Archive for the 'Joba Chamberlain' Category

Sep 14

[THE HANGOVER] David Price Could Make First Start As Early As Wednesday

BJ Upton, Carl Crawford, David Price, Evan Longoria, James Shields, Jason Bartlett, Jeff Niemann, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Maddon, Jose Molina, Matt Garza, Mitch Talbot, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 7 Comments »



THE GOOD: James Shields. It had been a while since we had seen Shields paint one of his Shieldsian Masterpieces. When Shields is on his game as he was yesterday, it is like watching a young Greg Maddux. The Greg Maddux that actually threw fastballs in the low 90s and would work 8 innings. It really is a thing of beauty. 8 innings, 6 strikeouts, no walks. In only 1 inning (6th) did a runner even reach second base. We call him “James the Greater”. But maybe “Bulldog” is more appropriate.

THE BAD: In the nightcap, Ben Zobrist put the Rays in a position to win with his second career grand slam and then put the Rays in a position to lose with his 7th error of the season. Instead of an inning-ending double play, Zobrist threw an easy toss to second into right field, leading to 2 runs…The Rays had at least 2 runners on base in each of the first 3 innings and failed to score…Prior to Ben Zobrist’s grand slam, the Rays were 0-8 with runners in scoring position (if you count Fernando Perez’ “sacrifice” in the 2nd when he was trying to bunt for a basehit)…After Ben Zobrist’s grand slam with 1 out in the 4th, Yankees pitchers faced the minimum over the next 14 batters until Gabe Gross singled off of Mo Rivera to lead off the 9th…Matt Garza’s control. He only walked 3 batters in 5 innings, but of his 83 pitches only 47 were strikes (57%).

THE TELLING: In the first game of the double-header, both Ben Zobrist and Fernando Perez, switch-hitters, batted right-handed against the righty Mike Mussina. Joe Maddon told both players they could start as long as they went along with the plan. Combined, they went 2-5 with a single and a double against Moose.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Our good friends at The Serious Tip, turn 2 today…Happy Birthday! [The Serious Tip]
  • Because Joe Maddon switched Matt Garza and James Shields in the rotation on Friday and Saturday and because of the subsequent rainout on Friday, the Rays are without a starter for Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox. That game would have been Garza’s start and Papa Joe could still decide use Garza despite only 3 days rest. Garza only threw 83 pitches last night. Or Maddon could decide to use one of the trio of starters just called up from triple-A, David Price, Jeff Niemann or Mitch Talbot…This is where we would normally make an educated guess as to what Maddon will do. However this time we have no clue. We could make an argument for all 4. Our gut says Niemann. Thoughts? [St. Pete Times]
  • Reason number 705 that we love Stuart Sternberg and why the Rays are lucky to work for him. [Tampa Tribune]

“I just want to be there with the Red Sox fans when they cheer Jeter on, and A-Rod, and their former Damon, and Giambi, and the whole crew. All the guys that they love all year long, year after year, as they sit there and root for them to get hits and strikeouts and all that good stuff. I’d love to share a bar seat with a couple of Sox fans as they root for the Yankees.”

  • Rays The Stakes wants to know why Troy Percival is still the Rays closer. [Rays The Stakes]
  • John Romano thinks Francisco Rodriguez is a better comparison for David Price than Joba Chamberlain. [St. Pete Times]
  • We saw in the nightcap that BJ Upton was sporting a fresh mohawk. And now we read that Evan Longoria went mohawk in between yesterday’s games. Anybody have pictures? [St. Pete Times]
  • Jose Molina took exception to being hit by James Shields in the 6th inning of the opener with the Rays up 7-0. Molina gave a long stare to Shields and then was called for interference when he went out of the baseline to try and kick Jason Bartlett, while sliding into second on a double play. [Rays Report]
  • The Charleston Post and Courier interviewed Carl Crawford, in which he states a strong desire to have a grass ballpark for the Rays. [Charleston Post and Courier]
  • If there is any doubt that a sports franchise can survive in the Bay Area, Forbes ranks the Tampa Bay Bucs as tied for the 6th most valuable team in football at $1.1 billion. [Forbes]
Jun 01

[THE SUNDAY MORNING REVOLUTION] Kazmir Picks Up 5th Win In May

David Price, Delmon Young, Jason Bartlett, Joba Chamberlain, Matt Garza, Rocco Baldelli, Scott Kazmir, Troy Percival admin 3 Comments »




DRG here again to get you through the weekend. I can be reached here..

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Marc Topkin is up to his over-dramatic ways. According to Topkin the Rays success is mostly due to having Eric Hinske, Al Reyes and Dan Wheeler. Don’t get me wrong. Those players have been great and the Rays do have nice depth for the first time. But everybody else with half a brain knows that the starting pitching and defense and the bullpen as a whole are the reasons the Rays are winning. [St. Pete Times]
  • Rocco Baldelli played in his second extended spring game and went 0-5. Rocco will continue to play extended spring games for the next 10 days. After that he could join a minor league affiliate (most likely Vero Beach) for a rehab assignment. [USA Today]
  • Troy Percival has a lower than expected BABIP for his career. This author says this statline is a “little myterious”. I don’t think there is any mystery at all. This just says that when batters are making contact, they often don’t make contact well. In other words, Percival’s pitches have enough movement to miss the sweetspot of the opposition’s bats. [Statistically Speaking]
  • The Boston Globe says that the Rays are the team that other General Managers will be jealous of for the next 10 years. [Boston Globe]
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post says that the Rays are contenders, and gives 5 reasons why the Rays are here to stay. The wild-card reason is that he thinks David Price can have a similar impact as Joba Chamberlain did last year. He also polled 5 AL exaecutives and asked them to pick any 15 players from the Rays and the Yankees rosters with the intent of winning this year. The consensus seemed to be that they would select just as many Rays as Yankees, suggesting salaries aside, the talent levels of the two franchises are almost equal. [Fox Sports]
  • For all the good things the Rays are doing this year, the Rays have struggled with Runners in Scoring Position. [MLB]
  • Tampa Bay Sports Blog thinks that Scott Kazmir should be the favorite for the Cy Young award. [Tampa Bay Sports Blog]
  • The success of Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett and the Rays may be adding pressure to Delmon Young. [Minneapolis Star-Tribune]
May 31

[THE SATURDAY MORNING REVOLUTION] Hawk Harrelson And His Family Ruin A Perfectly Good Game

BJ Upton, Cliff Floyd, David Price, Dioner Navarro, Hawk Harrelson, Jake McGee, Joba Chamberlain, Rick Baker, Tony Gwynn, Wade Davis admin 3 Comments »




DRG here again to get you through the weekend. I can be reached here..

The Good: The call by the White Sox announcers on Cliff Floyd’s walk-off home run to lead off the 9th inning. “That ball hit way back…DeWayne Wise at the fence…jumps…AND MAKES THE CATCH…no…that ball is outta here and this ball game is over.” For the record, Wise missed that ball by about 8 feet. I mean he was in the neighborhood, but anybody with a pulse knew he didn’t catch it. Hawk Harrelson is such a homer, that he wishes the ball into White Sox gloves.

The Bad: Rays got the first 2 batters on in the 1st inning. What are the chances of BJ Upton grounding into a double-play with Carl Crawford on first? If they play together for the next 10 years, I would be surprised if it happens 5 more times…Hawk Harrelson’s grandson proposed to his girlfriend at the game. Hawk knew it was going to happen and made sure the camera’s were focused on his grandson so all the friends and family could watch back home. Why do guys think this is OK? For those of you that are yet to propose…TRUST ME…they want a private moment. Just the two of you. She doesn’t want to share this with your grandfather or thousands of people on the big screen or the little screen at home.

The Telling: How fast is Carl Crawford? In the 9th inning somebody hit a line drive down the left field line that was 15 feet foul and with CC playing pulled over to left-center. There shoudn’t have even been a play, but Crawford actually dove for the ball. He missed it. But he and NOBODY else would have even been close to the ball.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Tyler Hissey from Rays Digest will be on 1220 AM talk radio today at 3:40 to discuss the Rays. [Rays Digest]
  • Marc Lancaster takes a none too subtle shot at Rays fans and their lack of support for the Rays. Tonight’s game is a near-sellout and Lancaster attributes it all to the post-game concert, and the the apparent eager anticipation of people that will go to the game just to get their free trucker hat. According to Lancaster, 10,000 people will be there for baseball and 20,000 people will be there for a few country songs and a free trucker hat. [Rays Report]
  • I wasn’t the only one that thought Hawk Harrelson’s call on Cliff Floyd’s home run was atrocious. UmpBump has a link to the video with the call. [UmpBump]
  • UmpBump also has a post comparing Dioner Navarro to Tony Gwynn and shows why this season might not be a fluke. [UmpBump]
  • Could David Price still be in the plans for the Rays this season? As a Joba Chamberlain-type?…Interesting idea, but I have to think that there is a better chance of Wade Davis or Jake McGee being called up as a dominant 8th inning guy. [Outs Per Swing]
  • Mayor Rick Baker and the city of St. Pete have recommended to the city council that they vote for the new stadium on June 5. This is just the first step in the process to put the new stadium on the ballot in November. [Ballpark Frankness]