Archive for the 'Vote or Die' Category

Apr 11

What, Me Panic?

Fans do silly things, FML, Nice little offseason, Offense is offensive, RAYSHEADS, Sometimes cold isn't that cold, Things that make me want to club a stuffed baby seal, Things that make us hurt inanimate objects, Victory!, Vote or Die, We are mad as hell Jordi Scrubbings 16 Comments »

When we need s sensible take, we always turn to our correspondent. Jordi Scrubbings is back with another take on the Rays…

I’ve been looking up a lot lately. Apparently, the sky is falling. I hear people are getting ready to fling themselves from skyscrapers, kiss their wives or husbands good-bye, and stock up on canned goods and bottled water.

It’s the end of the world as we know it. Yet I feel fine.

The Rays are in an early season slump. Word on the street is that I must react by “panicking” – whatever that means.

I’m not really sure how to panic for a sports team. After 9/11, I stopped talking to foreigners, cut communications with my neighbors, and even closed myself from my family. They could have all been terrorists. I tuned in regularly to the National Security Color Code Chart to see how safe I was. I watched my friends like a hawk to ensure they weren’t plotting against America. I also stopped eating French fries, French toast, Canadian bacon, and Taco Bell. I took every precaution.

A few years ago, after Read the rest of this entry »

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 13

[THE HANGOVER] Rays Put Some Distance Between Themselves And The Team Pretending To Be The Yankees

Al Reyes, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Cannizaro, Ben Zobrist, Carl Crawford, Gary Glover, Jason Bartlett, Joe Maddon, JP Howell, Matt Garza, New Stadium, Scott Dohmann, Vote or Die Cork Gaines 3 Comments »



THE GOOD: We know the numbers and we know there are other players that need playing time, but we hope that it kills Papa Joe Maddon to keep Jonny Gomes on the bench when he does. The first run of the game was all-Gomes. Started with a single, after which he stole second off of a lefty and then scored on a 2-out single by Dioner Navarro. He would later steal third base just before scoring on Jason Bartlett’s triple and moved to third in the 7th inning on a pitch in the dirt that barely got away from the catcher. He would score during that at bat on a ground out…Speaking of Jason Bartlett’s triple, how often are you happy when a player can’t get a bunt down? Bartlett appeared to be attempting a safety-squeeze in the 4th, fouling off one attempt and pulling back on the second pitch. He would then hit a triple to left-center that would score 2….A solid game from Evan Longoria. The opposite field double off the top of the wall in the 4th was a good sign as it was only his 3rd hit this season off a lefty. He also started a huge double play in the top of the 6th to quell a Yankees rally that had 2 runners on with only 1 out. Dirtbag gets rid of the ball faster than any third baseman we ever remember and his throws to second base are pinpoint.

THE BAD: Knowing that Jonny Gomes has to sit against righties. We understand. But we don’t like it.

THE TELLING: Cliff Floyd sat against the lefty while Jonny Gomes got the start at DH and Eric Hinske got the start in right…The Rays will have to earn tonight’s victory. Edwin Jackson takes the mound for the Rays while the Yankees will counter with their Ace, Chien-Ming Wang…The Rays remain 1 game up in the loss column over the Angels in the Wild Card standings. The Rays are 3 games up on the next teams, Baltimore and Cleveland.

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! For those that haven’t done it yet, once you have voted for the first time, it takes a matter of seconds to vote a second time. The ballot stores all your info. So you have ZERO excuses. C’mon, let’s make sure C.C. is in NYC in ’08. VOTE OR DIE! [MLB All-Star Voting]
  • We will have the Rays Index Live Blog-A-Baloo on Wednesday night for game 3 of the Yankees series, with James Shields going against Mike Mussina. The Live Blog-A-Baloo will be held right here.
  • Anybody want to take bets on what substances Her Rays was under the influence of when writing their post-game recap? Not that there is anything wrong with that. Much of the best writing in history was done “under the influence”. Just ask fans of the Beatles or Hunter Thompson. [Her Rays]
  • Jonny Damon said that the scoreboard gun that had Matt Garza at 92-93 last night, must have been low. [New York Times]

Before we knew it, he was jamming us and making us pop out. That’s what happens when you’re late on the fastball, and it seemed like we were late all day. It just seemed like we couldn’t catch up to it.

  • Ben Zobrist has been activated from the DL with Andy Cannizaro being DFA’d…Ahh Andy Whatever-your-name-is. We hardly knew ya. [Rays Report]
  • Alex Rodriguez will not play in this series…Also, Marc Topkin says that Al Reyes could be activated as soon as today, although there is no clear indication who will be let go. Scott Dohmann and Gary Glover seem like the only options to be removed from the roster. Both are out of options, meaning they would have to be DFA’d. Of course, we could see another “Willy Aybar” injury by tomorrow afternoon. That is Dohmann or Glover could come down with a mystery ailment that would normally keep a player out for a week or so, but still need to go on the DL, just in time for a needed roster move and 2 months later, they are still MIA…Just sayin’. [The Heater]
  • Gary Shelton says the Rays are not “fluky” and are here to stay. [St. Pete Times]
  • Yet another positive piece on the Rays in the New York Times…That is 2 this season and 2 more than the Yankees have had. [New York Times]
  • Here is a neat graph that compares payrolls to performance. [Benfry.com]
  • Always in love with the underdog, Joe Maddon said that if he were to name MVPs for the first month and a half, it would be JP Howell and Jason Bartlett. [MLB]
  • An early proposal for a ballpark in St. Pete circa 1983, looks an awful lot like the new proposed waterfront stadium. [Ballpark Frankness]
  • Seriously, this is getting a bit ridiculous. Yahoo! Sports has the Rays ranked 5th in their power rankings. [Yahoo! Sports]

Supposed to be that the Rays would do well generally, but struggle against the AL East powers. They’re now 15-11 against their own division.

  • The Rays will make public their financing plan for the proposed waterfront stadium on Thursday. [Ballpark Frankness]
May 12

[MLB ALL-STAR GAME VOTING] Vote For Carl Crawford To Start The 2008 All-Star Game

All-Star Voting, Carl Crawford, Vote or Die Cork Gaines 11 Comments »

**VOTE FOR CARL CRAWFORD TO START THE 2008 ALL-STAR GAME**

We are calling on all Rays fans to stuff the ballot box with votes for Carl Crawford to be a starting outfielder for the American League in the 2008 All-Star Game.

We are also calling on all websites that cover the Tampa Bay Rays to join us in our campaign to make Crawford the starting left fielder on July 15th.

While his numbers may have been better in past seasons, C.C. is the most exciting player in baseball on the most exciting team in baseball, and the rest of the MLBiverse deserves to see C.C. in the starting lineup.

LET’S DO IT. VOTE OR DIE!

A couple of notes on voting for Carl Crawford…

  • 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.

Again, we are challenging all other Tampa Bay Rays or Tampa Bay Sports websites to provide a link to the voting and encourage their readers to vote for Carl Crawford. That includes DRays Bay, Rays of Light, Outs Per Swing, Her Rays, Rays the Roof, Tampa Bay Sports Blog, Bug & Cranks, The Serious Tip, Sticks of Fire. (Are we forgetting anybody?)

We are even calling on Marc Topkin and Marc Lancaster. So how ’bout it guys? Got the cajones?

LET’S DO IT. VOTE OR DIE!