Apr 06
No, not here silly. Head on over to the new Raysheads Forum for your GDT fix.
Game 1: Baltimore @ Rays Gameday Thread [RAYSHEADS FORUM]
Archive for April 6th, 2010
Apr 06
FIRST INNING (A look back)…
After entering the 2009 season with great hope, the Rays finished a disappointing 84-78, 19 games back in the AL East. With almost an identical roster coming back this season…Why should we think this season will be any different?
Much of the disappointment in 2009 can be attributed to a rotation that was never great and never dominant. This season, the group should be much stronger and if the spring is any indication (3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio), they are ready to dominate. And without any restraints, a healthy group could throw 1,000 innings. Last year, the top 5 pitchers threw only 842.2. That left nearly 600 innings for other pitchers. If the top 5 can reach 1,000 in 2010, the bullpen and other starters will only be responsible for about 400, which should only increase their effectiveness…ROTATION READY TO STEP UP
SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
Matt Joyce will start the season on the DL leaving Ben Zobrist, Gabe Kapler and Sean Rodriguez to share right field duties…What will happen to Joyce when he comes off the DL?
Joyce was no guarantee for a roster spot before the injury. At the very least he is going to go on an extended rehab assignment, where he will have a shot to prove he is ready for the big leagues. But more likely he will be in Durham for a while….DURHAM FOR A MONTH OR TWO
Apr 06
A recent look at several systems suggests the Rays will win about 91 games this season and finish third in the AL East. That’s nice, but what is the full potential for the 2010 Tampa Bay Rays?
In the PECOTA projections over at Baseball Prospectus they actually provide a range of projections for each player. The highest (best) projection for each player is their “90th percentile.” We decided to take a look at what the 2010 Rays would look like if each player played to their 90th percentile.
Notes on the projections are found after the tables…
Notes on the 90° PECOTA projections…
- We used all 25 players on the opening day roster as well as the two players on the DL.
- The offense is projected to score 1,189 runs. That number is based on 7,912 plate appearances. The 2009 Rays only had 6,223 plate appearances. Based on that number, the Rays would be projected to score 935 runs.
- The pitching staff is projected to allow 686 earned runs in 1,814 innings. Last year, the Rays pitched 1,427.1 innings and the total runs allowed was about 10% more than their earned run total. Based on those numbers, the projected runs allowed were scaled back to 593 total runs.
- Based on Pythagorean Win Expectation, scoring 935 runs and allowing 593 would translate to a .697 winning percentage or a record of 113-49.
Apr 06
Last year we raised a little money for “The Rays Baseball Foundation,” the charity arm of the Tampa Bay Rays. This year we wanted to see if we could come up with a way to raise a little bit more. Our idea comes from the guys at River Ave. Blues.
Here is how it works…
This year’s pledge drive will be based on the number of home runs the Rays hit during the regular season. If you want to participate, you pledge a certain amount of money for every home run the Rays hit.
Last year the Rays hit 199 home runs. If you want to pledge $0.05 for every home run, that would have been $9.95. If you had pledged $0.25 for every home run, your total donation at the end of the year would have been $49.75.
And please don’t be ashamed to pledge only $0.05 or $0.10 per home run. Those pledges add up very quickly, and every little bit helps.
At the end of the year we collect the donations via PayPal or you can send us a check or money order. Just send us your pledge in an email at THIS ADDRESS, or at the “TIPS/COMMENTS” link above.
Thanks in advancce to all those who participate.
Apr 06
[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Longoria’s Thievery, The Opening Day Lineup And Blalock’s Opt-Out Updated
Dioner Navarro, Evan Longoria, Hank Blalock, Reid Brignac, Sean Rodriguez 3 Comments »
One fun story to watch this summer will be Evan Longoria’s stolen bases. Yes, we said stolen bases. Dirtbag is not known for his speed, but in his first two seasons, Longoria has stolen 16 bases without being caught. That is 11 shy of Tim Raines’ major league record of 27 consecutive steals without being caught to start a career.
Of course Longoria’s career high is only 9, so even if he goes all season without being caught, he still might not break the record until 2011.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- If you missed it last night, we opened The Raysheads Forum, a discussion forum for Rays fans. [Rays Index]
- Reid Brignac was named Rays top rookie of the spring, winning the Al Lopez Award…Evan Longoria will be presented with his Gold Glove award prior to Saturday’s game…The Rays have MLB’s 6th youngest team and 2nd youngest rotation (behind Detroit).
- Marc Topkin has the opening day lineups for the Rays and O’s. Sean Rodriguez gets the start at second base and will bat 8th with Dioner Navarro behind the plate and batting 9th. [The Heater]
- The Rays announced that the opener is now sold out. To clarify, we never were worried that it wouldn’t sell out. Our worry was only that there did not appear to be great demand for opening day tickets.
- Hank Blalock still has an opt-out clause and can give the Rays 48-hours notice to either add him to the big league roster or release him…David Price and Wade Davis pitched simulated games yesterday…Jeremy Beckham, Tim’s brother, was released. [St. Pete Times]
- Evan Longoria appeared on the Dan Patrick Show. He doesn’t think he is the favorite to win the AL MVP, said the Rays needed 3 or 4 days to recover after facing Roy Halladay, never buys new pants and would rather somebody hit on his girlfriend than touch his glove. [SI.com]
- Rays Prospects takes a closer look at the Bowling Green roster. [Rays Prospects]
- Rays Prospects previews the Charlotte Stone Crabs. [Rays Prospects]
- Noah Pransky has a good summary of recent discussions on the Rays quest for a new stadium. [Shadow of the Stadium]
- Rays Rev has pictures of some of the Rays upcoming promotional giveaways. [Rays Rev]
- Dave Scheiber writes about Rocco Baldelli’s return to the Rays. [Fox Sports Florida]
