Feb 01
Evan Longoria says he has never regretted signing his team-friendly contract (via Marc Topkin of TampaBay.com).
“I can honestly say that I’ve never regretted doing it. I can look at myself in the mirror and say that I made the right decision. You never know, who knows, one or two years in I might’ve hurt myself and not been the player that I am today.”
These comments come on the heels of some false rumors that were being spread on Twitter that Longoria was upset and wanted to be traded. We ignored the report because the source was not credible, but some in the local media actually addressed the rumors.
Anyway, our only problem with Longoria’s comments is that the hypothetical no longer applies. We do know that Longoria did not get hurt “one or two years in.”
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- The Rays season opener against the Yankees will be carried on the MLB Network.
- Pat Burrell has officially retired. Of course, some in the Bay Area would say he tossed in the towel about three years ago. [USA Today]
- Would Peyton Manning sign with the Bucs? [JoeBucsFan.com]
Dec 15
“Tampa Bay Rays one bat away from 2012 World Series”
That is the title of the latest column from John Romano of the St. Pete Times.
One bat. That’s all it will take.
One bat. And I like the Rays better than the Yankees or Red Sox.
One bat. And I think Tampa Bay is back in the World Series in 2012.
Romano does say that this is “overly simplified” and “probably overly optimistic.”
Actually, we think he is spot-on. But unfortunately, it is also all-too-familiar, and unlikely to be fixed.
The Rays were one bat away from returning to the World Series in 2009. The team realized this and added Pat Burrell.
The Rays were still one bat away in 2010 when they tried to trade Burrell for Milton Bradley and signed Hank Blalock to a minor league deal.
Both Burrell and Blalock were eventually released.
And last year of course, it was Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 11
- Off-Season (click image for random Wikipedia page)
James Shields will be signing copies of his new book on Monday from 5:30-8:00 pm at Beef O’Brady’s on S. MacDill in Tampa.
September Nights is a behind the scenes look at the Rays and their playoff run at the end of the 2010 season.
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Pat Burrell says his baseball career is probably over. [SFGate]
- Keith Law lists Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann as two of the four “intriguing names/trade targets” for this off-season (thanks Thad). [ESPN Insider]
- Big League Stew calls the Devil Rays uniform transformation the best in baseball in the last 20 years, even though they seem to have forgotten that the Rays wore green in between the Rainbow Warriors and the current look. [Big League Stew]
- Seedlings to Stars takes a closer look at Rays prospect Alex Torres. [Seedlings to Stars]
Feb 11
So yesterday we heard from Joe Maddon (via The Ray Area) that Matt Joyce will not be an everyday player at the start of the season. Rather, Joe Maddon will ease Joyce into the lineup with occasional starts versus “reverse-split lefties” (lefties that are harder on right-handed hitters than they are on left-handed hitters).
On the surface that seems like a good plan. Even we were sold. But then we wondered: how often will the Rays face a reverse-split lefty? Based on last year’s scheduled, we estimate that this happens once every 2 weeks, at most. That is once every 12-15 games.
Is 2-3 plate appearances every 2 weeks going to teach Joyce how to hit lefties? We are skeptical. So if this plan is going to work, he is going to have to start Joyce against more lefties than just the Jon Lesters of the world. Maybe not all of them, but certainly more than just the true “reverse-split” lefties.
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Roger Mooney and Scott Butherus discuss the Rays lineup in a podcast. [TBO.com]
- Newly acquired reliever Dirk Hayhurst has been an instant hit among Rays fans. But based on our own personal experiences, we are actually much more fascinated with the work of Mrs. Hayhurst. So please read this. [Dirk Hayhurst]
- Oh Pat Burrell, you will always
Read the rest of this entry »
Dec 13
Andrew Friedman and Co. are neck deep in their sixth hot stove season. We know the Rays are great at making trades. And we have a sense that they are pretty good at drafting. But how good are they at free agency?
The Rays are well-known for picking up hidden gems like Carlos Pena and Joaquin Benoit. But they have also missed terribly with guys like Pat Burrell and Troy Percival.
So let’s see if we can quantify how World B. Friedman has fared with his free agent picks.
We already saw last week, that in 2010, the Rays only received $7.1 million in production from their free agents, despite paying those players $23.8 million in salary. This was the second-straight year the Rays overpaid their free agents.
After the jump, let’s look at the totals for 2006-2010 by breaking it by every free agent signed by Friedman that spent time on the Rays active roster (plus Shinji Mori). The “Value” for each player is measured as the difference between how well they played and how much the Rays paid that player.
Read the rest of this entry »
Dec 02
In one of my recent pieces at Business Insider, I examine the possibility of the Rays signing Derek Jeter. While the Rays usually shy away from players like Jeter, this is a special circumstance. He represents the one player that could help convert some of the local Yankees fans.
The biggest obstacle might not be money. Rather, it could be convincing Jeter he is no longer a full-time shortstop [image at right via The Beckett Blog]
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- As if the Rays didn’t have enough problems with the bullpen, now comes official word that JP Howell will not be ready for opening day. However, The Dude says it could be mid-April. [The Heater]
- We know a lot of you don’t want to hear this, but John Romano repeats what we have been saying for a while: The Rays are better off using 2011 as a reloading season with an eye towards going for it in 2012. [St. Pete Times]
- Pat Burrell has Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 02
So our nightmare has come true. Pat Burrell won his second World Series ring, this time with the San Francisco Giants. And he did it on the Rays’ dime.
It was kinda nice to see Burrell go 0-13 with 11 strikeouts in the Fall Classic. The final four at bats (3 strikeouts) were as a DH, and all of the at bats were against AL pitching. So there was that.
But if there is any justice in the world, the Devil will now give Burrell ED, and the Giants will give Andrew Friedman half of Burrell’s World Series bonus.
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Oct 27
Game 1 of the 2010 World Series is tonight, and each team has a slugger that used to be a key member of the Rays organization…
Josh Hamilton: Seeing the Rays’ former #1 pick thrive with the Rangers is kinda like breaking up with that one crazy chick in college and then having her grow up to be Katy Perry.
Pat Burrell: Seeing Burrell thrive for the Giants (while being paid by the Rays) is more like getting a divorce and then seeing your ex-wife use the alimony for liposuction and a boob-job.
So, which one is more painful for you to watch in this World Series? Let’s hear it in the comments.
Oct 27
The Rays have released Burt Reynolds. Sad, sad, sad. No really, they did. Reynolds was an outfield prospect that only reached single-A in three seasons. In 164 career games, he hit .248 with 10 home runs and 33 stolen bases.
Damn. We had all sorts of Cannonball Run references just waiting for Reynolds to hit the big time.
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- OK, we get it. Pat Burrell is doing better with the Giants. [Baseball Analytics]
- The Yankees could be in a quandary if they can’t sign Cliff Lee or Carl Crawford. [New York Post]
- Rayhawk Review offers a tax proposal for a new Rays stadium. [Rayhawk Review]
- And don’t forget about your Morning Cup of Joe. [JoeBucsFan]
Oct 25
The Bucs improved to 4-2 with their dramatic win yesterday over the Rams. And yes, it was just the Rams, but at least the Bucs are beating the teams they are supposed to beat. Sure beats the hell out of all of those young players being subjected to loss after loss.
As usual, our pals over at Joe Bucs Fan have the game covered from every angle. And even a few angles you didn’t know existed.
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Ron Washington said that he was hoping before the playoffs that the Rays would win the AL East so that the Rangers could play in the Trop instead of Replica Yankee Stadium in the first round. [St. Pete Times]
- Pat Burrell doesn’t Read the rest of this entry »
Evan Longoria says he has never regretted signing his team-friendly contract (via Marc Topkin of TampaBay.com).
