Apr 10
FIRST INNING (A look back)…
The Rays just took two of three from the Red Sox at Fenway Park. In the grand scheme of things it is still just three games of 162, but…Does winning this series mean more than that?
This series was big on several levels. First, it sent an immediate message to the Red Sox and the Yankees that any doubts they might have had about the Rays were completely unfounded. It also shows that there won’t be an AL pennant hangover this season as the Rays have come out of the gate ready to play. But most importantly it will shut up all the naysayers that said the Rays would be just like the 2007 Rockies….BET YOUR ARSE IT DOES
SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
David Price was demoted and Jason Hammel was traded to the Rockies. Some say Jeff Niemann won the fifth spot in the rotation. However, it could be argued that it was handed to him by default. With most assuming that Price’s promotion is a matter of “when”…How long will Jeff Niemann be in the rotation?
In theory, Price could go out and throw three straight shutouts in triple-A and the Rays may not have a choice but to promote him right away. But more realistically, especially after his last minor league spring start in which he gave up four home runs, Price is going to need more than three starts. Right now, we want to believe that unless Niemann implodes or Price forces the issue, Niemann will get at least the first half. That would be about 18-19 starts….AT LEAST 3 MONTHS
THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
A commenter recently brought up the move of quality assurance coach Tim Bogar from the Rays to the Red Sox. This move barely made the news during the off-season…Is this more important than it sounds?
Bogar’s duties last year were to scout the Rays. In essence he was looking for flaws that other teams may try to exploit so that the Rays could correct those problems before they become issues. This move was considered revolutionary at the time, but may bite them in the arse in the end. This past winter, the Red Sox hired Bogar to be their first base coach, and going with him was all his knowledge of the Rays flaws. This is something that is quite common in the NFL, where assistant coaches are hired from other teams and players will be signed for one week just for their knowledge of that week’s opponent. Come to think of it, maybe this is why the Rays never announced a replacement for Bogar [Ed. note: see comments]….COULD BE HUGE ADVANTAGE FOR RED SOX
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Apr 03
FIRST INNING (A look back)…
Matt Joyce has been named to the opening day roster as a replacement for BJ Upton…Can Joyce impress enough to stay with the Rays, or is he automatically on his way to Durham when Upton returns from the DL?
The biggest question with Joyce is whether or not he is ready to handle left-handed pitching. If he is not, the Rays want him in the minor leagues to work on that aspect of his game. So we will know the Rays intentions the first time the Rays face a left-handed starter. If Joyce is in the lineup, the Rays at least want to see if he can handle the everyday duties. But if Joyce is on the bench and Ben Zobrist is in center field, then we know the Rays do not yet have the confidence in Joyce’s ability to hit lefties and he will be on the first flight to Durham the day Upton makes his 2009 debut…..WE’LL FIND OUT SOON
SECOND INNING (Headlines)…
The Rays appear to have three arms for two spots with Jeff Niemann, Jason Hammel and Lance Cormier…Are the Rays in a bad negotiating position with other teams knowing they have to trade one of those guys or lose one for nothing?
Yes and no. On the one hand, the Rays could just dump Cormier and keep Niemann and Hammel. But Cormier has been great this spring and the Rays are not going to want to lose Cormier and his salary for nothing in return. And other teams know that. On the other hand, there might only be two starting pitchers on the market right now and the Rays have both. And with 6-7 teams looking for an extra arm, that puts the Rays in a good position. So at this point, it depends on how well Andrew Friedman plays his cards, and dude knows how to play cards…..THE SITUATION IS DELICATE
THIRD INNING (Headlines)…
Spring training is now over…What was the most pleasant surprise of the spring?
This is a toss-up between Jason Bartlett and Carlos Hernandez. Bartlett got on base, stole bases, played great D. With questions being raised as to what the Rays can expect from Reid Brignac down the road, it would be nice to see Bartlett step his game up to a new level and help solidify the bottom of the order. As for Hernandez, we knew he looked good late last season, but that was at single-A. We figured he might not be ready to even think about jumping back to the big leagues until after the all-star break. But we wonder if he is ready to help out in the bullpen right now…..BARTLETT AND HERNANDEZ
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