Aug 08
C’mon, you guys knew this was coming eventually…There is a general sense amongst some of our readers that all we do is bash the Rays media coverage. The truth is we actually admire most of the working media and respect most of their work. We just get a sense that the Rays media coverage can at times be lazy. Just because the Rays were a second-class team for many years doesn’t mean we as fans deserved second-class coverage. So while our frustration can manifest itself at times on this site, we want to know what you guys think of various members of the Rays media coverage. Next up…St. Pete Times beat writer Marc Topkin…
[Ed. Note: The above image came up under Google Image Search when we entered "Marc Topkin". It does have some resemblance to his byline pic. If it so happens to NOT be Topkin, please don't tell us. We like the image of Topkin giggling like a schoolgirl while groping two steroid-infused pro wrestlers.]
While Lancaster lost points for being a UGA grad, Topkin is a Drake University graduate. Don’t know where Drake is? That would be Des Moines, Iowa. The hometown of Jeremy Hellickson and about 90 minutes west of where we did our undergrad work (that’s 90 min by car. 4 hours by tractor).
Like his counterpart at the Tampa Tribune, Marc Lancaster, we have at times been pretty hard hard on Topkin. We love it when he shills for the Rays. But our favorite is when he called a game in Mid-May “something of a must-win game” or the time Jason Hammel gave up 2 runs in 6 innings and Topkin called it a “gem”. We should just be grateful he is not the Rays GM…We haven’t always been so negative. We have seen glimpses of what could be.
And of course there was the Barry Bonds rumors this past Spring that were almost single-handedly started by Topkin. We should give him a pass for that cluster-f*** as that story certainly drove a lot of attention to Topkin and the Times. So, even if the story was greatly exaggerated, it was a smart business move. It is just too bad that we as Rays fans had to pay.
There are some people that like his work: (From Topkin’s St. Pete Times bio)
Marc has won numerous state writing awards for his news coverage and a national award for investigative reporting. He is also heavily involved in the St. Petersburg community, speaking to classes and coaching youth sports teams. In 2006, Marc won a Green Eyeshade Award from the Society of Prefoessional Journalists for his series “What Went Wrong: 10 Years of Devil Rays.”
Of course, Topkin was only runner-up for the “Pink Eyeshade Award.”
So: Do you like Marc Topkin? And let’s hear your reasons in the comments…
Aug 08
THE GOOD:
Andy Sonnanstine was the hard-luck loser, shutting out the M’s for 7 innings before allowing a run in the 8th. At one point he retired 17-straight batters, a team record…Rays batters that led-off an inning were on base 4 times in a row at one point.
THE BAD: Dan Wheeler. After throwing 3 straight fastballs, Wheeler tried to sneak a 1-2 slider past a red-hot Raul Ibanez. Ibanez had 7 home runs in the 21 games prior to last night. Throwing a slider there is lose-lose for Wheeler. Ibanez is a lefty, pull-hitter with an open stance. Even if the slider bites and is down-and-in, it will be right in Ibanez’ power-zone. For those familiar with Ted Williams’ “The Science of Hitting”, that is where the red balls would be for Ibanez and he would likely fire that down the right-field line for a double. And if the slider hangs as it did last night? Well, we like to call those 400-foot strikes. Game over…Despite the success of the batters leading off innings, only 1 of those runners scored and the team was 0-8 with runners in scoring position and grounded into 2 double-plays. The biggest blow was the 9th inning with the score tied 1-1 and Evan Longoria on 3rd with only 1 out. Cliff Floyd and Dioner Navarro struck out to end the threat.
THE TELLING: The Rays magic number to make the playoffs is 44.
DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…
- If you missed our announcement yesterday afternoon, the Rays traded a PTBNL for Chad Bradford, a submarine pitcher from the O’s…And soon, we will all learn the answer to the age-old question: Does Chad Bradford get rug burns on his knuckles when he pitches on artificial turf? Also, some of you may remember Bradford from the book “Moneyball”, by Michael Lewis. Bradford was one of the players featured in that book. [Rays Index]
- Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Padres tried to move Brian Giles through waivers in order to trade him to the Rays. The Red Sox blocked the move by putting in a claim on Giles and now the Sox and Padres are working on a trade to send Giles to Boston. [Fox Sports]
- Evan Longoria, who was hit on the wrist with a pitch, had X-Rays return negative. He says he is “OK”. [The Heater]
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald breaks down the race in the AL East with a detailed look at each team. [Boston Herald]
- A Red Sox blog breaks down the remaining schedule for the Sox and the Rays and predicts the Rays to win the division by one game. [Fire Brand of the American League]
Aug 08
Durham 11, Richmond 2. Mitch Talbot struck out 8 in 6 innings, giving up 2 runs (1 earned). He allowed 6 hits and 1 walk…Justin Ruggiano drove in 5 with a double and a home run…Jon Weber was 3-5 with 2 doubles and an RBI…Jonny Gomes doubled and homered in 4 at bats. He drove in 1 and walked once.
Montgomery 2, Birmingham 0. David Price improved to 7-0 at double-A with 5 shutout innings. He is starting to up his strikeout rate with 7 in 5 innings. He now has 17 Ks in his last 12 innings. However he did walk 4 and threw a wild pitch…Rhyne Hughes drove in 1 run with 2 singles in 3 at bats.
Brevard Co. 6, Vero Beach 3. Wade Townsend allowed 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out 4…The D-Rays scored all 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th…Garrett Groce was 2-4 with an RBI and Matthew Hall added a 3-3 night and an RBI.
Columbus @ Savannah (ppd. rain)
Vermont 6, Hudson Valley 2.
Princeton v Kingsport (ppd. wet field)
NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…
- Yesterday we reported that Reid Brignac had been pulled from the game after he was hit by a pitch. We have now learned that the pitch broke his wrist and he has been placed on the DL. No word yet on how long he will be out, but there is a good chance this could end his season. [Biscuits' Batter]
- Ronnie Merrill was promoted to Durham to replace Reid Brignac. Merrill was hitting .263/.361/.374 for Montgomery with 6 stolen bases. [Montgomery Advertiser]
- The sale of the Vero Beach D-Rays to the Ripken Baseball Group, headed by Cal Ripken Jr, is now official and the team will be moved to Port Charlotte next season. [TC Palm]
- The AL East Blog interview David Price…What? No questions on how he plans on getting back at Troy Percival after their spring training prank war? [The AL East Blog]
