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.
[Update] Marc Topkin says deal is indeed for a PTBNL. The Rays DFA’d minor leaguer John Meloan to make room. Sounds like Zaun will not be added to the 25-man roster until tomorrow.
[Update] Orioles press release confirms trade. Still no indication who O’s will receive. Likely a player to be named later.
The Rays now have 6 catchers on their 40-man roster, including Dioner Navarro, Michel Hernandez, Shawn Riggans, John Jaso and Jose Lobaton, unless one is dropped to make room for Zaun.
[1:56pm] We are not familiar with “The Rob Long Show”, and we are not sure what a “breaking source” is, but both are reporting that the Rays have traded for veteran catcher Gregg Zaun.
Zaun, 38, is a 15-year veteran that is hitting .244/.355/.375 with 4 home runs in 56 games for the Orioles. He has thrown out 10 of 39 would-be base stealers.
From time to time we are going to take a look at the 2009 attendance and see how the 2009 season stacks up against last year and whether the Rays can reach their goal of being average (in attendance).
Notes on the attendance follow the graph…
Notes on the 2009 attendance…
Commenter Beth made a great find with this piece written by Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe. While Kilgore does give the Rays some credit towards the end for sweeping the Red Sox, the first 6-7 paragraphs gives credit only to Tropicana Field.
Forgive the Red Sox if they were tempted to board their charter last night still wearing their uniforms, while the cowbells still rang in their ears and the fluorescent lights still stung their eyes. Forgive them if they ran from this place screaming. Forgive them for doing anything to leave behind Tropicana Field as fast as they could…It is a baseball diamond trapped inside a demented theme park, where catwalks hang and cowbells clang. Playing here feels weird for invaders. It feels like home for the Rays.
This is the second time in a week that we have heard the opposition openly complain about The Trop. And we love it. We have to admit, the cowbells used to be a little annoying. But if they bother the Red Sox and Yankees, we say keep ‘em ringing.
As Beth correctly points out, where were all these advantages for the Rays prior to the 2008 season? We don’t remember any of the writers complaining in the “Devil Rays” years.
Of course back then, the writers could have their story submitted by the 5th inning, leaving plenty of time to visit Mons Venus after the game.
Razed [Boston Globe]
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Durham 5, Syracuse 3. Carlos Hernandez did not allow a hit but was pulled after 4 innings having given up a run on 3 walks. The one run came in the first on a sac fly…Desmond Jennings went 2-3 with a walk a stolen base and he scored twice…Justin Ruggiano was 2-4. The big blow was a 3-run double in the 5th that made the score 5-1. He had 4 RBI on the night.
Montgomery 7, Mobile 4. Brandon Mann gave up 3 runs in 6 innings..Cody Cipriano was 0-2 with 2 walks…Matt Spring was 2-4 and hit his 7th home run.
Ft. Myers 5, Charlotte 4. David Newmann allowed 2 runs in 5.2 inningss…Shawn O’Malley went 2-5, scoring 3 times and Mike McCormick was 2-4.
Asheville 6, Bowling Green 1 (gm 1). Nick Barnese dropped to 5-5 after giving up 3 runs (2 earned) in 4.2 innings. He gave up 7 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 8…Tim Beckham was 0-3 with a strikeout and Jake Jefferies went 1-3.
Bowling Green 2, Asheville 1 (gm 2). Matt Moore struck out 9, walked 3 and allowed 1 run on just 1 hit in 5 innings. Moore now has 141 strikeouts in 100.2 innings. Not bad…Tim Beckham went 2-3 and is hitting .270.
Princeton 6, Danville 2 (gm 1).
Danville 3, Princeton 2 (gm 2).
Notes from Down on the Farm…
