Jun 30
One year ago on Rays Index we were amazed by Dick Vitale’s rant against BJ Upton.
Dickie V. Thinks It’s Time Rays’ Diaper Dandy Take Off The Diapers [Rays Index]
Archive for June, 2011
Jun 30
[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Longo Getting Better, Futures Beckham, And James The Lesser
Evan Longoria, James Shields, Johnny Damon, Tim Beckham 2 Comments »
- Reds 4, Rays 3 (click image for boxscore)
The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
THE GOOD: Evan Longoria. Longo continues to emerge from his funk as his 2-run double in the 6th made it interesting…BJ’s Blast. Upton’s home run in the 7th would have meant a lot more if not for Shields walking two batters to start the top half of the frame.
THE BAD: James the Lesser. James Shields is going to give up home runs. But he can’t give up a home run to Ryan Hanigan. And he definitely can’t give up a home run to Hanigan with 2 runners on base. But even worse than the 3-run home run was the back-to-back walks to start the 7th after the offense had pulled the Rays within 1 run. Shields absolutely has to shut the Reds down at that spot, but the walks led to a run and the game was over.
THE TELLING: Johnny Damon’s 6th inning single tied him with Ted Williams for 71st on the all-time hits list…Tim Beckham has been added to the US squad for the Futures Game at during the All-Star festivities. He will join Hak-Ju Lee and Matt Moore.
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Well, this isn’t quite Josh Hamilton, but Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 29
Today James Shields paid for his mistakes, unlike in his past few starts. Sure he wasn’t his “complete game” best, but he was still pretty damn good as the Rays lost the series to the Reds.
If Evan Longoria doesn’t run like Prince Fielder, maybe that bottom of the ninth looks a lot a different. It sure felt like another walk-off was simmering. … A guy can fantasize.
Joe’s going to hope/assume Shields walks away without losing a drop of confidence. And maybe J.P. Howell is hopefully hitting a new level — or old level.
So here the Rays sit at the halfway point on track for 90 wins and missing the playoffs. The record looks good, but it’s probably not enough. It all just goes to show how far pitching can carry a club. But if Howell can keep it up and Goggles doesn’t get traded or implode, surely the Rays can at least duplicate the first half barring a win-later fire sale.
Joe’s looking for Dirbag to put the team on his freakin’ back in the second half. Seems like the easiest and most likely path to the playoffs.
Oh, and with 25K this afternoon, and the Cards, Sox and Yanks next up at the FruitDome, maybe attendance whining and moaning will fall of the map for a month or so. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Jun 29
Yesterday, Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn appeared on “Happy Hour with JP Peterson” on 1010 Sports. Obviously the big topic of conversation was the Rays and their future. Here are some of the more telling comments. You can listen to the entire interview below…
His position on a Rays stadium:
The Rays and the city of St. Pete are going to have to resolve their issues. There is a contract. There are ways out of contracts. And there are prices to be paid for breaking contracts…My personal opinion is that [the Rays] will [leave St. Pete]. I think the Rays have made it clear that that is not a stadium they want to play in. The numbers don’t work. This is a business…They’ve got to have numbers that work. If that divorce comes, or more specifically when it comes. This community has to decide if the Rays are a regional asset that we want to keep. And I firmly believer that we do…[The Rays] deserve our best effort to try and keep them here…I think downtown Tampa is the best location for [the Rays].
On the Rays future:
It is my belief that at some point the Rays will leave St. Petersburg…and I absolutely want to be ready that happens.
On what the Rays need to be successful: Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 29
One family of Rays fans highlights perfectly the absurdity of the All-Star game, and the absurdity of how home-field advantage in the World Series is determined.
Diana, Fay and Jerry Lichtenwalter began this year’s bonanza when the ballots first came out. Then they took some home. Some, as in a few thousand. After they turned those in, they took home a few thousand more…Two years ago, they filled out 13,000 ballots—voting all for the Rays—and last year, they doubled it to 26,000. This year, they streamlined the process, figured out how to do more at a time, and are now at 33,000.
33,000 ballots by three people. And every ballot includes nine Rays players. That is 297,000 votes for Rays players for those keeping score at home.
How absurd is that number? Ben Zobrist had
Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 29
Hey Rays fans in Tampa, take advantage of the the $9.95 roundtrip luxury bus to Tropicana Field all through July!
Wake the heck up! Gas is nearly $4.00 a gallon. Parking is expensive. This is a stunning freaking deal!
It’s the No Excuses Tour to Tropicana Field, which takes Rays fans via luxury bus fromLee Roy Selmon’s restaurants in New Tampa and South Tampa to home Rays games. And you can bring your own food and beer, and travel in style courtesy of Paradise Worldwide Transportation.
It’s only $9.95 per person, and the chauffeured bus is sticking around for select postgame concerts.
Jun 29
Sternberg On Attendance: Well Below Expectations
Attendance, Payroll, Stuart Sternberg 24 Comments »
Stuart Sternberg is in town!!! And you know what that means…Hide the children, Stu has got some things to get off his chest. Here are a few of the soundbites…
“It’s well below expectations…it’s not the first time”
On adding payroll via trades:
“Winning is still paramount to everything we do. Doing what’s best for this organization is paramount to everything we do. They’re one in the same. Yes, that will always be an option.”
But Sternberg added that adding payroll has to be done within the context of “what it means for future years.”
In other words, no matter how well the Rays Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 29
[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Longoria’s Gloves, Longoria’s Walkoff, And Price’s Change
Evan Longoria 7 Comments »
- Rays 4, Reds 3 (click image for boxscore)
The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
THE GOOD: Evan Longoria. Dirtbag was quick to go back to the gloves. And the result was his 3rd career trot-off home run. When asked about the gloves after the game, Longoria said “they’re off and on. You just gotta ride the wave.” We have no idea what that means, but it sounds like something our stoner roommate in college would say. Later he would add that he had to wear the gloves because his “hands were hurting too much.” Gee, who saw that coming?…David Price. Dude was dealing. 117 pitches. 93 fastballs, averaging 96 mph and topping out at 98. And just as impressive was his changeup. He only threw the change 14 times, but he got 13 strikes including 5 swinging strikes.
THE BAD: Kyle Farnsworth. Well, you knew he was due for one of those. And don’t look now, but the Rays best bet to actually play in the All-Star game, has given up runs in 5 of his last 8 appearances. In his first 28 games, he was charged with a run just 3 times.
THE TELLING: Attendance was 20,894 on a Tuesday night. That was even better than Monday night. What the H-E-DoubleHockeySticks is going on around here!?!…David Price’s changeup averaged 84 mph last night and reached 86. On the season, Andy Sonnanstine’s fastball has averaged 85 mph. Or at least that is the fastest pitch he throws…Durham was rained out, but word on the street was that Desmond Jennings was not in the lineup for the third night in a row.
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- The two faces of David Price. Have you ever seen Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 29
Monday night was one of Dirtbag’s worst games in the big leagues. It all came to a head when Dirtbag ran past a baserunner in front of him, simply an inexcusable sin on the major league level.
All that is forgotten now. That’s because Dirtbag saved the Rays.
Staring pitcher David Price was mowing down the Reds until he started running out of gas. Joel Peralta almost wiped out all of Price’s good will and solid game by allowing a tying run at 3-3 on a wild pitch. Damnit!
But it was Dirtbag to the rescue. He parked a pitch in the ninth inning to the third row in the left field bleachers and all was good. Rays win, 4-3.
No, Price didn’t get the win but thank goodness the Rays did.
And at least for a night, Dirtbag did his best to make us all forget that horrid baserunning error.
Jun 28
Create-A-Caption: Hey Buddy, Can You Spare A Stadium?
Bob Buckhorn, Create-A-Caption, Stuart Sternberg 16 Comments »Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn was on hand last night to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. But before the game, Jason Behnken of the Tampa Tribune snapped this pic of Buckhorn conversing with owner Stuart Sternberg.
Gee. Whatcha think they were talking about? Have at it amateur captionistas…what do you think was going on during this conversation…
