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.
Last year the Phillies cheated their way to a world title* beating our beloved Rays in the World Series.
So maybe the Clearwater Threshers should have realized that the Rays weren’t likely to be good-humored about the idea of honoring the WFC* with bobbleheads in the Rays’ own backyard.
…the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor-league team in Clearwater was caught off base when it learned its bobblehead giveaways, featuring stars from last season’s World Series victory, would have to be abruptly canceled.
The Rays recently informed the Phillies that they were enforcing a licensing agreement that prohibits the use of other Major League Baseball brands by minor-league teams within the Tampa television market, said Jason Adams, assistant general manager of the Clearwater Threshers.
So take that Philadelphia. We’ll call it square now, cool? Cool.
Promotion nixed for Clearwater team in Rays’ territory [Tampa Tribune]
*no we are not bitter about it. Why do you ask?
File this one under, “Never saw it coming”…
David Chalk found this little nugget on the Twitter account for Rays Renegades.
Throw-Back Jersey game will be Sat.,July 11th vs Oakland A’s. They will be wearing 1998 era jerseys. I got this straight from Marketing.
Great Googly Moogly! We don’t even know where to start. Should we be excited? Should we vomit? Should we vomit while jumping up and down in excitement?
Strange. Strange indeed.
So many questions unanswered: Was there really a demand for the return of the Rainbow Warriors this soon? Will all the players be fined for wearing a “Devil Rays” jersey? Is this a reaction to the team’s Devil Raysian play in the first half?
We have a new addition to the Rays WAGs project…
No, no no. That little vixen on the right is Todd Kalas and as far as we know he is not dating any of the players. But it sure looks like Kalas is laying the charm on awfully thick* with Grant Balfour’s fiance, Angie Kist, on Wednesday night.
*we kid cuz we care
One year ago on Rays Index we announced that the Tampa Bay Rays had become the fastest franchise ever to lose 1,000 games.
How Does One Quantify 10 Years Of Sucktitude? Fastest Franchise To 1,000 Losses! [Rays Index]
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: The Offense. Scoring runs is not a problem for this team, and it won’t be. 11 more runs, 4 more home runs. How many times this season have you been watching the game and you look up and you are surprised to see that the Rays have 7 or 8 on the board already?…Carlos Pena. El Gato is heating up and it is only going to get better with Pat Burrell due back tonight…Speaking of Which. Have you seen Pat Burrell’s new goatee? It is trashtastic, but maybe that is the cure to get him out of his season-long funk.
THE BAD: David Price. 6 strikeouts is nice, but 6 walks in 4.1 innings is horrible. As are the 105 pitches…BJ Upton. 0-5 with 3 Ks, and 2 for his last 20 with 8 strikeouts and 1 walk. That’s not good…Matt Joyce. In his first 2 games after being recalled, Joyce was 5-7 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. Since then he was 0-15. Hence the demotion…Interleague play. We are generally fans of interleague play, but for every chance you get to see the Rays play in Coors Field, we are going to have to deal with the Nats at home.
THE TELLING: The Rays continue to lead all of MLB in scoring (5.6 r/g). They are also second in OPS (.810), behind only the Yankees (.832). However, the Rays 42 errors are the 3rd most in the AL and they are on pace for 110. Last year the Rays committed only 90.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gabe Gross. Navarro left 6 men on base. Pena’s home run came when the game was over. Gross was on base 4 times and drove in 2.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Buffalo 13, Durham 5. James Houser struggled, giving up 5 runs in 4.1 innings on 9 hits and 3 walks…Chris Nowak was 3-4 with 4 RBI…Ray Olmedo committed 4 errors at shortstop.
Chattanooga 4, Montgomery 0. Chris Mason made the start but allowed 4 runs in 4 innings…The Biscuits managed just 4 hits, with Desmond Jennings finishing 1-4 with a double.
Charlotte 7, Dunedin 2. Darin Downs improved to 6-2 after recording 9 strikeouts in 6 innings and holding Dunedin to 2 runs…Cody Cipriano with another strong outing as he was 2-4 with a double.
Lexington @ Bowling Green (susp. rain).
Notes from Down on the Farm…
