Rays of Light

Lunch Break - 2/29/08

Think about this for a second - we’re not going to have another Lunch Break of February 29th for 4 more years. Crazy, eh?

So, with the start of Spring Training games today, I kind of wanted to get your guys’ opinion on something. Do you think I should cover the results of spring games similarly to the regular season, or do you think they aren’t nearly important enough and I should devote time to something else? Of course I will cover any big news that comes out of them, but if you want breakdowns of the games I can do my best to get those to you. I just don’t know how valuable that is. I know that *I* personally wouldn’t care, but I wanted to make sure that you guys weren’t expecting to see that kind of depth related to the spring games.

My plan right now is to just link to stories as necessary and mention the results if they come up but not to focus on any games in particular until we get towards the end as a warmup for the regular season.  Let me know what you think.

Posted in Discussion | 7 Comments »

Gentlemen, start your engines

It’s been 131 days since a player wearing a Devil Rays uniform threw a pitch in a competitive game. When Edwin Jackson toes the slab this afternoon, that all changes. Though you can argue whether or not Spring Training games are “competitive,” I know this is a day you’ve been looking forward to ever since that last out was recorded in Toronto on September 30.

For those of you who might want to get out and see some of the early action, the Rays released their pitching schedule for the first handful of games. (TBO.com)

Friday at Reds
Rays—Jackson, Hammel, Sonnanstine, Balfour, Orvella, Houser
Saturday vs. Blue Jays
Rays—Shields, Talbot, Reyes, Miller, Wheeler
Sunday at Pirates
Rays—Niemann, Davis, Ryu, Munter, Birkins
Monday at Tigers
Rays—Garza

Tuesday vs. Twins
Rays—Jackson

Of note is that David Price is nowhere to be seen yet. Presumably the team is holding him back because of the arm stiffness he felt earlier this week and just being a little cautious. I wouldn’t read too much into it. All of you minor league geeks out there must be stoked about Wade Davis throwing on Sunday. I know I am.

I also noticed that Troy Percival isn’t scheduled at all for the first few days. I wonder if his “veteran leader” status affords him the opportunity to tell Cap’n Joe when he is and isn’t going to pitch in Spring Training. I can’t imagine the team is going to use him very often in games where the result doesn’t matter like these; it’s not like he’s fighting for his job.

• Have you seen the story yet about how James Houser’s minor league suspension has been lifted thanks to some bizarre quirk in the rules? It seems pretty shady to me, but it probably won’t have much in the way of long-term legs because it’s James Houser we’re talking about. No one knows who he is. Still, I think it’s a slap in the face of the PED system that a punishment like that won’t hold up and he can just go on playing as if nothing happened. Yet another example of how Major League Baseball is dropping the ball on this whole drug thing. (TBO.com)
• A video of David Price throwing at camp has surfaced on YouTube. Me gusta mucho. (YouTube)
• Dang it. I wish I had thought of this first, ’cause it’s a good idea. I’ll get you next time Cork. He asks the Magic 8 Ball a bunch of questions about the Rays. (Rays Index)
• I’m not REALLY sure how the headline “Track the Rays’ spring opener via box score” is supposed to attract you to MLB.com, but what do I know? (MLB.com)
• Bill Chastain talks in vague generalities about Jeff Niemann. (MLB.com)
• Chastain’s workin’ overtime, bringing some notes on Andy Sonnanstine, Eric Hinske, and Rocco Baldelli. Of particular note is how Eric Hinske and the Red Sox fans are BFF. (MLB.com)

Posted in General | 10 Comments »

Let’s Not Take Everything So Seriously

I love the fact that Scott presented the proofreading idea yesterday. I decided to follow up with a lunch break thread of my own in the form of an amusing YouTube video.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjhOBiSk8Gg

Posted in General | 2 Comments »

Player Spotlight: Al Reyes

Continuing our player spotlight feature as we head to the season, Al Reyes is next up on the docket.

To review, so far we’ve done: Akinori Iwamura, B.J. Upton, Cliff Floyd, and Carlos Pena.

2007: Probably the best way to describe Al Reyes’ 2007 season was that he was the guy in the bullpen who didn’t suck. By no means was he great (4.90 ERA, 13 HR allowed), but he wasn’t awful either (1.15 WHIP, 1.15 K/IP, 4 blown saves). We all spent many a night wishing Al Reyes could throw every bullpen inning, saving us from the horror of Brian Stokes, Shawn Camp, Jae-Kuk Ryu, or a host of other less-than-impressive big league arms.

He missed two weeks in early July with a rotator cuff strain, leaving guys like Jay Witasick and Gary Glover trying to close out games, and when he came back, he didn’t quite seem like the same pitcher. His fastball didn’t have as much bite; those close pitches were drifting a little bit more on him. 3 of the blown saves came after the injury. Getting tattooed by the Red Sox a few times didn’t help him, either.

If nothing else, we all loved watching him trot out of the bullpen because he looks like a cage fighter getting ready to rip someone’s face off. I like that.

2008: In a way, Reyes is getting “demoted” to set-up man in ‘08 with the arrival of Troy Percival, but he says that he doesn’t look at it that way; instead, this is just a collaborative team bullpen effort and he is just one of the parts. At his age - 37 in about 6 weeks - that’s probably the best way to look at it. He was never going to be an elite closer, but Percival was at one point and is the most logical person to take that spot.

As long as everyone’s healthy, this move should sure up the bullpen nicely in the late innings. Still, his HR rate from last year (13 in 60 innings) is still worrisome; you can’t give up that many home runs and not feel it. On the bright side, that number was an aberration from him and if he regresses back to his mean, then the number should drop to only 6 or 7 this coming season.

If the Rays find themselves out of contention in July, don’t be surprised if they look to move Reyes for some kind of prospect. With his age, he’s likely not in the long-term plans of the team, but if he’s throwing well, he could definitely help a team like the Braves or the Dodgers or whichever other club is contending for a playoff spot. On the other hand, if the Rays are in it, Reyes will likely be an important component of that.

Best-case scenario: Reyes is the bridge to Percival, and does it with ease. Something to the effect of 65 games, 70 innings, and an ERA in the low-2s. No injury worries would help make it even better.

Worst-case scenario: He’s had a history of various arm ailments. In any given year they could dog him; it’s always possible that he could miss the majority of the season because of something like that. Like someone said (I think it was either Wolfson or Cork, but I can’t remember): he’s a lot closer to his last pitch than he is to his first.

Did You Know? Reyes has started 2 games in his career, both in 2004 and both as part of Tony LaRussa’s bullpen-by-committee games where he lets a reliever start and go 2 or 3 innings before handing the baton to someone else.

Tags: Al Reyes
Posted in General | 4 Comments »

Kaz will be ready for opening day (he says)

 Take it away, Mr. Lancaster…

Scott Kazmir said today that he “definitely” plans to make his expected start Opening Day at Baltimore despite the strained left elbow he suffered yesterday.

“That’s what we’re shooting for,” he said.

Asked if the medical staff had discouraged him from that target, he said they hadn’t.

“We still think that what we have now is something where it’s possible to get out there and be ready for Opening Day,” he said.

Kazmir said he expects the inflammation in his elbow to go down within the next couple of days and he will begin throwing again as soon as possible after that.

I like it. Scotty Kazmir, I knew there was a reason I liked you. I’d want to be on the mound on Opening Day for a team I said could be in the playoffs, too. Now we’ll see if the Rays will let him be there.

5 innings of Scott Kazmir is still better than 7 innings of most other pitchers, after all…

Posted in General | Comments Off

Lunch Break - 2/27/08

This isn’t related to baseball at all, so I apololgize. I just wanted to vent for a minute:

What’s the deal (::Seinfeld voice::) with people these days who have decided that punctuation, spelling, and proper usage of the English language are not necessary? When I’m not blogging for you guys, I’m a professional writer by trade and there’s lots of times that I see applications or emails from people who want to join the team I’m on. Though I don’t have the verbatim wording of it in front of me, here’s a gist of the one I got yesterday:

i have wanted to write for my whole life and i think that i’m very good at it i think i could be a huge help to the team and could really help bring a different voice to what you all are trying to do more writing samples can be provided as needed but i’m sure you will find that i could definitely help your team out

p.s. sorry for the lack of punctuation but i just don’t like doing it

Ummm… what?! You don’t LIKE punctuation so you’re not going to use it? What the heck is up with that? Between this guy and the teenagers who write sentences like: “OMG can u blev tht she did tht? its sooooo stpd!” I weep for the future of this country. My wife was telling me the other day that she’s heard that teachers aren’t allowed to correct spelling and grammar mistakes in writing anymore because it’s bad for self-esteem. Seriously? Are you kidding me? Absolutely ridiculous.

The internet hasn’t helped this, either. Every person thinks he is a writer now because he can get his hands on a blog and type whatever he wants. It drives me crazy because I see so many bloggers - including some for the Rays - that don’t seem to even care how their writing looks.

I’m not saying that everyone has to be a good writer; I get it, there are some people who are better at it than others. What I am against, though, is people who are bastardizing the language for their own self-centered means.

So, what do you think? Are cell phones to blame? Have you noticed this too, or am I just totally out of line? Do you want me to just shut up and get back to baseball?

I suspect that you just want me to shut up and get back to baseball. :)

Posted in General | 13 Comments »

Worry not, the sky is NOT falling

Kid K is going to shut it down for 2 weeks so he might not be ready to make his opening day start. (St. Pete Times)

The news on Rays ace Scott Kazmir’s left elbow appeared relatively good Tuesday night - no serious injury, but he’s expected to be sidelined about two weeks, which makes it unlikely he’d be ready for the opening day start.

So, Kaz might miss his start on Opening Day; it’s not the end of the world. And it’s much better than the alternative. I know this is sure to freak out some people who are wont to jump all over stories like this as signs of the apocalypse, but its not as if Kaz is the only pitcher who has ever had a stiff shoulder. Is it something to monitor? Sure. Is it worth worrying about? No, not really.

This is exactly why the Rays have been building up that organizational depth we talk so much about; if Kaz can’t go the first week of the season and they need to use a different person to start a game, there are bodies around that can do it. Sure, none of them will be as good as Kaz is, but whoever it is shouldn’t embarass himself either.

Tags: Scott Kazmir
Posted in General | 5 Comments »

Kazmir to have MRI

Scott Kazmir felt some discomfort in his left elbow today and the team will have him take an MRI. The Rays are calling the MRI a “precautionary” move.

The injury happened while he was warming up today on the mound, after throwing some in the bullpen. The injury appears to not be serious.  The team is expected to know the details of the MRI tomorrow.  

Tags: Scott Kazmir
Posted in General | 6 Comments »

Lunch Break - 2/26/08

A simple question for you today because I’m kind of in a rush (sorry!): what’s your favorite baseball movie?

The only reason I ask is because Major League was on TBS over the weekend, which is one of my favorites. I know it’s not necessarily a “good” movie by academy standards, but I absolutely love it nonetheless. What are some of your favorites, and why?

Posted in Discussion | 12 Comments »

The Redheaded Stepchild Presents Player Spotlight: Carlos Pena

Continuing our player spotlight feature as we head to the season, Carlos Pena is next up on the docket. No particular reason why; I’m just choosing them at random.

Why “The Redheaded Stepchild Presents…” you may ask? Well, because Rays of Light is the red-headed stepchild of Rays blogs. SticksofFire said so themselves.

For whatever reason the MLB blogs are light years ahead of any other sports blogs and consistently provide some of the best reading out there. Rays of Light, the red-headed step child of Rays blogs, is no exception. Of interest are the player spotlights that are running now.

I actually love that description and am considering adding it to our header bar and somewhere else on the main page. Well done Ski, you’ve made me a very happy man.

2007: At this point, I’m not really sure there are any words I could write about Carlos Pena’s 2007 season that haven’t already been written. He was an absolute beast. In some ways, you could make the argument that his overall value to the Rays was greater than that of Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees - and thus - he was the league’s most valuable player. In a nutshell, there was no single player who did more for the Rays in 2007 than Carlos Pena did

The numbers leap off the page at you: .282/.411/.627, OPS+ of 172, 46 HR, 121 RBI.  His WARP was 11.9. His VORP was 68.5. Do you get the point yet? Oh, and he stole a base, too.

This all came from a guy who - in March - was battling with Greg Norton and Hee-Seop Choi for the final spot in the roster. And, let’s face it, most of us didn’t even give him a chance. Look here, for instance; just a week before the season started and he wasn’t included in my list of guys who should make the Opening Day roster. I went back even futher, and his name really never came up in any significant way during other March posts. Isn’t it crazy how a year can change things?

And it’s not like Pena was just handed the first base job right away, either. He only started 13 games in April, and was bounced between the 2, 6, 7, and 8 spots in the order. Even more telling: the Rays used Elijah Dukes to pinch hit for him during his first game of the season. And, no, it wasn’t because it was a blowout; it was because the Rays wanted to get Dukes’ bat in there instead of Pena’s. I repeat: “Isn’t it crazy how a year can change things?”

And, just to round things out, he also played his usual top-notch defense over at first base.

2008: For his efforts, Pena was given a crisp new 3-year contract and doesn’t have to fight with anyone but himself for the first base job. Obviously there is a gigantic question about whether or not 2007 was just a statistical aberration or if he truly has “figured it out” and we just finally saw the real Carlos Pena. I can’t answer that question, but I can tell you that he will penciled in to the middle of the order will be counted on to deliver big-time offense for the Rays yet again.

Though I think that it’s foolish to expect ANY player to hit 46 home runs in a season, is a 35-40 homer season with similar walk and on-base totals a totally ludicrous expectation? I don’t think so.

One issue the Rays may need to contend with is the lack of a bonafide backup should something happen to him. Word has trickled out that Rocco Baldelli has been working at first base, and I’ve long contested that Jonny Gomes’ best shot to stick with the team for the long-term is to learn how to play first base as well. Apart from that, would you really trust Joel Guzman to play every day at first? He might be adequate, but I’m not sure that he’s an everyday solution if Pena is lost for a significant amount of time.  The best bet is to just hope that nothing happens to him.

Best-case scenario: Exactly what you saw in 2007. If he were to put up identical numbers, the Rays would be downright giddy. I’m not sure that he could physically do more than that.

Worst-case scenario: Remember 2002? (.242./.316/.448, 19 HR) Yeah, that would be pretty bad. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Did You Know? As a junior at Northeastern University in 1998, he batted .342 (50-for-146) with 45 runs, seven doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 52 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

Tags: Carlos Pena, Spotlight
Posted in General | 1 Comment »