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Archive for the ‘Links Galore’ Category

No surgery for Percy; tomorrow still iffy

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Marc Lancaster does the deed:

Greetings from the Trop, where the early returns already are positive for the Rays. It was determined this morning that Troy Percival did not need to undergo arthroscopic surgery to correct the cartilage problem in his right knee.

The Rays had scheduled an appointment for him to have the procedure earlier today if necessary, but it wasn’t. For once, everyone agreed with the headstrong pitcher that enough progress had been made the previous few days to avoid the scope.

Based on what we were told when Percival went on the disabled list Friday, the recovery time should be about the same without surgery as with—two to four weeks. But any time you can avoid being opened up, that’s probably a good thing.

As for the status of tomorrow’s game, nothing has been determined yet. The powers that be apparently are scheduled to meet again around 5 p.m. today and the hope is a decision will be made then. Stay tuned for updates.

I have no insider information, but I can’t imagine that they are going to play the game tomorrow. Wednesday might be okay, though (do you really think the Rays want to miss out on a National TV game?!).

Posted in Links Galore | Comments Off

Monday link roundup: Plate Collision-gate Continues

Monday, March 10th, 2008

Just the links for you this morning because I’m a dummy and overslept. I’m going to blame my alarm clock. Maybe I should get one of these to fix the problem.

  • Eric, you got some ’splainin’ to do. What began as my predictably pro-hustle post yesterday about how Elliot Johnson was playing the game the right way when he made a Yankees backup catcher eat his lunch in the 9th inning of Saturday’s game has erupted into a firestorm. Okay, so maybe not a firestorm, but Sports Indeed takes Rays Anatomy’s Eric to task for defending Joe Girardi and his comments that the hustle was uncalled for. Sit back, relax, and watch the gloves come off. (Sports Indeed)
  • Speaking of Sports Indeed, they’re looking for a new name. May I suggest “Ghost of Brian Stokes” - who, by the way, has an ERA of 0.00 for the Mets so far this spring.
  • So, remember all of those articles you read about how Edwin Jackson has been looking good this spring? Well, you should probably take those and throw those out the window, because he was bad on Sunday. Now, to be fair, the defense behind him looked like B.J. Upton trying to field a routine ground ball, but still -not a good day for Edloss. (Recap/Box)
  • Since I’m a big believer in paying it forward, here’s a link to Baseball Musings since they were kind enough to link to me over the weekend. Make sure you go visit when you get a chance.
  • Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A headline from MLB.com: “Notes: No return imminent for Baldelli.” Hmmm… where have I heard that before? (MLB.com)

On Saturday, Maddon said the Rays need to know something about Baldelli’s availability later this week.

“I don’t feel any pressure,” Baldelli said. “I’ll do what I feel I can. I guess you could say it’s precautionary.”

Baldelli said he can’t categorize the problem that’s preventing him from coming back full bore after missing most of the 2007 season with hamstring problems.

“Categorize it? I haven’t been able to do it to this point,” Baldelli said. “It is difficult to categorize it.”

Baldelli said he has not talked to anybody about when he might be back on the field.

“[We’re] just kind of waiting right now,” Baldelli said.

  • The Anti-Rocco continues his quick march back from his arm problems: Kid K will throw a bullpen session, and if all goes well, could make his Spring Training debut this weekend. (MLB.com)
  • David Price will pitch again Tuesday, Carl Crawford is probably going to be playing less in the coming days, and first cuts are on the way. (St. Pete Times)
  • I’m going to be honest, there was WAY too much here to read, so I didn’t do it. All I know is that some website called 411mania that I had never heard of before is the 16,361st on the bandwagon that thinks the Rays could compete for third place this year. Are they really a surprise team if EVERYONE - including the sports maven that is 411mania.com - predicts them to be a surprise team? (411mania.com)
  • Jeff Niemann… a lefty? The Canadian Press thinks so! (Canadian Press)
  • USA Today needs to fire whoever is writing their headlines. “Rays, Blue Jays have rays of hope” — seriously? Rays have rays of hope? (USA Today)

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Posted in Links Galore | 12 Comments »

Weekend Links

Saturday, February 16th, 2008

No feature story today, but quite a few links from around these here internets! Have a great weekend, everyone!

  • From Bill Chastain: Scott Kazmir showed up on the first day of camp and immediately laid down the law. “Play in October,” Kazmir said. “That’s possible. That’s what I got out of [Rays manager] Joe [Maddon] talking to us and all of my teammates. It’s not something that’s impossible. We have what it takes to win here.” Kaz really sounds like a pitcher who thinks this team can win. Either that or he’s drinking the company Kool-aid. Either way, it’s nice to hear.
  • Things are never easy for Dioner Navarro. He’s been excused from camp to be back in Venezuela with his sick mother. We hope all the best for him and his family.
  • From The Heater: Cliff Floyd showed up to camp early this morning. No truth to the rumor that he sat down too hard and strained his buttocks.

Veteran Cliff Floyd reported to camp early Saturday and said as much as the team was looking for him to provide veteran leadership, he was looking forward to success on the field. “I hope everyone is looking forward to winning,” Floyd said.

  • According to Marc Lancaster, when Floyd showed up, all of his gear was in a black trash bag. He was reported to have said, “That’s how we roll.” I can tell I’m going to like having this guy around.
  • Stacy Long on David Price’s first day of camp.

The Rays sent out quotes from their first workout Friday, including some from (possible Biscuit?) pitcher David Price.
On first day of workouts:
DP: It was fun and relaxed. You get your work in and get out of here. You wake up early get out early and get in a day of baseball.
On attending his first camp:
DP: I haven’t played baseball in seven months. There is definitely excitement, nervousness, there’s everything. I am looking forward to having a good time.
What is he expecting from himself going into camp:
DP: Just go in and play baseball, learn from it, and have fun. Spring Training for me is to just sit back and listen to guys like Troy Percival, Scott Kazmir, Dan Wheeler, and those type of guys. I want to listen to what they have to say and not really say too much; kind of be a mute.

  • Baseball Prospectus has projected that the Rays will finish 82-80, certainly the best record in team history but also still in 4th place, 1 game behind Toronto. The Rays finish 14 games behind the Yankees for first place and 11 games behind Boston for the Wild Card. In his analysis of the standings, Nate Silver owes the franchise $1 for invoking the name “Devil Rays” again.
  • Also on Baseball Prospectus, they had the projected Rays depth chart for 2008. Most interesting notes: Evan Longoria is being projected as the starter at third base, Edwin Jackson is projected for the starting rotation, and Evan Meek has been projected to get more innings pitched than Scott Dohmann, Juan Salas, or Grant Balfour even though he’s not on the team anymore. These do not include the Trever Miller signing, though.

Posted in Links Galore | 1 Comment »

Really Marc? Really? Why even go there?

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Marc Topkin’s Sunday piece for the St. Pete Times was pretty much the usual fare we’ve come to expect from him. All except one line in his “Rumblings” that was pretty much a throw-away but has some people all abuzz:

Could the Rays’ be opportunistic/buy low mind-set lead to an offer to still-unemployed Barry Bonds?

No Marc. No, it couldn’t. Barry Bonds is the last guy that this team needs right. Not only is the DH spot crowded enough, but he would serve as nothing more than a distraction to the Rays. Have you noticed how the media is all over Roger Clemens right now? Well, just wait, because Bonds is going to be in the cross-hairs soon enough, and that is definitely not something that this young team would need to have to deal with.

Look, I’m not saying dude can’t hit (he had a 170 OPS+ last year in what was a “down” year), but isn’t it time we quit this kind of unsubstantiated rumor-mongering? You’re a reporter for Pete’s sake, and unless you have a source that told you that the Rays were going to low-ball an offer to Bonds (which it doesn’t appear that you do, since you’d probably list it for this), why even start a rumor like that? Bonds is such a polarizing figure, all it’s going to do is get a number of people ticked off that the team would even consider something like that. And why? Because a reporter for the team said it was a possibility, so there’s obviously some truth to it!

That, and with the 25-man roster virtually set already, I think it’s REALLY safe to say that the Rays aren’t going to be spending any more significant money. Was it really worth trying to be the first one with the “scoop” if you had to make something up to do it?

  • Other notes from Topkin’s Sunday piece: Troy Percival is ready to kick some ass, the Rays are going to start with an all-you-can-eat ticket plan this year, B.J. and Justin Upton are going to be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine, and Bill James has called Scott Kazmir the most-likely big leaguer to toss a no-hitter in 2008.
  • Those RaysBB prospect rankings are being posted. Make sure you go and check them out to see who the Top 25 according to the Raysverse are.
  • The Rays’ Spring Training preview is up at SpringTraining08.com. I don’t know who that writer is that put it together, but he sure has a sexy name.
  • Joe Sheehan, in his AL East preview piece: “It’s not unreasonable to think that four of the seven best teams in the AL reside in this division.” The fourth team is talking about isn’t the Orioles, buddies. Good times.
  • Baseball America isn’t convinced that the Rays are automatically going to take Pedro Alvarez with the first overall pick in the 2008 draft.

First, they spent the No. 3 overall pick two years ago on Longoria. Tampa Bay could move Alvarez to left field or first base, where it has productive players in Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, but it has more pressing needs on the mound. The Rays do have a number of talented arms rising through their farm system, but attrition always strikes pitchers and teams never have enough.

Second, while Alvarez is the No. 1 prospect right now, San Diego lefthander Brian Matusz, Missouri righthander Aaron Crow and Georgia high school shortstop Tim Beckham are close behind him. If Alvarez has clearly separated himself from the pack in June, Tampa Bay could be tempted to take him. But if he hasn’t, taking Matusz, Crow or Beckham would make more sense.

Alright, go enjoy your Monday everyone. Check back throughout the day for a couple of updates.

Posted in Links Galore | 3 Comments »

BREAKING NEWS: Rays have a really good farm system

Friday, February 1st, 2008

Okay, maybe that’s not breaking news at all. But it got your attention for a second, didn’t it?

Keith Law, whose work I quite like, released his Top 100 prospects on ESPN.com and, not surprisingly, it is littered with Rays.  Let’s take a look, shall we?

1) Evan Longoria

11) Desmond Jennings

15) Wade Davis

16) David Price

26) Jake McGee

49) Reid Brignac

72) Fernando Perez

75) Jeremy Hellickson

78) John Jaso

That’s 9 players in the Top 100. Out of 30 teams. That’s right, the Rays have 9% of all of the best prospects in baseball in their organization. The next closest team (Texas) has six. If you’re the one Rays fan who hasn’t yet professed his undying excitement for the 2008 season, are you ready yet?

The most interesting part I got out of reading the list was actually right up top in the Evan Longoria discussion:

If the player I’ve just described sounds more than a little like David Wright, you’ve got the idea. Longoria is three years younger than Wright today, and while he’ll debut a year later than Wright did, he has a similar skill set and upside to the Mets’ third baseman, who would have been my choice for National League MVP in 2007. Longoria is the favorite to start at third base on Opening Day for Tampa Bay, making him the favorite to win the AL’s Rookie of the Year award in 2008.

Law didn’t really mention that there’s, what seems to us, a better-than-average chance that Longoria will start the year in Triple A. This could mean one of two things: Law simply doesn’t believe that (or doesn’t know it) or Law has knowledge that the rest of us don’t. I mean, of course he has knowledge that we don’t, but I mean about Longoria’s future status. This is still the one big open-ended storyline to watch for going forward.

Even though my order of the top Rays prospects differs a bit, I can’t really quibble with Law’s choices. This team sure is stacked, isn’t it? If you get a chance, I recommend giving his blurbs on all of the players a read; he does a fantastic job of researching the players and laying out for you their strengths and weaknesses in a way that I would never be able to do for you guys.

While we’re here, let’s see what else we’ve got going on:

That’s it for now. Go enjoy your Friday.

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Posted in General, Links Galore | 4 Comments »

Links, links, and more links

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

Nothing that I felt deserved its own story today, so I’m just going to send you all over the Raysverse to check out some things that are going on.

  • The Rays are on the verge of inking Jonny Gomes to a contract that will pay him about $1.25 million. (TBO)

    Not a bad deal if you consider that this is a guy who could hit between 20 and 30 home runs this season depending on the amount of playing time he gets. Yeah, we all hate that he swings like he’s trying to put one through the roof of the Trop, but that’s who Jonny is. He’s not going to change; at least we know what we’re getting with him. He’ll play hard, he’ll hustle, he’ll make some bonehead plays in right, but he’s a lot better than some of the alternatives.

  • This one’s a day old, but I just realized we never put anything up about it: Dan Wheeler got his contract, too. He’s going to get just south of $3 million. (TBO)

    Could you imagine giving $3 million dollars to a decent middle reliever who was coming off a bad season just a few years ago? It’s crazy how the middle relief market has changed; these guys are now CASHING in even though performance is so inconsistent from year to year.

  • Marc Lancaster had an interesting trade rumor buried inside an article about Gomes’ signing today:

    Tampa Bay has had talks with the Atlanta Braves about a trade involving 24-year-old infielder Willy Aybar, a switch-hitter with a checkered past. Aybar’s off-the-field issues, most notably a stint in a substance-abuse rehabilitation program that wiped out most of his 2007 season, could be an impediment.

    Well, that’s an interesting one, isn’t it? He definitely fits the mold of what the Rays are looking for, and - if true - perhaps puts to bed the assertion that many of us had that the Rays were writing off players with personal issues. Aybar’s a decent player but he’s not great. To make a deal for him, the Rays would need to pull off a steal, in my opinion. I wouldn’t part with anyone of great value to get him.

    I thought this was an interesting quote in the article:

    He has had a strong season in his home country, hitting .339 and posting a .415 on-base percentage in 15 games during Licey’s run to first place in the league’s January semifinal series.

    Look, I don’t care how their schedule works - 15 games is NOT a season. He had a STRONG two weeks; he didn’t have a STRONG season. That’s like saying that the World Series or All-Star Game MVP awards are reasons to induct someone to the Hall of Fame.

  • Bill Chastain’s latest season preview focuses on the new-look Rays infield. (MLB.com)

    Iwamura routinely made acrobatic plays that defied logic throughout the 123 games he played in during the 2007 season. However, his bat and speed make him better suited to be a middle infielder than a third baseman, where the preference is for power. Iwamura hit .285 with just seven home runs and 34 RBIs in 2007 — far more impressive numbers for a second baseman than a third baseman.

    Bartlett did commit 26 errors last season, the most of any shortstop in the Major Leagues. But he has a strong arm and good range, which are attributes not seen in a box score. Some of Bartlett’s struggles in 2007 can be attributed to neck and shoulder injuries that plagued him throughout the season. Regardless, the Rays are sold on the player who will take over at shortstop this season.

    I’ve gotta admit, I was actually excited to watch these two guys play together from reading this article. It’ll be nice to actually have some guys who can pick it up the middle instead of watching - (shudder) - Brendan Harris and Ty Wigginton play keep-away.

  • The OTHER issue surrounding the new stadium - where the HECK are you going to put all of the cars - is going to be looked into by a consulting firm. (MLB.com)

    The Rays have already conducted research showing approximately 12,000 parking spaces within a 10-15 minute walk of the new ballpark site. Other transportation assets of the downtown waterfront location include the approximate 5,000 parking spaces at the redevelopment of Tropicana Field and the significant capacity remaining on I-175 and I-375.

    Over the next several months, RK&K will work with the City of St. Petersburg, its residents and the Rays to analyze the relationship between existing parking locations and ballpark entry and exit routes, forecast downtown traffic volumes during event conditions, and engage the community to determine specific areas of concern. RK&K will recommend methods to ensure that adequate parking will be available for both the ballpark and its downtown environs. RR&K will also help create an effective traffic management plan to minimize congestion and provide ease of entry and exit to the ballpark.

    I’m very interested in finding out what these people determine, because just throwing out that 12,000 parking spot number is INCREDIBLY misleading. Is NO ONE else going to be down by the waterfront on game day? And traffic in that area could potentially be a nightmare. Though the amount of parking is a little low near the Trop right now, getting in and out on game day is MUCH easier than it is at other stadiums and arenas I’ve been to.

  • Only indirectly related to the Rays, but a Tampa fire inspector was demoted back to firefighter after accepting a ticket to a Lightning game. How does this relate to the Rays, you ask? Read on… (TBO)

    (The mayor) said she did accept a jersey from the Tampa Bay Rays a few months ago as part of a team promotion touting the baseball club’s new name and logo. She says that is different from a fire inspector accepting a hockey ticket because she turns the gift over to the city rather than keeping or using it.

    “If anyone gives me anything like that, it’s ceremonial in nature,” Iorio said. “It goes to archives. I accept them on behalf of the city. Nothing is for my personal benefit.”

    What a waste of $200 to just take a jersey and put it into archives. Why not frame it and display it somewhere in city hall? Or donate it to charity or something? Silly politicians.

    Alright, that’s it. I’ve gotta go to work. I suggest you do the same.

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    Posted in Links Galore | 2 Comments »

    • Weekend Wrap-up

    Monday, January 14th, 2008

    Here’s what you may have missed over the weekend while writing cuss words on your checks to pay for parking tickets:

    Marc Topkin checked in with a bunch of notes in the Sunday St. Pete Times:

  • About the utility player the Rays want:

    The preferred profile for the wanted “super-utility” player is a left-handed hitter who can play first and third and fill in at the corner outfield spots, and likely would be acquired via trade.

    Though I’m not sure why they’d want a LEFTY to play first since that’s what Carlos Pena is and the addition of this player would likely mean the end of Joel Guzman’s chances of making the roster, that player they are talking about sounds an awful lot like Frank Catalanotto. Problem is, he makes $3.5 million and plays for another team (Texas), so the Rays would have to swing some kind of trade. I don’t see that happening.

  • As is being reported for about the 10th time, the Rays are going beyond the original payroll estimate of $40 million.

    “From the original thoughts that all of us had, we’re a good bit above that number and it’s just the way things worked out,” Friedman said. “It’s the opportunistic approach that we had this offseason.”

    I don’t think it’s ever been a question of getting to $40 million and stopping there. I think the team was truly taking the approach that it would spend whatever it needed to spend so long as it remained within the plan - the plan of course being to continue to develop the majority of its talent from within. The money spent on Troy Percival, for instance, was the right move to make and the organization should be commended for being willing to shell out a little more cash than it said it was going to.

  • I’m thinking Topkin might be taking the blog route and just reposting the news of the week because he said, as we’ve heard a number of times already, that the decision on Evan Longoria’s status will likely come prior to Spring Training.

    t would seem an unusual way to do things, but Friedman said the Rays might decide before 3B prospect Evan Longoria gets to spring training whether or not he’s on the team.

    The thinking is that the Rays already know enough about him, that talent evaluations during the spring are often skewed by circumstance and level of competition, and that deciding beforehand would reduce scrutiny (and pressure) on his day-to-day play.

    But doing so would seem to make sense only if they decide Longoria, 22, isn’t going to make the team. That way, it eliminates the question from being a daily issue, as well as a potential controversy if Longoria were to put up huge spring numbers.

    I have to disagree with Topkin on the point that it only makes sense if he isn’t going to make the team. “It eliminates the question from being a daily issue”? Uhhh, this isn’t the New York media, pal. I suspect that you, Marc Lancaster, and Bill Chastain aren’t going to exactly crush the guy’s spirits with your reporting over the course of Spring Training. You might just be overstating your job a little, don’t you think?

  • Rocco Baldelli watch: He is actually running and hasn’t hurt himself… yet.

    Baldelli said he has been working out and running three days a week with no problems from his previously troubling hamstrings and plans to “turn it up a notch” after returning to Florida at the end of the month. “If I can hit and kind of take it easy running, I think everything will fall right into place after that,” he said.

    That’s right. Rocco’s getting ready to “turn it up a notch.” Look out, AL East.

    In all seriousness, the return of a healthy Baldelli would be a boon to this team because it simply adds an All-Star-caliber player to an already strong team. Considering how little he was around last season, it’s almost like another big free agent signing.

  • No, seriously…

    And for those who keep asking, the Trop can’t be “converted” to an outdoor stadium by removing the roof and some walls because it was built with no drainage or weatherproofing (and would be very costly to do).

    WHO ASKED THIS QUESTION?! No, seriously. I want to know. Was it one of you guys?

  • Elsewhere in the Raysverse, the team is playing the “it will give more money to schools” card as it relates to the new stadium. Not a bad move, considering reaction on the project seems mixed at best. (St. Pete Times)

    The Rays say the successful redevelopment of Tropicana Field and its parking lots could generate $5-million a year in new property tax revenues for state and Pinellas schools. If the redevelopment includes retail, millions more dollars could flow into the city and county coffers each year through sales tax payments.

    That money, which would not help build a new stadium for the Rays, could be used to build new schools or new parks or pay teachers or police officers more, the Rays say.

    Watching this whole thing play out is like watching a politician who is 5 to 10 points down in the polls try to make up ground heading into a primary.

  • I’m not going to steal The Professor’s thunder on this one, since he already wrote pretty much what I would’ve written about it, but Joe Maddon made it a point to say last week that .500 is a reasonable goal for this team. (Tampa Tribune)

    The blend of talent and experience has the manager talking about a .500 season as “a reasonable goal,” but it won’t deter him from taking a back-to-basics approach to spring training. In fact, the potential to crack the 70-win barrier for the first time in Rays history might only serve to reinforce Maddon’s determination to avoid giving away so many winnable games by committing fundamental mistakes.

    “I’m going to apply a lot of pressure to the coaches and myself this spring training to make sure we get these fundamentals down appropriately,” Maddon said. “We’ve talked about them for two years; I believe this group is ready to put them into play. I believe this group is ready to take what we’re talking about and execute them. I believe this group will accept constructive criticism well and be accountable for their actions.

    As soon as you shoot for mediocrity, you set yourself up for failure. Way to go, Joe. This team - like every team’s goal - should be to win as many games as possible and ultimately reach the playoffs. But, nah, let’s shoot for a third-place finish and the chance to watch Joe Buck annoy the fans of two other teams instead of ours in the playoffs.

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    Posted in Links Galore | 9 Comments »

    • Links Galore: Vote for me, Dayn Perry has no respect, and a Shawn Camp signing

    Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

    Here’s what’s going on in the Raysverse while about 10 people head to the polls in New Hampshire to decide between Democractic and Republican candidates…

  • I’m up for an award! Maybe it’s a bowling alley. I’m not one to beg and stump for votes but PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE go vote for me. Thanks.
  • I really wanted to break down Dayn Perry’s article on FOX Sports about how the Rays are turning a corner, but I couldn’t break myself away from this one quote that really irks me:

    …whatever the reasons, Rays fans — both of them! — finally have cause for optimism.

    Is it really necessary to put down the fanbase that you are trying to attract with your article? It’s one thing for a columnist or a writer who regularly writes about a team to take a little jab at his breatheren - we’re all in it together and doing it in good fun - but this guy thought it would be funny to put down the fans of the Rays just to make a point. Dayn is probably a fine writer; he wouldn’t be writing for FOX Sports if he wasn’t, but I’m just not a fan of this one.

  • Apparently, the Toronto Blue Jays weren’t paying attention is 2007 as they signed Shawn Camp to a minor league deal. Also, something I didn’t realize - so a correction from a few days ago - Jorge Velandia HAS already signed, being picked up by the Pirates. (Rays Report)
  • Bill Chastain checked in with his latest mail bag. A lot of the same from him. He thinks the Rays will find and sign a left-handed reliever, he told some guy that his ideas for free agent signings were stupid (but was much nicer about it), he had to explain - AGAIN - why Akinori Iwamura is moving to second base, and had to deal with someone who doesn’t understand the Evan Longoria process, either. I do NOT envy this man’s job. (MLB.com)
  • If you feel particularly strongly about what the city should do with Tropicana Field after the new stadium is built, you can make your voice heard at a special public meeting being held on Wednesday at the Trop. (St. Pete Times)
  • Speaking of the stadium, I sure hope the Rays have a contingency plan for building this thing, because the local government doesn’t look likely to provide the $60 million subsidy that they need. This little song-and-dance will go back and forth for a while. (St. Pete Times)

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    Posted in Links Galore | 1 Comment »

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