Mar 17
This is long overdue, but we have updated our Tampa Bay Rays nickname database in the sidebar. Is there anybody we are missing? Any nicknames you would like to nominate?
Archive for March 17th, 2010
Mar 17
[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Battle For The 5th Spot, Spring Dives And Top Prospects On The Move
Alex Torres, Carlos Pena, Desmond Jennings, Jeremy Hellickson, John Jaso 5 Comments »
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: Wade Davis. Big Dub answered Andy Sonnanstine’s strong outing a few days ago with one of his own. He struck out 5 and walked 1 in 4 innings…Sean Rodriguez. Rodzilla strikes again with his 5th home of the spring. He may not be part of the second base platoon, but he is going to make the team and he is going to get plenty of plate appearances during the regular season…Andy Sonnanstine. 4 more scoreless innings from The Duke. That’s 8 straight. But if you think this helps his cause for the 5th spot in the rotation, keep in mind that these 4 innings came at the end of a game facing a Red Sox split-squad. Meanwhile, Davis was trusted to face the Red Sox starters. Sonny did retire JD Drew and Adrian Beltre in his first inning of work, but it was slim-pickins after that…Hank Blalock. Blalock picked up his first hits in a Rays uniform, smacking a pair of doubles.
THE BAD: Over Hustlification. We are all for playing all out and getting ready for the season. But we are not sure Carl Crawford needs to be making diving catches in March. He should talk to Fernando Perez about spring training dives.
THE TELLING: Rafael Soriano will make his debut with the Rays today…Carlos Hernandez will start in place of Matt Garza tomorrow against the Yankees. Garza will instead pitch in a minor league game. The move was made so that the Yankees don’t get too many good looks at Garza this spring.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Jeremy Hellickson, Desmond Jennings and Alex Torres were demoted to minor league camp.
- Jeremy Hellickson speaks about the disappointment of being sent down. [Tampa Tribune]
- Matt Joyce is expected to start a throwing program today. [Rays Report]
- In the latest installment, Rays bloggers discuss who they think will have a breakout season in the upper minor leagues. [Rays Prospects]
- Carlos Pena on a possible extension with the Rays: “I think everyone knows how much I like it here, how much I appreciate this place,” said Pena, who’s making $10.125 million this season. “So it’s one of those things I know that I cannot control, because I’m not the one in the driver’s seat there.” [MLB]
- Tony Fabrizio writes about the improvements John Jaso has made behind the plate this spring. Bullpen coach Bobby Ramos says he now see Jaso as a big league catcher. [Tampa Tribune]
- A graphic designer wants to fight ex-Rays Jose Canseco. [TAUNTR]
