Archive for the 'Sam Fuld' Category

May 19

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Sweet D, Peralta As An Ace, And Fuld’s Questionable Role

BJ Upton, Elliot Johnson, Joe Maddon, Joel Peralta, Sam Fuld 12 Comments »

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: Defense. It is easy to take the Rays defense for granted when all they do is make routine plays. All. The. Time. But when the Rays play a team that make 5 errors in one game, it suddenly hits home: The Rays, with only 17 errors in 43 games, will rarely lose a game because of their defense…Joel Peralta. He is getting closer and closer to being this year’s Joaquin Benoit. Let Kyle Farnsworth get the love for all the saves. But it is Peralta getting the big outs. With the tying run on base in the 7th, Peralta got Aaron Hill to fly out and end the inning. Then he came back in the 8th and retired the Jays 1-2-3…Elliot Johnson. Funny think about Elliot Johnson. Every time we look up, it seems like he is getting an extra-base hit. Something Reid Brignac apparently can’t do…Matt Joyce. The Rays best hitter right now? Oh yeah, and he made a nice running grab to end the 7th inning with the tying run on base.

THE BAD: Sam Fuld. Please Joe Maddon, we are begging you. Stop having Fuld lead off. Second, can we start fining Fuld every time he hits a ball in the air? Better yet, why not just have Fuld bunt EVERY time? Swing away every once in a while to keep the defense honest. But just bunt more, please?...BJ Upton. Who knew that “B. J.” stood for Rasheed Wallace? If Upton is not careful, that is exactly the reputation he is going to have among umpires. Last night, Upton started jawing at the umpire over a called third strike that looked good. And if umpires start talking about how Upton will complain about good pitches, he will get even fewer calls than he is getting now. There is a right way and a wrong way to complain. Upton’s way is 100% wrong…Far, Far, Away.Long after the end of the Rays game, the Orioles and Yankees were in the 15th inning and the O’s reliever hit a Yankees batter. The pitcher was immediately ejected even though there was ZERO reason for the pitcher to hit the batter intentionally. He was also the O’s last relief pitcher. So today’s starting pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie had to come in to the game. Now the Yankees get a backup pitcher for today’s game. Unreal.

THE TELLING: The Rays 68% capacity on Monday night was 3rd best that night…Matt Joyce received his 4th intentional walk of the year. Prior to the season, he had 2 in his entire career…

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

May 17

Postgame Shot Of Joe: One Of The All-Time Greats

BJ Upton, Joel Peralta, Juan Cruz, Kyle Farnsworth, Sam Fuld 1 Comment »

If there’s some sort of goofy top-20 list of Rays greatest victories, Monday’s dramatic comeback urination on the Yankees has to get strong consideration.

Talk about a game that looked lost, with David Price getting abused and the Rays down 5-1 off a weekend of very quiet hitting. Just Curtis Granderson’s long at bat culminating in a three-run homer alone was enough to have anyone think it wasn’t the Rays’ night.

But there were The Legend of Sam Fuld and Bossman answering with two-run bombs in the sixth in between a clutch Matt Joyce RBI single, and the feared around the league three-headed monster — Cruz-Peralta-Farnsworth — held the Yanks to one hit the rest of the way. One hit!

Joe was sitting in earshot of a Yankees fan yelling, “There’s no way the Rays win this game or a pennant with this bullpen. Kyle Farnsworth is freakin’ joke.”

Keep telling yourself that, pal.

Maybe it’s asinine to think the second and final game of the series tonight is huge. Yeah, it’s May and the Rays are in first place. But Joe”s going to go there. It’s a big one, considering how strong the AL East is from top to bottom and how much James Shields needs to keep his confidence train steamrolling.

May 14

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Hellish Hellickson, Fuld Leading Off, And The Dude Is Near

Jeremy Hellickson, Sam Fuld 6 Comments »

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: Jeremy Hellickson. Hellboy tossed his first career shutout, a 4-hitter with 3 Ks and 1 walk. In fact it was the first time Hellickson had ever worked past the 7th inning. He used his 4-seamer a little more than usual and it had less movement than usual. This may have given Hellickson a bit more confidence to locate it, but it was the changeup that was dominating. Normally he gets the batter to swing-and-miss about once every 5 changeups. Last night it was once every 3…Matty Joyce. Sweet Swingin’ continues to swing sweetly. Last night it was a 2-run home run in the 2nd inning. That was all Hellickson would need.

THE BAD: Sam Fuld. We like Fuld and we don’t mind him in the lineup, but his hot streak has run its course and he probably should no longer be leading off. The best spot for him right now is 9th where he can be used as the “second leadoff.”

THE TELLING: The Rays now have a 2 game lead in the AL East and have the 2nd best record in the AL…Jeremy Hellickson had 117 pitches before facing the final batter and yet Joe Maddon left Hellickson in to finish the game and throw 120 pitches total…JP Howell is expected back with the Rays on Thursday. When he returns, he will be wearing a new number (74).

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Sun Sports will air “Inside the Rays: Joe Maddon,” on Sunday immediately following the game. It will be a look at a day in the life of the Rays manager. [Sun Sports]
  • Sam Fuld shouldn’t be hitting leadoff, but he does Read the rest of this entry »
May 11

Postgame Shot Of Joe: 2011 Season Wrapped In One Game

Casey Kotchman, David Price, Sam Fuld, Uncategorized 2 Comments »

Joe is really enjoying this Rays season, and much of why was all wrapped up in one game tonight as the Rays spanked the Tribe.

First, there was the resurgence of the Legend of Sam Fuld. Dude snapped an ugly streak at the plate with three hits, a couple of RBIs and a stolen base and nearly had yet another crazy diving play.

Then, there is the Magic of Kotch continued. A pair of hits and now Magic of Kotch has a batting average of .352. With Magic of Kotch’s superior glove, again, someone kindly explain with sober logic why Kotch is not the everyday first baseman for the Rays.

Not to be outdone was Matt Joyce, who is really bolstering the top of the batting order. Joyce very well could be the biggest surprise of the young Rays season. Thank you Tampa Chamber of Commerce.

Oh, and hacked off David Price dominated the Tribe for seven innings, snapping the Tribe’s 14-game home win streak. David Price pitching angry makes Joe a happy man.

This was yet another fun game to watch. And whoops, more baseball is about 12 hours away. Cool!

May 11

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Loving Longo, Sweet Swings, And Feeling Responsible

Andy Sonnanstine, Reid Brignac, Sam Fuld, Sean Rodriguez 20 Comments »

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: Evan Longoria. It is nice to once again have a legit big league all-star-caliber bat in the lineup. Dirtbag is just fun to watch. And last night’s double and home run were sorely missed in April…Cesar Ramos. Just when it looked like the Indians were going to blow the game wide-open, Joe Maddon turned to Ramos in the 4th with 2 on and only 1 out. Two pitches later, Ramos had a double-play ball and killed the rally. He then pitched a scoreless 5th inning…Matt Joyce. His home run in the 4th tied the game, and then his double in the 6th tied it again. Oh yeah, and Sweet-swingin’ Matty is now leading the AL in hitting at .356.

THE BAD: Andy Sonnanstine. It started ugly (3 straight hits including a HR). It got better (he somehow survived the 1st giving up just 1 run and retired 7 of 8). But then it ended just in the nick of time before the floor gave way (of the last 7 batters he faced, 4 walked and 1 hit a HR)…Dan Johnson. Enough already. It is mid-May and the Rays’ DH is hitting .122 with 1 home run and 3 RBI after yet another 0-4 night…The Professor. Yep, me. I was a baseball player and as such was as superstitious as anybody. That is to say, a lot. But I also know that there may actually be a relationship between a player’s beliefs and what happens on the field. On the other hand, it is silly to ever think that what one says or writes as a fan has any effect on the outcome of a game (e.g. talking about a no-hitter). But we can’t help but feel a little responsible when Kyle Farnsworth walks in the winning run, just hours after we wrote about how the bullpen might not be as good as we think. My bad.

THE TELLING: Sean Rodriguez started at shortstop…Johnny Damon did not start, but made an appearance as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning…Sam Fuld’s home run in Fenway Park earlier this year is still the shortest home run in the big leagues this season (323 ft)…BJ Upton wants to serve his suspension Thursday and Friday.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

May 07

Postgame Shot Of Joe: Orioles Begging For Mercy

Evan Longoria, Evan Longoria is a Dirt Bag, Reid Brignac, Sam Fuld 3 Comments »

The Rays smacked the cover off the ball, banged out clutch hits and continued the thorough humiliation of Baltimore on Saturday, but Joe’s just so fired up about what complete baseball the team is playing.

Reid Brignac and Sam Fuld are Double-A hitters at this point, but still are dialed in on defense, along with seemingly everyone else minus the catcher who can’t catch. 

Fuld is just one sick dude who never takes off a play. Two more gems added today. Joe will proudly wear Fuld’s cape when they give it out later this month, even if he’s hitting .190 by then.

Does Casey Kotchman get a cape day if he gets closer to .400?

It’s fair to say that with today’s double and homer Longoria has found his stroke, and his impact at third base can’t be quantified.

Sure the Rays can’t keep the latest run (18-6) up all season, but it feels very relaxed and sustainable. The bullpen is money, the road is no obstacle, and first place could be shared tonight. Why not us?

Apr 28

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss A Hot Start, Cold Weather, And A Wounded Hayhurst

Andy Sonnanstine, Sam Fuld 16 Comments »

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: Good Starts. When Sam Fuld just missed a home run as the leadoff hitter, it was a sign of good things to come. Each of the Rays first five batters picked up a basehit, leading to a 4-run first inning...Pity The Fuld That Messes With Sam. Another hit. But more importantly, 3 more walks. And that is where his value will ultimately be offensively. The hits will cool off. But if he can continue to work counts and get on base, there is a regular spot in this lineup for a guy like that…Making The Twins Work. Led by Fuld’s 3 walks, the Rays drew 9 all-together, making Twins pitchers throw a whopping 212 pitches. The Rays will win a lot of games if the opposing team has to work that hard.

THE BAD: BJ Upton’s Awareness. If we have ever had a complaint about Bossman Junior it is that he occasionally doesn’t seem aware of the importance (or lack thereof) of a particular situation. In last night’s game he took a called 3rd strike and proceeded to bitch at the umpire all the way back to the dugout. On the one hand, BJ was right. It was a bad call. But it was also 8-2 in the 8th inning and it was snowing. BJ needs to know that the situation calls for swinging the bat. The umpire has no time for your “patience.”

THE TELLING: It snowed during the game. Seriously. Snow. But for Twins fans, that just means they take their shirts off and eat some ice cream…Andy Sonnanstine pitched for the first time in 17 days…Jeff Niemann and Jeremy Hellickson will be the starters for today’s double-header…Dirk Hayhurst has gone on the DL for triple-A Durham…Dave Martinez manages to look even more homeless in cold weather.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • That “major” announcement from the Rays and the City of St. Pete? A college football all-star game is moving to the Trop. [TBO.com]
  • To Sam Fuld’s pleasant surprise, Read the rest of this entry »
Apr 23

Postgame Shot Of Joe: Cream Rises To The Top

Andrew Friedman, Ben Zobrist, Casey Kotchman, Dan Johnson, David Price, Johnny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth, Sam Fuld 5 Comments »

Well, it was a little too close for comfort, but the reason Joe loves the Rays this year shined in this game.

* Ace David Price continued his dominance over the Jays, throwing a strong eight innings (Joe will try to forget that ninth inning… with the help of some cold beers).

* The Legend of San Fuld. Dude just continues to get the job done, both with the stick and his devil-may-care diving for flyballs. Keep it up man and we just may all forget that CC guy who ran off to Boston… if you haven’t made Joe forget already.

* Johnny Damon. So far this guy has been an absolute steal. Mazel tov Andrew Friedman!

* Zorilla. Yeah, he could have played some better defense last night in a tight game. But he made up for it with a towering blast to right that scared the couples in the hotel rooms of RogersCentre in the midst of a mid-afternoon tryst.

* Casey Kotchman’s glove. Dude sold that groundball out in the ninth when it appeared the Rays just might collapse. Travis Snyder was safe at first but Kotchman, doing his best Keith Hernandez imitation, pulled off the bag just enough to fool first base ump Mike Everitt. Solid play Casey. May have saved the game. Kotchman, like Fuld, is hitting better than most expected. With Kotchman’s glove, why not ride this horse (Kotchman’s offense) until it wears out? Joe’s confident Dan Johnson couldn’t have made this play.

* Kyle Farnsworth. No, he wasn’t solid at first and needed help to survive (see Kotchman, above) but Joe doesn’t know what to think of that bare-handed catch. Emotional Joe was giddy; sober Joe was scared. Man, what do you think you are doing catching a groundball with your bare hand??? That hand is your livelihood, dude! But it was that ballsy move that may have kept the Jays from scoring any more runs.

Fun game to watch. Rays win. Maybe a little too much excitement in the ninth for Joe but it’s a win. Good enough for Joe to crack open another cold one.

Apr 20

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Big Blast’s Big Night, And Super Sammy

James Shields, Sam Fuld 15 Comments »

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: James Shields. You gotta love what we are seeing from Big Blast James early in the season. Last night he tossed a complete game, striking out 9, walking 1 and giving up just 1 run on 4 hits. It was Shields’ first (9-inning) complete game since his 1-hit shutout of the Angels in May, 2008, and just the fifth time in his career that he went 9 innings. It was also just the fourth time in his career that he had at least 9 Ks and less than 5 hits allowed…Matt Joyce. Joyce has been hot with the bat. But in the third with 1 out and a runner on first, he made a diving grab near the line. If that ball falls, the White Sox have a runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs…Sean Rodriguez. Just let him hit! This guy has a big league bat. Let him use it…Kelly Shoppach. In a 1-run game in the 7th, Shields hit a batter to start the inning. Never a good thing. But then he got the next batter on strikes, and Shoppy picked the runner off first for the double-playto kill a potential rally.

THE BAD: We Got Nuthin’

THE TELLING: Rays are now 8-3 since Manny Ramirez retired, tied with the Blue Jays for second place in the AL East and just 2 games out of first…The new 6:40 start times are only making things worse for the Tampa crowd, but you gotta love it when the last pitch is at 8:52…Johnny Damon could return to the lineup tonight...The Rays will show support for the Lightning by wearing Bolts gear on trip to Toronto.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

Apr 19

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Golden D, Flip Fourth, And Booing Crawford

Alex Torres, Felipe Lopez, Jeff Niemann, Johnny Damon, Reid Brignac, Sam Fuld 5 Comments »

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: Defense. Reid Brignac made a spectacular play when he ranged towards the third base line in shallow left field, dove for a ball, got up and got the runner at first. Sam Fuld added two sliding/diving catches of his own…Felipe Lopez. When we first saw yesterday’s lineup and noticed Flip was back in the clean-up spot, we were noticeably scared. But then he singled home the Rays first run in the first inning. Then he followed that up with an RBI-double and a home run. We will gladly eat crow on this one…David Price. Price was dealing, tossing 8 shutout innings, striking out 9 and walking just 2. He started the White Sox with a steady dose of his fastball. In fact, his first 32 pitches were fastballs, not mixing in another pitch until the 3rd inning. But then 25 of his next 82 pitches were changeups getting 3 swinging strikes and 3 called strikes with that pitch.

THE BAD: Lineup. The lineup produced last night, but Evan Longoria can’t get back soon enough.

THE TELLING: Johnny Damon is still day-to-day with a sore finger, but is hoping to return on Thursday. He was also named the American League’s co-player of the week…BJ Upton was given the day off…Evan Longoria is still hoping to be back by April 29th…Alex Torres was named the International League’s (AAA) pitcher of the week.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Carl Crawford was booed yesterday by the Red Sox fans, but then was given a (sarcastic?) standing ovation after hitting a double, just his 8th hit of the season (thanks Larry). [ESPN]
  • If you haven’t seen Read the rest of this entry »
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