May 06
We appeared earlier today on SNY TV’s “New York Baseball Today” with Ted Berg to preview this two-game set with the Yankees. Fast forward to the 2:30 mark if you have ADD.
Archive for May 6th, 2009
May 06
Up until first pitch, use the comments section to predict who you think will be the Sunburst Player of the Game. (be sure to use a valid email address while leaving the comment). The commenter that correctly predicts who we will name the Sunburst Player of the Game the most times prior to the all-star game, will win two tickets to a second-half game. Runners-up get their choice of a t-shirt. [Click HERE for rules]
Check Marc Topkin’s blog for the starting lineups.
May 06
Everybody relax, I’m here. This is The Professor in the Pork Chop Express, and I’m talkin’ to whoever’s listenin’ out there.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you guys and ask for a favor.
In 2006 I started Rays Index with the intent that it was a trial run for a Bucs blog that fall. Three+ years later, we can’t imagine doing anything else. Nowadays, whenever I hear Dewayne Staats voice I get excited. I can’t help myself. I am one of Pavlov’s dogs and Staats is my dinner bell.
But a storm is brewing. When RI first started to gain a readership, we signed on for four seasons, with the intent that we would ride this train as far as we could and see how big we could build this website.
Last month we drew over 50,000 unique visitors with over 250,000 page views. I have no idea what those numbers mean, but it seems like a lot and seems decent for a website with one writer and for a website that is not piggybacking a large network. The state of the website is strong. But we can make it stronger.
Here is where I need your help…At the end of the year I will either resign with RI or they will trade me to a bigger market for a hot young writing prospect. If we are going to keep the status quo around these parts, we need to see just how big we can make this website.
The only way we can measure the success of this website is through readers. And we need more. Let’s see how big we can make this. Let’s see if we can show the baseball world that the Rays do have a strong and growing fan base.
All I am asking is that if you enjoy this site, spread the word. Tell your friends. Tell your relatives. Tell your dog. Heck, tell people you know that aren’t even Rays fans. Let’s see if we can convert them. If you go to the games mention the site to the people sitting next to you. Forward your favorite posts. Follow us on Twitter. Join our Facebook group. And as always, if there is something you would like to see that would make RI better, by all means, let us know.
In the end, we really want to keep doing this until we are Don Zimmer’s age…or the end of time. Whichever comes first.
May 06
One year ago on Rays Index we saw that Andy Sonnanstine had stopped using different arm angles. Later in the season we would see that The Duke would once again start using different arm angles which indicated to us that this was something that varied over time.
Sonnanstine No Longer Changing Arm Angles; No Longer Tipping Pitches? [Rays Index]
May 06
[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss The Garza Complex, The Return Of Navi And One-Out Closers
Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, Troy Percival 19 Comments »
Time to bring back the GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
click above image for boxscore
THE GOOD: Matt Garza. Strange day for The Garza Complex. Only 4 hits in 8 innings, but 2 of those were home runs to guys that entered the game with 3 total…Old Fashioned CC Run. Carl Crawford singled in the first. He then stole second, moved to third when the catcher’s throw went into center and then scored when Adam Jones’ throw went in the dugout…Pena’s Glove Is Golden Again. A line drive double play to Carlos Pena ended the first and then he picked an errant throw from Jason Bartlett out of the dirt to end the second…Bossman and Navi. They were only a combined 3-7, but that was about 3 more hits than they have been getting in most games…MVP! MVP! MVP! Evan Longoria hit his league leading 13th double and drove in 3. He also leads the league with 34 RBI.
THE BAD: No Batting Practice. The Rays did not take BP prior to the game and it showed. Carl Crawford’s first inning single was the only baserunner allowed by Koji Uehara in the first 5 innings in which he only needed 51 pitches…Not back yet. BJ Upton struck out in the 6th with the bases loaded and nobody out. A situation in which any contact would have scored a run with the D playing back.
THE TELLING: Gabe Kapler got a rare start in right field against a right-handed starter…Dioner Navarro was back behind the plate with Matt Garza on the mound despite Garza’s well-documented performances without Navi on the other end of his pitches.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Evan Longoria. This was a tough call between Longo and Matt Garza, but the home runs given up to light hitters tipped this in favor of the leading candidate for the AL MVP award.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- We try to moderate all comments, but unfortunately some fall through the cracks. If you see somebody leaving a vulgar or inappropriate comment or even pretending to be me, please let us know at the TIPS email address above. Those people will be redirected to a very unpleasant website. This is an unfortunate consequence of having a comment system that you don’t have to register for. Thank you.
- If you missed it yesterday, we started tracking the 2009 attendance. [Rays Index]
- Evan Longoria was named the AL player of the month. [The Heater]
- Carl Crawford is taking a bigger lead off first base this season and Joe Maddon says he is going to use Troy Percival in more situations like yesterday. That is 1 out saves. So while Mo Rivera and Jonathon Papelbon can get 4 and 5 out saves, Maddon’s guy can’t even be trusted with 3-out saves. [St. Pete Times]
- John Romano writes that yesterday’s game was vindication for Joe Maddon for sticking with BJ Upton and Dioner Navarro…We never advocated their removals (Upton from the leadoff spot and Navi from the lineup) but we also need to see more than one game before we declare them “healed.” [St. Pete Times]
- Fangraphs thinks Evan Longoria Scott Kazmir is broken. [Fangraphs]
- The Yankees placed Jorge Posada on the DL and called up Francisco Cervelli. If that name is familiar it is because that is the catcher that Elliot Johnson plowed through in spring training last year that led to the Shelley Duncan spike-high slide on Aki Iwamura that led to Jonny Gomes going caveman. [ESPN]
- The columnists at the St. Pete Times are finally using video for good. John Romano discusses whether Carl Crawford can steal 100 bases. [The Heater]
- The Rays Party says Grant Balfour has not been as bad the numbers indicate. [The Rays Party]
- Rays the Stakes puts the Rays involved in Sundays fan-related incident on notice. [Rays the Stakes]
May 06
Down On The Farm: Hellickson To Miss One Start With Shoulder Sprain
Jason Isringhausen, Jeremy Hellickson, Shawn Riggans 1 Comment »Durham 8, Charlotte 2. James Houser picked up his first win, giving up 2 runs in 5 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 1…Jason Isringhausen made his second appearance with Durham allowing 2 hits in 1 inning…Reid Brignac homered, his second, and walked in 5 plate appearances…Adam Kennedy was 2-4 with a walk to raise his average to .295 and Matt Joyce was 2-3 with a double and 2 walks and now has an OBP of .429…Justin Ruggiano hit a 3-run home run and drove in 4.
Montgomery. Jeremy Hellickson was pulled after 2 innings with an injury (see below)…Desmond Jennings was 2-3 with a triple and a pair of sac flys. He drove in 3, but was caught stealing. He is now hitting .402. We sure hope Jon Weber isn’t too comfortable with his starting job in Durham…Shawn Riggans made his first rehab start, playing 5 innings behind the plate and going 1-2 with a walk and an RBI.
Charlotte 6, Jupiter 0. Darin Downs pitched 8 shutout innings to improve to 5-0 with a 1.34 ERA. He struck out 6 and walked none…Matt Hall hit a 3-run home run in the 3rd that put Charlotte up for good.
Rome 6, Bowling Green 4 (gm 1). Frank de los Santos gave up 5 runs (2 earned) in 3.1 innings…Tim Beckham was 2-3 with a triple and 2 RBI.
Bowling Green 3, Rome 2 (gm 2). Joe Cruz struck out 7 and walked none in 4.1 scoreless innings…Tim Beckham was 2-4 with a 2-run home run, his second. He is hitting .307.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
- Jeremy Hellickson suffered a mild sprain in his throwing shoulder and had to be removed after 2 innings. He is expected to only miss one start. Hellboy said that he just felt a little discomfort on a pickoff attempt and that it “feels good now.” He will be reevaluated in a few days. [Montgomery Advertiser]
- Shawn Riggans is expected to DH today, catch 5 innings on Thursday and 7 innings on Saturday. Riggans is hopeful to be promoted in time to start Sunday at Fenway. [Montgomery Advertiser]
- Triangle Offense takes a closer look at Dale Thayer and his status as a prospect. [Triangle Offense]
