Mar 05
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: Manny Ramirez. File this one under “things that Dodgers and Red Sox fans will not understand”: Manny requested to be in yesterday’s lineup so that he could get more work in left field just in case he is needed there during the regular season…Alex Torres. Part of the next wave of pitching talent after Jeremy Hellickson, the lefty got the start and pitched 2 scoreless innings, with a pair of strikeouts and 1 walk…Rob Delaney. Delaney got another look early in a game, this time pitching a 1-2-3- 4th inning.
THE BAD: Mike Ekstrom. At one point early in the off-season we had Ekstrom as a near-lock for a bullpen spot. But 832 minor league contracts later and now some shaky spring performances, and we are starting to think it is a long-shot at best. Yesterday Ekstrom allowed 1 run in his 1 inning of work. He has now allowed 6 runs (5 earned) in 1.2 innings.
THE TELLING: Jeff Niemann pitched 2 innings in a “B” game on a side field. He allowed 6 runs (4 earned)…Ben Zobrist was originally in the lineup but was scratched with a sore ankle…Jeremy Hellickson will throw two batting practice sessions prior to making his spring training debut next Friday.
RANDOM THOUGHTS: The Rays are still hacking away. Six regulars played yesterday and they drew no walks…We really wish Joe Maddon wouldn’t have placed BJ Upton at the top of the lineup on the same day that we ripped ESPN for projecting Upton as the leadoff hitter (among other things). Way to have our backs Joe. Sheesh.
THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Chris Richard, the Durham Bulls all-time home run leader (84) has retired. [IndyWeek.com]
- Jason Isringhausen announced that he will retire if he doesn’t make the Mets opening day roster. [StlToday.com]
- Prior to last season, the Rays had tentatively accepted an offer from the Red Sox Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 24
Time to bring back 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
Apparently the Rays decided to take a second day off. Maybe they will show up tonight.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Winston Abreu and Lance Cormier or else it would have been much worse.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Andrew Friedman confirmed that Scott Kazmir could return this week, but said he will wait on a final decision after watching Kazmir in his bullpen session later today…that sounds suspiciously like “we haven’t told the odd-man out yet that he is the odd-man out.” [Rays Report]
- With Scott Kazmir set to return later this week, there has been some idle chatter both in the press and among fans that David Price could be the odd-man out of the rotation. While it is certainly possible, it doesn’t seem likely. Joe Maddon has repeatedly said that the team is willing to go through the growing pains with Price which seems to indicate that they have no desire to bounce him up and down between the Rays and the minors.
- Marc Lancaster discusses the Rays options in the rotation. [Tampa Tribune]
- Jason Isringhausen underwent Tommy John surgery yesterday. [Miami Herald]
- Her Rays sums last night’s game up with a simple but effective title. [Her Rays]
- FS Florida has video footage from the Rays fashion show. [FS Florida/Sun Sports] [via Rays Revolutionary]
- Derek Jeter took the lead from Evan Longoria in the all-star voting. [Rays Report]
- Martin Fennelly writes about Pat Burrell’s struggles at the plate. [Tampa Tribune]
Jun 16
Time to bring back 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: Kevin Kennedy. As a former catcher, we always prefer the perspective of somebody that wore the tools of ignorance. Despite 15 years behind the plate and a couple of years coaching, we often find ourselves learning something from Kennedy about the game and the craft.
THE BAD: Kevin Kennedy. We really wish Kennedy would offer up his opinion on taking infield practice prior to a game (end sarcasm). We generally try to catch the opposing team’s broadcast for the first game of every series so we can get a feel for how others view the Rays. That means that we have only caught the Rays broadcast crew for about 35-40 games this season (we do radio from time to time). And in just those games we must have heard Kennedy rant about infield practice at least 4 times.
THE TELLING: Kevin Kennedy. You can tell that he is still learning the Rays and the organization. We can’t expect him to sound like somebody that has covered the team for 10 years. There is certainly a learning curve. For the most part we have been happy with his commentary, even if sometimes it sounds like Dewayne Staats has left the booth to go get a hot dog.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Jason Isringhausen’s MRI showed that he has a torn UCL in his elbow and is done for the season. He will need Tommy John surgery. His agent says that Izzy plans to pitch again. [St. Pete Times]
- The Rays Party has a couple of great before and after pictures showing how Ben Zobrist is now using his lower body to generate more power. [The Rays Party]
- Joe Smith has a piece on BJ Upton’s growing Gold Glove chances, with quotes from somebody that knows the award well, Torii Hunter…In the same piece, Joe Maddon admits that even though he would prefer Ben Zobrist as a utility player, Zorilla has earned a shot to be the most-days second baseman. [St. Pete Times]
- Joe Smith writes about Jeff Niemann’s rocky road as a professional. [St. Pete Times]
- Rays Revolutionary offers up some Fathers Day shopping ideas, Rays Style. [Rays Revolutionary]
- Rays the Stakes pens an open letter to the Rays. [Rays the Stakes]
Jun 15
Time to bring back 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: The Trop. Gabe Kapler’s home run barely cleared the short wall in the left-field corner for 2 runs that tied the game in the 6th. Then Willy Aybar hit a routine ground ball down the third base line that hit the bag and caromed into left field to drive in the go ahead run in the 8th. Aybar probably beats the play anyway, but Carlos Pena would have stayed at second had the ball not been deflected…JP Howell. Outside of the 1 hit batter, Howell struck out the side in the 9th for his 3rd save and now looks like Joe Maddon’s go-to guy in critical 9th inning situations.
THE BAD: James Shields. Usually when James Shields is off his game it is 3-4 walks or a couple of home runs. Yesterday, he was doubled to death. But, in true Shieldsy fashion, he still managed to work into the 7th inning…Elijah Dukes. Dukes? Why did it have to be Dukes? Elijah, very dangerous.
THE TELLING: Pat Burrell batted second in what can only be described as Dusty Baker’s worst base-clogging nightmare…Gabe Gross started in right field despite the lefty on the mound for the Nationals. In fact, Gross has now started 6 in a row. Gabe Kapler got the start in left as Carl Crawford was given the day off…With Reid Brignac heading back to Durham and Joe Dillon remaining with the Rays, it looks like Ben Zobrist is now an everyday player and a lot of those days will be at second base…Prior to his 0-3 on Sunday, Brignac had hit safely in 5 straight and was 8-17 in that stretch.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gabe Kapler.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Jason Isringhausen went on the 60-day DL to make room for Winston Abreu on the 40-man roster (players on 60-day DL do not count towards the 40-man roster) even though Izzy will not have an MRI on his elbow until today. [Rays Report]
- Jason Bartlett was activated and Reid Brignac was sent back to Durham. [The Heater]
- Scott Kazmir will start for the Charlotte Stone Crabs on Wednesday as part of a rehab assignment. At this point there is no word how long Kazmir’s rehab assignment will last.
- Sporting News has a Q&A with Carl Crawford in which he discusses his chances at stealing 100 and the toughest pitcher to steal against. [Sporting News]
- Around the Majors wrote a piece on their personal experiences with Ben Zobrist. [Around the Majors]
Jun 14
Time to bring back 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
No GBT today. Enjoy Pop Goes the Weasel Day.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ben Zobrist
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Jason Isringhausen reinjured his surgically repaired elbow and was placed on the DL. The Rays promoted Winston Abreu from triple-A to take Izzy’s place. Abreu was dominating the IL with 49 strikeouts in 32 innings with only 14 hits and 10 walks. He has a 1.41 ERA and 10 saves. Abreu has appeared in 33 big league games with the O’s and Nationals. [The Heater]
- Joe Maddon made it clear that the Rays have no interest in using David Price as a closer. [St. Pete Times]
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald says Pedro Martinez has been working out 5 days a week and hopes to sign with a contender by the end of the month. His goal is to start in the minors and be ready for the big leagues after the all-star break. [Boston Herald]
- Marc Topkin confirms the Rays will wear throwback uniforms on July 11. [St. Pete Times]
- Marc Lancaster takes a look at the Rays defensive drop-off in 2009. [Tampa Tribune]
- The Rays Party notices some similarities between BJ Upton and one of the Rays draft picks. [The Rays Party]
May 18
Time to bring back 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: Michel Hernandez. His at bat in the 4th was close to being an entry in “The Bad.” Bases loaded and no outs, just about any contact will score a run. But instead of looking for a specific pitch to drive on pitch-1, Hernandez flails at a changeup 6 inches off the plate. But he redeemed himself by driving pitch-3 down the lef field line for a bases clearing double…Carl Crawford. His RBI single in the first got the scoring started, and his diving catch ended the game…Jason Bartlett. Another 3-hit game? He is hitting .370? His triple off the top of the wall is a little more indicative of the power Bartlett has…JP Howell…He came on and got a big strikeout to end a rally in the 7th. And then cruised through the 8th with 2 more Ks.
THE BAD: Joe Maddon. Fill out a lineup card often? OK, OK. Maddon was saved by Andy Sonnanstine’s RBI double and the win, but screwing up the lineup card and ending up with a left-handed hitting pitcher batting third against a lefty should never happen…Andy Sonnanstine. So the guy on deck is 4-5 in his career against Sonny with 2 home runs. The Last thing The Duke should do is walk the #8 hitter just before him with 2 outs. Next batter? 3-run home run. The only thing worse than that would be to screw up something easy like a lineup card…Eric Wedge. He had the nerve to argue that Troy Percival should be ejected for hitting a batter in the 9th, after his own guy intentionally threw at BJ Upton twice. On an 0-2 pitch, with the game on the line, not only was there no way Percy’s pitch was intentional, but Wedge should have known that his team had a better shot at coming from behind with Percival on the mound…The Professor. For finding a way to knock Troy Percival even on a day he got a nice relatively easy save…The Umpires. Not all their faults, but a rough game all around. Again, not really their fault, but they are supposed to review the lineup cards. They missed the double off the top of the wall by Cleveland and of course failed to keep the situation with Kerry Wood and BJ upton under control.
THE TELLING: With Pat Burrell going on the DL and Jason Isringhausen being promoted, Joe Maddon will be with only 3 bench players for the time being. And one of those players is the backup catcher and unavailable most nights in case Dioner Navarro is injured during a game. This could become a problem later in the week when the Devil Rays ($15) play in Miami with no DH, which will give Maddon an extra bench player but with the pitchers hitting, he will need more pinch hitters than normal…The Devil Rays ($16) and Indians play another 4-game set next week. Things could get ugly.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jason Bartlett.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- There has been some sentiment from a couple of readers to set up a PayPal account in which they would match all or some of the fine that I will pay to the Tampa Bay Rays Foundation for my continued use of the “Devil Rays” ($17) moniker until the team has a winning record. Before I do this, i would like to gauge the interest. If you would be interested in matching all or some of the fine that I end up paying just leave a “Yes” in the comments or drop me an email. Feel free to use “Anonymous” in the comments. And no matter what you say now, there is absolutely no obligation down the line to do anything. This is just curiosity at this point. Thanks.
- Joe Maddon accepted all the blame for submitting an incorrect lineup card that led to Andy Sonnanstine batting third instead of Evan Longoria. [St. Pete Times]
- Marc Lancaster has some quotes from the umpires on all the shenanigans of yesterday’s game. [Rays Report]
- Pat Burrell has been placed on the 15-day DL. However, the move is retroactive to May 11, so he is eligible to return a week from today. Jason Isringhausen has been promoted from Durham to take The Bat’s place on the roster. [SI.com]
- The Akron Beacon Journal refers to the missed called on Carl Crawford’s catch as a “nightmare.”…what amazed us is that when the umpire ruled a catch, the most surprised person in the house was Crawford. We thought it was pretty obvious he didn’t catch the ball based on his reaction alone. [Akron Beacon Journal]
- Joe Maddon and Jim Hickey met with the starting pitchers prior to yesterday’s game to reassure them that he still has confidence in them as a group. [Rays Report]
- The Triangle Offense has the first-hand account of David Price’s 5 hitless innings. He did throw one spike curve, and it wasn’t pretty. [The Triangle Offense]
- Rays Revolutionary wants to hear some love for Troy Percival…There is a saying. Something about the sun and a dog’s ass. [Rays Revolutionary]
May 12
Gwinnett 4, Durham 0. Mitch Talbot allowed 3 runs in 5 innings on 6 hits and 4 walks. He is now 3-3 with a 4.10 ERA…The Bulls managed only 3 hits, 2 by Ray Sadler…Reid Brignac was 0-4 with 2 Ks and Matt Joyce was 0-4 with 1 K. Brignac also committed his 8th error on the young season.
Montgomery, Mobile. Brandon Mann allowed 4 runs in 3 innings…Eddie Morlan pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief and has a 2.37 ERA this season…Jason Perry homered for the second time in 5 games since being plucked out of an independent league. He is 7-19 overall (.368) with 2 doubles and 2 home runs.
Jupiter 7, Charlotte 4. Daren Downs allowed 7 runs in 3.1 innings for his first loss of the season…Cody Cipriano homered for the third time in 6 games.
Bowling Green 5, Savannah 2. Frank de los Santos gave up 1 run in 6 innings, striking out 4 and walking only 1…Tim Beckham was 2-4 with an RBI double and a bunt single. He is now hitting .314 but has 27 strikeouts in 27 games with only 4 walks…Jake Jefferies (above) hit his 3rd home run, a 3-run shot.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
- David Price says his slider has been “bad” early in the season and we learn from Stacy Long that Price is working on a new pitch, a spike curveball (Ed. note: a spike curveball is just a chic name for a knuckle curve. The issue is some pitchers use different grips on the knuckle curve. Back when the knuckle curve first became popular, many pitchers used the fingertip of their index finger, like a knuckleball. This is the same as the spike curve. Nowadays a lot of pitchers throw the knuckle curve with their index finger curled and the first joint of the index finger on the ball, like so). [Biscuit Crumbs]
- Jeremy Hellickson and Desmond Jennings were named the Rays minor league pitcher and player of the month, respectively. [Montgomery Biscuits]
- Here is an interview with Jason Isringhausen, in which he discusses his future with the Rays or “another team.” Maybe we are reading to much into it, but even though he says all the right things, he just doesn’t sound like he is very happy about being in Durham. (thanks Chris) [AUDIO]
May 08
Jayson Stark weighs in on Carl Crawford’s pending team option for 2010.
…the Rays are a team that looks at everything — from payroll to roster composition — in three-year chunks, not one-year increments. So one baseball man familiar with their thinking says there is just about “zero chance” that they would decline Crawford’s option and make him a free agent. If that puts them over budget, they would simply compensate by adjusting their payroll down the road by infusing more young players…So if the Rays win, or at least contend, they could find a way to bring back all their key players What’s more likely, though, is that they would pick up Crawford’s option and then listen more seriously to offseason offers than they ever have in the past — because keeping him as a free agent presents a whole different financial challenge.
The problem with the first scenario is that Stuart Sternberg has already indicated that the Rays have already borrowed from future payrolls just to reach the $63 million this season. We can’t imagine they would be willing to do that again next year.
That leaves the second scenario as the more likely of the two…The Rays will entertain offers for Crawford.
Stark then offers his two cents on the brewing bullpen logjam with the imminent promotion of Jason Isringhausen.
Jason Isringhausen’s rehab option is up May 19. And the Rays would like to add him to their late-inning mix if all goes well over the next week or so. But they have limited roster flexibility, so mark down Tampa Bay as potentially the first club to make relief pitching available. Could a Dan Wheeler or J.P. Howell be a candidate to get moved? Not likely, but there are clubs tracking both of them…Meanwhile, [David] Price is still a Triple-A work in progress, so his ascension to the Trop doesn’t appear imminent. But when Price does arrive, whenever that is, other clubs believe the Rays could look to deal either Andy Sonnanstine or Jeff Niemann — although it’s still possible they could move the odd starter out to bullpen land.
No way JP Howell is moved as he is Joe Maddon’s ideal and Dan Wheeler is a Jim Hickey favorite. So who would the Rays move? The obvious choices are Lance Cormier and Joe Nelson. Are we being too strict on Wheeler? Might somebody find some value, any value in Troy Percival? Not likely.
Sizing up A-Rod’s ‘historic’ contract [ESPN]
May 06
Durham 8, Charlotte 2. James Houser picked up his first win, giving up 2 runs in 5 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 1…Jason Isringhausen made his second appearance with Durham allowing 2 hits in 1 inning…Reid Brignac homered, his second, and walked in 5 plate appearances…Adam Kennedy was 2-4 with a walk to raise his average to .295 and Matt Joyce was 2-3 with a double and 2 walks and now has an OBP of .429…Justin Ruggiano hit a 3-run home run and drove in 4.
Montgomery. Jeremy Hellickson was pulled after 2 innings with an injury (see below)…Desmond Jennings was 2-3 with a triple and a pair of sac flys. He drove in 3, but was caught stealing. He is now hitting .402. We sure hope Jon Weber isn’t too comfortable with his starting job in Durham…Shawn Riggans made his first rehab start, playing 5 innings behind the plate and going 1-2 with a walk and an RBI.
Charlotte 6, Jupiter 0. Darin Downs pitched 8 shutout innings to improve to 5-0 with a 1.34 ERA. He struck out 6 and walked none…Matt Hall hit a 3-run home run in the 3rd that put Charlotte up for good.
Rome 6, Bowling Green 4 (gm 1). Frank de los Santos gave up 5 runs (2 earned) in 3.1 innings…Tim Beckham was 2-3 with a triple and 2 RBI.
Bowling Green 3, Rome 2 (gm 2). Joe Cruz struck out 7 and walked none in 4.1 scoreless innings…Tim Beckham was 2-4 with a 2-run home run, his second. He is hitting .307.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
- Jeremy Hellickson suffered a mild sprain in his throwing shoulder and had to be removed after 2 innings. He is expected to only miss one start. Hellboy said that he just felt a little discomfort on a pickoff attempt and that it “feels good now.” He will be reevaluated in a few days. [Montgomery Advertiser]
- Shawn Riggans is expected to DH today, catch 5 innings on Thursday and 7 innings on Saturday. Riggans is hopeful to be promoted in time to start Sunday at Fenway. [Montgomery Advertiser]
- Triangle Offense takes a closer look at Dale Thayer and his status as a prospect. [Triangle Offense]
May 04
Durham 4, Columbus 2. Wade Davis picked up his 3rd win in 3 decisions, pitching 5 innings and allowing 2 runs. He allowed 6 hits and walked 3, while striking out 3…Jason Isringhausen made his first appearance for Durham and pitched a perfect 6th inning…Reid Brignac went 0-4 and Justin Ruggiano was 1-4 and is now hitting .195…Matt Joyce was 1-3 with a walk to raise his average to .311…Adam Kennedy had 2 singles in 4 at bats and is 5 for his last 8 and has hit safely in 5 straight.
Montgomery @ Mississippi (ppd. rain).
Ft. Myers 6, Charlotte 5. Charlotte led the game 5-0 but Ft. Myers tied it up in the 6th and won it in the bottom of the 9th on a sac fly after the leadoff hitter reached base on a strikeout/wild pitch…David Newmann struck out 5 and allowed 3 runs in 6 innings…Cody Cipriano hit his 2nd home run of the season, a 3-run shot in the 3rd.
Rome 10, Bowling Green 3. Shane Dyer took the loss with 4 runs in 6 innings…Tim Beckham had a triple in 4 at bats and drove in 2. He also committed his 3rd error in 2 games and has 6 on the season.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
- Triangle Offense got a first-hand look at Jason Isringhausen’s first appearance for Durham. [Triangle Offense]
Isringhausen’s body language gave every sign of intent not to be in Durham long, and in any case he can’t be: Minor-league rehab assignments are limited to 30 days for pitchers. If all goes well, he’ll be in Tampa soon;
The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
