Is it time for Price?

It's mid-September and the Tampa Bay Rays are still in first place. They've overcome injuries this year to Aki Iwamura, Carlos Pena, Troy Percival (3 times), Dioner Navarro, Jason Bartlett and (most recently) Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and B.J. Upton to maintain a 2.5 game lead heading into this weekend's three-game series in the Bronx with the dreaded (and nearly eliminated!) NY Yankees.

Guys like Gabe Gross, (former HUSKER) Dan Johnson, Ben Zobrist and Willy Aybar have stepped up and helped this team to victories at different points this year. It's been a magical year in the Tampa Bay area - not that "fans" there would know since they seem insistent on staying home from the Trop (but that's a different rant for a different day).

That's right folks, the Rays have a magic number of 16 to clinch the division.


In today's St. Pete Times, columnist John Romano calls for manager Joe Maddon to change the role of closer Percival. I've fought this idea personally because Percy is the only guy in that bullpen with significant closing experience in September and October. He's been to (and won) a World Series with the Angels while guys like Grant Balfour (with his 97-MPH heater and mound-mumbling) and Dan Wheeler (with his 89-MPH "warmer" and being Maddon's son-in-law) have not been in the same type of pressure-cooker as Percival.

I love Wheels and Balfour in setup situations - just as I do J.P. Howell, Trever Miller (this year) and the rest of that 'pen. But face it fans - Percy is the only guy qualified to close right now.

Now I know that I just bemoaned the lack of experience of Wheeler and Balfour as a reason to keep them as setup guys, but I have a different idea for someone to replace Percival. Why don't the Rays pull a page from the Yankees playbook and give David Price a shot? New York did that with (former HUSKER) Joba Chamberlain and it seems to have worked out pretty well for them. It didn't hinder Chamberlain's ability to transition to being a starter this year.

Give Price a shot for a couple of games and see what he can do? Try him in the 7th or 8th innings and watch him blow away a few hitters and then tell me that he isn't the man for the job. I vividly recall his first appearance this past March during Spring Training at Legends Field in Tampa against these very Yankees. He blew away three straight after hitting one batter.

There's a reason that he was the No. 1 pick in the draft and moved from A to AA to AAA this year (and dominated at each level). He's SPECIAL!

I know all of the arguments about clubhouse cameraderie and upsetting the "mojo" of a team already in first place and with a legitimate shot at the best record in the majors, but Price has that "it" factor and could be the guy to get the Rays over the hump and into their first post-season. Why not give it a try? It can't be any worse than watching Percival struggle through another 9th. When was the last time Percy went through an inning without at least bringing the tying run to the plate? My heart can't take it anymore! Try Price!

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.

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?

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!

Long TIme, No Blog

I've been busy - very busy - but I didn't realize I'd been so neglectful! I checked my blog this morning and realized that it's been since December 19 that I wrote anything! Damned online poker has been monopolizing my free time! :-)

Let's catch up a bit... Nebraska has a new coaching staff and the concern of losing their recruiting class for 2008 because of the turnover was somewhat warranted. NU lost Blaine Gabbert, Adrian Hilburn, Bryce Givens, Doug Rippy, Shaun Mohler, Dan Hoch and Reilly Reiff.

However, some recruits who decommitted later recommitted to coach Pelini's staff. Tops among those players were LB Will Compton and DE Josh Williams. RB Collins Okafor - who was looking around - later reaffirmed his commitment.

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After Pelini and crew got settled, NU added 13 players to their class.

They dipped into states such as Texas, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Ohio.

In my last blog (way back in December) I mentioned DT Quentin Toailoa and WR Khiry Cooper were considering the Big Red. Both signed with NU in February.

Cooper was a high draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Chino Hills/Huntington Beach and as such has some financial options available to him that most college freshmen would kill for. Thus far Cooper has turned the Angels down. The deadline is fast-approaching, so look for the team to make one final push with a big offer. If it gets into seven digits it's possible Cooper may take the money and run, but I believe we'll see him suiting up for both Bo Pelini and Mike Anderson during 2008-09.

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From what I've heard from fall camp and summer conditioning, freshmen who could make an immediate impact - whether it's on special teams or on the two-deep - include LB Alonzo Whaley, CB Alfonzo Dennard, TE Ben Cotton, TE Kyler Reed, DT Baker Steinkuhler and the aforementioned Compton and Cooper.

Another piece of Pelini's plan for his program is the emphasis on walk-ons. That emphasis might pay dividends this fall. There are a number of freshmen on the 105-man roster, including linebacker Matt Holt, defensive tackle Justin Jackson, offensive lineman Brian Thorson and defensive back Jase Dean. Holt has been working with the two-deep at a thin linebacker corps and has already made an impression on the coaching staff.

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Speaking of fall camp, it's been eventful already. Kevin Dixon has been dismissed from the team and Ty Steinkuhler has been sitting out most of the week with an undisclosed injury (which may be a back issue from what I hear). The DT position is one injury away from being potentially decimated! Guys like Ndamukong Suh and Shukree Barfield need to watch out when they step into the street!

Seth Jensen leaving the team last spring hurts even more now, as he could have stepped into the two-deep.

Guys like Ben Martin, Terrence Moore, and freshman Baker Steinkuhler may need to step up and produce this fall. Moore is coming along well according to Pelini, however it also sounds like he's a ways away from making an impact.

"Terrence is making progress," Pelini told HuskersIllustrated.com. "He's not exactly where we want him to be yet and probably won't be for a long time. He's working hard though and hopefully he'll continue to get better."

The younger Steinkuhler certainly has the size (6-foot-6, 290 pounds) and the motor to compete at the D-1 level. How quickly he picks up the defense will determine how much he plays.

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What about 2009 recruiting? There's been much hand-wringing on message boards about the lack of 'stars' on the current list of commitments. NU has 10 prospects pledged so far with six of them coming from Texas. Of the remaining four, two are from Nebraska and one each from Florida and Pennsylvania.

Four-star QB Cody Green of Dayton (Texas) leads the pack. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with 4.6-second speed in the 40 and a rocket arm, Green looks like the future of Nebraska football.

Husker fans have seen big-time prospect QBs commit and then be lost recently. Do names like Josh Freeman and Blaine Gabbert ring a bell? What makes Green different? He has an older sister who will be entering graduate school at NU in the fall. I think it's very likely that Green signs with NU in February.

Among the other commitments, RB Dontrayveous "Tray" Robinson looks like an outstanding prospect. Rivals lists him as a three-star, but he is on the cusp of four-star status and is the No. 58 prospect in Texas overall.

Robinson combines big-back size (6-1/215) with tailback speed (4.5-seconds in the 40). He plays for one of the top schools in Texas' biggest class at Euless Trinity. In fact, some national publications (http://prepnation.com/ for example) have Trinity listed as the top team in the nation for 2008.

Another player on that Trinity team is DT Siosaia Tuipulotu (6-2/285) who will be making an official visit to Lincoln with Robinson September 5. Tuipuloto is Rivals' No. 49-ranked player in Texas with 3 stars. He lists his top three as NU, Utah and Louisville. Getting a prospect with Polynesian background to Lincoln has always been difficult, however sophomore RB Roy Helu is showing us that it's not impossible. Hopefully Helu can make an impact on Tuipulotu, and along with Robinson's emphasis he'll commit.

Tuipulotu would be the third DT to commit, joining Cole Pensick (6-2/250) of Lincoln Northeast and Thaddeus Randle (6-1/255) of Galena Park (Texas) North Shore. Both are rated by Rivals with 3 stars.

Randle plays for another Texas program which is highly-ranked nationally by PrepNation.com. North Shore is ranked tenth in the preseason poll. They have won 70 straight regular-season games, but have won just one state title during that run. Randle - and his 6 teammates with D-1 offers - hope to add title number two this year.

A prospect who has message boards buzzing is all-purpose back David Oku of Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert who has NU in his top four schools and has scheduled an official visit for the Virginia Tech game Sept 27. Oku is Rivals' No. 1-ranked all-purpose back and No. 82 in the nation at all positions. As a freshman he rushed for over 800 yards, followed up by over 1,400 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore and over 1,600 yards with 20 TDs as a junior. He will decide from among NU, Louisville, Tennessee and Florida State.

Wide receivers Brady Brown (6-5/190) of Argyle (Texas) and Abrecus Martinez (6-2/185) of Rayville (La.) are the top two WR possibilities to commit soon.

Brown is down to NU, Kansas, Stanford and Vanderbilt, but NU clearly leads. He caught 97 passes for almost 1,100 yards and 12 TDs as a junior.

Martinez will visit Sept. 6 for the San Jose State game and could have a decision between shortly after his trip. He holds offers from Colorado and Ole Miss, but has maintained a top two of NU and Tulsa for months now.

“It’s possible I could commit (to Nebraska),” Martinez told HuskersIllustrated.com. “It all depends on how things go. I’ll try to hold off. I’d at least go back home for a couple of days to think about it (before committing).”

I expect NU to take only two receivers in this class. If both Brown and Martinez make their decisions, that should be all they take.

There will be more, but I'm running out of time. I'll try to write more frequently. Go Big Red!