American League Champions!
No, that team in the World Series was not the same team we saw from May through the ALCS. I leave the Major League season frustrated, disappointed and totally 100% PROUD of my team!
Here's what they're saying...
St. Pete Times:
Rays miracle season over, but its effects will last - http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article881466.ece#comments
World Series: Remember the Tampa Bay Rays' good times - http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article881459.ece
Rays have less time to prepare for next season after World Series run - http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article881410.ece
Tampa Tribune:
Dream Ends, But It Was a Summer to Remember - http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/30/na-bell-tolls-for-rays-bell-tolls-for-rays/
Maddon Never Wavered - http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/29/300044/w1-maddon-never-wavered/sports-rays/
Rays Come Up Short On Game's Biggest Stage - http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/30/300033/w1-rays-come-up-short-on-games-biggest-stage/sports-rays/
Showing posts with label Tampa Bay Rays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tampa Bay Rays. Show all posts
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
It's cold in the deep, deep south
Adolf Hitler and Ted Bundy are looking for winter coats and ice skates! Hell has officially frozen over!
As improbable… As unbelievable… As preposterous as it sounds, the Tampa Bay Rays (yes THOSE Rays!) are going to the World Series!
In a sign of what they’ve become to the Tampa Bay Area, during the Bucs Sunday night game in Raymond James Stadium against Seattle a Warrick Dunn 1-yard run was greeted by the fans in the stadium with wild cheers.
Was it because Dunn scored a TD or gained a first down? Nope! It was because fans had been made aware (via the scoreboard, their blackberries, Rays’ radio broadcasts and their in-stands neighbors) that the Rays had just tied the game on Carlos Pena’s first-to-home dash in the fifth inning. Chants of “Let’s Go Rays” could be heard on the Buc’s radio broadcast!
For the first ten years of their existence the Rays were an exercise in futility. They finished in last place nine (!) times in those ten years – including 2006 and 2007 – and never finished higher than fourth.
Their team record for wins coming into this season was 70 – SEVENTY(!) – in 2004.
Lofty goals for this season among long-time fans included finishing at or above .500 and finishing third in the AL East.
Now they’ve gone from worst to first – Wild Card qualifier, AL East Champs, ALDS winners and now American League Champions!
And how sweet was it that Rocco Baldelli – after all that he’s been through physically and emotionally the last few years – was the guy who delivered the game winning RBI??
The last team to go from worst record in MLB to the World Series? The 1991 Atlanta Braves. Sure, those Braves lost the Series – possibly the best World Series in history – to the (also worst-to-first) Minnesota Twins. However, that year jump-started a run of 14 straight playoff appearances for the Braves.
Can the Rays follow that Braves example? In today’s AL East, it will be very difficult. The Yankees and Red Sox spend money like the federal government and the Blue Jays are not far behind.
Still, there are similarities to those early-90’s Atlanta teams that are unmistakable. It starts with pitching.
Atlanta had Glavine, Smoltz and Avery who were home-grown. Tampa Bay has Shields, Sonnanstine and Price.
Atlanta traded for Maddux – Tampa Bay traded for Kazmir and Garza.
Neither team has a bullpen that they can count on in the playoffs, especially at the closer spot. Atlanta struggled through guys like Alejandro Pena, Mark Wohlers and John Rocker. The Rays have had Troy Percival (past his prime) and Dan Wheeler.
On the bench, the Braves had (have) Bobby Cox who had been in the game for decades and had finally found the right place for his managerial style. The Rays have Joe Maddon who spent decades with the Angels organization before finally getting his shot to manage – he hasn’t disappointed.
There are a lot of similarities.
The Rays accomplished this championship with the second-lowest payroll in MLB - $44 million.
The good news for Rays’ fans is that many of the young stars on this team are locked up for a few years already. Here’s a great article from MLB.com’s Jim Molony regarding how the team was built. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081006&content_id=3600016&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb&partnerId=rss_tb
Rays players and the year their contract ends (includes club option years)
As improbable… As unbelievable… As preposterous as it sounds, the Tampa Bay Rays (yes THOSE Rays!) are going to the World Series!
In a sign of what they’ve become to the Tampa Bay Area, during the Bucs Sunday night game in Raymond James Stadium against Seattle a Warrick Dunn 1-yard run was greeted by the fans in the stadium with wild cheers.
Was it because Dunn scored a TD or gained a first down? Nope! It was because fans had been made aware (via the scoreboard, their blackberries, Rays’ radio broadcasts and their in-stands neighbors) that the Rays had just tied the game on Carlos Pena’s first-to-home dash in the fifth inning. Chants of “Let’s Go Rays” could be heard on the Buc’s radio broadcast!
For the first ten years of their existence the Rays were an exercise in futility. They finished in last place nine (!) times in those ten years – including 2006 and 2007 – and never finished higher than fourth.
Their team record for wins coming into this season was 70 – SEVENTY(!) – in 2004.
Lofty goals for this season among long-time fans included finishing at or above .500 and finishing third in the AL East.
Now they’ve gone from worst to first – Wild Card qualifier, AL East Champs, ALDS winners and now American League Champions!
And how sweet was it that Rocco Baldelli – after all that he’s been through physically and emotionally the last few years – was the guy who delivered the game winning RBI??
The last team to go from worst record in MLB to the World Series? The 1991 Atlanta Braves. Sure, those Braves lost the Series – possibly the best World Series in history – to the (also worst-to-first) Minnesota Twins. However, that year jump-started a run of 14 straight playoff appearances for the Braves.
Can the Rays follow that Braves example? In today’s AL East, it will be very difficult. The Yankees and Red Sox spend money like the federal government and the Blue Jays are not far behind.
Still, there are similarities to those early-90’s Atlanta teams that are unmistakable. It starts with pitching.
Atlanta had Glavine, Smoltz and Avery who were home-grown. Tampa Bay has Shields, Sonnanstine and Price.
Atlanta traded for Maddux – Tampa Bay traded for Kazmir and Garza.
Neither team has a bullpen that they can count on in the playoffs, especially at the closer spot. Atlanta struggled through guys like Alejandro Pena, Mark Wohlers and John Rocker. The Rays have had Troy Percival (past his prime) and Dan Wheeler.
On the bench, the Braves had (have) Bobby Cox who had been in the game for decades and had finally found the right place for his managerial style. The Rays have Joe Maddon who spent decades with the Angels organization before finally getting his shot to manage – he hasn’t disappointed.
There are a lot of similarities.
The Rays accomplished this championship with the second-lowest payroll in MLB - $44 million.
The good news for Rays’ fans is that many of the young stars on this team are locked up for a few years already. Here’s a great article from MLB.com’s Jim Molony regarding how the team was built. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081006&content_id=3600016&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb&partnerId=rss_tb
Rays players and the year their contract ends (includes club option years)
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 |
| Bradford | Pena | Wheeler | Kazmir | Shields | Longoria |
| Floyd | Crawford | Baldelli | Price | ||
| Miller | Iwamura | ||||
| Niemann |
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
It just keeps getting worse...
Now Evan Longoria is on the 15-day DL with a fracture in his wrist. What was thought to be just a bruise that would have had him back in the lineup today has turned into a 15-day trip. Longoria will be eligible to come off the DL August 23.
It's looking more and more likely that Carl Crawford is done for 2008.
What does this mean for the Rays?
They play 3 @ Oakland and 3 @ Texas before returning home for 3 with the ML-leading Angels. Then they get a day off before heading to Chicago for the Central-leading White Sox.
Longoria will be eligible to come off the DL at the end of that Chicago series. Hopefully he's able to play by then.
To finish August they get 6 games at home against Toronto and Baltimore and then we hit crunch time in September. Aside from a 4-game visit from Minnesota and a 4-game trip to Detroit to end the season, all of their games in September will be intra-divisional games. They have 6 each (3 home and 3 away) with both the Yankees and Red Sox. Those 12 games will likely decide the division and who gets to play in October.
It's time for players like Akinori Iwamura, B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena to step up and play like we know they can. Aki and Pena have been showing signs of breaking out over the last two or three weeks. The batting averages of both have been steadily climbing, and Pena's driving in runs again.
Pitching and defense has carried them all year. It will need to continue to be that way. They need Scott Kazmir to recapture his form from April and May and Shields, Jackson, Garza and Sonnanstine to continue pitching as they have been. The bullpen needs to keep it up - Wheeler, Balfour, Howell and even Trever Miller to continue pitching well. And they need Troy Percival to time-warp back to 2001 and start blowing hitters away.
They need Jason Bartlett back at shortstop - they're infinitely better up the middle with him in there.
Their best player this year has been Longoria.
Their best player in club history has been Crawford.
Missing them both at the most important time in club history... either it's disaster, or they step up and finish what's been the best story in baseball this summer.
It's looking more and more likely that Carl Crawford is done for 2008.
What does this mean for the Rays?
They play 3 @ Oakland and 3 @ Texas before returning home for 3 with the ML-leading Angels. Then they get a day off before heading to Chicago for the Central-leading White Sox.
Longoria will be eligible to come off the DL at the end of that Chicago series. Hopefully he's able to play by then.
To finish August they get 6 games at home against Toronto and Baltimore and then we hit crunch time in September. Aside from a 4-game visit from Minnesota and a 4-game trip to Detroit to end the season, all of their games in September will be intra-divisional games. They have 6 each (3 home and 3 away) with both the Yankees and Red Sox. Those 12 games will likely decide the division and who gets to play in October.
It's time for players like Akinori Iwamura, B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena to step up and play like we know they can. Aki and Pena have been showing signs of breaking out over the last two or three weeks. The batting averages of both have been steadily climbing, and Pena's driving in runs again.
Pitching and defense has carried them all year. It will need to continue to be that way. They need Scott Kazmir to recapture his form from April and May and Shields, Jackson, Garza and Sonnanstine to continue pitching as they have been. The bullpen needs to keep it up - Wheeler, Balfour, Howell and even Trever Miller to continue pitching well. And they need Troy Percival to time-warp back to 2001 and start blowing hitters away.
They need Jason Bartlett back at shortstop - they're infinitely better up the middle with him in there.
Their best player this year has been Longoria.
Their best player in club history has been Crawford.
Missing them both at the most important time in club history... either it's disaster, or they step up and finish what's been the best story in baseball this summer.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Updating Crawford
Updating Carl Crawford's situation. Rays' trainer Ron Porterfield extrapolated a bit on what was said before Sunday's game.
From the TampaBay.com Rays blog "The Heater":
The Rays are officially calling Crawford's injury "right middle finger tendon subluxation'' and head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield said to was too early to predict how much beyond the 15-day DL period Crawford will be out until he sees team hand specialist Dr. Doug Carlan today in St. Petersburg. "I wouldn't even put a timeframe on it right now until our doctor sees him,'' Porterfield said.
Crawford, who was to fly back to Tampa Sunday afternoon, said he was hurt on his final at-bat Saturday, checking his swing on a 3-1 pitch before a 10th-inning walk.
"I felt my hand pop," Crawford said."I don't really know yet (what's wrong) I just know it's real sore. ... I felt it last night and I thought it was something I could just shake off, but when I got to the outfield and tried to play catch and I knew it was worse.''
Porterfield said Crawford told him after playing the field it "felt like a rubberband snap" and that his "finger locks."
The problem, Porterfield said, is that the tendon that runs the length of the finger is "out of the groove" and slides over to the side of the third and largest knuckle, which is a sign of damage to the tissue that holds it in place. "More than likely he's disrupted that,'' Porterfield said, "so it's not holding that tendon in the proper grove." Crawford is "point tender" on the spot. The finger can be manipulated back into place and it feels fine, but as soon as it is flexed the problem reoccurs.
Porterfield stressed that there was no way to predict how long Crawford will be out until further diagnosis, but said in general the problem could be fixed by putting the finger in a split and resting it, or it could have to be repaired surgically, with the tissue reconstructed."
At this point in time, with our situation, we're going to do whatever we can to get him back on the field as soon as possible,'' Porterfield said. "So whether that's splinting it and trying to let it heal or whether it's intervention at some point in time, I wouldn't even be able to tell you until he sees that specialist.''
Since the injury on his non-throwing hand, the bigger concern is Crawford's ability to grip and swing the bat.
Crawford's absence would be a significant blow to the Rays' hopes to make the postseason for the first time as he is is one of their top overall players, hitting .273 with 8 homers and 57 RBIs and leading the team with 69 runs.
"Carl's been one of our best clutch hitters recently, specifically, and obviously everything else that he brings, his defense in the outfield, his speed on the bases, his veteranship, all that stuff's going to be missed,'' manager Joe Maddon said.
Doesn't sound very promising, does it?
From the TampaBay.com Rays blog "The Heater":
The Rays are officially calling Crawford's injury "right middle finger tendon subluxation'' and head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield said to was too early to predict how much beyond the 15-day DL period Crawford will be out until he sees team hand specialist Dr. Doug Carlan today in St. Petersburg. "I wouldn't even put a timeframe on it right now until our doctor sees him,'' Porterfield said.
Crawford, who was to fly back to Tampa Sunday afternoon, said he was hurt on his final at-bat Saturday, checking his swing on a 3-1 pitch before a 10th-inning walk.
"I felt my hand pop," Crawford said."I don't really know yet (what's wrong) I just know it's real sore. ... I felt it last night and I thought it was something I could just shake off, but when I got to the outfield and tried to play catch and I knew it was worse.''
Porterfield said Crawford told him after playing the field it "felt like a rubberband snap" and that his "finger locks."
The problem, Porterfield said, is that the tendon that runs the length of the finger is "out of the groove" and slides over to the side of the third and largest knuckle, which is a sign of damage to the tissue that holds it in place. "More than likely he's disrupted that,'' Porterfield said, "so it's not holding that tendon in the proper grove." Crawford is "point tender" on the spot. The finger can be manipulated back into place and it feels fine, but as soon as it is flexed the problem reoccurs.
Porterfield stressed that there was no way to predict how long Crawford will be out until further diagnosis, but said in general the problem could be fixed by putting the finger in a split and resting it, or it could have to be repaired surgically, with the tissue reconstructed."
At this point in time, with our situation, we're going to do whatever we can to get him back on the field as soon as possible,'' Porterfield said. "So whether that's splinting it and trying to let it heal or whether it's intervention at some point in time, I wouldn't even be able to tell you until he sees that specialist.''
Since the injury on his non-throwing hand, the bigger concern is Crawford's ability to grip and swing the bat.
Crawford's absence would be a significant blow to the Rays' hopes to make the postseason for the first time as he is is one of their top overall players, hitting .273 with 8 homers and 57 RBIs and leading the team with 69 runs.
"Carl's been one of our best clutch hitters recently, specifically, and obviously everything else that he brings, his defense in the outfield, his speed on the bases, his veteranship, all that stuff's going to be missed,'' manager Joe Maddon said.
Doesn't sound very promising, does it?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Well that's great... and that sucks!
Just when the Rays were winning 3 of 4 in Seattle to post a franchise-record 71 wins (with 45 games remaining I might add!), the nicks and bumps were starting to add up.
Evan Longoria has missed the last three games in Seattle after being hit on the back of his right wrist on Thursday.
Jason Bartlett has been limited to playing DH over the last week due to a bruised index finger.
Although he's been okay and able to play, catcher Shawn Riggans was nearly impaled by a fastball just after Longoria was hit.
The worst news, however, was that Carl Crawford has a tendon injury in one of his fingers which landed him on the 15-day DL today. It could be 6 to 8 weeks before he returns, and the injury may have ended his season.
From the St. Pete Times website TampaBay.com:
The Rays are officially calling Crawford's injury "right middle finger tendon subluxation'' and head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield said to was too early to predict how much beyond the 15-day DL period Crawford will be out until he sees team hand specialist Dr. Doug Carlan today in St. Petersburg. "I wouldn't even put a timeframe on it right now until our doctor sees him,'' Porterfield said.
The good news for Tampa Bay today was that Rocco Baldelli (yes, THAT Rocco Baldelli) played in his first major league game in over a year. Baldelli missed the last 124 games of 2007 and the first 116 of 2008, but today he went 1 for 4 with a single and an RBI in his return to the lineup. He also made a diving catch in right field before leaving in the sixth inning.
So pitching and defense - which have carried the Rays all year - will have to continue to do the job as they wait for Longoria to return and hope that Crawford can make it back.
The good news is that Carlos Pena's bat seems to be heating up (.324 with 4 HR and 11 RBI in his last 10 games) as well as Aki Iwamura (.356 in his last 10).
Even better was Edwin Jackson's start today where he went 7 innings giving up 7 hits and only one run on a solo homer. That followed Friday night's outing by James Shields where he seemed to break out of his road woes - going 6 2/3 innings and giving up only 3 earned runs to lower his season ERA to 3.65.
The Rays also picked up Chad Bradford from Baltimore earlier this week - releasing Al Reyes to make room on the roster. Bradford brings a 2.34 ERA in 42 1/3 innings of work this year and his submarine style gives the bullpen a different look for the opposing lineup.
Finally there is 22-year old David Price the Rays' top pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt. Price has rolled through the minor leagues with an 11-0 record and 1.87 ERA at classes A and AA. The hard-throwing lefty has allowed only 70 hits in 91 2/3 innings and has struck out 92 while walking only 23.
Word on the street is that Price will be called up in late August. Anyone who saw him play in spring training knows that Price has the best stuff of any pitcher in the Rays' system - including Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza.
Price could be the final piece to the puzzle that puts the Rays into the post-season for the first time - if there's a healthy position player remaining on the roster by October!
Evan Longoria has missed the last three games in Seattle after being hit on the back of his right wrist on Thursday.
Jason Bartlett has been limited to playing DH over the last week due to a bruised index finger.
Although he's been okay and able to play, catcher Shawn Riggans was nearly impaled by a fastball just after Longoria was hit.
The worst news, however, was that Carl Crawford has a tendon injury in one of his fingers which landed him on the 15-day DL today. It could be 6 to 8 weeks before he returns, and the injury may have ended his season.
From the St. Pete Times website TampaBay.com:
The Rays are officially calling Crawford's injury "right middle finger tendon subluxation'' and head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield said to was too early to predict how much beyond the 15-day DL period Crawford will be out until he sees team hand specialist Dr. Doug Carlan today in St. Petersburg. "I wouldn't even put a timeframe on it right now until our doctor sees him,'' Porterfield said.
The good news for Tampa Bay today was that Rocco Baldelli (yes, THAT Rocco Baldelli) played in his first major league game in over a year. Baldelli missed the last 124 games of 2007 and the first 116 of 2008, but today he went 1 for 4 with a single and an RBI in his return to the lineup. He also made a diving catch in right field before leaving in the sixth inning.
So pitching and defense - which have carried the Rays all year - will have to continue to do the job as they wait for Longoria to return and hope that Crawford can make it back.
The good news is that Carlos Pena's bat seems to be heating up (.324 with 4 HR and 11 RBI in his last 10 games) as well as Aki Iwamura (.356 in his last 10).
Even better was Edwin Jackson's start today where he went 7 innings giving up 7 hits and only one run on a solo homer. That followed Friday night's outing by James Shields where he seemed to break out of his road woes - going 6 2/3 innings and giving up only 3 earned runs to lower his season ERA to 3.65.
The Rays also picked up Chad Bradford from Baltimore earlier this week - releasing Al Reyes to make room on the roster. Bradford brings a 2.34 ERA in 42 1/3 innings of work this year and his submarine style gives the bullpen a different look for the opposing lineup.
Finally there is 22-year old David Price the Rays' top pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt. Price has rolled through the minor leagues with an 11-0 record and 1.87 ERA at classes A and AA. The hard-throwing lefty has allowed only 70 hits in 91 2/3 innings and has struck out 92 while walking only 23.
Word on the street is that Price will be called up in late August. Anyone who saw him play in spring training knows that Price has the best stuff of any pitcher in the Rays' system - including Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza.
Price could be the final piece to the puzzle that puts the Rays into the post-season for the first time - if there's a healthy position player remaining on the roster by October!
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