weekend.

THE TELLING: Yes, we know it was James Shields first career shutout. However, that needs an asterisk as Shields pitched 9 shutout innings last year against Baltimore. That effort is not an official shutout as the Rays failed to score in the first 9 innings and the game went extra innings with Shields taking a no-decision…Who would have thunk that the upcoming series between the Rays and the O’s would be a battle for first place in the AL East.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Correction: On Friday I incorrectly said that Dioner Navarro has twice this season forgetten to call time, leading to a runner advancing. In fact, the first occurance was Shawn Riggans, not Navi (Thanks Robert).
  • Yes. Yes it did. [Fire Brand of the American League]
Apr 27

[DOWN ON THE FARM]

Jeremy Hellickson, Scott Kazmir Cork Gaines No Comments »

Durham 11, Charlotte 4. JK Ryu picked up his first win of the year after working 6 innings and allowing only 2 runs…Fernando Perez was 3-5 with his 4th triple…Joel Guzman added 2 singles and 2 RBI.

Birmingham 4, Montgomery 0. Richard de los Santos dropped to 2-2 after giving up 4 runs in 5 innings…The Biscuits managed only 6 hits.

Vero Beach 2, Brevard Co. 1 (13 inn). Jeremy Hellickson continued his dominance of the FSL. He allowed 1 run in 6 innings on 5 hits. He struck out 11 and walked none. One the season Hellickson has struck out a league leading 41 batters with only 2(!) walks in 29 innings. This just in: a 20.5-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio is pretty good…Nevin Ashley drove in the winning run with a single in the 13th.

Charleston 8, Columbus 3.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Scott Kazmir will make what should be his last rehab start tonight for the Durham Bulls. [Durham Bulls]
Apr 27

[THE ARCHIVES] Two Years Ago On Rays Index

The Archives Cork Gaines No Comments »

Two years ago on Rays Index, we first learned about Delmon Young throwing a bat at an umpire during a Durham Bulls game. He would later be suspended for 49 games.

Delmon Young Sticks Up For Striking Minor League Umpires [Rays Index]

Apr 27

THE SUNDAY MORNING REVOLUTION: Aki Rescues The Rays

Akinori Iwamura, Andy Cannizaro, Andy Sonnanstine, Elliot Johnson, Evan Longoria, Gary Glover, Gerry Hunsicker, Jason Bartlett, Nolan Ryan, Rocco Baldelli, Scott Dohmann, Terry Francona admin 4 Comments »




DRG here again to get you through the weekend. I can be reached here..
  • The Good: To quote a commenter from last night: Akinori Iwamura… you beautiful, beautiful small little Japanese man. Although I might worry a little for Aki’s safety today. He did a nice little bat flip and walked the first few steps down the line to admire the blast. Don’t get me wrong. I loved it. And in reality the Sawx are the last team in the world that could ever complain about something like that as long as Manny Ramirez wears the Scarlett Hose. But still. Aki might get a little buzz this afternoon if a pitcher gets an opportunity…Oh yeah and the bullpen, Again. 2 runs in the last 30 innings pitched from the bullpen. That’s right. 2 runs in the last 30 innings pitched from the Tampa Bay Rays relief corps.
  • The Bad: Jello Shots. Seriously? Who the hell thought Jello Shots was a good idea?
  • The Telling: This worked yesterday, so I will try going to the well one more time. The last time the Rays won 6 in a row was August 3, 2005. The winning pitchers during that streak were Scott Kazmir, Casey Fossum, Doug Waechter, Mark Hendrickson, Seth McClung and Travis Harper. No shit…Also if the Rays win today they will be 3 games over .500 after 25 games. It looks like that would be the latest in a season that the Rays have ever been 3 games over .500. In 2004 they were 40-38 but never got to 3-over. The latest they have ever been 3-over was way back in 1999 when the Rays were 11-8 after 19 games.
  • Today: Huge matchup of Aces as the Rays go for the sweep. It is Josh Beckett versus James Shields.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Only surprise here is that Andrew Friedman didn’t make this move sooner. Elliot Johnson has been sent to Durham and Andy Cannizaro has been called up to take his place. With Jason Bartlett’s shoulder problems, Joe Maddon undoubtedly would prefer to have a natural shortstop on the bench to back him up. [Rays Report]
  • There is speculation around the Rangers that new team President Nolan Ryan may ask Gerry Hunsicker to come on board as the new GM. [ESPN via Lone Star Ball]
  • Marc Topkin takes a look at the Rays surplus of starting pitching and comes to the same conclusion that many including The Professor have been saying for a while, Andy Sonnanstine is likely the odd-man out and could be headed to the bullpen with Scott Dohmann being DFA’d. Even with the 3-hit shutout, Duke is just the better option in the bullpen. [St. Pete Times]
  • Red Sox skipper Terry Francona is impressed with what he sees in the Rays. [MLB]
  • What a difference a year makes for the Rays bullpen, where Gary Glover is the only reliever that was with the Rays at this time last year. [Tampa Tribune]
  • The Rays rank first in affordability in the major leagues. [MLB]
  • I am amazed at how many stories have been written that say giving Evan Longoria a long term deal so early is very risky. All these stories make the same argument: Prospects flame out all the time. They will then go on to list all the top prospects that never panned out. Only they only list pitchers. The only top hitting prospect that anybody ever mentions is Rocco Baldelli and he has what appears to be a rare genetic disorder. His had nothing to do with miscalculated scouting. Top hitting prospects *never* fail. They may not turn out to be all-stars, but they never fail. There is basically ZERO risk in the Longoria deal. [Minneapolis Star-Tribune]
Apr 27

DOWN ON THE FARM: Al Reyes Makes First Rehab Appearance

Al Reyes, Dan Johnson admin 2 Comments »

Durham 3, Charlotte 2. Dan Johnson homered in his first game with the Bulls.

Birmingham 4, Montgomery 2.

Brevard Co. 5, Vero Beach 1. Al Reyes started the game and pitched 1 perfect inning in his first rehab appearance.

Columbus 7, Charleston 4.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Nada
Apr 26

THE SATURDAY MORNING REVOLUTION: Joe Maddon’s Crystal Ball Is Smarter Than You

Al Reyes, BJ Upton, Cliff Floyd, Dan Johnson, Evan Longoria, Looking for Glove admin 16 Comments »


DRG here again to get you through the weekend. I can be reached here…

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays.

  • The Good: In what might be the biggest series to date in the history of the franchise, the Rays played the best defense I have ever seen. The diving catches. The diving stops. Stops in the hole. Double plays. Nobody went for a potty break without calling time with a runner on third base….Joe Maddon’s crystal ball that predicted Nathan Haynes would win the game in the 11th. Inexplicably Maddening Maddon pinch ran for Carlos Pena in the bottom of the 9th inning with a runner on third base ahead of Pena. Pena’s run means nothing, so if Maddon was worried about Pena’s recent leg issues, Pena did not have to run and he was in the DH slot so he didn’t have to play the field. There was absolutely no reason to pinch-run there and yet Papa Joe proved he is smarter than all of us. Instead of having a top 10 MVP bat at the plate with a chance to win the game in the 11th, he went with his gut and put the game on the line with guy with an OBP near the Medoza line. And Haynes came through. I bow in awe to the genius that is Joe Maddon’s crystal ball of wackiness.
  • The Bad: Whiskey
  • The Telling: The last time the Rays won 5 in a row was August 21, 2005. The winning pitchers in that streak were, Chad Orvella, Trever Miller, Seth McClung, Scott Kazmir and Casey Fossum. No shit.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • I love how Red Sox fans all of the sudden think it is their birthright to win. And boy do they not take well to losing to the “Devil Rays”. [Tales From The Ballpark]
  • Al Reyes will start a rehab assignment in the next day or two and will be back with the Rays next Thursday. Cliff Floyd will begin a rehab assignment next week and could rejoin the Rays on May 9th after their road trip. [Rays Report]
  • In an interesting twist, Dan Johnson cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to AAA Durham. Not sure who has been dropped, but Durham has some changes to make as all the recent demotions from the Rays has left the Bulls with a very crowded roster. [Rays Report]
  • Marc Lancaster says Evan Longoria is struggling against lefties. Dirtbag has an OPS of .951. I can’t wait to see how well he hits once he figures out lefties. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Jayson Stark looks a the lack of a long-term deal for BJ Upton and suggests that the Upton brothers may not be willing to sign at below market-value. [ESPN]
Apr 26

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Eduardo Morlan To DL; Former Twins Now 3-For-3 With Injuries

Aaron Crow, David Price, Eduardo Morlan, Jake McGee, Jeremy Hellickson, John Jaso, Rhyne Hughes admin No Comments »

Charlotte 5, Durham 2. Mith Talbot gave up 5 runs in 6 innings.

Montgomery 8, Birmingham 3. Wade Davis held Birmingham to 2 hits and no runs in 7 innings. He struck out 4, walked 1. Thanks to two double plays, he faced 1 over the minimum…Ronnie Merril had 4 hits for the 2nd time in 3 nights.

Palm Beach 6, Vero Beach 1.

Columbus 6, Charleston 3.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Eduardo Morlan and Rhyne Hughes went on the DL for Montgomery. Morlan’s injury is significant because now all three of the players received from the Twins for Delmon Young and Brendan Harris have been hampered by injuries in the first month of the season. [Biscuits Batter]
  • David Price threw a live bullpen session yesterday but there is still no timetable for his 2008 debut. [The Heater]
  • After a slow start, John Jaso is starting to weild a mean stick. He is in at #10 on Baseball America’s “Prospect Hot Sheet”. However, they do note that his time as a catcher may have a shlef-life. So far this season, base stealers are 25-26 against Jaso…Jeremy Hellickson is also mentioned as being just outside the Top 13. [Baseball America]
  • Tampa Bay’s Tomorrow takes a look at Jake McGee. [Tampa Bay's Tomorrow]
  • Minor League Ball is running a mock draft and the pick for the Rays is Aaron Crow, a pitcher from Missouri. [Minor League Ball]
Apr 25

[MEANINGFUL GAMES] Rays Open What Could Be Most Important Series In Their Short History

Uncategorized Cork Gaines 13 Comments »

Joe Maddon will try to convince us that this weekend’s series with the Red Sox is no more or less important than any other series. But for Rays fans and more importantly, for the rest of the baseball universe, this series is very important. In fact, we feel a case can be made that this is the most important series that the Rays have ever played.

For the first time in the history of the franchise, big things were expected from the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays. Many looked at the stable of young talent and the sudden willingness to infuse veteran leadership and saw a team that was finally ready to step forward. While the playoffs may still be a pipe dream, .500 seemed reasonable and with a few lucky breaks, the Rays sans Devil could be playing meaningful games in August and September.

After starting the season 3-1, the Rays proceeded to be decimated by injuries and dropped 10 of their next 15. All of the sudden the luster of the Spring was gone and people looked and thought “Rays being the Rays”…or should it be “Rays being the Devil Rays”?

And then came the Jays in Orlando and three wins later the Rays now sit 11-11, 3 games behind the Red Sox in the East and only 2.5 games back in the wild card.

If the Rays could win 2 or 3 games in this series, they can establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the 2008 season. All of the sudden people outside of the Bay Area will look in our direction and see a team that is for real. Baseball people and baseball fans will take notice and see the Rays hanging with the giants and they will see a team that has done this without their #1 pitcher. But maybe most importantly, the Red Sox, Yankees, O’s and Jays will take notice, and for the first time they will not see a stepping stone to the playoffs.

On the other hand, if the Rays lose 2, or worse, get swept at home…once again, people will look and see the Tampa Bay Devil Rays of old and will feel justified in having written the Rays off in March.

Papa Joe Maddon will try to be the voice of reason and the face of calm and cool. But make no mistake, this is a very important series for the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays and a huge series for the franchise and their place in the baseball universe.

Previous Entries