Archive for July 13th, 2009

Jul 13

Are The Bucs The Next Rays?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cork Gaines No Comments »

The Tampa Bay Bucs have spent the least amount of money on players salaries in the last 5 years. So are the Glazers just being cheap or is there a method to their madness? Joe Bucs Fan looks at one writer’s speculation that the Bucs are just modeling their business after the Tampa Bay Rays. [Joe Bucs Fan]

Jul 13

Rays Wore Wrong Caps Saturday Night?

Devil Raysian Cork Gaines 15 Comments »

Good catch by reader Justin, who points out that on Saturday night, the Rays may have worn the wrong cap. For throwback night, the Rays wore the home jerseys from 1998 and 1999, but they wore the “away” cap of 1998.

In 1998, the home caps had a purple bill and in 1999 they switched to a “TB” cap.

Our memory is a little fuzzy on this one, so does anybody recall whether or not the 1998 Devil Rays would have worn the all-black cap at home?

Also of note, we vaguely remember the Devil Rays also wearing a “TB” cap in 1998 similar to the 1999 style, only the “TB” was a little more rainbowy like the front of the jersey. That cap can be seen on Tony Saunders in this baseball card and on several Devil Rays in this image. Was this “TB” cap just a spring training cap, or did the Devil Rays wear those during their inaugural season?

Jul 13

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss A Poor Way To End The First-Half

Ben Zobrist, Carlos Pena, Dioner Navarro, Grant Balfour Cork Gaines 6 Comments »

Athletics Rays Baseball

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: James Shields. Show of hands: How many of you think Shields would have allowed both of those runners to score in the 7th? And how many of you think Shields could have also at least started the 8th?…Zorilla. As great as his offense has been, we must admit, the defensive play is just as surprising. Not great, but he has definitely improved and it doesn’t matter where Joe Maddon puts him. Yesterday he was in right field and immediately contributed by throwing out a runner at home…Pat the Bat. It is not really the lack of home runs that have bothered us. It is the lack of RBI doubles. Those are the hits that Burrell should be delivering on a regular basis. And yesterday he did with 2 RBI.

THE BAD: Joe Maddon. Did JoeMa pull James Shields too early, having thrown only 89 pitches? Sure looked like it. Maddon said he was concerned after the walk. It wasn’t like Shields was all of the sudden walking the ballpark. It was his first walk of the day. Shields has been hampered by poor run support this season. Yesterday he was hampered by poor managerial support…The Bullpen. Maybe Dan Wheeler and JP Howell thought they were still wearing the Devil Rays jersey.

THE TELLING: Carl Crawford was given the day off…The Rays finished the first-half 48-41, 6.5 games behind the Sox and 3.5 behind the Yankees. At the all-star break last year, the Rays were 55-39, one-half game behind the Red Sox, depite having lost 7 in a row. CoolStandings.com gives the Rays a 37.1% shot at the playoffs, while PECOTA says it is 20.9%.

SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ben Zobrist. 2 hits, scored a run and nailed a runner at the plate. Might have gone with James Shields if Joe Maddon leaves him in for 2 more outs. Not Shields’ fault, but wasn’t given the chance.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Updates will be limited this week since we were not selected to represent the Rays in the All-Star game.
  • We reported yesterday that Carlos Pena was named to the all-star team as a replacement. Well, he will also participate in the home run derby contest tonight. We also love this quote from ‘Los: “This is a huge deal to me,” Pena said. “I’m not going to even pretend to play it cool.” [Tampa Tribune]
  • With Dustin Pedroia off the all-star squad, and Carlos Pena on, Ben Zobrist will not be the starting second baseman, with Joe Maddon electing to go with Aaron Hill. Of course we are biased, but it would have been fitting if Zorilla would have been called upon to start at second base with the starter unable to play.
  • Dioner Navarro was a little woozy on Saturday night after taking a foul tip off the mask, but tests showed he did not suffer a concussion and he is expected back Friday. Navi says he does not remember the pitch…Also, Grant Balfour went back to Australia to attend his grandfather’s funeral and Shawn Riggans will begin a rehab assignment today with Charlotte. [Tampa Tribune]
  • The voice for moving the Rays to Tampa is getting a little louder. 10 fans have started a grassroots effort that we have a feeling will become much larger. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Martin Fennely is tired of Stuart Sternberg’s banter about a new stadium. [Tampa Tribune]
Jul 13

Down On The Farm: Jennings Steals 3 Bases In Futures Game; Thayer Shaves ‘Stache

Dale Thayer, Desmond Jennings Cork Gaines No Comments »

Durham 9, Norfolk 2. Julio DePaulo started and pitched 3 scoreless innings…Reid Brignac went 0-5 and Matt Joyce was 1-4 with a walk.

Montgomery. (no game scheduled)

Sarasota 5, Charlotte 0. Jesse Darcy dropped to 2-8 after giving up 5 runs in 5.2 innings…Shawn O’Malley went 0-3 with a walk…Cody Cipriano did not play.

Bowling Green. (no game scheduled)

Hudson Valley 5, Aberdeen 3.

Princeton 8, Bluefield 1 (gm 1).

Bluefield 2, Princeton 1 (gm 2).

Notes from Down on the Farm…

  • Desmond Jennings started and batted second for the US in the Futures Game yesterday in St. Louis as part of the all-star break. Jennings played all 7 innings, going  0-3 with 2 strikeouts.  He did walk once, reach on an error and steal 3 bases. Keyong Kang was a late-inning pinch-hitter and popped out. [MiLB]
  • Sadly, we are being told that Dale Thayer has shaved his mustache.
  • Shortstop Brandon Chaves went on the DL with an elbow injury. [Biscuit Crumbs]