Archive for the 'Pedro Alvarez' Category

Aug 28

[THE HANGOVER] The Rays Finally Catch A Couple Of Breaks

Attendance, Dioner Navarro, Evan Longoria, Justin Ruggiano, Matt Silverman, Pedro Alvarez, Scott Boras Cork Gaines 1 Comment »



THE GOOD: Finally, the Rays caught a couple of breaks. First was in the second inning after Matt Garza gave up a leadoff single. With the runner going on the pitch to stay out of a double-play, Lyle Overbay then hit a bouncer back up the middle that looked like a catcher trying to throw out a basestealer. The ball bounced chest-high right over the second base bag, right to a waiting Jason Bartlett, who caught it and threw to first for the double-play. Then in the 7th, after retiring the first 2 batters, Garza gave up back-to-back singles, the second of which went under the glove of Willy Aybar, essentially giving the Jays an extra out in the inning. Garza survived to get the next batter to pop out. Finally, in the 9th inning, with a 1-0 lead Joe Maddon brought in Dan Wheeler and looking like a genius, Papa Joe moves Justin Ruggiano from right to left field. With 2 outs, Rod Barajas hit a ball that if a foot farther is a home run. As it was, Ruggiano timed his jump perfectly and his glove and the ball reach the top of the fence at the same moment, and somehow the ball stuck in Ruggiano’s glove. Game over…We’ve been saying it for a while, but if there was any doubt, there shouldn’t be now. The Yankees are dead. The Yankees are roadkill.

THE BAD: Holes in the Rays’ bats. The 11 strikeouts isn’t terible. But when 9 of them come in the first 4 innings, that is terrible. It is hard to tell, how much of it was the Rays having a bad night or how much was just David Purcey pitching light’s out. He threw a complete game needing only 90 pitches. 72 of those pitches were strikes. A truly Madduxian performance. Just gotta tip the cap and be grateful for Carlos Pena’s latest home run, or else they might still be playing.

THE TELLING: The Rays magic number for the Wild Card is 25 over the Twins, with 31 games remaining.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Dioner Navarro had an MRI done on both of his hamstrings and no damage was detected. He is listed as day-to-day. [Rays Report]
  • Evan Longoria hit off a tee and Joe Maddon said everything went well. [The Heater]
  • We have been trying to defend the attendance for a while now. But after this week, we don’t know what to say anymore. John Romano is right: “And, in a remarkable display of grace under pressure, we continue to stay away from Tropicana Field in droves.” Matt Silverman has a couple of quotes that reveal the frustration of the team. [St. Pete Times]

“The TV ratings are high, and that’s a great sign, but it hasn’t translated to the number of people at Tropicana Field. It really takes the wind out of our sails,” Silverman said. “We’ve poured our hearts and souls into making this a great draw, and a great fan experience. And to come home after a great road trip and have … the smallest crowds in major-league baseball was discouraging.

  • Baseball Mastermind takes a look back at their preseason preview of the Rays to see what they got right…As a side-note, we have a few friends that got the Rays over-under for wins prior to the season at 77. They laughed at how “high” it was, bet the under, calling it the best line they had ever seen. Like a broken record, they all chimed in, “I don’t care how improved the Rays are, they will never win 78 games when they have to play the Red Sox and Yankees 18 or 19 times each.” We warned them that it was not as impossible as they thought. Does anybody listen to us? Suckers. [Baseball Mastermind]
  • This should put to rest any lingering thoughts that the Rays should have drafted Pedro Alvarez with the top pick in June. Turns out Scott Boras refused to do any negotiating until just hours before the deadline and when Alvarez finally stepped up and pushed the negotiations just before the midnight deadline, a deal got done. Only, now Boras and Alvarez are contesting the deal, saying it was not submitted in time and of course they want more money. In other words, Alvarez and Boras are not happy that Buster Posey got more money. [MLB]
Aug 16

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Dan Johnson Leads The IL In OBP And OPS

Brian Matusz, Buster Posey, James Houser, Pedro Alvarez, Tim Beckham Cork Gaines 2 Comments »

Durham 6, Indianapolis 5. Nathan Haynes singled home the tying run in the top of the 9th and then scored the go-ahead run on a sac fly by Jon Weber…Jeff Niemann struck out 6 and walked 6 in 4.2 innings, allowing 2 hits and 5 runs. He also hit a batter. The big blow was a bases loaded double in the second inning after Niemann had walked the bases loaded. Niemann has now walked 16 batters in his last 20.2 innings pitched…Chris Richard was 2-5 with a double and a home run. He drove in 3…John Jaso added his 3rd home run since being promoted from Montgomery…Fernando Perez stole his 39th base. He is 4th in the IL in steals…Dan Johnson was 2-5 and leads the IL with a .969 OPS and .422 OBP.

Jacksonville 7, Montgomery 3. James Houser made his first start in a month and was limited to 1.1 innings, walking 3 and giving up 1 hit and a run…Ryan Reid pitched 2 perfect innings of relief with 2 Ks…JT Hall hit a solo home run.

Jupiter 7, Vero Beach 5. Brandon Mann struck out 8 in 5 innings, but allowed 6 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. He gave up 3 home runs…Hector Gimenez hit a 2-run home run for the D-Rays.

Columbus 3, Hagerstown 2 (13). Jesse Darcy struck out 5 and walked none in 6 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned). He is 12th in the SAL in ERA (3.12)…Henry Wrigley was 4-5 with 2 doubles and a walk, while Maiko Loyola finished 1-5 with a double, walk and his 41st stolen base. He is now 4th in the SAL in steals.

Hudson Valley 7, Oneonta 2.

Bristol 6, Princeton 1 (gm 1). Tim Beckham went 0-3 with a strikeout.

Bristol 15, Princeton 2 (gm 2). Tim Beckham went 0-3 with a walk.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • James Houser who missed the last month with minor knee surgery has been activated. [Biscuits' Batter]
  • The Pirates were able to sign Pedro Alvarez to a minor league deal afterall, with a $6 million signing bonus, just short of Tim Beckham’s deal for $6.15 million. [USA Today]
  • Buster Posey, another player the Rays apparently considered with the top pick signed for $6.2 million. His deal was also a minor league deal…We could be wrong but the only draftee that we know of that received a major league deal was LHP Brian Matusz with the Orioles #4 pick. [San Francisco Chronicle]
Aug 15

[THE HANGOVER] Floyd’s Knees Miraculously Remain Intact Despite Scoring 4 Runs

BJ Upton, Carl Crawford, Cliff Floyd, Pedro Alvarez, Rich Aurelia, Tim Beckham, Troy Percival Cork Gaines 1 Comment »



THE GOOD: Cliff Floyd’s knees. Somehow Floyd’s legs were still intact after the game, despite having to run the bases a whopping 5 times. Twice Floyd had to score all the way from first base on extra-base hits by Willy Aybar. Floyd scored 4 runs in total.

THE BAD: James Shields. Shields walked a season-high 5 batters in only 5 innings…The Bullpen. No they were actually pretty good yesterday. Even though Grant Balfour blew the save after relieving the injured Troy Percival, as a group they only allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 7 innings. However, Joe Maddon had to use his entire bullpen, all 7 relief pitchers, to get through the extra-inning affair. And while they performed well, some will be tired tonight in Texas and some may be unavailable. That puts a lot of pressure on Matt Garza tonight to work deep into the game…BJ Upton’s absolute lack of any baseball instincts on the basepaths. In the first inning, with Upton on first, Carlos Pena flied out to deep right-center. Upton thought the ball would drop and took off, rounding second on his way to third. When he realized the ball was caught, he ran straight back to first base without even pretending to touch second base on the way. Upton was doubled-up on the appeal.

THE TELLING: Paul Byrd will make his Red Sox debut tonight. They might score 19 runs and win, but it won’t be because of Byrd.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Troy Percival was once again injured during a play. This time he fielded a sac bunt and rather than flip it first base for the out, he instead chased the runner into foul territory, spraining his knee. Marc Topkin reported Percival was on crutches last night and is likely headed to the DL after further evaluation today. [The Heater]
  • Carl Crawford had sugery on his injured finger yesterday and it “went well”. [MLB]
  • MLBTradeRumors takes a look at some of the waiver-wire possibilities for the Rays. Does Rich Aurelia get anybody excited? [MLBTradeRumors]
  • Looks like the Pirates might not be able to sign Pedro Alvarez prior to Friday’s deadline. If that happens, there won’t be any second-guessing on the Rays’ selection of Tim Beckham. The sticking point appears to be a spot on the 40-man roster, which of course would move Alvarez closer to the majors and free agency. [MLBTradeRumors]
  • This should about seal the Mets fate…And by fate we of course mean death. [MetsBlog]
  • Bob Nightengale agrees with us that the Yankees are roadkill…OK. Not the word he used, but close enough. [USA Today]
Jun 01

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Talent Or Need? Posey Or Alvarez? Rays Undecided?

Buster Posey, James Houser, Jeremy Hellickson, Pedro Alvarez, RJ Harrison admin 1 Comment »

Pawtucket 14, Durham 7. Jeff Niemann gave up 10 runs in 4.2 innings including 4 home runs. Jon Weber, Justin Ruggiano and Elliot Johnson homered for the Bulls. Reid Brignac was 1-3 with his 20th double.

Carolina 7, Montgomery 6. Chris Nowak and Gabby Martinez homered for the Biscuits. Martinez’ shot was a grand slam. Mike Prochaska gave up 6 runs in 5 innings.

Brevard Co. 3, Vero Beach 2. Jeremy Hellickson took his first loss of the season and drops to 5-1 after giving up 3 runs in 6 innings. He struck out 5 and walked 1.

Greenville 6, Columbus 2.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Jeremy Hellickson spoke to his hometown newspaper, and said he is hoping for an all-star break promotion. [Des Moines Register]
  • James Houser is battling a knee injury and will be skipped the next time through the Biscuits rotation. [Biscuits Batter]
  • The Sporting News previews the MLB Draft. Gerry Fraley says that one NL Executive says that RJ Harrison is being pressured to select Buster Posey suggesting that the Rays are more concerned about drafting need over talent. This goes against everything the Rays have ever said about the draft process, so it will be interesting to see if the Rays do pass on a more talented player. [The Sporting News]
  • However, DRays Bay has a quote from RJ Harrison that suggests that he prefers Pedro Alvarez. [DRays Bay]
  • According to Marc Lancaster the Rays have not even narrowed down the top pick, having spent more time trying to figure out who will be available in the second round and beyond. [Tampa Tribune]
May 31

[DOWN ON THE FARM] Please Don’t Draft Posey

Buster Posey, David Price, Desmond Jennings, Glenn Gibson, Pedro Alvarez, Tim Beckham admin 6 Comments »

Durham 10, Pawtucket 6.

Chattanooga 4, Montgomery 0.

Vero Beach 6, Brevard Co. 2.

Greenville 6, Columbus 3.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

  • Desmond Jennings, who had yet to play this season, has been participating in extended spring games and could be activated today or tomorrow. [Biscuits Batter]
  • No surprise here. King David Price makes the weekly installment of Baseball America’s “Prospect Hot Sheet”. Unfortunately, Glenn Gibson makes the “Who’s Not” list. [Baseball America]


After making his much-anticipated debut on May 22, Price came out for his second start and beat a three-time Cy Young Award winner. Martinez praised Price’s performance and ability after watching him fan nine guys and allow just two hits. On the season, he is now 2-0, 0.00 in 11 innings with 13 strikeouts, one walk and five hits. At this rate, Price won’t be in the Florida State League for long.

  • Might the Rays actually draft a ‘nole? Oh god, please no. [ESPN]
  • Baseball America says Tim Beckham is the bestest in the land! Or Pedro Alvarez who comes in at #2. Buster Posey is only #4 on their list. Listen to them. They are smart. [Baseball America]
May 23

[THE HANGOVER] Don’t Forget To Cast Your Votes For Crawford (And Navarro)

BJ Upton, Carl Crawford, Dioner Navarro, Evan Longoria, Joe Maddon, Josh Hamilton, Pedro Alvarez, Scott Kazmir, Vote or Die Cork Gaines 1 Comment »



With yesterday’s off-day, we wanted to take a moment and promote our campaign to get CARL CRAWFORD (and Dioner Navarro) ELECTED TO START THE ALL-STAR GAME.

As Rays fans we don’t necessarily need to generate all the votes necessary, but if we can get Crawford on a roll, when the first results are released to the public, other fans will see he is close and they will start voting for him.

And while Dioner Navarro is also deserving, remember, the All-Star starting lineup is a popularity contest as much as it is a reflection of who deserves to be there. CC is already a household name among baseball fans and has a better shot at getting elected. That being said, make ure you vote for Navi also.

  • VOTE EARLY AND OFTEN: You can use this link to vote up to 25 times online. Once you have reached your limit, switch email addresses. If you run out of email addresses, make one up. If that doesn’t work make your co-workers vote. Make your spouse/children vote. There is no reason for any Rays fan to NOT vote several hundred times.
  • DO NOT VOTE FOR THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS: Vlad Guerrero, Maglio Ordonez, Ichiro, Gary Sheffield, Grady Sizemore or ANY YANKEES OR RED SOX outfielders. These are the players that Crawford is most likely going to be battling for a starting outfield spot. We don’t care who else you vote for. Fill it out with deserving players or click the circle next to all the Rays or leave ‘em blank. And remember, outfielders are grouped together. There is no distinction between left fielders and center/right fielders.
  • VOTE EVERY DAY: We will remind you and provide the link every morning in the “Webtopia” section of “The Hangover”. Each day you should go back and vote another 20-25 times.
VOTE OR DIE

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Don’t forget to VOTE for Carl Crawford to start the all-star game. If you haven’t voted yet today, go NOW! [MLB All-Star Voting]
  • Here is roundup of what is being said about the Orioles in the national media. [Baltimore Sun]
  • Joe Maddon likes himself some meat and appears to be just the perfect person to try and stuff “two pounds of bologna in a one-pound bad”. [Bugs and Cranks]
  • USA Today takes a look at today’s managers and sees that major league experience is not a prerequisite for the job. Joe Maddon did not get past A-ball in his playing days. [USA Today]
  • Baseball Mastermind would like to see more hype in the baseball draft. They also think the Rays would be crazy to draft Pedro Alvarez since they now have Evan Longoria signed long-term at third base…If the Rays draft Alvarez, they almost certainly will move him to first base, where the Rays will have an opening near the end of the ’09 or beginning of the ’10 season, which is exactly when Alavarez will likely be ready for the big leagues. [Baseball Mastermind]
  • Big League Stew lists Scott Kazmir as one of the five hottest players in baseball. [Big League Stew]
  • UniWatch is reporting that the Rays will wear St. Pete Pelicans throwback uniforms on June 21st. Here is a sketch of what those will look like. [UniWatch]
  • AL MVP? Josh Hamilton, who is averaging more than a RBI per game. AL Rookie of the Year? Not Evan Longoria. Yet. [Baseball Happenings]
  • Yes. Josh Hamilton has 53 RBI in 49 games and the Rays don’t have an everyday right fielder…Just Sayin’. [Baseball Musings]
  • MLB Trade Rumors indicates that several recent stories suggest that a number of younger players and veteran agents are not happy about the recent trend of young players surrendering their first free agency years in long-term deals…Although BJ Upton is not mentioned, there have been reports in the past that suggest that Upton could fall into this group. [MLB Trade Rumors]
May 11

THE SUNDAY MORNING REVOLUTION: Scott Kazmir Rediscovers His Confidence

Akinori Iwamura, Al Reyes, Buster Posey, David Price, Dioner Navarro, Gary Glover, James Shields, Joe Maddon, John Jaso, Pedro Alvarez, Scott Boras, Scott Kazmir, Tim Beckham admin 5 Comments »



DRG here again to get you through the weekend. I can be reached here..
  • The Good: The 2nd inning was Scott Kazmir’s coming out party. In the 1st inning, Kid K’d fastball was only 88-89, much like it was in his first start off the DL. However, in the 2nd inning, Kazmir struck out Juan Rivera to lead off the inning with only one fastball that broke 88. That seemed to be the at bat that gave him his confidence back, because in the next at bat, threw four fastballs that were clocked at 92. He walked that batter, but from that point forward, Kazmir was consistently 92-93 with his fastball including his 108th, and last, pitch in the 6th which was 93.
  • The Bad: Mimosas, Coronas and whatever that blue crap was.
  • The Telling: Stuart Sternberg predicted 50 home win in 2007. We laughed. They won 37. 2008 came and Sternberg predicted 50 home wins again. Again we laughed. The Rays have now won 8 straight at home (a record) and now sit at 12-7 at home this season. Brace yourselves. The Rays are on pace for 51 home wins in 2008. I can’t make it up…PS, the Rays are now in second place and 1 game back of wild card lead…PPS, take a look at those standings above and soak it in for a moment. The season is now 20% completed and the Rays are not only not in last place, but they are in 2nd place, ahead of the O’s. Ahead of the Jay. And ahead of the Yankees.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • ManRay is baaaaaaaccccccckkkkkkkkk. [Armchair GM]
  • James Shields and Joe Maddon discuss the possibility of Shields throwing a no-hitter. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Marc Topkin says that the Rays have narrowed their top choce down to 5 players…Prof loves the high school shortstop Tim Beckham. Personally, I am starting to lean towards one of the two catchers. I know the Rays do not draft for need, but with Dioner Navarro behind the plate and no obvious catching prospects in the system (John Jaso is not a catcher long-term), I love the idea of drafting a high school catcher. But hey, what do I know. [St. Pete Times]
  • Beyond the Boxscore breaks down the two most likely candidates for the #1 pick. Tim Beckham and Florida State catcher Buster Posey. My Gator allegiances aside. Um. What? nevermind. Momentary lack of respect for my alma mata. Screw Posey. [Beyond the Boxscore]
  • The New York Times takes a look at New York City native and potential #1 overall pick Pedro Alvarez. He says he would love to join David Price, his former Vandy teammate, in the Rays system…Sorry. As long as Scott Boras is his agent, he will not be drafted by the Rays. Even if the Rays thought they could afford his signing bonus demands, the bigger factor is that Boras almost always takes his clients to free agency and never signs away arbitration and free agency seasons. A key to the Rays franchise. [New York Times]
  • Gary Glover and Al Reyes threw bullpen sessions yesterday. Sounds like Reyes is still a few days away, but Glover could be back today or tomorrow. [The Heater]
  • Joe Maddon says that Akinori Iwamura is getting better at leading off and says that there are no plans to move him out of the spot. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Her Rays thinks Akinori Iwamura’s luck is a’ changin with his new haircut. [Her Rays]
  • Several Rays will use pink bats today for Mother’s Day in honor of breast cancer awareness. [St. Pete Times]
May 05

[THE HANGOVER] Rays Swept In Kazmir’s Return

Akinori Iwamura, BJ Upton, David Price, Pedro Alvarez, RJ Harrison, Scott Boras Cork Gaines 14 Comments »


THE GOOD: Carlos Pena hitting his first home run in almost a month (Apr 12).

THE BAD: With 2 on in the first, Evan Longoria hit a ball in left-center that would have been a sure double, IF Manny Being Manny was in left field. Instead he was DHing with David Oritiz getting the day off. Jacoby Ellsbury made the catch costing the Rays 2 runs early in the game…Shawn Riggans. 2 passed balls, an error and 0-2. Not good. Anybody think Mike DiFelice will be back sooner rather than later?…Jonny Gomes being robbed of a double on a ball that was clearly fair off the Green Monster and nobody appeared to even question the call, much less ask for help from another umpire…

THE TELLING: We guess the positive spin would be that if entering last weekend’s series, and somebody offered us 3 wins in 6 games against the Sox, we probably would have taken it and ran.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • BJ Upton was in the lineup after missing the last 2 games with a sore shoulder, but Joe Maddon said that Upton “didn’t want to turn it loose.” And Upton admitted to some hesitation in his approach. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Akinori Iwamura is one of only 2 starting second basmen in the majors without an error. [USA Today]
  • Marc Lancaster takes a look at the upcoming draft and wonders who the Rays will draft. RJ Harrison says that the choice is not nearly as clear-cut as it was last year with David Price. As a side note, does anybody know why it is OK in baseball for a player to select an agent while they are still competing in college, as Pedro Alvarez has with Scott Boras and yet it is not OK in basketball and football? This one really stumps us. And yes, we realize that the player doesn’t actually “sign” with the agent yet, but they are still aligned with one. And we are pretty sure that would still be illegal in baseball and football. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Fox Sports list the Rays as only the 4th worst franchise in sports and only 3rd in baseball behind the Pirates and the Royals. [Fox Sports]
Apr 30

[HAPPY HOUR] Rays Fall Out Of First Place

Al Reyes, David Price, James Shields, Kurt Birkins, Pedro Alvarez, Scott Kazmir Cork Gaines 2 Comments »


DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Bleacher Report breaks down the first month of the season for the Rays. [Bleacher Report]
  • Her Rays breaks down the AL East after the first month. [Her Rays]
  • The Rays are #9 in this week’s power rankings from The Sporting News. [The Sporting News]
  • Big League Stew wonders if the Rays are for real. [Big League Stew]
  • Whoever is the oddman out when Scott Kazmir returns might be able to stay a little longer as Al Reyes is not expected to come off the DL on Thursday as originally thought. The means Kurt Birkins will be sent down when Kid K rejoins the team. [The Heater]
  • Carter Gaddis looks at the upcoming return of Scott Kazmir and wonders who is going to be the starting pitcher without a chair when the music stops. [Tampa Tribune]
  • Outs Per Swing also takes a look at who might be out of the rotation. [Outs Per Swing]
  • Rays the Roof names four Orioles that they hate. [Rays the Roof]
  • David Price threw another live bullpen session. He is expected to make the first of 3 or 4 extended spring training starts on Friday before reporting to Vero Beach. [The Heater]
  • The Rays would make history if they selected Vandy’s Pedro Alvarez with the first pick of the draft in June. [USA Today]
  • James Shields was named player of the week for the AL. [MLB]
  • Scott Kazmir made his final rehab start on Monday night for the Durham Bulls. Everything went well and he is scheduled to make his 2008 debut on Sunday in Boston. [News & Observer]
Apr 15

[THE HANGOVER] When Sonnanstine Is Hittable, He Is Very Hittable

Andrew Friedman, Barry Bonds, Brendan Harris, Carlos Pena, Cliff Floyd, Dioner Navarro, Jason Bartlett, Pedro Alvarez, Power Rankings, Scott Kazmir Cork Gaines 4 Comments »


THE GOOD: Not a god damned thing..OK…Evan Longoria’s first major league home run to tie up the game was a nice moment…And Joe Maddon actually sounding pieved in the post-game press conference was a refreshing change…Outside of that? Not a damn thing.

THE BAD: We don’t want to talk about it…wait..ok, We want to talk about it…Andy Sonnanstine. This is Andy Sonnanstine. If you want the good you are going to have to put up with the bad. We all love the underdog. The righty that tops out at 88 on a good day. The guy that overcomes all the scouts and naysayers. But when you can’t overpower major league hitters, there are going to be nights when you are VERY hittable. Sonny throws strikes. Yes. But his fastball is a batting practice fastball. If it doesn’t have movement or if he misses over the plate, it is sayanora, adios, arivaderce, ciao, auf wiedersehen, good fuckin’ night…Al Reyes? Just go back to the last part and substitute “Al Reyes” for “Andy Sonnanstine”…One stat on Sonnanstine: He faced 20 batters and threw only 17 balls. He walked 1 batter. That means to the other 19 batters he threw only 13 balls. Fine we fucking get it. You can throw strikes. But guess what? It is kinda hard to get a batter to swing at a bad pitch if you don’t occasionally throw one out of the strike zone.

THE TELLING: Until Cliff Floyd and Dioner Navarro come back, the Rays are going to struggle against right handers. As it is, the bottom of the order against righties now is Shawn Riggans, Nathan Haynes and Jason Bartlett. There is not a legit major league hitter in that group and is darn near a cruise-control inning, whenever the opposing pitcher gets the bottom of the order…At least on nights like this, we have an excuse to drink.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Don’t forget, tonight will be the “Rays Index Live Blog-A-Baloo Of The Week” over the RAYSHEADS Facebook group. Crowd participation is encouraged, but not required. [RAYSHEADS]
  • Doeth our eyes deceive us? One writer has a Power Poll with your Tampa Bay Rays coming in at…drum roll please…#10. It’s true. We are even willing to forgive the Eva Longoria joke. [Yahoo! Sports]
  • Scott Kazmir pitched 2 innings in an extended spring training game. He will make the first of three scheduled rehab starts on Friday and is still on schedule to be back for the Rays on May 3 at Fenway Park…In addition, Dioner Navarro had the stitches from his hand removed and played catch. He could be back as early as Sunday. [Rays Report]
  • The Rays have the top pick in the draft (again) in June, and DRays Bay will take a closer look at four players from which the Rays are likely to make their selection, starting with Pedro Alvarez. [DRays Bay]
  • We thought we had put this whole “Rays need to sign Barry Bonds” crap? First they say that Jason Bartlett is a worse fielder than Brendan Harris now they are on to Bonds. Nevermind that he will want $10+ million. Nevermind the cancer-in-the-clubhouse thing and maybe a bad influence on all the young players. But how about the Rays already have 3 DH-types in the lineup and gave Cliff Floyd several million to be the most-days DH. Suppose the Rays should just throw that $3 million out the window? Tampa Bay Sports Blog is just trying to bait us. And it is almost working. But not yet. Now if they come back tomorrow and say Carlos Pena is overrated than we got a problem. [Tampa Bay Sports Blog]
  • Pitchers have begun to take batting practice in anticipation for interleague play. [MLB]
  • “The Sports Comedian” at FoxSports? Not so much. He makes a lame attempt to make fun of the Rays in relation to the entire “Red Sox jersey buried in the new Yankee stadium” mess. Let’s hope for his sake, he is actually funny sometimes. [Fox Sports]
  • Andrew Friedman does not make the cut in the poll to determine the “Worst GM”. [Bucs Dugout]
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