Mar 31
The Rays today announced that Wade Davis has signed a seven-year extension that could be worth as much as $35.1 million. The first four years of the deal are guaranteed and will pay $12.6 million. Beyond that, there are three team options that would keep Davis with the Rays through 2017.
Here is the full breakdown…
- 2011: $1.0 million
- 2012: $1.5 million
- 2013: $2.8 million
- 2014: $4.8 million
- 2015: $7.0 million (or $2.5 million buyout)
- 2016: $8.0 million (or $2.5 million buyout)
- 2017: $10.0 million (or $2.5 million buyout)
So once again, the Rays are able to lock up one of their young players to a team-friendly long-term deal. The most important aspect is that the deal gives the Rays cost-certainty through Davis’ arbitration years. The guaranteed portion of the contract takes care of his first two arbitration years and the first option would have been Davis’ third (and final) arbitration season.
Barring injury, the Rays will Read the rest of this entry »
Mar 31
We wanted to do something fun for the 2011 season. So we decided to run a little over/under contest. Below you will see several totals for the 2011 season. Your job is simply to predict whether the actual number at the end of the year will be OVER or UNDER the predicted number.
Just submit your entries to our TIPS address (tips at raysindex.com). If you prefer, you can leave your answers in the comments below.
The winner will receive a $50 gift card to the online shop of your favorite baseball team…
- Number of different batting orders (Joe Maddon used 129 in 2010): 129.5
- No-hitters thrown by the Rays: 0.5
- Number of times the Rays will be no-hit: 0.5
- Home runs for Manny Ramirez: 24.5
- Home runs for Dan Johnson: 19.5
- Saves for Jake McGee: 7.5
- Starts for Desmond Jennings with the Rays: 19.5
- Joe Maddon ejections: 3.5
- Players named to the AL All-Star team: 2.5
- First-place votes for Evan Longoria in the AL MVP voting: 0.5
- Sellouts at Tropicana Field: 9.5
- Wins for the Rays: 89.5
- Tiebreaker: What will be the Rays average attendance in 2011 (they averaged 22,758 in 2010)?
OK, you guys know what to do.
Mar 31
Forty-five ESPN.com “experts” made their picks for the 2011 season. Here are their predictions for the AL East…
We don’t expect all of these talking heads to be stats savvy, or even up on everything that happens with every team (although that is kind of their job). But it is a little surprising that everybody is drinking the Red Sox Kool-Aid.
In contrast, several Read the rest of this entry »
Mar 31
The season hasn’t even started, and yet take a look at what ESPN.com considers one of the big stories heading into the season (click on the image for a larger version; thanks Aaron)…
Just think. Just 25 more weeks of this crap.
Mar 31
March 31, 2008 is one of the most important dates in Tampa Bay Rays history.
That was opening day for the 2008 season. That was the day that the Rays took their first steps towards being a true major league baseball team. It was the first day of a season in which the Rays would go from one of the laughing stocks of professional sports to American League champions.
The franchise may have been playing games since 1998, but a great franchise was born on March 31, 2008.
And on that day, we declared that the Tampa Bay Rays and their loyal Rayshead Army would no longer go quietly in the night. We would no longer vanish without a fight. We declared that day Tampa Bay Rays Independence Day.
So to my fellow Raysheads, Happy Tampa Bay Rays Indpendence Day!
Mar 31
Tickets on sale now. Tell a friend. Help stop the whining. Click below to visit NoExcusesTour.com.
This is one incredible deal brought to you by our partners Paradise Worldwide Transportation and Lee Roy Selmon’s.
Mar 31
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: Adam Russell. Russell pitched another scoreless outing, giving up just one hit. It is just two appearances, but he has looked better since altering his mechanics a week ago…Elliot Johnson. Mr. March capped off his great spring with his first home run and added his 12th steal…Evan Longoria. Dirtbag came locked and loaded for the final spring game blasting his 4th home run.
THE BAD: Opening Day. Twelve teams open up today. But we have to wait until tomorrow night to see David Price unleash the first pitch of the 2011 season.
THE TELLING: Upon further review, yesterday’s game did count in the Grapefruit League standings. So the Rays finished 15-14-2. We have no idea why this is important…Manny Ramirez missed yesterday’s game for “personal reasons”…Tomorrow’s opener is a near-sellout with just obstructed view and single seats available…
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
