Former Rays prospect Chris Mason, who once held the organizational record for wins in a season (15), and who once wanted to dye his hair pink for breast cancer awareness, took his talents to Taiwan this season. Mason pitches for La New Bears and is second in the Chinese Professional Baseball League with 9 wins. And based on this video, he is adapting quite well to the Asian culture.
Durham 4, Norfolk 2. Jeremy Hellickson made his first triple-A start and held Norfolk to 2 runs on 5 hits and an uncharacteristic 3 walks. He struck out 6 in 6 innings…Justin Ruggiano gave Hellboy an early lead with a 2-run home run in the first…Chris Richard finished 2-3 and added a solo home run, his 18th…Reid Brignac went 1-4 and Matt Joyce was 1-3 with a walk.
Birmingham 3, Montgomery 0. Rayner Oliveros made just his 4th start and gave up 1 run in 5 innings on 2 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 5…Desmond Jennings was 1-3 and Montgomery managed only 3 hits total…Cody Cipriano had a double in 3 at bats.
Clearwater 2, Charlotte 0. Brian Flores pitched 5 shutout innings…Charlotte managed just 6 hits with Shawn O’Malley going 0-4 and Shawn Riggans 0-1…Brian Shouse made another rehab appearance allowing just one baserunner when he hit a batter.
Hagerstown 8, Bowling Green 0. Nick Barnese gave up 5 runs (3 earned) in 4.1 innings, striking out 6 and walking 1…Tim Beckham (1-3) had 1 of only 4 hits for Bowling Green.
Hudson Valley 4, Aberdeen 1 (5).
Notes from Down on the Farm…
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
“We have a lease with St. Petersburg, and that’s where we’re focused,” Kalt added. “Obviously, over the course of time, the community will need to make a decision about where’s the best place for this team to be but we have a lease with St. Petersburg and that’s a major consideration.”
According to Jim Street, six American League teams are among the group that has contacted free agent Ken Griffey Jr.. Based on some comments from Griffey’s agent, you can be sure the Tampa Bay Rays are one of those teams.
“Kenny realizes that he probably would be a middle-ground guy when it comes to salary,” he said. “He also understands that a contract could include some incentives, but I don’t think he’ll price himself out of a job. He’s never been about being the highest paid.”…Goldberg said Griffey would be receptive to a one-year contract offer from “the right team in the right place,” but wouldn’t be any more specific than that.
Griffey’s agent says his client is healthy now after postseason season knee surgery and is ready to play a couple more years. A healthy Griffey posted 119 OPS+ with 30 home runs and a .372 OBP in 2007. Those numbers fell to 101 OPS+, 18 home runs and a .353 OBP.
This could come down to whether Griffey still wants to play the outfield on a regular basis. If he is willing to accept a role as a most-days DH, and an incentive-laden contract to play for a contender, Griffey is the type of player the Rays will target.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Back in early August, the Rays added Chad Bradford from the Orioles for a Player To Be Named Later (PTBNL). It is two months later and the Rays have yet to send a player to the O’s to complete the deal. A couple of weeks ago, O’s GM Andy MacPhail was asked about the trade.
MacPhail also said the player to be named in the Chad Bradford deal will be announced between the end of the World Series and the start of the winter meetings. That’s quite a gap. But it’s hardly worth pacing the floor over…”I’ve done everything I can when asked to downgrade expectations,” he said, adding there won’t be any immediate benefits to the acquisition.
The winter meetings are to be held December 8-11.
Often in trades involving a PTBNL, the receiving team (in this case the O’s) is given a list of several players to choose from. This gives the receiving team a chance to scout the players on the list and decide which player they prefer.
With the seasons completed, this suggests that the Orioles are scouting one or more players in the Arizona Fall League. The AFL schedule ends on November 22, two weeks prior to the winter meetings. Rays prospects participating in the AFL include Rhyne Hughes, JT Hall, Matt Spring, Chris Mason, Ryan Reid, Wade Townsend, Mike Wlodarczyk and Desmond Jennings.
We have been unable to confirm, but there is some sentiment that if the teams cannot agree on a player, the Rays will send a predetermined amount of “cash considerations” to the O’s in order to complete the deal. There may also be a six month time limit on the deal.
MacPhail snippets [MASN]
Durham 3, Indianapolis 2. Dan Johnson broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 8th with a solo home run and the Durham Bulls clinched the Southern Division title…Wade Davis started and gave up only one hit, a single to the second batter of the game. He struck out 8 and walked 2 in 6 innings. He retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced…Jeremy Cummings made his first appearance since winning a bronze medal with Team USA in the Olympics. He picked up the win after blowing a 2-0 lead…Mike DiFelice got the scoring started with a bases loaded single in the 4th that netted 2 runs…It is the Bulls 7th division title in 11 years.
Montgomery 10, West Tenn 2 (gm 1). Jeremy Hellickson struck out 9 in only 5 innings, but did give up 6 hits and walks leading to 1 run…Erold Andrus went 3-4 with 2 doubles…Gaby Martinez was 1-3 with a double and an RBI.
Montgomery 3, West Tenn 0 (gm 2). James Houser started and went 3 innings and 4 pitchers combined on a 3-hit shutout…Eddie Morlan pitched 2 perfect innings of relief, striking out 3.
Daytona 8, Vero Beach 1. Wade Townsend took the loss, giving up 6 runs and being pulled in the 4th inning.
Rome @ Columbus (DH; ppd. wet grounds)
Princeton @ Elizabethton (canc. rain). The D-Rays have concluded their season finishing 24-38, 13.5 games out of first place in their division. Lefty Matt Moore was the Rays top pitcher finishing 3rd in the league with 77 strikeouts, going 2-2 with a 1.66 ERA in 12 starts covering 54.1 innings…Second baseman Elias Otero finished 3rd in hitting with a .337 average, 6th with a .398 OBP and 4th with a .932 OPS…Burt Reynolds was the Rays top home run hitter with 6.
NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…
Norfolk 7, Durham 5. Mike Prochaska dropped to 2-4 after allowing 4 runs in 6 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 1…Chris Mason was bumped to the bullpen and gave up 3 runs in 2 innings on 4 hits and 2 walks. He did not strike out a batter…Elliot Johnson homered for the Bulls, his 5th and Chris Richard was 1-3 with his 19th double.
Mobile 6, Montgomery 4. Jino Gonzalez walked 4 and gave up 4 hits, which led to 3 runs in 5.1 innings…Matt Spring and Rashad Eldridge each finished 0-2 but had 3 walks apiece…John Jaso was 2-4 with 2 walks and an RBI…Chris Nowak was 2-5 with a walk and an RBI. He is hitting .291.
Ft. Myers 6, Vero Beach 3. Al Reyes started the game as part of his rehab assignment and worked 1 perfect inning…Ryan Morse relieved Reyes and gave up 6 runs in 4.1 innings on 9 hits including 3 home runs…Nevin Ashley finished 3-3 and Ryan Royster and Joey Callender each went 3-4. Royster had an RBI and is now hitting .257.
Columbus 5, Kannapolis 4. Jason Ragan gave up 4 runs in 5.2 innings on 8 hits and a walk…Justin Garcia picked up the win in relief with 4 strikeouts in 2 scoreless innings after the Catfish scored the go-ahead run in the 8th on a balk…Reid Fronk was 1-3 with a walk and his 10th home run, a solo shot…Mike McCormick finished 2-4 with 2 RBI.
Hudson Valley (off-day)
Princeton vs Bristol (ppd)
NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…
After being named AA’s pitcher of the year in 2007, Chris Mason has struggled since his promotion to Durham. Sportsgist.com cought up with Mason and his teammate/roommate Nick DeBarr for a rather candid interview about Mason.
We are big fans of Mason and are rooting hard for him to make the jump to the big leagues. The Rays could use a personality like his.
After the break is a second video in which Sportsgist interviews Durham pitching coach Xavier Hernandez about Mason and his mechanics.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING…
Tampa Bay Rays (28 days until Opening Day)
Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 9, Indians 7.
The Good: Scott Dohmann retired all 4 batters he faced, including the final out of the 6th inning with the bases loaded…Another errorless game for the Rays who have 21 in the spring. Only 6 teams have committed fewer…
The Bad: Rays pitchers had their streak of 21 innings without a walk end in the 3rd and then proceeded to walk 7 on the day including one with the bases loaded by Grant Balfour and hit a batter by Andy Sonnanstine….
The Telling: Elliot Johnson got the start at third base over Joel Guzman as Willy Aybar continues to nurse a sore hamstring. Either Johnson or Guzman will get the opening day assignment if Aybar is not ready to go.
DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…
“I’ve always emphasized it,” Hernandez said. “Being at the Triple-A level and going to the major leagues at the end of last year, I realized that it’s not only important, it’s imperative.”
Tampa Bay Rays (7 days until Opening Day)
We have a busy, busy day planned here at RI, so be sure to check back early and often…
Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 10, Reds 9.
The Good: The two players that the Rays will rely on to be power sources in 2008, Jonny Gomes and Carlos Pena, each hit their third home run of the spring…Elliot Johnson continues to secure his spot as the opening day utility player, assuming Ben Zobrist is on the DL, with 2 more hits while playing center. He is now 19-41 (.463) on the spring with a 1.145 OPS…Aki Iwamura started 2 double plays with his new partner-in-crime, Jason Bartlett…Al Reyes struck out all three batters he faced.
The Bad: Matt Garza needed over 90 pitches to get through 5.1 innings walking 2 and hitting 2 more batters…Troy Percival gave up 7 runs in 1 inning of work on 6 hits and a walk.
The Telling: Andy Cannizaro who figures to be the only person that could beat out Elliot Johnson for utility player, saw time at both second and third.
DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…
In already setting a club record for Grapefruit League wins, Tampa Bay also has lost only twice in 13 games against other AL clubs, is 6-1-1 vs. the AL East and is 5-1 against Detroit and Philadelphia…Yet it’s almost as if the Rays are being humored. That could be a mistake, even if the weight of the AL East does have to curb their optimism.
“That is a tough one,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “Both have really good arms, both are very competitive. They’re making it tough. This is going to be quite a discussion in regard to that spot, because I have a lot of respect for both of these young men – they’re both great workers, they’re great teammates. It’s tough.”
