Archive for the 'Jordi Scrubbings' Category

Aug 10

The Guilt of Not Going

11 Questions, Attendance, Cheap is as cheap does, Cutting the Fat, Exagerated headline, Fans do silly things, Jordi Scrubbings, Kool Aid, Meta-laziness, My Baseball Bias, No Excuses Tour, Options, The Trop, Things that shine a little less, Too early to open a beer?, Tweetup, We need more Cowbell, Where we're going, Your thoughts please 15 Comments »

Our correspondent Jordi Scrubbings is back with another take on all things Rays….

I’ll admit, when reported attendance numbers are below 15,000 at Tropicana Field, I feel kinda guilty. I feel guilty because I think I could make a difference. It’s the same guilt I feel during an election when there is a candidate I support but I don’t bother to get out and vote. And then that candidate doesn’t win. Was it because of me? Or was it because of hundreds of other people like me who figured someone else would carry the burden of voting?

Although the worst a candidate can do is raise my taxes, approve or disapprove of transportation measures, cancel programs, stifle the economy, or generally cause the social fabric of the world around me to fall apart, for some reason I am more concerned about an empty seat at Tropicana Field that my tuckus could have sat in.

I wonder if I am the only one. Am I the only person who thinks if the team moves it would be partially my fault for not supporting them to the utmost of my ability?

I am a huge baseball fan. The fact that I am writing here is evidence enough that I am a huge Rays fan. So why aren’t I at every game contributing my +1 to the attendance total?

First and foremost, I am a partial season ticket holder. I go to Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 25

Waiting for Perfect

Attendance, Fans do silly things, Jordi Scrubbings, State of the Franchise, The Trop, Things that make me want to club a stuffed baby seal, Things that shine a little less, Too early to open a beer?, Your thoughts please 16 Comments »

The latest from our senior afrologist Jordi Scrubbings…

They don’t play baseball on the beach. And for good reason. It is incredibly tough to run on the beach. And ground balls don’t roll very well in the sand.

But beaches in Florida are quite popular. Outside of the prolific House of the Mouse, I’d guess beaches are the number one tourist destination in Florida. People come from all over the world to the beaches of Florida, and specifically to our local beaches such as Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach, and Siesta Key.

Beaches are interesting places. They have to be well-kept, lest you have litter on your landscape. They predominantly have to be kid-friendly, as you don’t want creepers and hoodlums ruining the experience. And beaches need good press, as local areas want to see their beaches listed at the top of any possible category, from most beautiful to best sand to most beautiful bodies. Being a top beach brings a sense of pride, good reputation, and most importantly, it brings visitors and money.

But beaches have an Achilles heel. No matterhow well-kept, no matter how popular, and no matter how great the sunset, hardly any one goes to the beach when it rains.

Baseball in Tampa Bay and Florida in general reminds me a lot of the beach.

For whatever reason, Floridians only Read the rest of this entry »

Jun 14

The Florida Rays

Fans do silly things, Feed your mind, Jordi Scrubbings, Like peanut butter and chocolate, Out of our comfort zone, Putting us in our place, Rays Universe, Rotation Battle Royal, Team colors, team name, Things that make us giddy 9 Comments »

Our correspondent Jordi Scrubbings is back with his latest installment…

I recently arrived at the conclusion that the Rays are the perfect Florida team. They epitomize the state in a way no other professional team does. I think I’ve mentioned before that I am a Florida State grad, and if one postulates the theory that former FSU head coach Bobby Bowden was “Old Florida” – where “daggum it” was a popular phrase and the good ol’ boy system ran rampant – then the Rays are the best team to carry the mantel in the post-Election 2000, post-real estate bust, post-recession “New Florida”.

A few months ago, I explored how difficult it is to win fans in Florida, but there isn’t a reason why fans shouldn’t support the Rays. Looking at the Florida sports landscape, if we cast other sports teams into certain Florida “roles” none are as perfect as the Rays. The Miami Dolphins, for example, are like my grandparents’ house near the Villages. My grandparents have been around forever and they keep muddling along, living day-to-day as old people do. Sure, they might win a bingo tournament and be the talk of the town for a week, but their most recent accomplishments will never compare to their own personal glory days. And like Archie and Edith’s reverence of old Herbert Hoover, Dolphins fans shed tears to the past and sing songs to the memories of Marino, Shula, and their heralded ’72 perfect season.

Staying down south, the Rays baseball brethren, Florida Marlins, are as Florida as an oft-traded beachside timeshare. With their two World Series Championships and several mediocre years, they are the residence that sits frequently empty mired in perpetual disarray, only to be fixed up and flipped to new owners. Yet somehow while the neighbors think they are a blight and the homeowners association has lost all semblance of control, the owners fleeced the city for wads of cash to build an entirely new home.

Admittedly, I don’t know my Bucs and Lightning histories as well as I should. I know the Bucs stunk hideously, were good for a bit, went back to stinking, turned the corner with Dungy, won with Gruden, struggled again for a bit, and have just now found their groove again. But I am not sure how that relates to Florida culture. Really bad, good, bad, good, great, bad, and good. That’s more like a roller coaster at Busch Gardens than a predictive model.

Anyway, let me explain why I think the Rays are more “New Florida” than the aforementioned teams or any other team in the state.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mar 29

Filming Rays PSAs and Commercials

Fans do silly things, Jordi Scrubbings, Raymond, Raymond is a sexy beast, The Trop is bringing sexy back No Comments »

Our correspondent Jordi Scrubbings recently had an opportunity to participate in some TV work at The Trop for the Rays. Below is his account of that experience.

If you have ever been to the ballpark early, you’ve probably seen the public service announcements the Rays video folks play. They usually go on about an hour before the game and warn fans of the consequences of smoking in the stands, blocking the line of sight, using foul language, and generally ruining the experience of other fans.

Over the last two weeks the Rays have filmed these videos and other commercials for the 2011 season. Being currently between jobs, I had the pleasure of going to Tropicana Field and answering both casting calls for extras. It was a very cool experience.

The first casting call was strictly for the pre-game PSAs. These were done by people I think were part of the Rays’ media team and marketing staff. There were no trained actors, just the Rays Team girls, Raymond, a few employees, and a bunch of extras. There was also no script, just a format and a direction. They filmed the drunk fans bit, the people with crazy hats bit, the guy who sits in the wrong seat bit (coincidentally next to a very pretty girl – imagine that!), and as a very cool added bonus, the guy with afro bit. That’s right, there is a very good chance you will see my smiling face front and center in a Rays pre-game public service announcement. Of course, I’m not giving you any spoilers, but let’s just say it involves a rubber chicken and it’s funny.

(Oh, and for those who might think me acting in a Rays commercial will ruin my objectivity as a writer, I didn’t get paid. These were completely voluntary and we had to sign waivers releasing our image, etc. So fire Joe Maddon and trade BJ! Kidding!)

A few days later, I returned Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 12

Jordi Scrubbings: The New Rays Index Senior Weekend Correspondent

Jordi Scrubbings 3 Comments »

If you missed it last night, Jordi Scrubbings made his debut as our new weekend correspondent in charge of excellent writing and sensible thinking. [The Devil in BJ Upton]

Oct 20

[HAPPY HOUR] Red Sox Nation Waiting For Sox To Come Back From 4 Games To 3 Deficit

Akinori Iwamura, Carl Crawford, David Price, Dick Vitale, Jason Varitek, Jonathon Papelbon, Jordi Scrubbings, Scott Cursi, Terry Francona 6 Comments »


Somebody at the 4-letter thinks the Red Sox will now pull off the greatest comeback in the history of baseball, coming back from a 4 games to 3 deficit. Well, Bristol is in the heart of Red Sox Nation. (Thanks Brett).

We have now watched the 8th and 9th innings about a dozen times. One thing we didn’t notice last night was the incredible play that Aki Iwamura made on the final out. The ball takes a wicked (pun intended) hop and nearly goes over Aki’s head. If he misses that ball, it is first and third and things are suddenly very scary.

Also, let’s not forget the one guy that has worn the Devil Rays/Rays uniform longer than anybody else and knows the pain of the first 10 years more than most, Scott Cursi. The Rays bullpen catcher has been warming up pitchers since 1999. Congrats Scott, you earned it.

Finally, last week we took exception when one Red Sox blogger wrote about Carl Crawford and his “gangster neck tattoo”. This week, Red Sox bloggers are back at it. This time courtesy of Surviving Grady.

Especially that punk-ass Carl Crawford, who you know is just an injury away from boosting car stereos.

Stay classy Red Sox Nation.

(The image after the Webtopia is from the Boston Globe)

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Some photos from the game 7 celebration. [Tampa Tribune]
  • A recap of the game (with unfortunate appearance from Steve Harvey) from the guys at “The Dugout”. [Fanhouse]
  • It is impossible to overstate exactly how big David Price was in game 7. [Big League Stew]
  • 10 reasons to watch the World Series. [SI.com]
  • One writer at Bugs and Cranks is bracing himself in anticipation of having to get a Rayhawk after losing a bet. [Bugs and Cranks]
  • Boston Irish will be rooting for the Phillies in the World Series because the Rays fan base “haven’t exactly earned this as yet”. They also hate the idea of all the “punk, spoilt, brash NBA star types” on the Rays being champs…Jonathon Papelbon? Something comes to mind about a pot and a kettle and grapes that may or may not be sour. [Boston Irish]
  • Apparently, the Rays were just practicing for these postseason celebrations back in May. [The Sports Hernia]
  • Coolest Rayhawk yet? [Deadspin]
  • Dick Vitale was his usual passive self last night…Ahh, who are we kidding, the dude went batshit crazy. [Bugs and Cranks]
  • Big League Stew debates whether Terry Francona stuck with Jason Varitek too long. [Big League Stew]
  • Jordi Scrubbings spoke to Sports On My Mind about the Rays, prior to game 7. [Sports On My Mind]
  • The cover of today’s Boston Globe (thanks Scot). [Boston Globe]
  • The Rays may have ended the Red Sox captain’s career in Boston. [Boston Score]

Jun 21

The Hangover: James Shields’ Growing Pains

Carl Crawford, Elijah Dukes, James Shields, Jordi Scrubbings No Comments »


Diamondbacks 7, Devil Rays 4.
James Shields was roughed up in his second straight start. As has been the case all season long, Shields was susceptible to the long ball allowing two home runs. The difference in the last two starts is that the home runs came at inopportune times, early in the game and with runners on base.

We have all heard about the amazing change-up that James Shields throws. The national media has even referred to it as one of the best change-ups in baseball if not one of the best pitches in baseball. When thrown correctly and thrown to the right spot it is as nasty as it comes. The problem that Shields faces is when the pitch does not have the proper sink to it or when Shields leaves the pitch up in the zone, it is basically a batting practice fastball. He can get away with that when the bases are empty or when he is leading 5-1.

In the third inning, Chad Tracy hit a 1-1 pitch over the right-field fence to give the D-Backs a 3-0 lead. In this case, Shields got the change up in, but he left it up and when it started to sink, it ended up right in the wheel-house for a left-handed hitter. An 87 mph pitch, down and in to a lefty is a strike, but often it is a 370 foot strike down the right field line. In the fourth inning Shields just left a fastball up to Eric Byrnes when Dioner Navarro was looking for a pitch out of the zone low and away. If you slow the pitch down, you can actually see the disgust on Shields’ face before Byrnes has even finished his swing.

We are not predicting the Apocalypse for James Shields. Quite the opposite. He will be fine. All great pitchers throw bad pitches. Shields just needs to learn that a change-up with nobody on is a lot different than a change-up with 2 runners on in a scoreless game. He will learn to bear down in the more crucial situations. He will learn that if he is going to miss, he needs to miss down…not up. James Shields is a young pitcher. These are just the growing pains that we all must suffer along with him.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

*May have only seemed like 173 losses.

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