Category: Dailies
It’s Been Awhile, but the Trade Deadline is Here!
Kids take alot of time. Totally worth it…
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So what will the Rays do as the trade deadline looms?
It seems that the Tampa Bay franchise is best when it avoids the big deal at the deadline. The deals that make this team what is has been for the last four years or so are the deals that go unnoticed by the MLB public at large. The Rays will likely end up picking up a guy off the waiver list and stand pat with what they have.
But, just in case…
WHO IS LIKELY GOING?
BJ Upton has already called the trade rumors about him “comical.” It’s true. A trade rumor about BJ is like all of the foreclosed houses in the area–omnipresent and depressing.
He’s a big talent, of course. But he hasn’t utilized that talent at all, which makes him expendable. Plus, he’s apt to make about $7 million in arbitration next year.
That REALLY makes him expendable.
The best rumor I’ve heard is that he would go to the Nationals (they are doing things right in DC, aren’t they?) for their SS Ian Desmond and a catcher. I’m a big fan of Desmond–of his speed, his power, and his youth. Not many teams have strength at the SS position, so brining him to St. Pete would be great.
Let’s not forget that the Rays have Desmond Jennings, who is hitting .500 right now, primed to take BJ’s place.
Oooooo, things do not look good for the underachieving Upton.
LIKELIHOOD: Medium
James Shields has had a TON of rumors about him. The Reds seem to be the frontrunners in the “Big Game” sweepstakes. However, I do not see the Rays, a team who is so shrewd when it comes to storing pitching, moving him. His price next season will be $7 million, just like BJ, but that money for a solid #2 pitcher is much smarter to use than on a center fielder.
LIKELIHOOD: Miniscule
JP Howell has made a nice comeback from Tommy John surgery a few years ago, but he is not all the way back. Nevertheless, there are suitors for the left-handed reliever. They say that the Royals might want him back, but who wouldn’t want a strong lefty with a wicked curve in their bullpen?
LIKELIHOOD: Could Happen
Kyle Farnsworth has had a renaissance this season, becoming the closer the Rays thought they had lost when Rafael Soriano left town for the New York Yankees last season. He would fetch a pretty penny on the market. With the Rays falling out of the race, they can afford to experiment in the closer department. Since Farnsie would ask for much more money next season, the Rays likely would not be able to afford him. So…
LIKELIHOOD: Gone
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The bottom line is that the Rays listen to deals on all of its players. Jeremy Hellickson has been mentioned in trades, but there is no way he’s going anywhere. That doesn’t mean the Rays won’t listen.
Tomorrow will be a big day. 4 pm Eastern Time is the drop dead time, and it will be fun to guess about who is going where. Unfortunately, for Rays fans, anyway, no matter what deals are done they will not lead to October.
But next season, who knows…
What a Crazy Season (so far…)!
So you may know that I am in the midst–actually the very very early stages–of raising a son.
Who knew it would be so tough!?
Ok, most of you parents knew. I didn’t.
No, this isn’t a post about my kid. This is more of a reflection of how the first quarter of this season has gone for my Rays.
I haven’t been able to post as much as I have the last few years, which has been tough to stomach. Luckily, my excuse is pretty solid. But now that I come back to put up a post I see that we have switched over to WordPress and everything seems to have changed!
Awesome!
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What I’m really happy about is the fact that I can sit here and type as a fan of the #1 team in the AL East!
(At least until the Boston/Chicago game is over)
Did anybody actuallly think that the Rays would be sitting atop the toughest division in baseball at this point in the season? I didn’t, and I LOVE these guys.
The question marks heading into the season have been less of an issue than I thought they would.
BULLPEN
The Rays have one of the strongest bullpens in the entire league, yet you would be hardpressed to name more than 2 guys in it.
Yeomen such as Joel Peralta, Kyle Farnsworth, Cesar Ramos, and Juan Cruz have all conspired to make many fans and experts look like fools for thinking that the loss of EVERYBODY from last year’s ‘pen was going to be the beginning of the Rays’ demise before the season saw its first pitch.
Ha!
Instead, this group of guys has rarely had a bad outing and is among the league leaders in Bullpen ERA.
LINEUP
I can’t say that the Rays lineup has been the murderer’s row it has been the last few season. But they ain’t that bad.
And, bear in mind, that they have played almost the entire season without the services of the best 3rd baseman in the league: Evan Longoria! Even when he has been in the lineup, he hasn’t been himself. At last check, he was hitting just .220 with only a couple of dingers. He is NOT himself right now.
But the Rays keep winning.
I won’t talk about the joke of a baseball player who quit on himself, his fans, his team, and his sport in the early stages of the year.
Instead, I’ll mention the work done by guys like Elliot Johnson, Johnny Damon, Casey Kotchman, Matt Joyce, and “Super” Sam Fuld. Each one has had a huge hit this season at one point or another, and the Rays would not have their 25 win total without any one of those guys.
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I do not know what the rest of the season holds.
Who knows? We all might be blogging with some sort of holographic device before October hits.
What I do know is that these Tampa Bay Rays have laid it all on the line so far, and there is no indication their success will end any time soon.
Wow, what a season!
Predictions Today; OD Tomorrow
The kid is taking a post-bottle nap. So I’m sneaking away to throw out some thoughts on what could happen in 2011.
I’m no expert, nor am I all that thorough with my research.
Who cares? It’s fun.
NL East
Phillies Nobody’s better in the NL. Their “Four Horsemen” rotation scared the bejesus out of people. They are the best in this division and maybe even baseball.
Braves They have some solid young talent on this team. I love the direction Freddie Rodriguez has them going. They’ll contend for the division this year and maybe even win very soon.
Marlins Josh Johnson will win the Cy Young and the Marlins will see what they have with some of the young guys on their team. They’ll be strong when their new stadium opens. Of course, that ain’t this year.
Nationals I like this team. Of course, they are still bad.
Mets Nope, nothing to root for here. RA Dickey is decent, but that’s about all I can think of as being positive here. Maybe I’ll be wrong.
NL Central
Brewers Tjhey are not a surprising team. But they are good. And when Greinke gets healthy, their pitching will really help them along.
Reds I don’t know if I really believe in these guys, but their pitchers are electrifying. And Drew Stubbs is awesome. Did I mention Joey Votto?
Cardinals It’s hard to pick against these guys, but I’m not that jazzed about them. They should have a solid offense but losing Wainwright won’t help at all.
Cubs UgIh. That sums it up. I love the Cubbies but they do not have any kind of identity right now. What is their direction? Youth? Veterans? It will be a forgettable 2011.
Astros Don’t know a ton about them. That’s because there ain’t much to know.
Pirates When will that youth break through? Neil Walker, Andrew Mccutcheon, Pedro Alvarez. Wow! Pitching…not wow…
NL West
Giants These guys have the pitching and the offense. Plus, I fear the Beard. End…
Padres They have a great mix on this team. Their pitching is strong, though they are all holding their breath in SD over the Latos injury. They’ll be right there.
Rockies I don’t know, but they slipped for this year. Cargo is great (he better be, he’s on my fantasy team) but the pitching is just ok.
Dodgers Don Mattingly will help, but they have a long way to go in LA. 2011 will be a long season.
Diamondbacks Kirk Gibson is the right guy there. But I don’t feel that they have a strong idea of how to rebuild this thing.
AL East
Red Sox Ugh, I know. They’re good. That’s what happens when you spend a bajillion dollars. Regardless, they are not just good. They are VERY good.
Rays I don’t think it is crazy. The Rays are always prepared to lose talent. And boy did they lose it. They planned for this, though. And they’ll be fine.
Yankees It will be the biggest flop in recent Yankees memory. You gotta have pitching to win. They ain’t got it.
Orioles I don’t think it is crazy to think that these guys could contend. And soon.
Blue Jays Bautista will not repeat his 2010 output and Hill and Lind better get it together if the Jays plan to have a future.
AL Central
Tigers What a strong team! Wow! They have tons of firepower, a strong pen, and good rotation. They’ll be there.
White Sox Adam Dunn really helps make this offense elite. Their rotation is suspect but their pen is amazing.
Twins Mauer and Morneau have been dinged up lately. As they go, so go to the Twins.
Indians Grady Sizemore sums up this team: lots of promise, but they don’t reach it.
Royals I LOVE the Royals. I could totally be a Royals fan. But when will the potential turn into some darn W’s!!?
AL West
Rangers This is a three horse race. They should be the fastest horse out of the gate. But it won’t be easy!
A’s They have a decent staff, a decent offense, and a decent mix. Why will they be there in the end? I don’t know…
Angels Can’t count them out. Ever.
Mariners I can count them out. At least now, anyway. They have alot of rookies who will be auditioning for a job next year. That can be really exciting. As a Devil Rays fan of the day, I know what I’m talking about…
PLAYOFFS
NLDS
East Winner: Phillies
Vs Winner: Phillies 3-2
Wildcard: Padres
West Winner: Giants
Vs Winner: Giants 3-0
Central Winner: Brewers
NLCS
Phillies
Vs Winner: Phillies 4-3
Giants
ALDS
East Winner: Red Sox
Vs Winner: Tigers 3-2
Central Winner: Tigers
West Winner: Rangers
Vs Winner: Rangers 3-2
Wildcard: Rays
ALCS
Yankees
Vs Winner: Tigers 4-2
Rays
WORLD SERIES
Tigers
Vs
Phillies
WORLD CHAMPION
Philadelphia Phillies 4-2
Well, that was fun.
I’m not going out on a limb to say that the Phils will take home the trophy this year. And, as we all know, anything can happen in our favorite game.
Let’s play some baseball!
Not Really in the Spring Swing
I’ll admit that I am not entirely happy about the Rays start so far this spring.
1 Win
4 Losses
1 Tie
That ain’t exactly a baseball beginning to howl about.
I understand that it is spring and that teams are not working hard to win games. They are simply trying to “get their work in,” as the saying goes.
I get it.
But if both teams are not trying to win, and if both teams are just getting work in, then why is it that the Rays seem to be on the losing end of 4 out of 6 games?
This offseason is one of the most memorable in the history of the Rays franchise. They brought in prime time players (maybe PAST prime time players…) and lost parts of the playoff foundation. Heck, they lost major parts of the franchise’s heart, but that’s another rant…
I think that I–along with most Rays fans–were hoping for some kind of explosive start to the spring that would take away the hurt of losing guys like Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and Matt Garza.
It hasn’t happened.
But that’s ok.
Baseball’s back, right? Spring has begun. Plenty to whine about. Plenty to cheer about. Plenty to write about.
It feels good to feel bad!
My Son
I know this isn’t totally baseball related, but I have to do this.
His name is Robbie. He was born on the 15th of December (sorry it took so long to post).
We are very blessed to have him. Life is simply amazing.
He is healthy and happy. Mom and dad are very tired…
I really want to talk a little bit about the possiblity of the Rays adding Manny and Johnny, but right now fatigue is taking over.
Thanks to all who sent a note of congrats and concern. It means a great deal.
It’s funny, but somehow baseball has taken on even more meaning! I look forward to his first Rays game this summer…
How old do they have to be before they can start swinging a bat!? Ha!
Coming Soon…My Son!
This post won’t interest most people.
While most Rays fans have been ready to jump from the nearest palm tree because our AL East Champion team is being dismantled right before their very eyes, I have been pretty even keel.
Why?
Tomorrow my wife and I are going to bring a new Rays fan (and Cubs fan) into the world.
It has been a long time coming. We are beyond excited.
So I might have checked out for a while–not because of the Rays–but I hope that you all understand.
And I hope that if you read this, you might take a second to send us a positive thought.
Thanks!
It’s Game 1 All Over Again
A very good friend of mine had a baby just the other day. Saturday morning, in fact.
What was the new lad’s name?
Ty.
Fitting.
The Rays came out of the weekend with just that, a tie, in the ALDS. And now they are going to play a Game 5 to decide which team, the Rays or Rangers, gets to move on to take on the Yankees in the ALCS this weekend.
It is like ALDS Game 1 all over again.
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The Pitchers
The Rays will, once again, send the ace of the pitching staff to the mound in a “saviour-like” position.
David Price choked in Game 1, coming out on the short end of a 5-1 loss. And it wasn’t that close. Sure, the hitters stunk it up, but one thing the Rays have to depend on is strong starting pitching. They feed off of it.
Price did not give it.
The fear sets in when I think about Cliff Lee and how damn good he is. Going back to last postseason when he was with the Phillies, there have been few pitchers as dominant as Lee. The Rays will have their hands full.
But, if you remember mid-August, the Rays beat Lee 6-4. It was no fluke. The Rays hitters can wait him out before striking at just the right moment.
But the right moment has to come along with the game still in question. If the moment comes along when the game is 6-1, then it will be much too late.
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The Emotions
What gets me is that Game 5 is EXACTLY the same as Game 1.
Same pitchers.
Same emotions.
I’m just as amped up as Game 1. I want to see a W. But a L means alot more Tuesday night, for sure.
The crowd will be going crazy. The Rays have opened up all of the seats in the stadium for this one.
I hope they hand out towels…
What is a little disappointing is that the momentum the Rays had going into Game 4 seemed to wane as the game progressed. I would even say that it shifted to the Rangers, as they put up two late runs.
If the big Mo did shift to the Rangers, that just means that it evened everything out.
Longo’s still hitting lights out. Pena still has the cycle fresh on his mind. And the ‘pen, well, they are still just as dominant.
The team that constructively builds on its emotion will be the winners Tuesday night.
Man, I hope it is my Rays.
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The 3 Keys to a W
#1–Be Patient. Just like in Game 1, the Rays have to pile up the pitches against Cliff Lee. They let the guy cruise in Game 1. And they struck out 10 times–ridiculous. They need to work the count and get their walks going, something they did well over the weekend.
#2–Don’t Choke. The big moment in Game 1 was an early bases loaded moment that saw Carlos Pena and Rocco Baldelli strike out to end any kind of threat. After that, Lee settled in. The Rays cannot miss the big moments of Game 5.
#3–Be Smart, Joe. It is hard to argue with Joe Maddon. He is a big reason for why the Rays have made the playoffs 2 of the last 3 years. But I’m going to choke on my soda pop if he puts out the same ridiculous lineup he put out in Games 1 and 2. Go with what works. And what works is the lineups he put out over the weekend.
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Obviously, I have no idea how this game will go down. As I sit here, I am buzzing with anticipation that typically comes in an elmination game, but moreso because of one major fact.
It it MY team in this elmination game.
Win or lose, I’ll be proud that my boys fought back into this series.
Win, and I’ll be jumping like an idiot with jubilation.
Lose, and I’ll be quietly angry that they played so poorly in Games 1 and 2.
No matter what, I’ll know one thing.
I won’t have to miss work to see the game.
Go Rays!
Hey…It’s the REAL Rays
Finally the Tampa Bay Rays showed up in the 2010 ALDS.
Through Games 1 and 2 there was some team on the field playing against the big league Texas Rangers, but it surely wasn’t the Rays.
This imposter team had put up one measley run and only 8 hits in two games while giving up 11 runs AT HOME, no less.
Apparently, the REAL Rays were waiting in Arlington, Texas.
Want proof?
6 runs.
11 hits.
0 errors.
2 home runs.
1 W.
Now THAT’s Rays baseball.
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Emotions Were High
Around my home, the stress and worry levels were really high. We were wondering if we were about to see the final game of the Rays season. The final game of Carl Crawford’s career in a Rays uni.
There’s going to be at least one more.
What was great to see was while MY emotions were out of whack, the Rays’ were not.
There was Matt Garza calmly rebounding from an early run given up to retire Ranger after Ranger.
There was Joe Maddon keeping his temper in check, even after a few blown calls by the umpires tonight (seriously, blue, you didn’t see Elvis Andrus come off the bag on his stolen base attempt while Jason Bartlett had the tag on him? Seriously?).
This game was tight until the 9th, so the cooler head was going to prevail.
The cooler head and the guy with the bigger bat.
Luckily, that was the Rays on both account.
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Cameraman Longo
What was awesome to see was the Rays in the dugout messin’ around as they did all season long.
Watching Evan Longoria with a waterbottle holder on his shoulder, mimicking a cameraman’s pose, “film” the goings-on of the 9th inning. The guys around him were cracking up and suddenly everything was loose.
The Rays were back.
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The Rays Were Clutch
There were many events in this game that epitomized the Rays season, without which the Rays would be headed back to St. Pete with their heads held low.
–Carl Crawford had two big catches in the game, keeping the Rangers in check and preventing run-starting rallies.
–John Jaso had the biggest hit of the game in the 8th against the Rangers’ closer. Why isn’t this guy starting every game?
–The slumping and sub-Mendoza-line Carlos Pena took one down the right field line to drive in pinch runner Desmond Jennings with the game-tying run. Then Pena knocked one over the fence in the 9th to ice the game away.
–In addition to CC’s defense, Crawford hit a big home run in the 9th to put the Rays up 4-2 and take the pressure off of Pena. The loss of pressure made it just that much easier for the big first baseman to take one over the fence.
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3 Keys to a W
#1 Emotion–The Rays kept theirs in check AND loosened up the dugout in the process. Look out Rangers.
#2 Hit–11 hits and 6 runs make it clear that the bats were warmed up tonight.
#3 Patience–Colby Lewis did not walk a whole lot of guys this season. He walked 5 Rays tonight. That helped to put more pressure on the young righty, and it helped the Rays to a W.
3 out of 3 Keys Turned = W
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Game 4 is tomorrow.
How will it go?
If the Rays performance today is any indication, the Rangers have alot to worry about. They needed to put these guys away today.
They didn’t.
The Rays can be really streaky, and the losing streak appears to be over.
It’s Do or Die Time
This could be it.
Or not.
Like all Rays fans, this Saturday is not quite a day for resting. We have been on the edge of our seats since the final out of the disasterous Game 2 in St. Pete when the Rays went down with a whimper, 6-1.
So the anticipation is about to reach a fever pitch.
(Good movie, by the way, even if it IS about the Red Sox)
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The Pitching
Joe Maddon will trot out our last gasp in the form of righty Matt Garza.
This guy should give the Rays a great chance to take a necessary step towards Game 5. He has had great success in the playoffs, winning the ALCS MVP against the Red Sox in 2008, but the pressure will never have been greater for the guy.
They will go up against Colby Lewis (a guy who helped me to my second fantasy baseball championship this season, by the way). Lewis was a game under .500 (12-13) on the season, but his ERA was at 3.72.
What worries me most is that he struck out nearly 200 hitters (196). That bodes ill for the Rays, who led the league in Ks.
The only number that matters today, though, is runs. The Rays need to give up one less than the Rangers.
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The Lineup
Thanks, Joe.
The Rays will trot out the type of lineup that has helped them win 96 games this season.
Jaso
Zobrist
CC
Longo
Joyce
Johnson
Pena
Upton
Bartlett
I’m happy with this lineup, no matter the handed-ness of the guy on the opponents’ mound. These guys know how to look for good pitches and how to work the count.
Upton and Bartlett at the bottom of the lineup help Joe’s boys get some production from the latter third of lineup leading back to Jaso at the top.
I love it.
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3 Keys to a W
1–Emotion. It might be said too much, but Matty needs to keep his mind in the game. He dominated the Rangers at the Trop this year, but he was roughed up in Texas. That can’t happen. But it can’t be just Garza who keeps emotion in check. Hear me, Joe?
2–Hit. ‘Nuff said. 8 hits in two games stinks.
3–Be Patient. Honestly, Lewis does not walk alot of guys (65 this year). But the Rays know how to walk. They have to get him to miss the zone throughout the game and they have to get to the Rangers’ ‘pen early.
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I don’t know how this is going to turn out.
Like most of the country, though, I know that we haven’t seen the best of the Rays yet in this series. It would be a shame for them to go out of the postseason without showing MLB fans just how good this team really is.
I’ll be on the edge of my seat throughout the game.
Nervous for sure.
ALDS Dud
What a great day. It was amazing.
What a horrible day. It was amazingly terrible.
It was that kind of a day. Exhilerating and frustrating. A sea of conflicting emotions.
The Rays took it on the chin today against the Texas Rangers, 5-1. They deserved the loss in every possible way. They came out lethargic on the mound, lazy in the field, and uninspired at the plate.
David Price was clearly outdueled by Cliff Lee, as Davey gave up runs in four consecutive innings. Forget about the unearned runs, Price looked as bad as the 5-1 loss did. He labored through his outing and ended up giving up 2 home runs (Nelson Cruz crushed one while Bengie Molina put one in the left field bleachers as well) and no chance to his fellow mates.
It isn’t as if he was helped in the field, though.
Evan Longoria had several poor throws to first base, one of which skipped by a terrible Carlos Pena for a key error in the game. Another throw from Jason Bartlett also got by Pena, eventually leading to a run.
At the plate, sheesh.
The Rays struck out 13 times.
13!!!
In a playoff game, no less.
Pena had three of those K’s, one that came looking early in the game when the Rays had the bases loaded. BJ Upton and Rocco Baldelli struck out twice each to help lead the team to their Game 1 loss.
There are alot of things that make me angry about this game.
I’m going to remember the fun I had, though. I loved cheering on my boys. I loved hanging out with my wife and my buddies during our pre-game tailgate. Those things are what I’ll take away from today.
I certainly hope that the Rays will take some positives away from today as well and find a way to get a big W during tomorrow’s inexplicable daytime playoff game. Thanks MLB.
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Keys to the Game
#1 David Price needs to give 6 strong innings. That surely did not happen. Price might have gotten little support at the plate and in the field, but he brought alot of the grief on himself. The team paid for it.
#2 Make Lee work. Nope, no good there. He cruised today. At times it looked like the Rays hitters were swinging at anything that was thrown, forget whether it was near the plate or not. They managed 5 hits against the guy all day long.
#3 Capitalize with a capital C. Again, no good. They had runners in scoring position all day long. Early in the game, the Rays had the bases loaded with one out. Pena struck out looking and Baldelli looked terrible in his inning-ending K.
0/3 Keys Turned = LOSS
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Maddon’s Lineup Decisions…
I’m getting tired, so I’ll keep this part short.
What the hell, Joe?
Barlett leading off? He hasn’t done that much over the last week or so at all. So why do it now? I know he hits lefties fairly well, but Bartlett hasn’t been right all season long.
Baldelli starting? Why? A few months ago he was an advisor with the team. A month ago he was at Single A. And now he starts Game 1? I don’t get it. And you bat him above Zobrist, who you hit 7th?
It was yet another strange lineup put forth by an unconventional manager. If it worked, nobody would have cared. But it didn’t.
C’mon Joe.
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