Archive for the 'Raymond is a sexy beast' Category

May 06

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Zorilla’s D, The Real Sam Fuld, And The Return Of The King

David Price, Felipe Lopez, Jeff Niemann, Johnny Damon, Raymond is a sexy beast Cork Gaines 6 Comments »

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: David Is King Again. We already offered our thoughts on Price being pulled with 1 out in the 9th inning. But before that, he was as good as ever, striking out 10, walking none, and giving up just a 9th inning unearned run. And he did it in 2010 fashion. Of his 118 pitches, 99 were fastballs…Ben Zobrist. We’ve been critical of his defense a bit this year. But in the span of two batters on Thursday, he has made us believers again. After just missing the runner at first after making a spectacular play in short right field, Zobrist made an even more spectacular play turning a double-play. Evan Longoria bobbled the groundball. Zobrist knowing he needed to hurry took the throw and made a perfect, quick and strong throw to first to end the inning.

THE BAD: Will The Real Sam Fuld Please Stand Up? Fuld led off and went 0-4. Three times he came to the plate with runners in scoring position. And only once did he even advance the runner…Sean Rodriguez. We know there have been some calling for Rodriguez to play shortstop more often since Reid Brignac couldn’t hit his way out of a paper sack these days. And we know Joe Maddon wanted to give Briggy a couple of days off to clear his head. But why not have him in the game in the 9th inning as a defensive sub. Still nothing wrong with his glove. And yet if David Price wants to be pissed about not getting a complete game, he need look no further than Rodriguez’ poor throw that let the leadoff batter reach in the 9th.

THE TELLING: Johnny Damon had 2 hits, giving him 2,600 for his career, passing Steve Garvey for 76th on the all-time list…Jeff Niemann is probably heading to the DL…Felipe Lopez has cleared waivers and has accepted his assignment to triple-A…Reid Brignac got the day off and will most likely sit again today in one of those Joe Maddon-wants-you-to-clear-your-head moves.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Raymond had an interesting outfit on yesterday. Because, if you want to stereotype Mexicans, wear a sombrero and a poncho. [30FPS]
  • Durham pitcher 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 Jordi Scrubbings 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 »

Aug 06

Old School Raymond Goes Golfing

Raymond, Raymond is a sexy beast Cork Gaines 2 Comments »

Here is a fun promotional clip of Raymond (before his makeover) and Clark Brooks from SB Nation Tampa Bay…

May 11

Raymond Drinks Whiskey And Beer And Is Not Big On Social Graces

Raymond, Raymond is a sexy beast Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

We are not sure what to say. This other video might have been pretty cool if only the sound worked.

Dec 04

[THE HANGOVER] If You Can ‘Belly Wiggle’ And Scare Children, The Rays Have A Job For You

Arthur Rhodes, Bobby Abreu, Brian Shouse, Carl Crawford, Jason Giambi, Ken Griffey Jr, Raymond is a sexy beast, Rocco Baldelli, Trever Miller, Troy Percival Cork Gaines No Comments »


Last month the Rays let go the lady that played the part of the mascot, Raymond. Do you think you can fill his enormous shoes? Here is your chance. The Rays have released an official announcement seeking a new “Raymond”. Some of the key requirements…

  • Play a pivotal role in pumping up the crowd, while helping create a positive and energetic experience for all fans.
  • Must be able to take on the brand and personality of Raymond, including but not limited to the signature “belly-wiggle”
  • Must be able to cause little children to have nightmares*
  • Be able to kick Wall E. Monster’s ass**

*Or is that just us?
**We might have made that up

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Yankees are also interested in Rocco Baldelli, joining the Rays, Red Sox and Phillies. The Phillies still seem like a long shot considering Rocco would receive more playing time with a team that uses a DH. [Fox Sports]
  • Peter Gammons says the Rays are in a “great position” with the current market. There is a glut of RF/DH types and nobody is spending any money. And the money that will be spent will primarily go to pitching. That could lead to a player that would normally not fit in the Rays’ budget to suddenly be on their radar. We still think a Ken Griffey Jr at $3-4 million makes more sense than a Bobby Abreu or Jason Giambi at $8-10 million even if it is considered a “bargain”. Of course the other advantage not being spoken yet is that some of these players may be willing to sign a one-year deal and hope the market rebounds next season. This is why teams chose not to offer arbitration to a number of players even though those teams will not receive the draft pick compensation that normally comes from losing a good free agent. [ESPN]
  • A Pinellas County official met with a community advisory group about sites that could potentially be a future home of the Rays. The community group hopes to have a recommendation for the city and county by late 2009 or early 2010. Aaron Sharockman of the St. Pete Times reports that a new stadium likely would not open until 2014 and maybe not until 2016. [St. Pete Times]
  • Troy Percival’s surgery “went well.” [The Heater]
  • Trever Miller finally inked a deal with the Cardinals, however it was only for one year, rather than the originally stated two year deal. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  • The Examiner looks at 6 potential replacements for Trever Miller in the Rays’ bullpen. The top choice is Arthur Rhodes, although Brian Shouse offers similar numbers against lefties and might come a little cheaper. [The Examiner]
  • Rise of the Rays argues for trading Carl Crawford and his 2009 salary of $8.25 million. [Rise of the Rays]
  • David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks continues his countdown of the 25 greatest Devil Rays. [Bugs and Cranks]

Sep 16

[PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME] The Real Reason Stuart Sternberg Was At The Trop Last Night?

Raymond, Raymond is a sexy beast, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 3 Comments »

Stuart Sternberg was at the Trop last night and this video suddenly appears on the interwebs today…Coincidence? If you watch the video under the assumption that Sternberg is in the banana costume, the comedy factor increases exponentially…And we would love to make fun of Raymond, but ever since his renaissance, he just might be the coolest mascot since the San Diego Chicken.

Jun 17

[BIG MO] Snuffleupagus Moonlights As Minor League Mascot

Big Mo, Raymond is a sexy beast, Snuffleupagus Cork Gaines 4 Comments »

The Montgomery Biscuits are regularly recognized as having one the coolest mascots in minor league baseball…or the worst.

Well, apparently having “Biscuits” as a mascot doesn’t translate well to an on-field, furry, live-action mascot. Compared to the Biscuits mascot Big Mo, Raymond is Salma Hayek. We aren’t even sure what Big Mo is. Is he a biscuit? Is he an orange elephant? Is he Snuffleupagus? We’ll let you decide…

Clearly if Big Mo is ever promoted to the Big Leagues, he will shoot straight to the top of Maxim’s list of “5 MLB Mascots That Deserve a Groin-Punching”.

Feb 05

[THE HANGOVER] Babe Ruth Would Be A $400 Million Player Today

Babe Ruth, BJ Upton, DJ Jones, James Shields, Raymond is a sexy beast, Rocco Baldelli Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

Tampa Bay Rays (8 days until pitchers and catchers report)

Happy Birthday Babe Ruth! He would be 113 today if only he had not taken so many performance enhancing beers, hot dogs and whores…Which gets us to thinking. If The Bambino were playing today and had just completed his 6th season and was set to become a free agent how much would he be worth on the open market.

Under today’s CBA, Ruth would have become a free agent after the 1920 season. In 1920 Ruth hit .376-54-137, posted an OBP of .533(!) and an OPS+ of 256. And while he only made one start as a pitcher in 1920, his resume already included seasons of 18-8, 2.44…23-12, 1.75…24-13, 2.01…and 13-7, 2.22. And those are just the stats. Keep in mind that he was a left-handed pitcher, the most famous person in the country and was only entering his age 26 season.

Consider a bidding war between the Yankees and Red Sox…In today’s day and age you can bet your ass that both teams would envision Ruth as RF/DH/RP, with his pitching role most likely mimicking a left-handed Joba Chamberlain.

How much would a player like Ruth be worth? $30 million per year for 10 years ($300 million)? Actually we would guess that it would be closer to $35 million per year for 12 years ($420 million), with the final years of the deal north of $40 million.

Would the Yankees or the Red Sox go to $400 million for one player, if that one player was a 26 year old Babe Ruth? Consider how the Yankees just gave $275 million to Alex Rodriguez, who will be 32 on opening day, is not a pitcher and only posted 2007 OBP of .422 and an OPS+ of 177. Seem to us that $400 million for a player that could potentially win the Triple Crown and the Cy Young in the same season, would be a bargain.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

  • Matt Bishoff interviews BJ Upton. [DRays Bay]
  • One blogger believes that more than half of the teams in baseball have zero chance of winning the World Series, even before spring training begins. For the most part agree, but most would have included the Rockies on the list of teams with “Zero chance” in 2007, and most would include the Rays on the same list in 2008. Yet, a look at our own recent poll of normally disgruntled and apocalyptic fans shows that more than half of Rays fans think the Rays have a shot at the playoffs this year if things break right. [MVN Outsider]
  • Rays of Light profiles the Rays 11th round pick from this past year, DJ Jones. We have said it repeatedly, a prospect has to be pretty darn special (ie. David Price) to get our attention before they have done anything at the AA-level. RoL is pretty high on Jones. They may be right. But we will reserve judgment on the high schooler until at least 2010. [Rays of Light]
  • The Zips projections for the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays have been released. Zips is one of three or four highly respected statistical projections. [Baseball Think Factory]
  • The Stat Pack talks to a pitching mechanics expert about recent concerns that have been brought up about James Shields mechanics. The verdict is that his changing mechanics is just a reflection of coaches trying to get Shields to learn a dominant breaking ball. [The Stat Pack]
  • The Sporting Newslooks at six players that could be potential comeback candidates and considers Rocco Baldelli one that won’t. [The Sporting News]
  • Stacy Long got a hold of The Baseball America Prospect Handbook and their projections for where each of the Rays’ top 30 prospects will start the season. [Riverwalk Talk]
  • Yankees Chick has here 2008 Tampa Bay Rays projections up. [Yankees Chick]
  • For those that care about fantasy values, MLB.com has the values for all the Rays. [MLB]
  • Raymond is brining the sexy back and he is excited about the upcoming season. [The Big Blue Blog]
  • The Tampa Tribune profiles Chris Lahey, the person responsible for promoting the sales of Rays tickets. [TBO]
Dec 19

[RAYMOND] Raymond’s Makeover Raises Questions Of MPEDs

Raymond is a sexy beast Cork Gaines 7 Comments »

2007 marked Raymond the Sea Dog’s 10th season as a major league mascot for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In the twilight of his career, his skills were clearly in decline. With the image found above, it now appears that Raymond has discovered the fountain of youth, much like other greats such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, who were able to resurrect their Hall-of-Fame careers.

Take a look at these “before” and “after” photo

Besides the obvious (new jersey and new coat of hair coloring) notice the new facial hair that looks a lot less Wilfred Brimley. In addition, Raymond also apparently had some special form of laser-eye surgery as he looks a lot more Mickey Mouse and a lot less like he is on Crystal Meth.

But the biggest change is Raymond’s new sexy figure. It is hard to tell, but it appears to us that Raymond has a lost some weight. We now fully expect to see Raymond out at Clearwater Beach in a Speedo, which of course would be weird, since he doesn’t normally wear pants.

Is it possible that a mascot’s figure and appearance can change this drastically in one off-season? Will Raymond claim that these changes occurred naturally? Will Raymond’s name appear in the yet-to-be unveiled “San Diego Chicken Report”, on the use of “Mascot Performance Enhancing Drugs” such as “Sea Dog Growth Hormone”.

We don’t necessarily have a problem with plastic surgery and gastric-bypass surgeries. If there is something that can be done to make children happier, we are all for it. But there should at least be full-disclosure. Remember when Star Jones lost 750 pounds and claimed she did it naturally? No matter how much work you do, your kids are still going to be ugly and any future spouses deserve to know.

We can only hope that Raymond gets his own episode on The Swan.