Archive for the 'Elijah Dukes' Category

Jun 01

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Dirtbag’s Longo Ball, Cobb’s Second Start, And Shoppach’s Bat

Alex Cobb, Elijah Dukes, Evan Longoria, Jeremy Hall, Kelly Shoppach Cork Gaines 8 Comments »
Rays 7, Indians 0
Rays 5, Rangers 4 (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. We guess it’s official. He’s baaack. After the Rangers took a 1-run lead in the top of the 8th, Longoria responded with a go-ahead 2-run home run that just cleared the wall. That proved to be game-winner. Dirtbag finished with 2 hits and a walk and has now been on base 12 times in the last 4 games including 5 walks…Alex Cobb. Cobb’s linescore could have been a lot worse. He survived a shaky first inning in which he faced a runner on first with no outs, and first-and-third with one out. And after 6.1 innings, he allowed just 2 runs despite giving up 4 hits and 4 walks. Still, not a bad effort against the Rangers in just his second big league start…Mashing Lefties. Matt Joyce hit his second home run off of a lefty in 2 weeks. Those are also the only two home runs he has ever hit off of a lefty.

THE BAD: Kelly Shoppach. Enough already. Read the rest of this entry »

Apr 26

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Unfair Hockey Comparisons

Attendance, Elijah Dukes, James Shields Cork Gaines 9 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

In his latest blog, Tom Jones writes about the TV rating for the Rays as compared to the Lightning, who are currently in the playoffs. Jones points out that the Rays had far better TV ratings when the two teams went head-to-head, but that twice as many people showed up at the Lightning games.

While trying to explain the numbers, Jones misses an important factor: the popularity of each sport. No matter what you think about the Rays or the Lightning or the location of stadiums, baseball is still a far more popular sport.

That being said, if you are a Lightning fan, or just a fan of hockey in general, you are going to be much more inclined to find your way to the St. Pete Times Forum for a mid-week playoff game, than a Rays fan is going to try to get to The Trop for a mid-week showing against the White Sox.

Does stadium location have something to do with that? Maybe. But even if the Rays played next door to the Lightning, we would still expect a playoff game to outdraw a Rays game mid-week. People love an event. And the NHL playoffs are an event, whether you are a fan or not.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Here is what the playoffs would have looked like the last 15 years if there was a second Wild Card team. [Business Insider]
  • James Shields was named the AL pitcher of the week. Also, JP Howell will start Thursday’s game for single-A Charlotte Stone Crabs. Look for a mid-May return to the Rays. [TampaBay.com]
  • The Rays are a good Read the rest of this entry »
Feb 12

Elijah Dukes, Rapper (Video)

Elijah Dukes Cork Gaines 3 Comments »

Former Rays outfielder and Mischievous Little Badger, Elijah Dukes, is no longer a baseball player and has now turned his attention to a rap career. Oh yeah, and it is not “Elijah” anymore. He would prefer to be called “Fly Eli.” We would have gone with “Dead Dawg,” but that’s us.

Despite only being 26, Dukes claims that Major League Baseball has blackballed him because of allegations he made about drug use with the Nationals and his admitting that he would smoke weed before Nats games (shocking, right?).

Have we piqued your interest? No? Well, we are going to give you a video of Dukes Fly Eli rapping (via Mr. Irrelevant). And yes, afterwards, we will owe each of you 85 seconds of your life back.


Nov 03

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Options, Crawford To The Giants And Maddon’s Role In Brewers’ New Manager

Carl Crawford, Dan Wheeler, Elijah Dukes, Joe Maddon, Leslie Anderson, Willy Aybar Cork Gaines 2 Comments »

Here is a lasting image from the 2010 baseball season (via Big League Stew)…

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Yesterday we reported that the Rays had declined the options on Dan Wheeler and Willy Aybar and what that meant for each player and the Rays. Mark Topkin has the reaction from Wheeler. [St. Pete Times]
  • Andrew Baggarly says the Giants will “entertain the notion of signing Carl Crawford,” whatever that means. [Mercury News]
  • Joe Maddon gave a “strong recommendation” to the Brewers for Ron Roenicke, who eventually was hired to be the Brewers’ manager. [Brew Beat]
  • Elijah Dukes cried during his Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 03

Elijah Dukes Arrested…Again

Elijah Dukes Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

The last we heard about our Mischievous Little Badger, Elijah Dukes was playing with Newark in the Independent Atlantic League.Now he is back in a role we are all more familiar with, wearing handcuffs.

Dukes was arrested on a contempt charge for failing to pay child support to two women (via Tampa Tribune)…

Former Tampa Bay Rays player Elijah Dukes has been arrested again – this time on contempt of court charges for allegedly failing to pay child support to two women…Dukes, 26, of Tampa, was arrested Monday afternoon and is being held in the Hillsborough County jail, records show. Bail has not been set.

Dukes last played in the majors with the Washington Nationals in 2009 where he was released after playing 107 games. He last played for the Rays in 2007.

This year he played 28 games for Newark where he hit .366 with 5 home runs.

Jul 02

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss A Fun Win, Former Rays And BJ On The Bench Again

Ben Zobrist, BJ Upton, Delmon Young, Elijah Dukes, Pat Burrell Cork Gaines 22 Comments »

The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is niceand lean and the The Telling is ripe.

Rays 5, Twins 4

THE GOOD: Late Rallies. There is nothing more fun than a late rally in baseball. And thanks to a game-tying double by Evan Longoria in the 9th that scored Carl Crawford all the way from first and a go-ahead single by Willy Aybar in the 10th, the Rays won their first-ever game in Target Field…Most of the Bullpen. Randy Choate might be in the midst of one of his epic meltdown phases. But the rest of the ‘pen was strong, throwing 3 perfect innings and keeping the Rays in the game.

THE BAD: Former Rays. What is it about former Rays that elevate their game to new heights against Tampa Bay? We have seen it in previous years from players like Aubrey Huff, whose career has been lengthened by a few years just based on his numbers versus the Rays. But this year has seen an all-new level. There was Edwin Jackson’s no-hitter. And last night it was Delmon Young suddenly thinking he is a power-hitter with a game-tying home run in the 7th. He also threw out a runner at home to end an inning and added an RBI single. Delmon had moments with the Rays, but we don’t ever remember complete games.

THE TELLING: The Rays have now won 2 in a row for the first time since June 8 and 9 versus the Blue Jays…BJ Upton did not start for the 3rd straight game again citing a sore leg muscle. Ben Zobrist once again ledofff and played center.

WHERE THEY STAND: The Rays are 46-32, 2 games behind the Yankees and a half-game behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card. After 78 games in 2008, the Rays were 47-31.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Carl Crawford compares this win to how the Rays were playing earlier in the year (VIDEO). [The Heater]
  • The Rays rank 6th (out of 144 professional franchises) in ESPN the Magazine’s “Ultimate Standings.” The rankings consider several factors including “Bang for the Buck” which has the Rays ranked second overall. Interestingly, the Rays rank only 106th in “Stadium Experience” and 58th in “Ownership” a category described as “honesty and loyalty to core players and local community.” [ESPN]
  • Here is a fun video of Pat Burrell playing “defense” (h/t Jason Collette). [MLB]
  • Elijah Dukes has signed with the Independent Atlantic League’s Newark Bears. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  • Pop Life has a list of songs to describe BJ Upton. Our fave? Jay-Z’s “99 Problems.” [Pop Life]
  • A young lady pissed on the hallowed grounds of Fenway Park Wednesday night During the Rays game. Since then, the Rays have won two in a row. Coincidence? (thanks Rob). [Deadspin]

DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Check out Rays Prospects for boxscores and more detailed recaps. [Rays Prospects]
  • DURHAM: Carlos Hernandez didn’t give up a run, but was pulled after 4.2 innings with 99 pitches having allowed 5 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 6…Fernando Perez went 2-4 with his 19th stolen base…Dioner Navarro hit his first home run since being demote…Angel Chavez (6) and Justin Ruggiano (7) also homered…Desmond Jennings did not start but was used as a late-inning defensive replacement.
  • MONTGOMERY: Jake McGee looked strong again, throwing 5 shutout innings, striking out 8 and walking 3. He gave up just 3 hits…In game 2, Alex Cobb pitched 5.1 scoreless innings with 5 Ks, giving up just 2 hits. He now has a 1.67 ERA in 10 starts…Matt Sweeney was 0-5 with 2 strikeouts in the double-header and is now hitting .203.
  • CHARLOTTE: Shane Dyer gave up 4 runs in 6.1 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 2…Tim Beckham went 1-4 with a strikeout.
  • BOWLING GREEN: Kyle Lobstein dropped to 5-4 after getting pounded for 6 runs in 5 innings on 7 hits and 4 walks…Chris Murrill went 2-5.
  • HUDSON VALLEY: Miguel Sierra made his 3rd start and gave up 2 runs in 5 innings. He struck out 3…Jacob Thompson, the Rays 2nd round pick this year, made his professional debut. He pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief, striking out 2 and allowing just one hit.
  • PRINCETON: Jacob Partridge gave up 2 runs in 5.1 innings.
Apr 15

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Mitch Talbot’s Ship Continues To Sink

Elijah Dukes, Glenn Gibson, Jonathon Barratt Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

Scranton WB 9, Durham 1. Mitch Talbot had a night he would prefer to forget. He lasted only 2 innings and gave up 8 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. All 8 runs, 8 hits and 2 walks came in the second inning…The Bulls only managed 4 hits. Reid Brignac doubled in the first and Joel Guzman would later bring him home with a single.

Montgomery 10, Tennessee 3. Jake McGee only allowed 1 hit in 5 innings but was touched for 2 runs after walking 3. He struck out 5. One run came home in the first without allowing a hit. After the first two batters of the game reached, McGee retired the next 14 batters before walking a batter in the 5th. That runner would later score on a single…Erold Andrus had 2 hits including his 5th double and 3 RBI…

Vero Beach 10, Daytona 6. Heath Rollins had his first rough outing of the year, getting touched for 5 runs in 4 innings, on 8 hits and a walk. He did strike out 7…JT Hall drove in 4 on 3-5 hitting, while Garrett Groce was 2-4 with 2 RBI and a stolen base.

Columbus 7, Savannah 4. Alex Cobb picked up his 2nd win of the season with 1 run allowed in 5 innings. He struck out 3 but struggled with his control, walking 4…Greg Sexton had 3 hits including a double, while Omar Luna was 4-4 with 3 RBI…Henry Wrigley added 2 hits including a double and 2 RBI.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Jonathon Barratt of Montgomery retired. Normally that would not be newsworthy, but what caught our attention was the headline, “Biscuits reliever voluntarily retires”. If a player can be classified as “voluntarily retired” than it goes without saying that there must be an “involuntarily retired” classification. Now it is not surprising to us that some players in the minors “involuntarily” retire, but we are surprised that teams would actually twist the knife with a label. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  • The Ledger-Enquirer talks to Glenn Gibson, whom the Rays received in the Elijah Dukes trade. So far Gibson is struggling in his first full-season action, just proving once again why it is silly to place a player on a “Top Prospects” list before they have accomplished something in at least High-A. [Ledger-Enquirer]
  • The Durham Bulls will once again be wearing pink jerseys for Breast Cancer Awareness. All of the jerseys will be auctioned off on MiLB.com. Bidding has already begun. [MiLB]
Feb 21

[THE HANGOVER] The Rays Are Beginning To Believe

Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Cliff Floyd, Dioner Navarro, Don Zimmer, Elijah Dukes, Eva Longoria, Evan Longoria, Glenn Gibson, Joe Maddon, Jonny Gomes, Rocco Baldelli, Scott Kazmir, Tony Parker Cork Gaines 2 Comments »

Tampa Bay Rays (39 days until Opening Day)

A while back we were critical of Joe Maddon for the following quote…

I think [81 wins is] a reasonable goal…But of course I don’t want us just to stop there.

Some thought we were too hard on Papa Joe. Our point was simple…While 81 wins may be a “realistic” goal, it is not a reasonable goal. If winning games is the goal, as it is this year, then the playoffs are the only reasonable goal. If a manager sets a goal of .500 and only ‘wants’ more, the team will never attain more.

Yesterday Carlos Pena was asked about the recent comments by Scott Kazmir in which Kaz stated that the playoffs were something “that’s possible”. Pena’s comments are exactly what we want to hear from the team’s manager.

“Obviously, in our minds we are a playoff team,” Pena said. “And first we have to believe that. So that has to almost be ingrained in you and not a second thought. We just know we should be playing in October.

“We also know there’s a process. Every game needs to be played to the best of our ability. We need to optimize every single opportunity that comes our way to win ballgames. We know that there’s a process involved. But we do have a vision about becoming a winning team. And we see that in the very near future. We don’t really think that’s very far-fetched.”

It takes more than ‘wanting’ to achieve greatness. It starts with ‘believing’. The Rays are beginning to believe and that is the first step. If a manager/coach can convince his players they can be great, there is a better chance of achieving greatness. Let’s hope that Papa Joe’s words behind the scenes exuded more confidence than his words to the press.

Maybe we are nitpicking the choice of words put forth by Maddon, but for a leader…Every. Word. Counts.

Joe Maddon Considers Mediocrity A ‘Reasonable Goal’ [Rays Index]
Playoffs?! Did he say playoffs? [St. Pete Times]
Notes: Baldelli healthy, ready to go [Tampa Bay Rays]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Rocco Baldelli says he is healthy, but he can’t go all out in workouts the way he would normally. [Bradenton Herald]

“I don’t worry about it. My body might respond a little different if I went out there and killed myself…Normally I go out there in spring training and every drill that I do I do all the reps I’m supposed to and then some, and I do them as hard as I can until when I leave the field…That’s my normal routine, that’s the way I’ve done it for the last eight years…I don’t take reps off. I do everything, and I do it as hard as I can. And maybe that’s not something that my body may agree with, so if I don’t have to I’m not going to. It’s tough, when you play one way, I’ve pretty much always tried to play hard my whole career in every aspect of the game, so it’s an adjustment to not do that every single time you take the field, but it’s something I’m going to do this year, I’m going to take it easy some times.”

  • Jonny Gomes reported to camp with plans for being an everyday player. Sorry Jonny. You are one of our faves, but if Rocco Baldelli is healthy, you are sitting against righties most nights. That means 50-60 starts. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Di you realize that only two players from last year’s opening day lineup will be in the same position on opening day 2008? Carl Crawford and Dioner Navarro. [The Ledger]
  • Rays of Light spotlights Cliff Floyd…who we affectionately refer to as “Dr. Huxtable”, because he is old and wise and jolly and loves pudding pops*. [Rays of Light]
  • Don Zimmer will be wearing #60 this year to commemorate his 60 years in professional baseball. We remember an interview with Zims once when he thought it was weird when he received his first Social Security check because it was the first check he had ever received outside of baseball. [TampaBays10]
  • Tonight the St. Pete city council will hold the first public meeting on the proposed waterfront stadium for the Rays. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Evan Longoria stays away from newspapers and blogs. However, his mother is an avid reader of everything that is ‘Evan Longoria’ on the ‘net. [Tampa Bay Rays]
  • Riverwalk Talk has a couple of quotes from Joe Maddon on Evan Longoria and why they do not want to rush the Dirtbag, and a couple of quotes from Longoria. [Riverwalk Talk]
  • And yes! We have our first sighting of a blog that has attempted humor by dedicating an entire post to the Evan Longoria-Eva Longoria name-likeness. The joke? Eva should have married Evan instead of Tony Parker. Hey Jim Baumbach! We have a joke for you. Peter Pan called. He wants his costume back… It’s not even March. Jim Baumbach of Newsday is now officially on our shit-list. [Newsday]
  • Elijah Dukes said something. Honestly, we don’t give a shit anymore. We barely cared when he was here. Dukes is a loser. He failed the Rays, his teammates, his coaches and the fans. Instead of playing baseball and helping the Rays win games, he turned his own life into a circus. Not only was he an idiot for getting himself suspended and thus not able to help the team, but he made life for his teammates and coaches more difficult. He is dead to us. If Glenn Gibson never pitches one inning for the Rays we will still be glad the Rays got rid of Dukes. [Rays Report]

*we might have made that up

Feb 12

[THE HANGOVER] All Evan Longoria Needs Is A Chance, And Now He’s Got It

BJ Upton, Carl Crawford, Cliff Floyd, David Price, Delmon Young, Elijah Dukes, Evan Longoria, Gary Glover, Jonny Gomes, Josh Paul, Mike DiFelice, Rocco Baldelli, Shawn Riggans Cork Gaines 3 Comments »

Tampa Bay Rays (1 day until pitchers and catchers report)

It is what he wanted.

It is what we wanted.

It is not necessarily what the front office wanted.

But now it looks like Evan Longoria will get the opportunity to prove in Spring Training that he belongs in the majors.

And a chance is all the Dirtbag needs. It won’t take much to convince Joe Maddon. And we have a feeling that if Papa Joe can be convinced, it won’t take much to convince Andrew Friedman.

Longoria will not have to hit .400 in Spring Training and he will not have to hit 10 home runs. In fact, we have a feeling that as long as he does not fall flat on his face, he will be named the Rays opening day starter at third base. As much as Papa Joe likes to crunch numbers on his computer, he still loves himself a good ole fashioned baseball player. Evan Longoria is a baseball player. And Maddon will envision that rubbing off on the other players

Maddon is destined to fall in love with the 22 year old. He will see enough in his swing and his glove to know that he is not going to be over-matched at the major league level.

Longoria may struggle at first. But he is too good a hitter to fail. And Papa Joe will see that.

Longoria will get chance to earn spot [Rays Report]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • ESPN.com takes a closer look at the “revitalized” Carl Crawford. C.C. speaks about having more energy after learning that he was allergic to dairy and wheat products and the subsequent change in his diet. He has also upped his workout regimen and has dropped his body fat from 12% to 8% since December. He also doesn’t hold back in his portrayal of just how miserable 2007 was for the Rays. [ESPN]

“It’s just going to be about playing baseball again, that’s what I’m really excited about this season,” Crawford said at his offseason home. “With all the B.S. that was going on last year, I think we lost focus on the task at hand.” Crawford refers to the ongoing soap opera that featured Elijah Dukes and Delmon Young. Both of the enormously talented players couldn’t stay out of trouble; Dukes with his off-field issues, and Young with his me-first attitude that resulted in him at first walking out on manager Joe Maddon on the second-to-last day of the 2007 regular season. Crawford calls last season a year “he never wants to remember,” and the distractions, at times, were almost unbearable…”That move, for Garza, spoke volumes,” Crawford said. “For the first time I felt like this organization was serious about winning. That’s the reason why I think everybody is excited because everybody sees that.”

  • Joe Maddon confirmed something that we had expected, that is five of the seven bullpen spots are already spoken for, all but guaranteeing that Gary Glover will be on the opening day roster. That leaves one spot that will go to a “loser” in the battle for the starting rotation and the final spot will be between Juan Salas, Scott Dohmann and Grant Balfour. [The Heater]
  • Shawn Riggans enters Spring Training healthy and understands this may be his last shot at winning a job with the Rays now that John Jaso has been added to the 40-man roster. Marc Topkin refers to Riggans as the “apparent leading candidate for the backup catcher’s job.” This might be a stretch after the recent additions of one veteran catcher in Mike DiFelice and the return of Josh Paul who is familiar with the Rays pitching staff. It is our feeling that if the season started today Paul’s experience and familiarity with the pitching staff will be a better partner to the young Dioner Navarro. [St. Pete Times]
  • Marc Topkin reviews all the changes the Rays have made this off-season. [St. Pete Times]
  • The Columbus Catfish have been sold and plan to relocate to Bolling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season. [Ledger-Enquirer]
  • Baseball Analysts continues their breakdown of the best baseball players by age. In the age 23 group, BJ Upton comes in at #6, while both Evan Longoria and David Price come in at #5 and #12 respectively. [Baseball Analysts]
  • The Ledger ranks the DHs. The Rays’ three-headed monster of Rocco Baldelli, Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes is ranked 7th. [The Ledger]
  • My Baseball Bias previews the Rays’ Spring Training. [My Baseball Bias]
  • Devil Rays Locker gives the Rays front office a B+ for this off-season’s moves. [Devil Rays Locker]
Dec 12

[THE HANGOVER] Rays Minor League Affiliates Finalize Coaching Staffs

Barry Larkin, Ben Broussard, Eduardo Encina, Elijah Dukes, Marc Topkin, Matt Silverman, Michael Kalt, Miguel Olivo, Troy Percival Cork Gaines No Comments »

Tampa Bay Rays (64 days until pitchers and catchers report)

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Yesterday we mentioned that Ben Broussard and Miguel Olivo could be on the Rays radar if they are non-tendered by their respective teams. Eduardo Encina says that Broussard would fit, but that “at age 29 (Olivo) would not fit into Tampa Bay’s plans”. To agree with one of our commenters, we are not sure if 29 is too young or too old. [TampaBay.com]
  • The Rays announced the coaching staffs for all six affiliates. Here is the complete list. [DevilRays]
  • Rays president Matt Silverman and senior VP Michael Kalt answered a number of questions that were submitted to the St. Pete Times from their readers, covering a wide-range of topics. Most of the answers are PR-flavored and not much of the information is new to those that follow the team closely. [TampaBay.com]
  • New Rays closer Troy Percival has 324 career saves. Good for 12th all-time. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have 335 saves…Total…In 10 seasons.
  • Marc Topkin takes a look at what the opening day roster and lineup could look like. [TampaBay.com]
  • Rays Digest takes a closer look at various VORP values produced by Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007. [Rays Digest]
  • The Washington Nationals have moved Elijah Dukes out of the Tampa area, in an effort to separate him from his past, to Orlando, where he will spend the next two months working out with Barry Larkin. [ESPN]
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