Tampa Bay has taken care of some housekeeping in avoiding arbitration with pitcher Jeff Niemann, outfielders Sam Fuld and Matt Joyce, and infielder Ryan Roberts. Niemann, Fuld, and Joyce suffered injuries last season, and I expect each of them to put up better numbers this season.  Niemann can be a strong piece in almost any rotation, Fuld brings incredible energy daily, and Joyce brings good power and a needed lefty bat to the lineup.  There’s also a good chance he will play more this season against southpaws.

Photo by Nick Stepowyj

This evening the Rays will take on the Yankees at The Trop’ in St. Pete.  But earlier today while on WEEI radio Bobby Valentine took a cheap shot at Joe Maddon. While responding to questions about his tardiness to a game in Oakland, as well as other queries regarding the Red Sox dumpster fire of a season, Bobby said :

“Four o’clock, like that’s late for a 7:15 game.  Joe Maddon gets there every day at four o’clock, just for the record.”

Valentine is known to run his mouth at every opportunity, and for some unknown reason had to mention Maddon’s pre-game routine in an effort to deflect criticism.  When Maddon met the press this afternoon, he said:

“Sorry I’m late.  Just got here.”

It wasn’t so much what Valentine said that irritated me, it was the tone of voice.  I was on record with friends saying I didn’t think Bobby V. would be a good hire for the BoSox.  His arrogance and sarcasm have long been there for anyone who would care to look.  On top of that, he has proven to have no problem with throwing players under the bus. Please note:  Kevin Youkilis.

Anyone who has read my posts knows that I don’t take shots at people.  As a matter of fact, I rein in some of my stronger feelings, just because it’s better to take the high road whenever possible, plus we seldom get to hear both sides of an issue.  But Valentine has proven time after time that he’s going to do it his way, at anyone else’s expense.  And I think that’s reason enough to say he’s one of the very few people in the game that I have little or no respect for.

It’s never classy or honorable to try to deflect blame or criticism at someone else’s expense. We tell children not to act in that manner.  Maybe Bobby needs someone to him how to handle rough times.  Like, maybe you should just own up to it and keep working hard to set a new template for next season.  In the meanwhile, he keeps putting himself in the news, ahead of larger team concerns, and pouring gas on that dumpster fire.  Good job, Bobby.  That ought to work… and by the way, your bluster and finger-pointing seem to indicate some sort of true insecurity. » Continue reading “Rays Try To Sweep Yanks, Bobby V’s Tirade Is Tired”

The Drew Carey show was more enjoyable that Saturday’s game.

Matt Moore gave up a total of five runs in the second and third innings, and Ubaldo Jimenez held Tampa Bay to a pair of runs over six innings as the Rays fell 7-3 to the Indians yesterday.

Cleveland clubbed three doubles in the second frame on the way to scoring three runs, and followed that up with two doubles and a pair of runs in the bottom of the third.

The Rays scored two runs in the top of the fourth on a double by Ben Zobrist and Luke Scott’s eleventh home run of the season.  The Indians added a pair of runs off Wade Davis in the bottom of the eighth on a walk and a two-run homer by Shelley Duncan.  B.J. Upton hit his seventh home run of the year in the top of the ninth for the Tampa Bay’s final tally.

Off to Texas tonight.

Minimalism. It’s the theme of the first themed road trip of the season that will begin after the Rays face the Angels at 1:10 this afternoon.

MLB.com’s Bill Chastain wrote of the trip:

“It’s just a three-day trip and it’s a great opportunity for us to practice our minimalist tendencies,” said the Rays manager with a customary twinkle in his eye. “I’m hoping everybody just brings their little carry-on luggage, one pair of jeans, three shirts, some socks. Those who wear underwear, bring underwear, and your toiletries. And you can make a nice three-day event where it really cuts down on the amount of work that [the clubhouse staff has] to do.

“As we move forward into this century, I think minimalism is going to become a more popular concept. So we are just doing our best right now to promote that particular concept. We’re starting with our trip to Texas.”

I think I fall in love with our fair skipper a little more each day. And “those who wear underwear”??? Of course some of the Rays go commando. That only makes sense.

Speaking of minimalism…Chastain’s recap from last night’s win over the Angels is titled, “Rays do enough little things to squeak by.”

The Rays moved to 11-7 on the season with a 3-2 win over the Angels. Jeremy Hellickson improved his record to 3-0 with six innings of work.

Perhaps Evan Longoria took the whole minimalism thing a bit too far earlier this week when he wore a glorified diaper to a “Halloween in April” party. Rays Index has the disturbing photo.

Photo by Roxanne Jo Mitchell.

Look on the bright side, Rays fans.

Before you read the next couple of paragraphs, just know that the Rays are going to be OK.  They are going to get it going.  You can count on it.  If you believe!

OK, so what would you say if I were to tell you the Rays were fifth in MLB in runs scored, and Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce both had an OPS above 1.000.  Add Carlos Pena at .986 and Luke Scott at .927.  You’d probably say that Tampa Bay was well on its way to the World Series, and with their pitching, they were the favorites to win it all.

Then, what would you think if I were to tell you that the Rays’ pitching staff was ranked 28^th out of 30 in MLB in ERA, at 5.33.  Plus, they were ranked 29^th in bases-on-balls.  And for dessert, they top things off with a major league worst WHIP of 1.59.  You might think they didn’t have a chance in hell of finishing with a .500 record for the season.

While thinking of what I would write about, I took a look at their stats.  They are numbers, and they do give you a sense of where a club might be.  But they are only numbers. Then, after reading an article by Bill Chastain, I made the mistake of reading the comments below.  And there were several comments ripping Joe Maddon and Jim Hickey.  Nasty as could be.  I decided I had to read a bit more, and thankfully, most fans had a decent, common-sense approach to a 7-7 record at the beginning of a 162 game regular season.

I follow this club regularly.  I know their swings from a distance, without my glasses on.  I have a pretty good idea of what they’re trying to do pitch-to-pitch when they’re on the mound.

After having watched the team, and coached for over 25 years, I’m just a baseball guy.  I don’t know if I’m what you’d call a regular fan.  I’m a fan of organizations, managers and coaches and players.  I know how hard the game is to play, and that decisions aren’t nearly as easy as they might appear on television or as they stream on the computer.

Tampa Bay has a great organization, and has one of baseball’s best starting rotations.  They are very talented, and very young.  The offense is definitely improved.  Their defense is much better than most in baseball.  Please, just forget that Evan Longoria has struggled a bit with the glove.  He’s a Gold Glover, and will prove it again this year.

As for the pitching staff as a whole, I’m not really going to worry about things.  Hickey knows what he’s doing, and communicates well with the staff – you can see it in the dugout during the game – and Maddon is just coming off a Manager of the Year award that he truly deserved and earned last season.

So, keep up the positive thoughts.  Don’t pay much attention to the nay-sayers.  They typically hide behind anonymity, and they live through the failures of others more than the successes.   I don’t generally consider that sort of individual a fan.

I’ve always said that the dumbest guy at the park is the man who makes out the lineup. The skipper can’t please everyone.   I was that guy, thankfully, for many years, although at a much lower level.  It beats anything except for actually playing the game.  And while I do understand the value of statistics, or as Dizzy Dean called them “statics”,  I know there’s much more that goes into putting a team on the field.  To quote a former big leaguer on the value of statistics:

“Statistics are like a girl in a fine bikini.  It shows a lot, but it doesn’t show everything.”       

                                                                                                -Toby Harrah              

Before too long, I am going to sit back and enjoy watching James Shields compete on every single pitch he throws.  I’m not going to worry about a 7-7 start, which many might have been happy with if they looked at the schedule for the first road trip of the year.  I am going to embrace the grind of a 162 game season that lasts that long for a reason.

Remember number 162 last year?  Pure magic.

James Shields showed yesterday that he is a stopper. An ace. A go-to arm capable of stopping a painful losing skid.

“Complete Game James” almost lived up to the title as he gave up four hits and walked two in going 8 1/3 innings and picking up a 1-0 victory against Boston. Fernando Rodney picked up his fourth save of the year, ending the game with a fastball for a called third strike on Cody Ross.

A couple of years ago, Shields was the owner of a 56-51 lifetime record, coming off a 2010 season that resulted in a 13-15 record with a 5.18 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over 203 1/3 innings. And no complete games.

He turned the corner last season and finished 16-12 with ELEVEN complete games. His WHIP dropped to 1.04, and his innings went up to 249 1/3. Over the past two years, Shieldsy is 18-12, for a .600 winning percentage.

Using a whipsaw motion, the big right-hander improved his cutter, pitched to both sides of the plate with his fastball, used his curve ball effectively, and frustrated hitters with his changeup. And he found whatever it took inside him to become an ace.

This is meant as a compliment, not as a critique.

Some guys are supposed to be aces and never get there.

Others find a spot in the rotation where they are comfortable and settle in, providing innings and even wins for their club.

James Shields became an ace.

» Continue reading “Rays: An Ode To James And Joe”

The Rays will be here soon.

Spring break began for me last Friday when the school bell rang at 3:30.  As my break is beginning, Spring Training is winding down while teams are gearing up for the start of the season.

Yesterday, the Rays fell to Minnesota by a score of 19-4 as Jeremy Hellickson struggled with his command.  Hellickson got his work in, was fortunate not to be injured by a ground ball off Joe Mauer’s bat that hit him in the foot, and saw his ERA rise to 15.30.  Neither he nor Joe Maddon was concerned with the outing.  It doesn’t count yet- just get the work in, and extend the pitch count. » Continue reading “Rays: Winding Down The Spring And Gearing Up For The Season”

Last season, Joe Maddon told his team they were allowed to be hairy. This year, he encouraged them to shave their heads. Of course, there’s a method to his madness.

Our fair skipper came up with the idea to support the Cut for a Cure cause, but when all of the clippers were done buzzing yesterday, 71 members of the Rays’ organization, including owner Stuart Sternberg and GM Andrew Friedman, had gone “bald.” Sternberg also donated $25,000 to the Moffitt Cancer Center.

Cut for a Cure participants raise money, and buzz off their locks, to benefit the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer & Blood Disorders Center at All Children’s Hospital. Yep, that’s right, the Rays joined forces with Lightning Captain Vinny Lecavalier to help children and families battling pediatric cancer and blood disorders.

Bald can truly be a beautiful thing.

» Continue reading “Rays: Cut For A Cure”

We know Travelocity has a roaming gnome. Now, meet the roaming Zim Bear, Rays fans. I need one of these so I can take pictures of it wherever I go in the name of baseball.

It’s official! Joe Maddon will manage the Rays through at least the 2015 season thanks to a three-year, $6 million contract extension. Happy sigh.

Just got an email from RaysBaseball.com with the following:

February 15, 2012 – Joe Maddon is one piece of the puzzle the Rays want to keep in place. The team’s management is keeping him at the helm at least through 2015 by signing him to a three-year contract extension today.

Maddon took over the team prior to the 2006 season and endured two losing campaigns before finding unparalleled success. Over the past four seasons (2008-11), the team has averaged 90-plus wins after averaging 90-plus losses the four previous seasons.

You can read the full story here.

Hip, hip, hooray! Happy Hump Day, y’all.