Archive for the 'Jason Hammel' Category

Sep 25

Jason Hammel’s ’09 Emergence May Be Due To Off-Season Knee Surgery

Jason Hammel Cork Gaines 13 Comments »

hangoverPrior to the start of the season, the Rays traded Jason Hammel to the Rockies for a double-A pitching prospect Aneury Rodriguez. Since then, The Hammer has emerged as a solid major league starting pitcher for a team headed to the playoffs.

So why the emergence? Was it the change of scenery or the weaker hitters in the National League or better command of his fastball? Or was it the off-season knee surgery that went unreported in the local media?

Hammel is 9-8 with a 4.30 ERA. But dig a little deeper and you will see just how effective Hammel has been for the first time in his career. His 3.66 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) ranks 12th in the NL. Also, he has a solid 3.00 strikeout to walk ratio this season.

Let’s take a look at how that compares to some of the Rays starting pitchers this season…

According to somebody close to Hammel, the big right-hander had arthroscopic surgery on his knee this past off-season. The surgery was done to repair a minor injury that Hammel may have suffered in high school while playing soccer and was performed by the Rays team doctor.

As early as spring training, Hammel’s knee was 100% for the first time since high school. His comfort level was up and the flexibility in his knee was much less hindered.

We know the Rays prefer to keep things close to the vest, but failing to report an off-season surgery to one of their starting pitchers takes it to a new level. Are there other injuries and/or surgeries that are not being reported?

Of course, the Rays had few options in the Spring as both Hammel and Jeff Niemann were out of minor league options. But why trade Hammel when his value was low and there was a good reason to think he could drastically improve? And why let an injury nag for six seasons only to repair it for the Rockies?

Even a healthy Jason Hammel may not have figured into the Rays future given the talent that is still on the roster and in the system. But, it is easy to see a situation in which the Rays could have done better in the trade market than a double-A pitcher that went 9-11 with a 4.50 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 142 innings this season.

Jun 29

Emergence Of Jackson And Hammel May Benefit Rays In Long Run

Edwin Jackson, Jason Hammel Cork Gaines 6 Comments »

Rockies Giants BaseballMuch has been made about how well Edwin Jackson is pitching for Detroit. Of course, his emergence is only magnified with Matt Joyce still in triple-A and even more so by the recent demotion of Andy Sonnanstine.

Well, if that makes you want to vomit, then you will definitely want to sit down for this one.

After starting the season 0-3 after 5 starts, former Rays pitcher Jason Hammel is now 5-0 in his last 7 starts. He has a 4.01 ERA and a 31 to 10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. And those 5 straight wins is the longest active streak in the National League.

Bob Apodaca recently commented on Hammel’s emergence.

“I’m not surprised at all,” Apodaca said Saturday. “But I think his emphasis has changed. He thought of himself more as a breaking-ball pitcher. We needed to get him thinking about the importance of his fastball.”…And not just Hammel’s four-seamer that touched 94 mph Friday night, producing nine flyball outs. Hammel has added a two-seam fastball (sinker) to his repertoire…The bottom line, said Apodaca, is that Hammel has embraced the fastball as his primary weapon.

If there is a silver-lining to the emergence of Jackson and Hammel as very good starting pitchers, it is that the Rays will soon have a reputation as developers of great start pitching, much as the Braves were in the 90s.

Being able to consistently develop starting pitching will not only bode well for the Rays future on the field, but it will also increase the value of Rays starting pitchers and pitching prospects in the eyes of other franchises. When the Rays decide to trade any of their pitching in the future, other teams will look at the success of Jackson and Hammel, as well the pitchers in the Rays rotation, and the price for those players will only go up.

Hammel’s win streak doesn’t shock Apodaca [Denver Post]

Apr 27

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss The Duke’s Horrible Season, Bossman’s Slump And Hammer’s Start

Andy Sonnanstine, BJ Upton, Evan Longoria, Jason Hammel Cork Gaines 3 Comments »

Rays Athletics Baseball

Time to bring back 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: Carl Crawford. CC is heating up. 2 more hits yesterday and he has now hit safely in 5 straight. He is 10-20 in those 5 games. He still only has 5 extra-base hits and Crawford’s strength is the double and triples…It’s a Worldwide Suicide. With Pat Burrell on third and Dioner Navarro at the plate, it was not the most ideal situation for a suicide squeeze. But the two executed it perfectly for a 1-0 lead.

THE BAD: Andy Sonnanstine. In 4 starts The Duke has worked 19.2 innings (less than 5ip per start). 28 hits, 8 walks, 1 hbp (almost 2 baserunners per inning). A 7.78 ERA. Whenever David Price or Wade Davis is promoted, are we certain it will be Jeff Niemann heading to the bullpen?…Lance Cormier. A perfect example of how a reliever’s statline can be misleading. Cormier pitched 3 hitless innings with only 1 unintentional walk. But that walk came with the bases loaded, forcing home an inherited runner…BJ Upton’s Quad. Upton had 2 hits in the first game back from his sore quad, but hasn’t had a hit since. Overall he is 2-22 in 5 games after missing 1.5 games.

THE TELLING: The Rays have now lost 5 straight series…The Rays lost 2 of 3 to the A’s, but still managed to pick up a game on the Yankees who were swept by the Red Sox.

SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Carl Crawford. He had half of the Rays hits.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • A quick reminder: Thursday is the final day to submit photos for the Rayshead Army Photo Contest. There are several categories. The overall winner gets tickets to a Rays game this season and others will receive t-shirts. We have already had over 100 photos submitted. Even if you don’t want to enter contest, it is worth your time to browse the pics. [Rayshead Army Photo Contest]
  • Brittany Ghiroli who covered the Rays last season for MLB.com has started her own blog. Go over and take a gander. [The Rookie in Relief]
  • Jason Hammel makes his first start for the Rockies tonight. [MLB]
  • Andy Sonnanstine called his start embarassing and Joe Maddon is looking for Jeff Niemann to have more confidence to throw his breaking pitches in more important situations. [St. Pete Times]
  • The Tampa Tribune looks at the evolution of Ben Zobrist and points to urging from Steve Henderson to drive the ball more and a talk with James Shields. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Rise of the Rays says BJ Upton as a leadoff hitter is not working, and feels that Joe Maddon should move Aki Iwamura or Jason Bartlett back to the top of the order until Upton finds his groove. [Rise of the Rays]
  • Well, FireJoeMaddon.com is not available because the Rays own the domain. But apparently Joe Maddon Sucks was fair game. And they would like you to know that Andy Sonnanstine’s career ERA is 5.14. [Joe Maddon Sucks]
  • The 114th greatest Devil Ray ever is… [Bugs and Cranks]
  • Baseball Intellect breaks down Evan Longoria’s swing, frame-by-frame. [Baseball Intellect]

You really can’t find much not to like. He has what you look for in an elite player: a blend of bat speed and quickness, terrific hand-eye coordination, pitch recognition…you name it.

Apr 07

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Sabathia’s Pounding, Assumptionism And Bad Weather

Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann, Joe Maddon, Vince Naimoli Cork Gaines 7 Comments »

phpi9RLpcTime to bring back 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: No Rays, but watching the O’s beat up on the Yankees and CC Sabathia was a nice replacement. Sabathia getting pounded was good for the Rays and for Mankind.

THE BAD: Having to wait one more day for the Rays opening day.

THE TELLING: Yesterday was the first opening day rainout in franchise history.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Marc Topkin looks at how the MLB schedule is generated and why the Rays had to open on the road, noting that the schedule was put together last summer before anybody knew who would win the AL…And of course, we would never expect MLB to tell you they are doing it to maximize revenues, which was the reason we proposed yesterday. And there have been plenty of people smarter than us, that say it is ALL about maximizing revenues. [St. Pete Times]
  • David Brown of Big League Stew interviewed Joe Maddon. In the interview Maddon talks about being Mark Twain for a day, what could get him to ride his bike coast-to-coast, eradicating assumptionism and wearing contacts. [Big League Stew]
  • Vince Naimoli, who still owns about 25% of the Rays, has put his $14 million home up for sale. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Jonah Keri (if you are not familiar with his work, we highly recommend) has picked the Rays to win the AL East. [JonahKeri.com]
  • Meanwhile, that bum Rob Neyer has the Rays third in the AL East (we kid cuz we care). [ESPN]
  • Joe Maddon spoke with reporters about having to play opening day at Fenway Park, and was able to once again break out his Elmer Fudd cap while doing so. [Boston Globe]
  • Jeff Niemann talks about winning the fifth spot in the rotation. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Around the Majors analyzes the Jason Hammel trade. [Around the Majors]
  • The Rays Party has pieced together an organizational depth chart. [The Rays Party]
  • Former first-round pick Dewon Brazelton has signed with an independent league team. [Montgomery Advertiser]

Apr 06

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Why Baseball Opens In Bad Weather Cities

Aneury Rodriguez, Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann Cork Gaines 3 Comments »

BASEBALL/Dan Johnson’s career with the Rays lasted a grand total of 10 games and 28 trips to the plate. But with one mighty swing of the bat at Fenway last fall (right), he will always be remembered for what he contributed to the franchise.

Rain is threatening the cancellation of today’s opening day game in Boston and there has been some chatter about how silly it is for Major League Baseball to schedule opening day games in cold weather cities.

While it would be nice for the defending American League champions to open at home, it is quite possible the Tampa Bay Rays don’t want to be at The Trop this week. Or possibly Major League Baseball does not want small market teams at home this week in order to maximize ticket revenue.

Fewer home games in April and May mean more home games in June and July after schools let out. From a ticket sale perspective, it is better to give the big market clubs more games early in the year, and it just so happens that most of those clubs are in the northeast where weather is not favorable this time of year. And while any team can sell out opening day, it is the rest of that first week that suffers with low attendance in small markets.

In April, the Rays play 15 games on the road and only 8 games at The Trop.

As for opening day itself? Major League Baseball is well aware of the problem with weather. This is why the Rays and Red Sox have an off-day tomorrow. Bad weather is not new to baseball.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Today is the greatest day of the year, opening day…We will be back in a little while with our annual “State of the Franchise.” And then a little later will are going to try out a couple of new features for the 2009 season…The first part is a gameday thread, but like everything else, we are going to give the traditional gameday thread a little Rays Index twist. The second part is another contest for a chance to win tickets to a game to watch the Rays this season…So be sure to check back later for all the details.
  • Marc Lancaster has some quotes from Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon on Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann and Aneury Rodriguez. [Rays Report]
  • Marc Topkin and Tom Jones provide an audio (with pics) preview of the 2009 Tampa Bay Rays. [St. Pete Times]
Apr 05

Jason Hammel Traded To Rockies; Niemann Is 5th Starter

Aneury Rodriguez, Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

It’s official, Joe smith of the St. Pete Times is reporting that the Rays have traded Jason Hammel to the Colorado Rockies for double-A prospect Aneury Rodriguez.

Hammel said he has been informed by the Rays he’s been traded to the Rockies. Though he was appreciative the Rays gave him opportunities, Hammel is looking forward to a fresh start in Colorado, where he hopes to be a part of their big-league rotation.

Though there’s been no official announcement as of yet, the Times has confirmed the Rays will get 21-year-old RHP prospect Aneury Rodriguez in return. Rodriguez, the Rockies No. 16 prospect by Baseball America, was scheduled to start the season at Double-A Tulsa, having gone 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA and 139 strikeouts/40 walks in 156 innings last season at advanced Class A Modesto.

Jeff Niemann has also told the Times that he has been informed from the team that he will be the fifth starter.

Hammel traded to Rockies; Niemann fifth starter [The Heater]

Apr 05

Rays Have Deal In Place With Rockies, But Questions Remain

Aneury Rodriguez, Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann, Lance Cormier Cork Gaines No Comments »

Rays Orioles Baseball

[Update 11:35am] Joe Smith says a Rockies scout was in the stands to watch Hammel pitch today and Smith has some quotes from Jason Hammel about the possibility of being traded.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Hammel said. “It’s been pretty rough actually. I’m just trying to not think about it. We’re just taking it in stride…I’ll throw strikes for whatever color,” Hammel said. “Whatever happens, happens…“Its been a pleasure here. I’m not saying I’m gone. But they’ve given me a lot of opportunities. Sometimes it is what it is.”

[11:00am] Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post is reporting that the Rays have accepted the Rockies offer of double-A pitcher Aneury Rodriguez for Jason Hammel. But, they are waiting to see if another team can best the offer.

The Rockies and Rays have agreed on the parameters of a deal that would land Colorado right- handed reliever Jason Hammel, but Tampa Bay is still mulling other offers…The Rockies would send Double-A pitcher Aneury Rodriguez to the Rays, whom Tampa Bay scouted heavily in Tucson last week.

This news raises a couple of questions…

  • Is this the Rockies’ deal a ‘final’ offer, or if another team does propose a better package, would the Rockies have a chance to up theirs?
  • Are the Rays only looking for better offers for Hammel or are they also waiting to see if a better offer comes in for Jeff Niemann?

While those questions still linger, it does appear that Niemann is the fifth starter and Lance Cormier is the seventh arm in the bullpen unless something dramatic happens in the next few hours.

Rockies tentatively set to get Hammel [Denver Post]

Apr 04

Rays May Be Targeting Rockies Double-A Pitcher For Hammel

Aneury Rodriguez, Jason Hammel Cork Gaines 5 Comments »

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[Update 2:15pm] Marc Lancaster says he would be surprised if the Rays don’t make a deal by tomorrow for either Jason Hammel or Jeff Niemann.

[2:10pm] Troy Renck of the Denver Post is reporting that the Rays have spent the past week scouting Aneury Rodriguez, a double-A pitcher for the Rockies, who may end up being a key piece in a deal that would send Jason Hammel to the Rockies.

There is growing momentum for a trade to transpire between Tampa Bay and the Rockies involving right-hander Jason Hammels. The Rays heavily scouted the Rockies this past week, keeping a close eye on Double-A starter Aneury Rodriguez.

Earlier today, Fanhouse quoted a Rockies official that said talks with the Rays had resumed. The Rockies are targeting Jason Hammel and the official said a deal could be finalized by tomorrow.

Rodriguez is a 21-year old right-handed pitcher that made 27 starts for Modesto of the California league. He was 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA and an impressive 139-to-40 strikeout to walk ratio in 156.1 innings.

If the Rays do trade Hammel, Jeff Niemann would then become the Rays fifth starter to start the season and Lance Cormier would be the final relief pitcher.

Rays look at Rodriguez as they try to find trade fit [Denver Post]
Rockies, Rays Could Make Deal Soon [Fanhouse]

Apr 04

10 Questions To Be Answered In Spring Training (Update)

BJ Upton, David Price, Jason Hammel, Jason Isringhausen, Jeff Niemann, Matt Joyce, Pat Burrell Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

Four weeks ago we addressed 10 questions hovering over the Rays in spring training. Let’s take a look at those questions and see if we are any closer to getting some answers…

  1. What can we expect from BJ Upton this season? We are still in “wait-and-see” mode with BJ Upton as he never played in any spring games with the Rays. He has played in minor league games, but we are starting to wonder if he will indeed be ready to join the Rays for their home opener in a week. We have learned that apparently Upton will not alter his swing to protect his fragile shoulder that has been injured each of the past six seasons. MAGIC 8-BALL SAYS: JURY STILL OUT
  2. Who is going to leadoff this season? Joe Maddon just confirmed what we suspected for a while. When BJ Upton returns from the DL, he will hit leadoff. MAGIC 8-BALL SAYS: BJ UPTON Read the rest of this entry »
Apr 03

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Our Third Birthday

BJ Upton, Jason Hammel, Jason Isringhausen, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis Cork Gaines 5 Comments »

phpaOqR7cOn this date three years ago, a biology professor that was hiding from his students during office hours on opening day of the baseball season, started a blog. That Professor had little idea what he was doing as is clearly evident in his first-ever post, a post that included a Jonny Gomes home run.

But he started to find his stride later that day when he wrote about a journalist that predicted the Devil Rays to win the World Series…in 2006! That post got a lot of play on the interwebs, and there was no looking back from what was originally intended to be a practice run for a Bucs blog.

So, Happy Birthday to us!

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Joe Smith is reporting that BJ Upton, Jason Isringhausen, Chad Bradford and Fernando Perez will all be placed on the DL Sunday, and will be eligible to come off on April 11. There is no indication that the Rays will place Bradford or Perez on the 60-day DL at this time. Doing so, would open a spot on the 40-man roster should it be needed. [The Heater]
  • Troy Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies pursuit of a starting pitcher may be focusing on Jason Hammel. [Denver Post]
  • Joe Henderson says the Rays have the advantage when it comes to making a deal involving Jeff Niemann or Jason Hammel. Henderson predicts Andrew Friedman will target a right-handed power bat that will be able to enter the lineup in 2-3 years…That may happen, but we don’t see World B. Friedman specifically targeting that. When it comes to the future, the Rays know that that nobody can predict what they will need in 2-3 years (same way they approach the draft). So the Rays are more likely to accept the best package regardless of what positions the player(s) play. [Tampa Tribune]
  • A former American Idol contestant, Antonella Barba, will sing the national anthem at the Charlotte Stone Crabs first game ever. [Antonella Barba Picture]
  • Ken Davidoff predicts the Rays to be one team that will be worse this year. He also looked at every AL pitcher that has started a world series game since 2004 and pitched in the AL the following season. Almost every one had a worse season the next year. Uh oh. [Newsday]
  • Bill Chuck of the Boston Globe has a pretty cool list of 100 random facts about the Red Sox, Yankees and the defending AL Champs, Tampa Bay Rays. [Boston Globe]
  • Jon Heyman offers up a few reasons why the Rays won’t “fall down” this season. [SI.com]
  • Yahoo! Sports has released their initial power rankings and the Rays come in at…drum roll please…#1. Red Sox are #2 and the Yankees round out the top 3. [Yahoo! Sports]

View so different from top, Maddon forced to change prescription on Clark Kent knockoffs.

  • We participated in a two-part round table previewing the 2009 season for the Rays over at The Rays Party. [PART 1] [PART 2]
  • Big League Stew previews the AL East as “The division race to end all division races.”…Seriously, last year was sweet and maybe nothing will ever be better, but man, wouldn’t it be sweet to win the AL East this season considering how much money the Yankees spent? Will people finally take the Rays seriously? Is it even possible to shut up Red Sox Nation? We are as giddy as a school girl right now. [Big League Stew]
  • Her Rays previews the 2009 Rays with the delicate touch of a woman. [Her Rays]
  • Fire Brand of the American League offers a preview of the Rays from the point of view of a Red Sox fan. [Fire Brand of the American League]
  • Rays of Light gets some love at the Boston Globe website. [Rays of Light]
  • The Rays have three pitchers competing for 2 spots. One of those spots is long reliever. Joe Smith looks at how important that role is for the Rays. [St. Pete Times]
  • The Associated Press contrasts the different paths Evan Longoria and BJ Upton have taken to stardom. [Fox Sports]
  • And once again we end with some bonus video coverage as provided by Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser. This time Wade Davis is the subject (Stacy, can we get you down to Port Charlotte a little earlier next year? Who do we have to pester with emails?). [Montgomery Advertiser]

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