Archive for the 'Frank Thomas' Category

Apr 21

[THE HANGOVER] Edwin Jackson Reverts Back To Nuke-Of-Old

Barack Obama, Dan Johnson, Dioner Navarro, Edwin Jackson, Evan Longoria, Frank Thomas, Jeff Niemann, Jonny Gomes, Justin Ruggiano, Matt Garza, Mike DiFelice, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 4 Comments »


THE GOOD: The Bullpen? Are we the only ones that think a huge bullpen implosion is just waiting to happen? Yesterday, four relievers combined for 4.2 innings, 3 hits, 1 walk and no runs, while striking out 5. The bullpen now has an ERA of 2.70, a number that is unfathomable for a Tampa Bay relief corps.

THE BAD: Edwin Jackson’s last two starts. Since pitching shutout ball for 8, 2-hit innings against the M’s, Nuke has allowed 11 runs on 11 hits and 7 walks in 9.1 innings. That line looks an awful lot like the ’07 Jackson…The offense. 9 strikeouts and ZERO walks. After Sunday’s shutout, their second of the year, the Rays have now been held to 2 runs or less in 6 games.

THE TELLING: Since the 4th game of the year the Rays are averaging only 4.2 runs per game. The offense is supposed to be catching up to the pitchers not losing ground…The Rays are now 2-5 in their last 7 and 5-10 in their last 15…The Rays have used 5 people in right field but so far they haven’t been too terrible. So far Rays right fielders have hit .281-4-9 with an .854 OPS. Delmon Young is hitting .236-0-6 with an .559 OPS…Jonny Gomes is hitting .304/.429/.565 versus right handed pitchers.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • The Rays finally added Dan Johnson to the 25-man roster with Jeff Niemann being optioned to Durham giving Justin Ruggiano a stay of demotion until Matt Garza is promoted on Friday to start that night. With the off-day, Andy Sonnanstine will move a spot and make the start on Thursday. Marc Topkin also suggested that Mike DiFelice will be DFA’d on Tuesday to make room for Dioner Navarro. [The Heater]
  • Rays of Light questions the move of adding Dan Johnson, noting that he adds less flexibility to the roster, not more…We have to agree that the Rays won’t be printing any Dan Johnson jerseys as his tenure with the Rays is likely to be a short one. Look for Johnson to be DFA’d once people start returning from injuries. [Rays of Light]
  • MLB Trade Rumors has a bunch of links and discussion on the Evan Longoria deal. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  • Fanhouse thinks the new deal for Evan Longoria is a bad deal for the Rays because of the risk that Longoria will be a bust. We don’t have a link, but if you go back and look at the top hitting prospects in Baseball America’s annual lists you will see that hitting prospects almost never bust. The worst they become is usually an average player. Pitching prospects on the other hand bust all the time. This is a great deal for the Rays. [Fanhouse]
  • Portfolio.com wonders if the Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki deals signal an end to baseball’s mega-deals…That may be a little extreme considering the Mets just gave Johan Santana $137.5 million. [Portfolio.com]
  • Rays Digest wonders if the Rays would be interested in Frank Thomas…Thomas is angry and he would very likely welcome another AL East suitor for a chance to play the Jays 18-19 times this season. And he is sufficiently motivated to resume his role as the “Big Hurt”. He would also certainly be cheap as the Jays are still paying his $8 million salary this year. Still, we have to wonder how Thomas fits with the Rays who already have Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes at DH. Thomas is less of a fielder than Barry Bonds. And is Thomas really that much better than Floyd? [Rays Digest]
  • Beyond the Boxscore also takes a look at the Rays as one of several potential suitors for Frank Thomas. [Beyond the Boxscore]
  • We love that the Yankees super-duo of Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes is struggling so far this year. As much time as we spend in New York, it was starting to reach ludicrous levels this off-season with Yankees fans and Red Sox fans fighting over which team had the best rotation in baseball. And time after time, Yankees fans would talk about Kennedy and Hughes as if they were locks to win 17-20 games this season. [Baseball Musings]
  • Our new friends at Hugging Harold Reynolds are having a fundraiser to try and get enough money to “hire” the real Harold Reynolds to blog at their site. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]
  • One blogger compares Stuart Sternberg to Barack Obama, both beacons of change. [The Year Is Coming]

Now, if Obama could be as successful turning our country around as Sternberg and Matthew Silverman (president/GM) has been turning the Devil Rays around, I wouldn’t be surprised if within three years, we all have global health care and Iraq has a settled, stable government.

Apr 11

AL East Roundup: Prelude To The Great A-Rod Escape

Alex Rios, Alex Rodriguez, Dice-K, Frank Thomas, Ichiro, Jaret Wright Cork Gaines No Comments »


AL EAST W L GB L10 STK E#
Toronto Blue Jays 4 3 - 4-3 L1 –
Boston Red Sox 4 3 - 4-3 W2 –
New York Yankees 4 3 - 4-3 W2 –
Baltimore Orioles 3 5 1.5 3-5 W2 154
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2 5 2.0 2-5 L4 154

Red Sox 14, Mariners 3. The Sox went all Tea Party on the Mariners in their home opener at Fenway. Boston scored 7 in the first two innings and were up 13-1 after 5. Josh Beckett may have had his best start as a Red Sox giving up just 2 hits and 1 run over 7 innings. He walked none and struck out 8. JD Drew managed to hit his first home run with Boston and he didn’t pull a hamstring rounding the bases.

Tigers 3, Orioles 1. The Orioles just can’t catch a break. Jaret Wright pitched better, but still lost his second straight with the O’s and then had to be removed with shoulder stiffness.

Royals 6, Blue Jays 3. Toronto committed 4 errors leading to 3 unearned runs. Josh Towers made his first start of the year and gave up all 6 runs.

Yankees 10, Twins 1. Andy Pettite pitched 6 scoreless innings and he was supported by Alex Rodiguez’s 6th home run of the season. An A-bomb by A-Rod! At this pace A-Rod may beat Barry Bonds to the home run record. He only needs 286 more home runs. The Yankees, Sox and Jays are all tied for first in the AL East. This race is going down to the wire!

NOTES FROM AROUND THE AL EAST…

  • Jaret Wright was upset after the game and indicated that the injury to his shoulder is reminiscent of his previous shoulder injuries that led to two surgeries.
  • The Yankees starters have struggled, but the bullpen has been strong.
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka will face Ichiro tonight to lead off the Red Sox game against the Mariners. The two have faced each other before in Japan. Here is video of their encounters in Japan.
  • The Red Sox honored the 1967 AL Championship team before their home opener.
  • Frank Thomas has 488 career home runs, but his sights are set on 600.
  • Alex Rodriguez is just the 4th player in the last 50 years with an extra-base hit in each of his team’s first seven games, and one of seven players with 6 home runs in his teams first 7 games.
  • It is only seven games, but some are already talking MVP for Alex Rodriguez. The funny thing about all this is…Let’s say A-Rod hits .330 with 60 home runs, 150 RBI and wins the MVP. The he has a big October but the Yankees fall short in the playoffs. Because of all the crap he has received from the fans, he will opt-out of his contract and Yankees fans will find a way to blame A-Rod. He will be a coward, even though it was the fans that wanted him gone as recently as the second game of the season when he popped up in the 8th inning with the bases loaded against the Rays.
  • Alex Rios is a better player when he is leading off.

Apr 05

AL East Roundup: Japanese Media To Invade Kansas City

Dice-K, Frank Thomas, John Gibbons Cork Gaines No Comments »


AL EAST W L GB L10 STK E#
New York Yankees 1 0 0 1-0 W1 –
Toronto Blue Jays 1 1 0.5 1-1 L1 161
Boston Red Sox 1 1 0.5 1-1 W1 161
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 0 1 1.0 0-1 L1 161
Baltimore Orioles 0 3 2.0 0-3 L3 159

Twins 7, O’s 2. The Twins completed a season opening 3-game sweep of the Orioles. Rays fans everywhere are rejoicing as 4th place in 2007 could be a reality. Making his first start for Baltimore, after two seasons with the Yankees, Jaret Wright gave up 4 hits and 5 walks in 2+ innings.

Red Sox 7, Royals 1. The Sox dominated from the start, scoring 3 in the first, making sure that all Royals fans know their place in the universe. Josh Beckett struggled with his control, walking 4, but only gave up 2 hits in 5 innings of work. The Shaggy God of OBP Kevin Youkalis homered for Boston.

Tigers 10, Jays 9. The Jays scored 7 in the 8th, but still fell 1 run short. AJ Burnett pitched like Nuke LaLoosh screws….kinda, all over the place. He gave up 5 hits, 4 walks and 6 runs in 2 innings. Victor Zambrano was up to his old tricks in his first appearance for the Jays. He walked 3 in 1 inning. ‘Bout right.
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his major league debut today against the Royals. The Royals? It’s always nice to have a tune up for the real games.
  • Baseball Musings says that the Red Sox should be worried about their rotation. We say they might not be yet, but if Dice-K struggles tonight. The Pink Hat Nation will start to panic.
  • At 0-3, is it too early to panic in Baltimore? Maybe not, but they are having serious doubts. Did they really expect Jaret Wright to be a difference maker?
  • Jays manager John Gibbons may not have a lot of job security this season.
  • Apparently Canadians have the sense of humor of a fungoe. A commercial featuring Frank Thomas had to be removed from Canadian broadcasts because it depicts the Big Hurt hitting one of his children with a pillow, with exaggerated effects.
  • Sports in Toronto has come a long ways since the Blue Jays came on board in 1977.