The Rays Confidence Graph will appear every Thursday and is a look at how much confidence Rays fans have in the Tampa Bay Rays. The graph is designed to give us a look at how our emotional bias as Rays fans fluctuates through time. The “confidence” in the team is an inexact measure of how fans feel about the team’s current strength as well as how much confidence fans have in the franchise for the next 3-4 years. Notes on this week’s agida-level can be found after the graph..
Notes on the RI Confidence Graph…
The most common response for “Confidence in 2009 Rays” was 1 with 34.5%.
The most common response for “Confidence in future of franchise” was 8 with 35.8%.
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]
THE SCENE: Game 2 of the International League Championship Series. Second inning, Scranton-Wilkes Barre has already taken a 1-0 lead in the inning and has runners on first and second with one out. A groundball up the middle appears destined for center field and an RBI. Enter Elliot Johnson. You have to see it to believe it (thanks DRR). If video below doesn’t work, click the link. [Durham Bulls]
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
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ben Zobrist.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Rays the Stakes is giving away an autographed Jason Bartlett baseball card. [Rays the Stakes]
Carl Crawford yelled at Pat Burrell prior to the game in the clubhouse. Burrell did not respond and there is no indication as to the reason behind the berating. [Tampa Tribune]
Remember when the AL East was supposed to feature the 3 best teams in baseball? Well, as Meatloaf said, two out of three ain’t bad…unless you are the Rays. Especially when a power rankings compares you to Billy Ray Cyrus. [Yahoo! Sports]
The Astros have shut down Roy Oswalt…We wish the Rays would follow suit with Matt Garza and James Shields. [Houston Chronicle]
Rays Revolutionary says this Rays team is starting to look a little too much like the 2007 Devil Rays. [Rays Revolutionary]
Have the Rays found something more annoying than a cowbell to give away. [Rays Revolutionary]
Durham 4, Scranton/WB 1 (Durham leads 2-0). Durham takes a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-5 series. Mitch Talbot struggled with his control, walking 3 and giving up 3 hits in just 3.1 innings, but allowed only 1 unearned run…Rashad Eldridge, provided most of the offense, with 2 RBI doubles and a solo home run…If Durham is to win the Governor’s Cup, they will have to do so on the road. The final 3 games of the series will be held in Scranton if necessary.
Tampa 5, Charlotte 2 (Tampa wins series 3-2). Tampa wins the FSL championship in the decisive 5th game, breaking it open with 3 runs in the 5th inning…Brian Flores making just his 8th start, was limited to 3 innings, giving up 1 unearned run…Drew Anderson drove in both Stone Crabs runs with a pair of RBI singles.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
Stacy Long has an update on Darin Downs, the Rays prospect that suffered a fractured skull after being hit by a line drive. [Montgomery Advertiser]
Triangle Offense recaps game 2 of the Governor’s Cup. [Triangle Offense]
Notes on the RI Confidence Graph…
