Rays of Light

Game 106 - Rise of the Litsch-King

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

July 31, 2007
Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Toronto	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		2	8	0
Tampa Bay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	8	1
W: J. Litsch (4-4) L: Edwin Jackson (2-11) S: J. Accardo (18) Homeruns: None)
Box Score

Sometimes you run into a pitcher who has got your number. Sometimes you run into a pitcher that you just can’t solve. Sometimes you run into a pitcher who looks like he’s just distined to win the game.

Tonight was one of those nights.

In a story right out of Hollywood, former Rays bat-boy Jesse Litsch returned to the Trop to baffle the Rays hitters for 6 2/3 of 7-hit baseball. He wasn’t overly dominant - as those 7 hits prove and his only 2 strikeouts will attest to - but the Rays weren’t able to mount anything all night, and he kept the hitters off-balance. You really never felt like he was in danger of losing this game.

But, these kinds of games happen. I’m not going to harp on the fact that this team was beaten tonight, because that’s not the big story. The big story is that Edwin Jackson turned in a fantastic performance.

Edwin’s biggest problem all season long has been his inconsistency. I’m not even talking start-to-start inconsistency. I’m talking inning-to-inning, batter-to-batter inconsistency. The kind of inconsistency that will have him throw 3 1-hit innings with 5 strikeouts, and then allow a 6 spot in the 4th. Tonight, you got a little glimmer of that early, as he threw about a billion pitches during the first two innings, but he really battled through and gave the team an inspired 6 innings of work.

Yes, he took the loss. Yes, his won-loss record looks like crap. But you can’t judge a pitcher solely on wins and losses, because those are truly a team effort. Just as Scott Kazmir deserved to get the win for his gem on Sunday, Edwin certainly didn’t deserve to be saddled with the L tonight.

The biggest thing to look for will be his next start at Detroit on Monday. They are a superior team to the Blue Jays, and will prove a tough test for his young arm. Is he up to it? I certainly hope the resounding answer is yes.

Grant Balfour struck out 2 in his inning of work, but he also gave up a run. In all, our bullpen only allowed 1 run in 3 innings of work, so I’m not going to rake him over the coals. Heck, even Casey Fossum turned in a nice 9th inning. Maybe good pitching is contagious?

Something that many managers say - and I wholeheartedly agree on - is that you need to win series, not individual games. The Rays - by virtue of Monday night’s inspired win - have an opportunity to take this series from the Jays with a win tomorrow afternoon. The team turns to Jason Hammel to clinch the series; Hammel has looked decent of late, so maybe - just maybe - we’ll take this one.

There’s a lot of things to like at the Trop of late, and things only promise to get better. The only hope is that these guys continue to build on the positives and push the negatives to the background. Is it possible that we’re building positive energy, even with a loss? I dare say it is.

STARS OF THE GAME - All based on WPA

First Star - Jesse Litsch (48.3%)

Second Star - Edwin Jackson (20.8%)

Third Star - Delmon Young (14.0%)

Where’d you go? - Carlos Pena(-26.1%)

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Joe Maddon, on the performance of Jesse Litsch last night. (Source)

“I’m going to have all our present bat boys come out here and throw a bullpen just to see what we’ve got,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “We don’t want that to ever happen again.”

I guarantee better stuff than we get from Stokes.

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Game 106 - Open Thread

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

Scouting Report on todays starters from MLB.com
Jesse Litsch - Litsch has been on an impressive run since rejoining the Toronto rotation earlier this month. Since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, the rookie right-hander has gone 2-2 with a 2.16 ERA in four trips to the mound. It’s been an upgrade over his first stint with the Jays in May, when Litsch went 1-2 with a 6.62 ERA in four starts. On Wednesday, Litsch benefited from 13 runs of support in a relatively easy win over the Twins. The righty didn’t boast his best stuff, but he managed to limit Minnesota to one run on five hits over seven innings. Litsch has never faced Tampa Bay.

Edwin Jackson - Jackson followed his best start of the season with a disappointing outing against the Orioles Thursday afternoon when he allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings to take his 10th loss of the season. Jackson has quality stuff, but he remains a work in process as far as learning to become a pitcher. Jackson is 0-0 with a 4.72 ERA in three career appearances against the Blue Jays.

View the Rays career numbers vs. Jesse Litsch - ESPN Splits

View the game preview from Baseball Reference

Be sure to join us in the chat room for some good Rays talk during the game!!!

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Trade Rumors Open Thread

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

UPDATE, 4:58PM - A whole lotta nothing for the Rays. Can’t say that I’m surprised; the team did well to improve the bullpen without giving up any pieces for the future. I’m extremely glad to see Jonny Gomes is still in uniform. (Source)

Word from Andrew Friedman is that nothing more is coming from the Rays.

The entire team is currently on the field doing early work, including Al Reyes, Dan Wheeler and Jonny Gomes.

Carlos Pena currently is not working out; he is said to be dealing with a family issue and is expected to arrive at the park shortly. Pena is in the starting lineup.

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UPDATE, 2:48PM - Marc Topkin, come on down. (Source)

“Tampa Bay has told clubs that it has no untouchable players, which would suggest lefthander Scott Kazmir is available. Kazmir, 23, long has been touted as a cornerstone for the Devil Rays’ future and would command a package of players.”

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UPDATE, 1:59PM - With 2 hours to go, here’s a question for the community: are GM’s OVER-valuing prospects this year? Are they too afraid to make deals?

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UPDATE, 12:40PM - Take it away, Marc Lancaster… (Source)

Though Stark mentions the Rays have had more calls inquiring about Elijah Dukes than Gomes, itís my understanding that thereís no chance Dukes will be moved today.

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UPDATE, 10:38AM - According to Jayson Stark, the Rays are still shopping Jonny Gomes and Elijah Dukes. (Source)

Yeah, we know these two guys play on different teams. But as the Red Sox try to peddle Pena, no one seems to have noticed that Tampa Bay is also willing to talk about the equally power-packed Gomes. These two have identical career slugging percentages (.472). and nearly identical career home-run ratios (one every 18.4 at-bats for Gomes, one every 18.6 for Pena). But Gomes strikes out less, walks more and hits more doubles. Yet surprisingly, we’re hearing that the Rays have had more teams calling about the embattled Elijah Dukes than they have about Gomes.

I really, really, really hope that the team decides to keep Gomes. He’s a good long-term solution for DH and corner outfield; Greg Norton is not. Dukes, on the other hand… I’d take anything I can get for him right now.
(more…)

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The Minor League Wrap

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

The Main Dish: News and notes

The major story on the night was the sudden removal of Jeff Niemann from his start in Durham due to “shoulder fatigue”. As reported by several sources, the injury is not thought to be serious but he will be reexamined today.

First baseman Wes Bankston made his first start for the Durham Bulls since June 27. He was 1 for 4 with a double and added 2 RBIs. It would be a big boost to Durham’s playoff chances if Bankston could return to his 2005 form over the last month of the season.

Speaking of their playoff chances, Durham is currently 2.0 game back of Richmond for first place in their division.

Calvin Medlock, who joined the Durhams Bulls via the Jorge Cantu trade, picked up the win last night. He pitched 3.0 scorless inning, allowing only one hit and one walk.

Evan Longoria hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to lead Montgomery to a victory over Birmingham. The Biscuits trail Jacksonville by four games in the Southern Division. The Biscuits are attempting to repeat as Southern League Champions.

Dale Thayer (9-0) is tied for 4th in the Southern League in wins despite pitching exclusive out of the bullpen this season.

Jeremy Hellickson won his 9th game of the season which improved his overall record to 9-2.

Hudson Valley scored 9 runs in the 5th inning of Monday’s game but lost.

The Wrap

AAA - Durham 6, Indianapolis 3

AA - Montgomery 9, Birmingham 3

High A - Vero Beach 8, Jupiter 6

A - Columbus 5, West Virginia 2

Short Season - Hudson Valley 10, Vermont 12

Rookie - Princeton 4, Bristol 6

View the full organizational report from First Inning

Prospect Watch

Don’t see someone listed in the prospect watch? Leave us a comment and we’ll be sure to add that name to the regular rotation.

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Game 105 - For Sure

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

July 28th, 2007
Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	11	R	H	E
Toronto	2	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	9	0
Tampa Bay	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	5	9	0
W: S. Dohmann (1-0) L: B. Wolfe (2-1) Homeruns: J. Gomes (11), B. Upton (14), C. Crawford (7)
Box Score

Sure it’d be easy to give up. To put away your Rays’ gear and go live in the dumpster outside of the old folks’ home and live off the nutrients derived from eating discarded Q-Tips.

Sure it’s easy to swear off Joe Maddon, the original “Reveler Without a Cause.” It’d be easy to tell him to take his Gandhi act back to the benches of the west coast, where he can tour wine country and leave us alone at the Trop (pristine whine country), to drink our overpriced beers in odd smelling air conditioning on “Native American Wrestling Superheroes” night.

Sure it’s easy to walk away now, when in order to find the historical equivalent to the atrociousness of the Rays’ starting catcher one must look all the way back to “Armless” Ebenezer Gustafson of the 1609 Jamestown A-Maize-Ins.

It’s easy to get fed up when you realize that a decent catcher is not some mythical beast like the unicorn or working printer. It just seems that way when you use Ray-vision.

But in removing those lenses, you are free to see that if the organization were truly serious about winning soon, they would look into making a run at free-agent-to-be Jorge Posada this winter.

Folks point out Posada’s age(35) and the salary he would command. But if you think a catcher of Posada’s caliber would not help turn this franchise around in a hurry, you can kiss my knee pads. Throw the bank at him.

And sure it’s easy to get fed up when Greg Norton, “The Human Twilight Film,” eats up a roster spot because there is no one else. When Greg Norton’s got your team by the boys you know things could be better.

But then there was the Wigginton for Wheeler deal. That was a beauty.

I don’t care if you have a time machine, have gone to the future and seen that while in Houston Wigginton gets bit by a scorpion while simultaneously getting an ex-ray and turns into some horrific man-beast that destroys man kind: The deal, as it looks right now, is a beauty.

And even if you think it was a run at Brad Lidge that ultimately got Wheeler into a Rays’ uniform, the Rays’ scored tremendous return on Wigginton either way. The bullpen revolution is officially underway. And that is a very good thing. (Plus I may never have to read the headline, “Getting Wiggy With It” ever again, which in itself drops my suicidal-thought rate by a noteworthy 18%.)

And then there’s night’s like tonight, where this struggling team plays in front of 8,807 people (there were that many people in the bathroom line at Ferg’s this weekend), and puts on a show that makes the 65 games that went the other way seem unimportant.

Carl Crawford. Bottom of the 11th. Hurt wrist and all. Gone.

Sure it’s easy to quit watching. And by that I mean impossible.

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Notes from Yahoo:

Tampa Bay minor league RHP Jeff Niemann, taken fourth overall in the 2004 amateur draft, left his start at Triple-A Durham with right shoulder fatigue. The Devil Rays said Niemann will be undergo further examination, but the problem is not thought to be serious. … There was a large group of scouts at the game, including the Yankees, Mets, White Sox, Seattle, Texas, Cleveland, St. Louis, Arizona and Houston. Among the players who have drawn interest include Devil Rays closer Al Reyes and Blue Jays reliever Jason Frasor.

STARS OF THE GAME - All based on WPA

First Star - Carl Crawford (42.3%)

Second Star - Josh Wilson (39.7%)

Third Star - Dustan McGowan (17.1%)

Too Bad, So Sad… - Jeremy Accardo (-28.2%)

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Game 105 - Open Thread

Monday, July 30th, 2007

BREAKING NEWS

Since everyone else has covered it, Jeff Niemann was taken out of the Durham game tonight in the second inning. Take it away, Mr. Lancaster…(Source)

“According to Andrew Friedman, Niemann was taken out as a precaution because of ìright shoulder fatigue.î Niemann will be examined further but further reports are fairly positive, Friedman said.”

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Scouting Report on todays starters from MLB.com
Dustin McGowan - On July 13, McGowan abandoned an inconsistent curveball and was pounded for six runs by the Red Sox. Toronto manager John Gibbons told the young pitcher that he should have stuck with the pitch to keep hitters off-balance. In his two starts since, McGowan has stuck with his full arsenal — even when struggling with control on a few pitches — and the move has paid off. The right-hander had pieced together two straight wins, including 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Twins in his last start. McGowan owns a 1.59 ERA in his seven victories, and he has a 4.70 ERA in two career games against the Rays.

Andy Sonnanstine - Sonnanstine deserved a better fate against the Orioles on Wednesday night in Baltimore. The rookie right-hander got touched for three runs in the first inning after a fly ball that should have been caught fell between two fielders. Sonnanstine never lost his composure despite his unjust fate and pitched through the sixth, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four to get tagged with his sixth loss of the season.

View the Rays career numbers vs. Dustin McGowan - ESPN Splits

View the game preview from Baseball Reference

Be sure to join us in the chat room for some good Rays talk during the game!!!

Posted in General | 14 Comments »

I like the moves the Rays have made

Monday, July 30th, 2007

I knew that the Rays would make move before the trade deadline and I like what they have done so far. I have been saying for weeks that I would be fine in the team dealing utility infielder Ty Wiggington. The reason that I was ok with Wiggy being dealt is that I do not believe that Ty is apart of the future of this team. It’s amazing to see the Rays make a trade that they send a major league player for another major league player. I feel that the team got a steal in getting Dan Wheeler from the Astros. I hope that the Rays do not send Wheeler somewhere else as it has been reported. Wheeler brings instant creditabilty to the Rays bullpen, but could he be Al Reyes replacement? Their are rumors that the Mariners are interested in Reyes and many people believe that he will be dealt somewhere by tomorrows trade deadline.

One thing that we must remember is that there are many reporters in the country that throw out trade rumors that are not true. Have you ever heard the local teams reports on Carl Crawford being dealt? It always comes from other cities. I think it would take an amazing offer for the Rays to deal their best player. There are some reporters around the country that will throw stuff out there and hope that something sticks.

They were also able to deal to players that knew there days in Tampa Bay were over. Seth McClung was dealt to Milwaukee for Grant Balfour. I just love this guys last name. Is it fitting that the Rays have a player with that kind of last name? Then they sent Jorge Cantu to the Reds. Cantu wanted out of Tampa after his recent demotion. He had one great season, but has not shown anything since. The Rays know they made a mistake in not addressing the bullpen in the offseason and they are trying to acquire as many pitchers as they can. At least they are trying to make this bullpen better. They finally demoted Shawn Camp, who was surprised by his demotion. WHAT? If you have an ERA over seven, why are you shocked when the team demoted you to AAA.

I just hope that the Rays do not deal away Carlos Pena. He may have a lot of trade value, but why would you want to deal him? It’s not like there is a solid first baseman in the minors just waiting for his chance.

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The Minor League Wrap

Monday, July 30th, 2007

The Main Dish: Previewing the Trading Deadline

With the non-waiver trading deadline rapidly approaching I thought I would spend today outlining the two positions that the organization should be looking to upgrade at the deadline.

1. Bullpen - This is of course the most glaring weakness throughout the organization all the way up to the big league level. The process of upgrading has already begun in the acquisitions of Grant Balfour and Dan Wheeler who have both joined Tampa Bay as of today. Brian Shackelford and Calvin Medlock were also acquired for seldom used Jorge Cantu and have been assigned to Durham. If either can eventually prove to be an effective major league reliever then the trade was a huge upgrade for the Devil Rays. The Rays will continue to work the phones in search of additional young arms and as reported earlier today could also move Wheeler. Another player to keep an eye on is Al Reyes as I would say there is probably a 50% chance he is moved before the deadline. With the market already establishing effective relievers at a premium then one would think that Reyes could potential return at least two prospects with upside. While it could create problems the last two months of the season if he is moved, I still think the organization must make a deal if they can gather high-level prospects who are almost ready for the big leagues.

2. Catcher - The struggles of Dioner Navarro this season are well documented, but what is not touched on nearly is enough is that there are very few other options in the system. Many fans wanted Shawn Riggans earlier in the season before his injury. In his brief time in Tampa did not prove to be an upgrade. Given the fact that he is already three years older than Navarro it is hard to imagine him as a long-term solution. Montgomery catcher John Jaso has proven to be solid at the plate this season thus far. The problem is that he is viewed by many as a potential first baseman/designated hitter at the major league level. There is also hope for younger prospects Nevin Ashley and Mike McCormick but both are years away from Tampa Bay. Impact catchers can be very difficult to acquire through trades, but if the opportunity to pick-up a solid prospect, who is preferably at least AAA ready, then Friedman will certainly listen.

The Wrap

AAA - Durham 0, Louisville 3

AA - Montgomery 2, Birmingham 6

Short Season - Hudson Valley 5, Lowell 11

Rookie - Princeton 4, Bristol 6

View the full organizational report from First Inning

The Leftovers

Newly acquired reliever Brian Shackelford pitched a perfect inning in his debut for Durham on Sunday.

James Houser had his best start of the season for Montgomery yesterday. He worked six scoreless innings and struck out eight.

Prospect Watch

Don’t see someone listed in the prospect watch? Leave us a comment and we’ll be sure to add that name to the regular rotation.

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Some Monday morning coffee for you

Monday, July 30th, 2007

So, the new-look Rays bullpen (Dan Wheeler) take on the Blue Jays in three from the Juice Mixer in St. Petersburg. We follow that up with some revenge on our minds against the Orioles over the weekend. How do you see the Rays coming out of these next 6 games?

For starters, here’s the scheduled pitchers for the Blue Jays series…

Monday: Andy Sonnanstine vs. Dustin McGowan
Tuesday: Edwin Jackson vs. Jesse Litsch
Wednesday: Jason Hammel vs. Josh Towers

Call me dillusional, but I like the Rays to take 4 of these next 6 games - 2 in each series. I think Sunday’s win was a big one, and will provide a little giddy-up to this team. B.J. Upton’s swinging a hot bat, and Jonny Gomes’ stick is on fire, too. Hopefully we’ll get Crawford back in the lineup and off we go.

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Wheeler gone before he starts?

Monday, July 30th, 2007

I wish I had posted something like this last night like I planned, but I was really enjoying the Carl Crawford discussion and didn’t want to bump it down further.

Anyway, MLBTradeRumors.com picked up on Keith Law’s blog this morning that the Rays could be actively shopping new arm Dan Wheeler. (Source 1) (Source 2)

Keith Law raises a good point in his blog post today - the Devil Rays might be able to spin Dan Wheeler for a younger, cheaper player. Law thinks it’s very likely that Andrew Friedman and Co. will aggressively shop Wheeler in the next two days. They’ve managed to spin Ty Wigginton into a more scarce commodity with higher demand.

For example: if Octavio Dotel is worthy of a discussion about Dodgers’ shortstop Chin-Ling Hu, does Wheeler fall within the same realm? If not, does controlling him through 2008 close the gap? With Reid Brignac struggling in Double A overall, why not attempt to add another shortstop? Or if Brignac succeeds (his bat has come alive this month), the Rays could move Hu to second base. Evan Longoria at third base would make Akinori Iwamura expendable.

For Tampa, they’re in an unfamiliar situation: They have a competent, capable reliever in their bullpen, and can keep him through 2008. Wheeler has average stuff, with two solid offspeed pitches, but nothing is plus and his fastball is a little straight; he succeeds with plus control and an aggressive approach. Pitching in the NL Central the last few years has boosted his numbers, but he can be a solid middle reliever in the AL East, and he gives the Rays at least one reliever who won’t be allowing 10 runs an inning. However, the Rays will more likely keep Wheeler moving, or at least will shop him aggressively in the next 48 hours to see if they can do better than the Astros did. Given the number of contenders in search of relief help — by my count, approximately all of them — it seems probable that they’ll be able to do better, and if they don’t get an acceptable offer, they can keep Wheeler and try to deal him in the offseason or even next July.

I honestly thought this was a very real possibility, and I almost made a post to this effect before going to bed last night. I thought better of it when I saw that the Crawford discussion was up to 10 comments.

Anyways, unless it brings in a younger but still high-quality arm for the bullpen, I would hate to see our de-facto best setup man traded just hours after we got him. He is, however, our most tradeable player now, and the DRO would be dumb not to at least listen to whatever offers come in.

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