Shortly after the 2011 season was over, I wrote a blog titled How Warm Will The Hot Stove Be For Tampa Bay?   For a good while, the stove was on “low heat.”  While making a number of moves, they were low-key, and most seemed to involve the bullpen, which is the norm for most clubs during the off season.  Shields led one of the best staffs in baseball with an incredible year.

Catcher John Jaso was traded, and Jose Molina was signed to take his place, bringing great (can you say “Molina”) defensive ability, and tremendous experience to the catching corps.

While those moves, as well as a number of others were consummated, big questions still remained:  What about Johnny Damon and Casey Kotchman?  Re-sign them, or fill their shoes?

This past week provided the answer, it seems. The hot stove heated up  for Tampa Bay:   Luke Scott will now fill the DH role that Damon often occupied, and Carlos Pena will be back at first base after spending 2011 in the Windy City with the Cubs.

» Continue reading “Tampa Bay Swings Big In Free Agency”

While driving to Ikea to look for furniture for Sarah and Hannah’s apartment, I was listening to Tampa sports radio, and the topic of Prince Fielder becoming a Ray came up. Since I had the pleasure to write Prince’s name into the lineup for three years of his high school career, I listened intently.

My take? Well, I love the kid. Uh, the young man. He would bring tremendous energy to the locker room, not that the locker room needs any help. The Rays locker room seems to be one of the strengths of the club. Prince would bring a bat that provides power, along with a lifetime average of .282.

His bat in the middle of the Tampa Bay lineup would strike fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers, and would give the Rays a tremendous boost in the run production area. Can you imagine what Evan Longoria would look like hitting in front of Prince? He would be the bat that might take the Rays over the top. But…

How could Fielder end up in the Bay area? Well, there is word that he might sign somewhere for three years or so, at roughly $25 million per. Downside? The Rays might have to give up a top arm – James Shields’ name has come up – in order to make it work.

So, how would the move affect a team that is built around pitching and defense. While it would be great to have the young slugger in the lineup, the Rays brain trust would have to put a value on the route they have taken in putting together a team that is no longer an underdog in the truest sense of the word.

I don’t think Tampa Bay is at the top of Fielder’s list of prospective suitors at this time. But it is interesting to think about. And he would bring much more than a potent bat. Check out what Cork Gaines has to say on the subject.

Could Johnny Damon be heading back to The Trop’? Would he be worth it? Well, some have pointed out that his offensive numbers weren’t up to expectations last year, but there’s more to a player than numbers. To quote Mark Twain, there are “Lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

As a baseball guy, I can tell you that Damon brought more to the club than his stats could ever show. He hustled every game, every time down the line. He kept his head up, and his smile and attitude were infectious.

There’s a place on any club for a guy like Johnny D, and if he comes back, you can bet the Rays won’t be disappointed. I would bet his average rebounds from last season’s .261 and that his OBP would rise significantly from .326.

I remember when the Rays were an underdog almost every time they took the field. No longer. They are major players in baseball’s toughest division year-in, year-out.

While they may not have the money of the Yankees or BoSox, those clubs certainly know who they’re playing when Tampa Bay pulls into town or they head south to visit The Trop’. Bill Chastain, the Rays’ MLB writer has a short clip on where the Rays stand.

Now that we are into December, it is officially the Christmas Season. Or Hannukah Season. Or Kwanzaa. Or, if you want to be politically correct, it’s the Holiday Season. No matter what , it is a time of celebration, and hopefully giving. Oh, I know receiving is always fun, but giving is what it’s all about. I’ll start with my Christmas wishes for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Please let Andrew Friedman stay with the club. He has the knowledge, insight, personality, and energy that any club could use. But being a small-market club, Tampa Bay needs him pulling the strings.

That being said, I wouldn’t want him to stay if there was something better out there for him. Ultimately, he will make the best decision for himself – I hope that bodes well for the Rays.
Health for Kyle Farnsworth’s elbow. I have read that he appears to be in good health, and hope that is the case. He had a great year for the Rays in 2011, and whether or not he is ever officially named the closer doesn’t matter. He brought a lot to the table for Tampa Bay last year. I like to see people like that do well. He certainly fits well with the club.

A continued upswing for B.J. Upton. Last September, his O.P.S. was 1.038, which is ridiculous. Team O.P.S. is usually around .725, give or take a little. B.J. More than carried his weight as the Rays made the stretch run, and if he could put that together over an extended period of time, the Rays would be well on their way to added offense. Without having to go outside the organization to get it.

A return to health for Evan Longoria. Even fighting multiple injuries, he had 99 ribbies in 133 games to go with 78 runs scored and 31 home runs. Although his average dipped to a career-low .244, his PRODUCTION was great! If healthy, I think expect the average to rebound greatly and the RBIs, runs scored, and home runs to improve. That would mean he could have a season of monster proportions.

Fill the DH and 1B slots with minimal shuffling of players. I know the Rays will make the moves necessary, and also make as few moves as possible. Johnny Damon and Casey Kotchman are still on the radar. Friedman and the Rays’ Brain Trust know that success means not only having the right players, but just as importantly, having the right people! Check out Mark Topkin at www.tampabay.com for his take on the Rays needs, especially his 12/1 and 12/3 posts.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will try to add a few more wishes for the Rays. Now, on to some reasons for the season…

Yesterday, I went to a fundraiser for Madison Hurdle, the daughter of Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle. Madison suffers from Prader-Willi Syndrome. Although there are numerous symptoms, possibly the most significant is an insatiable appetite that can lead to life-threatening obesity.

Madison is now nine years old, and Clint is the national spokesman for the condition. To see Madison, and her younger brother Christian, along with their mother Karla and Clint at a small-town benefit for PWS was moving. On a beautiful day in Cocoa Beach, Florida, friends, family, and softball teams came together to raise money for the study of Prader-Willi. Check out PWS at www.pwsausa.org. While the syndrome might not be well known, the need to find a cure is great, and we need to get the word out!

While in the mood of caring and sharing, check out several causes that the Rays stood up for last year:

Johnny Damon at www.uncorkforacause.com. Held last July, it was a wine and food tasting event, and proceeds went to the families of police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in St. Pete.
Evan Longoria held a yoga fundraiser for the Moffitt Cancer Center. Click here for photos.

Last, and certainly not least, Joe’s Thanksmas has become a major event on the west coast of Florida. Joe Maddon, his staff and members of the Rays’ organization provide meals to the needy from the Tampa Bay area south to Fort Myers. The state of Florida had over 49,000 homeless students alone in 2010. With the economy as it is, Maddon and his lieges provide a tremendous service, not only in the shopping for, cooking and serving of meals, but also in leadership of caring for the community. Check out the cause at www.joesthanksmas.com.

Last year, Fan Fest at Tropicana Field drew 25,000 people – which included Sarah and me – and raised $100,000 for Rays’ charities.

So take a few minutes, look up your favorite players and the benefits they support, and make the season better for everyone. It’ll even make it better for you!

[Editor's note: After this piece was written, MLBTradeRumors.com posted that it looks like Wade Davis could be traded for a catcher or outfielder. The Rays will listen to offers for James Shields, but Davis is te pitcher who is most likely to be traded.]

The Tampa Bay Rays picked up the option on pitchers Kyle Farnsworth and James Shields while cutting ties with catcher Kelly Shoppach and optioning Dan Johnson to AAA, an assignment Johnson passed on to take a shot at free agency along with Shoppach.

Farnsworth, 35, finished this past season with 25 saves, and a 2.18 ERA in 63 appearances. The big righthander will make $3.3 million in 2012.

Shields was 16-12, with 11 complete games and four shutouts. His contract for next season calls for a salary of $7 million. According to Bill Chastain of MLB.com, Andrew Friedman said “James and Kyle played very large roles in our postseason run and are ready to help lead us back there in 2012.”

Other Rays eligible for free agency include Joel Peralta, Johnny Damon, Casey Kotchman, and Juan Cruz. All had important roles in the club’s successes this past season.

Will Damon test the free agent waters and then return to the Rays? Damon brings some important ingredients to a ball club aside from talent. He hustles, has a smile on his face, and leads with his overall attitude. His interviews aren’t scripted, they are from the heart. And his heart kept the Rays season beating while Evan Longoria was out with injuries.

Kotchman is truly the hometown kid. With his slick glove and .306 average, he proved he was worth more than his salary. Will he decide to come back? Will there be a hometown discount?

To see Shoppach in an interview is worth the time taken. What a great team-centered guy with a sense of self-deprecating humor. Rumor has it that he would like to stay with the Rays. If he does come back, it will be for the right reasons. He knows how to play a role, and the Rays know how to assign them.

Juan Cruz gave Tampa Bay many important innings before handing the ball to Joel Peralta, who generally took over in the eighth inning. Middle relief and set-up men are incredibly important to any club. The Rays will make the right offer, and call on both.

There is the ongoing question regarding what the Rays will do with what seems to be more than enough starting pitching. Alex Cobb, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson, Jeff Niemann, David Price, James Shields, and a kid named Matt Moore could all vie for the five spots in the starting rotation. Let’s see, that’s seven pitchers goes into five spots…who’s left out?
» Continue reading “How Warm Will The Hot Stove Be For Tampa Bay?”

Editor’s note: After reading Wayne’s latest post, I decided that it was time to give out the 2011 Golden Cowbells.

On April first, I put out my Fearful Prognostication for the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays. I made it clear that I wasn’t much for predictions, and now I’m here to let you know how poorly I foresaw the season.

About 1/3 the way through the season, I made some adjustments to those predictions, and fell short there as well.

I have often asked myself, “What in The Wide, Wide, World of Sports Were You Thinking???”

Wins –

• April 1st-David Price,with 16
• 1/3 of the way through the season-David Price
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-James Shields, 16

E.R.A. -

• April 1st-David Price, 2.90
• 1/3 of the way through the season-David Price
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-James Shields, 2.82

Ks –

• April 1st-David Price, 235
• 1/3 of the way through the season-David Price
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-James Shields, 225

B.A. -

• April 1st-Manny Ramirez, .305
• 1/3 of the way through the season-Matt Joyce
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-Casey Kotchman, .306

R.B.I. -

• April 1st-Evan Longoria, 96
• 1/3 of the way through the season-Matt Joyce
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-Evan Longoria, 99

Homers –

• April 1st-Evan Longoria, 31
• 1/3 of the way through the season-Evan Longoria
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-Evan Longoria, 31

Pitching X-factor –

• April 1st-James Howell
• 1/3 of the way through the season-Jeremy Hellickson
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-The bullpen – good job!!!

Offensive X-factor –

• April 1st-B.J. Upton
• 1/3 of the way through the season-Johnny Damon
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-Damon/Upton

Bounce-back –

• April 1st-Ben Zobrist
• 1/3 of the way through the season-James Shields
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-Zobrist/Shields

Overall W-L –

• April 1st-83-79
• 1/3 of the way through the season-87-75
• End of the season-91-71

M.V.P. -

• April 1st-Joe Maddon
• 1/3 of the way through the season-Joe Maddon
• Golden Cowbell winner at the end of the season-Joe Maddon

» Continue reading “The Golden Cowbells: Rays’ Prognostications Revisited And A Future To Look Forward To”

It’s less than a week after the end of the season for the Rays, and I am suffering from withdrawal. Oh, sure, there are the playoffs. Even though Tampa Bay isn’t involved anymore, I will enjoy them greatly.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t miss the Rays on the field until spring training begins. This season, a most improbable season, got right to the heart of the game for me. From an 0-6 start to 91 wins during the regular season, from “No team has ever started 0-6 and made the playoffs” to “Guess who’s the first team to make the post-season after starting 0-6?”

Over this past season, I have written a piece on the Rays roughly once a week, usually on Sunday. Generally, there was a wrap-up of the previous day’s game and a preview of the Sunday game. But I also tried to look at the big picture.

Baseball, like anything else, is about the big picture. With social media, the MLB Network, ESPN, and every other way in which we learn about every subtlety and nuance not only of every game, but also of everything anyone has said or done, plus being told exactly the meaning behind everything anyone has said or done (it amazes me part of journalism today is that the journalist must also be prescient), from throwing a hanging curve ball to tossing out an ill-advised tweet, we sometimes lose the big picture.

Manager Joe Maddon and the Rays didn’t forget about the big picture. After the horrendous start, losing six straight at home, Maddon took out a bottle of whiskey, gave the team paper cups, and toasted the best 0-6 team in baseball. From that point, the Rays faced the uphill climb of a potential post-season that ended with Evan Longoria lining a home run over the short “L” in the left field wall to realize another year in the playoffs for the Rays.

Along the way, Kyle Farnsworth became the closer many always thought he had the potential to be.

Longoria overcame two injuries, missed 29 games, and still played hard on a daily basis and put up 31 home runs along with 99 ribbies. His defense may have suffered briefly while dealing with his ailments, but no one plays a better third base on a day to day basis than Longo, and he constantly made the routine play, and dazzled with many great ones.

James Shields went from “Big Game James” to “Complete Game James” while striking out 225 and posting a 2.82 ERA in what was a remarkable season, Shields showed the mental and physical toughness that defines the best who take the ball every five days.

Ben Zobrist had 46 doubles, 20 homers, scored 99 runs, and generally showed everyone what a true professional he is by playing several positions over the year,and playing them all very well.

B.J. Upton, while enduring being on the trading block, came up with a fantastic September, and was a major cog in the success of the team over the last month of the season. Without his offense, it is highly unlikely the Rays would have made the playoffs.

And what about Johnny Damon, whose soul seemed to keep the club afloat when times were toughest?

» Continue reading “Looking Back To Look Forward”

When I first heard that Matt Moore was starting the ALDS, I simply put my faith in the Rays’ organization. They do their homework, and when it comes time for the test, they seem to pass with flying colors more often than not.

Granted, I predicted they would win 83 games this year, and ultimately not make the playoffs. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have faith. It meant that I saw how much they had lost in the off-season.

I also said that if Joe Maddon and Jim Hickey could work their magic, especially with the bullpen, the Rays could go beyond that number of 83.

Well, add Andrew Friedman to the Maddon/Hickey equation and that’s how Moore got the start in Texas. And the kid more than held up is end of the deal.

When watching Moore, the first thing you notice is his composure. Then, you see a smooth, repeatable delivery. Along with that delivery comes a fastball of 95-97 MPH, a breaking ball that snaps toward the back foot of a right-handed hitter, leaving him defenseless, and then, the change-up of death.

It’s hard to call a fastball that is mid- to upper 90s sneaky, but with his quiet, fluid delivery, Moore’s fastball appears even more sudden. Out of 98 pitches, 76 he threw were fastballs. The key was how he mixed his change and breaking ball in. The change forced hitters to have to cover both sides of the plate at what I call “stretch” velocity – plus fastball, plus change = tough for the hitter to sit on anything.

Then, the breaking ball added tilt and stayed in the bottom of the zone, as opposed to the fastball, which was generally up – good up, in the PITCHER’S zone, not the hitter’s zone. That adds the North/South factor for hitters. In the end, the hitter ends up playing a shell game that he just can’t win. Moore has the stuff. He has the makeup. And against the Yankees and Rangers, he has shown he can truly execute with pressure on. Winner, winner, great steak dinner!

» Continue reading “From The Kid To Complete Game James, Rays Look To Take Two In Texas”

Some people (not me) questioned Joe Maddon’s decision to start southpaw Matt Moore in Game 1 of Tampa Bay’s American League Divisional Series against the Texas Rangers. I freakin’ love Matt Moore so you know I was on board with the skipper’s decision.

And no, I didn’t just want him in the game because he seems like a sweetheart. The kid made his first start in Yankee Stadium and showed incredible poise as he took the W last week. Some of our other starters, like Jeff Niemann, have looked a little off lately. So, in my opinion, you gotta go with the guy who’s “on” even if that guy happens to be a 22-year-old who was called up to the show about three weeks ago.

In just his second major league start, and his first postseason outing, Moore with this line: 7 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts.

Have any other questions about Maddon’s lineup choices? Digest the fact that the Rays, who have had an anemic offense at times this year, were able to put up nine runs. Eight of those runs, six earned, were scored against C.J. Wilson who went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA during the regular season.

In the bottom of the ninth, the TBS crew noted that “Matt Moore can barely contain his joy on the bench.”

Good. He has an infectious smile and that’s a great attitude to be sharing with the other guys in the dugout.

At the other end of the baseball player age spectrum, Johnny Damon showed us that he’s still got it. He homered in the second to give the Rays a two run lead. In the top of the fifth, he hustled to first on an error to keep the inning going. Kelly Shoppach was up next. With two outs, he went yard to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to eight.

That fifth inning shot was Shoppach’s second bomb of the day, and his third hit. Our Dana Wagner was the first person on my Twitter timeline to use the term “Shoppachalypse” to describe what we were witnessing.

In baseball, the catcher and the pitcher are supposed to set the defensive tone for the game.  On Thursday, Shoppach and Moore did that but Shop went a step further and kept the offense rolling too.  The Starbucks enthusiast provided the boost Tampa Bay needed to get the 9-0 win over Texas  in Game 1.

» Continue reading “Moore Than Enough: Rays Rock Rangers With Rookie And The Shoppachalypse”

Is your team’s season over? Did you catch the thrilling end of the Yankees/Rays game on Wednesday? Do you just like the Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams commercials that feature Evan Longoria?

No matter what it was that drew you to the Tampa Bay Rays as they enter the 2011 postseason, I’d like to welcome you to the fold. Most of us didn’t expect to have the chance to see our team play in October, but we relish the opportunity.

I have a ticket for Tuesday’s game so I really hope that one’s necessary.  In a perfect world, the Rays would be up 2-1 in the series against the Rangers and they’ll shut Texas down on Tuesday.

Here’s the info you’ll need to have in order to be able to cheer “Go Rays!” without feeling like a fraud.

Heads up: This is part one of a two part series.  Look for the second post prior to tonight’s  5:07 pm game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

1. Understand that we’ve already come a long way. Given the way the roster looked at the end of 2010, most people (including me) didn’t think that we had a good shot at making the playoffs. 

Chances are good that you’ve heard about the guys who left the Rays at the end of 2010. The list included, but was not limited to:

• Carl Crawford
• Carlos Pena
• Matt Garza
• Joaquin Benoit
• Rafael Soriano

Here are some of the guys the team picked up for 2011:

• Kyle Farnsworth
• Sam Fuld
• Johnny Damon
• Manny Ramirez

Farnsworth, Fuld and Damon have been gold for the Rays. Ramirez? Yeah…we know how that one turned out. Brief Manny synopsis:

• He had a great press conference with Johnny Damon. I was ready to give Manny a chance. The good news in, Johnny did turn out to be my “perfect storm.”
• Manny chose to retire rather than face a 100 game suspension after violating MLB’s drug policy allowing my dad to wonder, “Is he a class clown or a village idiot?”. I think we both choose the latter. Ramirez played five games with Tampa Bay.
• Manny was arrested on domestic violence charges.
• Manny decided he wanted to seek reinstatement by MLB.

2. Get to know the team.

The Rays are a fun team to watch. Here are some of my favorite members of the organization:

• Joe Maddon. Tampa Bay’s skipper has made his case for manager of the year. I swear, I learn as much about life as I learn about baseball when I listen to him speak. He loves the game, he supports his players, and he knows a good red wine when he tastes it. In short, he’s my kind of guy.
  
• Sam Fuld. He won’t play in every game, but when he does play in the outfield, you might get to witness Sam turn into Superman. He’s done it against the Orioles, the Red Sox, the White Sox, the Reds, the Cardinals…I could keep going but why don’t you just go check out the MLB video archives yourself? There are 73 videos of Sam Fuld catching, throwing, hitting and yes, warming up to pitch. Sam has been super so many times the Rays replaced the Manny Ramirez bobblehead giveaway with a Sam Fuld cape giveaway on May 29. Johnny Damon even took out the lineup card while wearing a cape. Have I told you lately that I love this team?
• Ben Zobrist. He’s a nice guy nicknamed “Zorilla.” He’s also been described as a “super-utility” player. Love.
• Johnny Damon. For real, he’s my perfect storm. Damon is a baseball player who plays the game the way I think he should be played, he knows how to have fun, he’s a great leader, he’s an older man and he let’s his facial hair get a little scruffy every once in a while. Swoon.
• Kyle Farnsworth. He has 25 saves on the season and then there’s this:

 

 

• » Continue reading “Take A Trip To The Postseason On Tampa Bay’s Bandwagon”

As a Rays fan, my heart sank a bit on Sunday night when the Red Sox defeated the Yankees in 14 innings. Yet, I held onto my postseason hopes despite that unfortunate outcome.

All we needed was for Tampa Bay to defend their home turf when New York visited for the Rays’ final series of the season while the Orioles fended off the BoSox in Baltimore to close out their seasons.  That’s all.  Seems simple enough…

Game one of each crucial series is in the books.  It’s official: The Rays are tied with the Red Sox in the chase for a Wild Card spot.

Excuse me while I dance around my living room for a moment.

James Shields (16-12) had yet another big game for Tampa Bay as he and the Rays beat the Yankees 5-2.  The righty didn’t notch complete game number 12, but he lasted eight and two-thirds innings and gave up just six hits and two runs to the AL East Champions.  Quite impressive.

Veteran player Johnny Damon spoke to FOX Sports Florida’s Laura McKeeman following his team’s victory.  When asked about Tampa Bay’s offense, Damon said:

Obviously we wished we could have scored more, to give James Shields some breathing room but we’ll take five. Especially for him.

While Monday was a big night for the Rays, it was also a night in which Damon reached a personal milestone.  McKeeman asked the designated hitter how it felt to tie Lou Gehrig on the all-time hit list with number 2,721.

Well ya know, playing in New York for four years and seeing all the accolades that came with Derek Jeter passing Lou Gherig a couple years ago, it’s something that I always wanted to remember.  And hopefully I can carry on and get to 3,000, but I want to enjoy every step I do take.

And what does the 37-year-old have to say to the youngsters on his team about this final series of the regular season?

Just relax and have fun.  The Yankees aren’t gonna lay down for us, you know.  They have to prepare and get ready for the post-season also so we have to come out and be sharp.

Then Damon said smiled and said he was “absolutely” when McKeeman asked if he was man after Joe Maddon’s heart.  Guess what Johnny?  You have my heart too.

Joe Maddon called the 5-2 win a “Rays kind of game.” The skipper said he didn’t even want to look at the TV to follow the Red Sox vs. Orioles game in Baltimore, and just sat back and waited for David Price to scream.

After sitting nine games back from Boston in early September, the Rays now control their destiny.  Baseball is a beautiful thing.