Mar 05
Three years ago on Rays Index we looked at the Rays defense much differently than we do today.
When Ozzie Smith Dies He Will Roll Over In His Grave [Rays Index]
Archive for March 5th, 2010
Mar 05
Two years ago on Rays Index we realized that the Rays have their own David Eckstein, that is, a player that is able to overcome a deficiency, beat the odds and become a major league baseball player.
Rays Prospect Overcomes Handicap [Rays Index]
Mar 05
Now that spring games have started and we are four weeks from opening day, let’s take another look at the 25-Man Roster Projection (notes and explanations on the projection can be found following the roster)…
Notes on the 25-man roster projection…
- LINEUP: There are only two questions here. One is simple, one is not: 1) Will Kelly Shoppach or Dioner Navarro step up and command more starts once the season starts? If not, Joe Maddon will just play matchups every night; 2) Who will play 2B and RF? Gabe Kapler will start in RF versus lefties. Ben Zobrist will likely see time at both spots, but how much will depend on who else makes the roster. Specifically, Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac are likely competing for two spots. If Rodriguez and Brignac make the team, they could share 2B with Zobrist in RF most days. If Joyce makes the team, he will get a lot of starts in RF against RHP and either Rodriguez or Brignac will be the backup middle infielder. Got that?
- BENCH: Dioner Navarro, Willy Aybar and Gabe Kapler are the locks. Again, the last spot will be one of Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac.What we do know is that all four players on the bench will see a lot of playing time this season.
- ROTATION: The official stance is that the top four spots are locks and Wade Davis is competing with Andy Sonnanstine for the 5th spot. In reality, Davis will be in the rotation and Sonnanstine is likely back in Durham to serve as the emergency starter.
- BULLPEN: Six of the seven spots appear to be spoken for. The Rays brought in Joaquin Benoit to fill the seventh spot, but if he is not ready to work back-to-back days, this spot could go to Andy Sonnanstine. Dale Thayer or Winston Abreu could also be in the mix for this spot, but they are likely long-shots. If Benoit or Abreu takes this spot, the Rays will have to add them to the 40-man roster.
Mar 05
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..
Mar 05
[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Rodriguez’ Wind Pop, Jake’s Return And The Best GM In Baseball
Andrew Friedman, Desmond Jennings, Elliot Johnson, Evan Longoria, Hank Blalock, Jake McGee, Joaquin Benoit, Sean Rodriguez 1 Comment »
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: Sean Rodriguez. Rodriguez hit his second home run in 2 games. Again the wind was blowing out, and there is some dispute about whether the balls would have left the park without the wind. Still, nobody else in the lineup has two home runs, so it is nice to see…Jake McGee. McGee took another huge step in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, pitching a perfect inning with two strikeouts…Joaquin Benoit. Benoit, who missed all of 2009, also looked strong in his first appearance, allowing one baserunner (triple) in one inning of work. He faced the O’s starters in the third inning.
THE BAD: What is the Date? With the game tied, one out and runners on first and third in the 9th, the Orioles intentionally walked minor leaguer JJ Furmaniak to load the bases…Injuries. First it was Willy Aybar out at least a week. Then Desmond Jennings gets hit by a pitch and is still out. Yesterday it was Grant Balfour taking a groundball off his wrist. He is apparently OK.
THE TELLING: Desmond Jennings had x-rays on his arm that were negative after being hit with a pitch in the spring opener. However, there was quite a bit of swelling yesterday and he is day-to-day…Jeff Niemann only threw fastballs and cutters in his two innings of work. He gave up a leadoff home run but then retired the next 6.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- The folks at 2K Sports were kind enough to provide me with a copy “MLB 2K10″ which features Evan Longoria on the cover and is now available in stores. I’m going to spend the next couple of days taking this for a test drive. Tell my wife and daughter that I love them and I will see them Monday.
- According to Tim Marchum of SI.com, Andrew Friedman is the best GM in baseball. Unfortunately, Theo Epstein of the Red Sox and Brian Cashman of the Yankees are 2 and 3 respectively. [SI.com]
- Ken Rosenthal reports that the Rays and Marlins have made minor league offers to Hank Blalock, but neither team is making Blalock a priority. Rosenthal says the Rays were more interested in Russell Branyan because he could play the outfield. [Twitter]
- Fangraphs takes a closer look at what type of player Hank Blalock is these days. [Fangraphs]
- BJ Upton and his brother have revealed the finalists for their new logo at their website. [The Upton Brothers]
- Elliot Johnson’s most memorable moment in a Rays uni came during the 2008 spring training when he collided with a Yankees catcher. Some look at that moment as when the Rays announced their presence in the AL East with authority. Johnson just hopes that is not what he is remembered for. [Tampa Tribune]
- The Hudson Valley Renegades now have an iPhone app. [The Renegades Rundown]
- Joe Smith writes about the Rays next great outfielder, Desmond Jennings. [St. Pete Times]
- Watching Durham Bulls Baseball has a list of the players to watch this spring, from a triple-A perspective. [Watching Durham Bulls Baseball]
- Roger Mooney has 5 questions for Ben Zobrist. [Tampa Tribune]
- If the Rays stay in St. Pete, their likely future home, the Toytown landfill site, was approved for rezoning by the St. Pete City Council. [10Connects.com]
