Archive for the 'Tim Bogar' Category

Dec 01

[THE HANGOVER] Griffey Could Be Good Fit For Rays

Andy Sonnanstine, Carl Crawford, Chris Mason, Eddie Morlan, Edwin Jackson, Jermaine Dye, Joe Maddon, Ken Griffey Jr, Rhyne Hughes, Rocco Baldelli, Tim Bogar, Troy Percival Cork Gaines No Comments »

According to Jim Street, six American League teams are among the group that has contacted free agent Ken Griffey Jr.. Based on some comments from Griffey’s agent, you can be sure the Tampa Bay Rays are one of those teams.

“Kenny realizes that he probably would be a middle-ground guy when it comes to salary,” he said. “He also understands that a contract could include some incentives, but I don’t think he’ll price himself out of a job. He’s never been about being the highest paid.”…Goldberg said Griffey would be receptive to a one-year contract offer from “the right team in the right place,” but wouldn’t be any more specific than that.

Griffey’s agent says his client is healthy now after postseason season knee surgery and is ready to play a couple more years. A healthy Griffey posted 119 OPS+ with 30 home runs and a .372 OBP in 2007. Those numbers fell to 101 OPS+, 18 home runs and a .353 OBP.

This could come down to whether Griffey still wants to play the outfield on a regular basis. If he is willing to accept a role as a most-days DH, and an incentive-laden contract to play for a contender, Griffey is the type of player the Rays will target.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • We will find out this week if Troy Percival will need surgery on either his knee or his back…Also, Joe Smith is reporting that the Rays are continuing to have conversations with Rocco Baldelli. [St. Pete Times]
  • Tim Bogar, the Rays Quality Assurance Coach this past season, has been hired by the Red Sox to be their first base coach. [The Heater]
  • Rocco Baldelli won the “Tony Conigliaro Award”, which is given to “a major league player who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage.” [The Heater]
  • Carl Crawford had his baseball jersey retired by his high school prior to a recent playoff game. [Houston Chronicle]
  • Joe Maddon is one of 10 finalists for Hazelton, Pennsylvania “Person of the Year”. [Standard-Speaker]
  • According to Nick Cafardo, the White Sox would want more than Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson for Jermaine Dye…Huh, wha? More than Duke or Nuke for a player that is owed $11.5 million next season and a $12 million option in 2010? That should about do it for the “Jermaine Dye is a good fit for the Rays” talk. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  • Rounding the Bases lays out 7 reasons to trade Edwin Jackson. [Rounding the Bases]
  • Rise of the Rays takes a look at some options for the Rays in right field and at DH either through trade or via free agency. [Rise of the Rays]
  • Baseball Analysts previews the top 11 pitchers available in next week’s Rule 5 draft, including Eddie Morlan and Chris Mason. [Baseball Analysts]
  • The members of the Rise of the Rays community debate who will be the “key player for the Rays in 2009.” [Rise of the Rays]
  • Rays Prospects has an update on winter league stats for several current and former Rays prospects. [Rays Prospects]
  • Rays Digest looks at the top hitting prospects in the organization. [Rays Digest]
  • Baseball Talk takes a look at some of the lesser known pitching prospects in the Rays system. [Baseball Talk...]
  • After Rhyne Hughes’ solid Arizona Fall League season, Examiner.com tries to project how good the prospect can be. [Examiner.com]
  • Ted Flemming offers several suggestions on what the Rays should do from the operations side of the coin, which includes broadcasting more spring training games. [Examiner.com]
  • The King of Series, David Chalk’s latest is counting down the 25 greatest Devil Rays…as an advent calendar. [Bugs and Cranks]
Apr 16

[2008 TAMPA BAY RAYS] Rays Like To Watch…Themselves

Joe Maddon, New Stadium, Tim Bogar Cork Gaines 4 Comments »

In an effort to get back to talk about stuff on the field or at least in the ballpark, we bring you this story from USA Today which talks about the Rays hiring Tim Bogar this past off-season to be the quality assurance coach.

“Quality Assurance” you ask? We’ll let Joe Maddon explain…

“Everybody talks about quality control,” says Rays manager Joe Maddon. “But that means evaluating things after they’ve occurred. Quality assurance means we’re evaluating things in advance — trying to head off our mistakes.”

In other words…instead of just scouting other teams, the Rays are now scouting themselves. Tracking mental mistakes, looking for patterns other teams may exploit and trying to look at things from different perspective.

What we love about this story is that it is just another example of how forward-thinking the Rays organization can be. Even to the detail of where Bogar is stationed during the games…often in the pressbox. This is telling as football assistant coaches have been coaching from the pressbox for years, yet few baseball teams ever thought to try it. It offers the coach a different, more complete view of the action on the field.

It is only fitting that the Rays proposed waterfront stadium goes against the trend in baseball in the last 20 years to build “retro” parks. Rather the Rays are building a futuristic park unlike anything found in the U.S. today.

Much like how Billy Beane and the Oakland A’s have revolutionized how teams scout players, The Rays are also changing the way the game a baseball organization is run.

Self-examination may bring Rays solutions [USA Today]