The Rays claimed Dewon Day off of waivers from the Red Sox. Day, 28, is a right-handed pitcher that split time between double-A and triple-A in the White Sox organization in 2008. He posted an ERA of 4.56 at triple-A despite 25 strike outs and only 6 walks in 23.2 innings.

Day was added to the 40-man roster, taking the last available spot. He does have minor league options remaining.

Rays claim Day from Red Sox [Rays Report]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Grant Balfour's nickname is catching on Down Under. [The Australian]

"Yeah, 'The Mad Australian'. They call me that [in the U.S.] because I get pretty fired up sometimes," Balfour admits. "It's pretty full-on and intense during the season and I am just out there competing as hard as I can every pitch."

• Former New York Times columnist Murray Chass says there is good reason to group JC Romero with members of the Black Sox scandal. [Murray Chass...On Baseball]
  
• Not sure how much of this is the new Spring Training home and how much is due to the Rays successful 2008 season, but tickets for Rays Spring Training games are selling fast. [Herald-Tribune]
  
• Rocco Baldelli reflects on what it means to him to move from the Rays to the Red Sox. [Tampa Tribune]

"I think it's beginning to sink in," he said. "In a way, it's sad because, obviously I'm from Rhode Island, but I also consider St. Pete my home. One way or another, the last nine years of my life have been spent mostly down there. I have a lot of good friends there, a lot of people who I'm going to miss. It's a great place. I loved my time there and I'll cherish it always."

• In her own special way, Her Rays went through all the stages of depression after Rocco Baldelli signed with the Rays. She was even willing to give the Red Sox John Gruden if they would have let the Rays keep Rocco...That doesn't seem very fair for the people of New England. [Her Rays]
  
• The other major leaguer from Rhode Island, Dan Wheeler, was named the New England Player of the Year. [Providence Journal]
• Marc Lancaster says the Rays will likely head into 2009 with a platoon in right field with Matt Joyce in the minor leagues...It just seems to us, that as long as Gabe Gross is on the team, Joyce will start the year in triple-A. It just doesn't make sense to have both players on the 25-man roster. [Tampa Tribune]
• The Rays are working with Tampa Bay Watch to help restore salt marsh habitats. [TBN Weekly]
  
• USA Baseball has released a list of 22 players that have expressed an interest in playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. That list does not include any Rays. [Rays Report]
  
• Rays Prospects has the final stat lines for prospects in the various winter leagues. [Rays Prospects]
• How rough is it for corner outfielders and DHs this year? It looks like Eric Hinske's only substantial offer at this point is from Japan. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  

How good is it to be Evan Longoria these days? Las Vegas Weekly reminds us...

Tampa Bay Devil Rays third baseman Evan Longoria took Hugh Hefner’s VIP table at the Playboy Club with his eight friends for two hours atop the Palms and enjoyed several games of blackjack in between his dance floor duties with fans.

Of course, by "fans" they mean random Vegas hotties. And by "dance floor duties" they mean being a lucky son of a biscuit.

Dirtbag. He puts his pants on just like us, one leg at a time. Of course, after he puts his pants on, he gets to sit at Hugh Hefner's VIP table and dance with "fans".

For those suffering from baseball withdrawal as we are, following the links we present video of Willy Aybar hitting a home run for Licey in the Dominican Winter League.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Rays pitching prospect Jino Gonzalez was arrested at Tampa International Airport after an unloaded gun was discovered in his carry-on bag. Gonzalez made 37 appearances (11 starts) for double-A Montgomery in 2008, posting a 5.44 ERA with 68 strike outs and 57 walks in 87.2 innings. The left-hander was originally drafted in the 46th round of the 2002 draft. [Fox Sports]
  
• The Rays resigned Michel Hernandez to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. The spring invite is simply due to the need for extra catchers in camp with so many pitchers needing work each day. During the season, Hernandez is likely to serve as the Rays' "break glass only in case of emergency" catcher down at Durham. [The Heater]
  
• The Providence Journal caught up with Rhode Island native Dan Wheeler and spoke to him about his unusual rise to the big leagues. [Providence Journal]
  
• As usual Her Rays doesn't disappoint with the imagery. This time it is her "New Years Rays-o-lutions" and an attempt to stay pure and stop reading so much smut. [Her Rays]
• Last night was Joe Maddon's private dinner at the White House with President George Bush. [St. Pete Times]
  
• If you are interested, here is a news video clip featuring Joe Maddon's recent effort to help raise money for his former high school. At this rate, we have a feeling Papa Joe is going to still be wearing that Rays Santa cap in the dugout next season. [YouTube]
• The King of Lists is back and this time he has outdone himself. David Chalk is now counting down the top 177 Devil Rays of all-time, starting with Kevin Witt...Witt was like the backup quarterback. For a while he was the most popular guy in the organization, but proved to be a four-A player. Since then he went to Japan was never heard from again. We assume he joined the Yakuza. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Just speculation on his part, but Buster Olney sees Pat Burrell landing with the Rays. [MLB Trade Rumors]
• No surprise that the Rays are involved, but Jon Heyman is reporting that four other teams have expressed interest in Ken Griffey Jr. While Griffey may prefer to play close to his Orlando home, he is clearly just one name on the Rays' Plan B list for DH. [SI.com]
• The Examiner previews Carl Crawford. [Examiner]
  
• Peter Gammons has an interesting write up on baseball teams going young. [ESPN]
• ESPN includes BJ Upton on their list of players to watch in 2009. [ESPN]
  

Yesterday we linked to a story by Joe Posnanski in which he rated managers on their decisions to intentionally walk batters and how often it comes back to bite the manager in the butt (If you missed it, the short version is Posnanski finally found something Papa Joe sucks at).

Within that piece, Posnanski generates a new statistic to evaluate closers based on a classification system generated in the upcoming "Bill James Handbook". In the handbook, James breaks down save opportunities into three categories:

1. Easy Save. This is a save when the first batter faced is not the tying or go-ahead run.
2. Tough save: This is a save when the tying or go ahead run is already on base when you take over.
3. Regular save: Everything else. [Typically, a "regular" save is when a pitcher starts the 9th inning with a 1-run lead.]

Based on how often relief pitchers and closers (min. 10 save opportunities) convert each of the three save types, Posnanski developed a back-of-the-napkin statisitic (CLOSER+) as a way to compare relief pitchers, while weighing the types of saves each pitcher faces. For example, if 2 pitchers each have 20 save chances but one pitcher faces 20 "Tough" saves chances, while the other pitcher only faces 20 "Easy" chances, the first pitcher would be expected to have less total saves at the end of the season.

Posnanski looked at how the best and worst closers fared in 2008 (he does not provide the complete list). Mariano Rivera topped the list with a CLOSER+ of 145 (100 is average for relief pitchers, while the average closer is about 115*). Part of the reason for Rivera's exceptional rating is because he was five-for-five in "Tough" saves.

Posnanski gives us the top 10 closers and the worst closer (JJ Putz). Troy Percival's rating was not provided. So we applied the save conversion rates to see how many saves an average relief pitcher and an average closer would have been expected to convert had they been given all of Percival's save opportunities. Then we calculated Percy's CLOSER+ to see how he compared to other relief pitchers and other closers.

Percival converted 28 of 32 saves on the season. 21 of those save chances fell into the "Easy" category, while the other 11 were deemed "regular". Percival did not face any "Tough" save opportunities this season.

Based on the league average conversion rates, a typical relief pitcher would have converted 24.5 saves, while an average closer would have converted 27.3 saves. Percival's 28 saves translates to a 114 CLOSER+ when compared to relief pitchers and a 103 CLOSER+ when only compared to closers with at least 10 save opportunities. In other words, Percy was 14% better than a typical relief pitcher when it comes to save opportunities, and 3% better than the average closer.

This is not without problems. This only includes games in which Percival either converted or blew a save. There were a couple of outings in which Percival was brought in for a save and left after being knocked around a bit but did not blow the lead. Those games are not considered here. This rating also does not take into account Percival's three trips to the DL and the negative impact those trips left on the bullpen and pitching staff.

Still, for all intents and purposes, Percival was at worst, an average closer in 2008.

For fun, we decided to also look at Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour. Take Balfour's numbers with a grain of salt as his numbers represent a very small sample size.

No surprise here. Wheeler was downright awful as a closer blowing 2 "Easy" saves and 3 "Regular" saves. Wheeler was 11% worse than an average closer (CLOSER+ 89) even though he converted both of his tough save situations. Wheeler's most memorable "Tough" save was when he was called on with 2 outs in the 9th after Joe Maddon intentionally walked Josh Hamilton with the bases loaded, putting the tying run on first base. Wheeler struck out Marlon Byrd to end the game.

Balfour on the other hand had very strong CLOSER+ ratings. This is attributable to his 3 for 4 showing in "Tough" save situations. But again, this is a very small sample size. Still, we are curious to see the entire list as Balfour's 3 "Tough" saves and 75% conversion rate in those situations are probably near the top of both lists. As Posnanski points out, "Tough" saves are very rare. Most managers prefer to start the 9th inning with their closer and rarely let their closers work more than an inning. Therefore, it is very rare for a closer to enter a game with runners on base.

While determining the closer for 2009 seems to be a priority for the Rays, it should be noted that Percival is still a viable option if he does not retire and stays healthy. Of course, staying healthy might be a little easier if he lays off the jelly doughnuts.

*To clarify. The conversion rates for closers, are from the "Bill James Handbook" and represent pitchers with at least 10 save opportunities. However, when Posnanski ranks the closers, he only uses pitchers with at least 20 save opportunities. The average CLOSER+ rating for Posnanski's list is about 115. That number is a little lower if pitchers with at least 10 save opportunities are considered. That is why Percival has a 114 when compared to all relief pitchers but is actually above average (103) when compared to closers. Percival is being compared to closers with at least 10 save opportunities.

Click on above images to be taken to full standings, box scores or schedule...

THE GOOD: Dan Wheeler. All we can do is tip our cap. The second inning of work scared us. The third inning terrified us. But four innings? Huge...Evan Longoria. Longoria rediscovered his confidence between games 1 and 2. In game 1 Dirtbag was guessing. In the 8th inning of game 1, with the tying runs on base and 1 out, Longoria had a 2-0 count and then swung at a breaking ball in the dirt. He would eventually ground into a double-play. In the first inning of game 2, and the Rays already facing a 1-0 deficit, Longoria once again faced a 2-0 count. Again the Red Sox gave him a breaking ball. This time Longoria took the pitch. Even though the pitch was a strike and once again the count was 2-1, it marked a world of difference in the at bat from the day before. In game 1 Dirtbag was guessing and had made up his mind to swing before the pitch. In game 2 Longoria was waiting for his pitch. He eventually got it and hit a 2-run home run to give the Rays the lead...We said this before the series, but it is worth repeating, anybody that says the regular season means nothing now just isn't paying attention. With the Rays winning the second and third game of the September series in Fenway and maintaining their lead in the AL East, it proved to the players that they can win in Boston.

THE BAD: Criticizing Joe Maddon for green-lighting Carlos Pena with a 3-0 count in game 1. This is something that would have bothered us to no end in '06 or '07. But Maddon pushes some odd buttons from time-to-time and most of the time this season it has worked. Maddon gives his players green lights on 3-0 quite often. We can't start second-guessing him now. Papa Joe trusts his players and we trust Papa Joe...Getting old. We have recently noticed that the the most telling sign of aging is the amount of time needed for recovery. We are now over 30 hours removed from game 2 and we are still sore as hell and can barely talk.

THE TELLING: Troy Percival who was signed in part to be a mentor to the young Rays pitchers and is one of the few players with postseason experience, decided not to stay with the Rays during the ALCS and chose to fly home to be with his family. We think it is safe to say we can now squash any talk of Percival pitching in the World Series should the Rays win the ALCS...While the Rays waited until 2pm Sunday to fly to Boston, the Red Sox flew home after the game on Saturday and arrived home at 7am...David Price's picked up the win in game 2 for his first major league W...Rocco Baldelli is expected to be the right fielder with Willy Aybar at DH. If Joe Maddon feels Rocco can't handle outfield duties tonight, he will DH with Fernando Perez in right...The chances of the Rays winning the ALCS are now 45.4%...It is the quiet ones that always scare us. On the field before the game chatting with Stuart Sternberg and Andrew Friedman without issue. But then Matt Silverman joined us, the triumvirate was complete, and the situation suddenly became intimidating. Of course we shouldn't be surprised with this Rays team that the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• No promises, but we are going to try and get a "Pepper" post up this afternoon specifically for games 3, 4 and 5. We are also hoping to do another for the final 2 games back at the Trop (assuming the Rays don't sweep the 3 in Boston). We will also have a "Live Blog-A-Baloo (Lite)" for tonight's game 3.
  
• Remember that Evan Longoria interview from last week that was so strange the first time we read it that we thought it was satire? Well, Evan Longoria has issued an apology, but only to Spanish speaking press because English speaking press don't care. [Shysterball]
• With Matt Garza pitching tonight and Andy Sonnanstine ready to go in game 4, Joe Maddon could shuffle the rotation for games 5 and 6 with Scott Kazmir going in game 5 on normal rest and James Shields being held back to throw in game 6 at the Trop. [St. Pete Times]
  
• We didn't think any writers would be silly enough to start with the Cinderella cliches after the game 1 loss. It was only 1 loss right? Hadn't the Rays twice recently lost a game 1 to the Red Sox only to come back and win games 2 and 3? Certainly nobody would be idiotic enough to start predicting imminent doom. But then we remembered that the world still has people like Bill Madden writing about baseball. [New York Daily News]
  
• We know there are a lot of unwritten rules in baseball, but we had no idea that it is "unprofessional" to have the "Ray Team" working the crowd during the game while standing on the dugouts. At least that is the sentiment of Kevin Youkilis...Seriously? Maybe we should change his nickname to "The Greek God of Wearing Panties"...Just shut up and play. (Thanks JJ) [NY Post]
  
• Dan Wheeler thinks he will be ready to go in game 3 if needed, despite throwing 3.1 innings in game 2. Joe Maddon wants to wait to see how Wheeler feels today. [MLB]
• Raymond and Wall E. Monster chat it up in "The Dugout". [Fanhouse]
  
• Fire Brand of the American League takes a look at who should be starting in center field for the Sox. [Fire Brand of the American League]
• Transcript from yesterday's press conference with Joe Maddon and Jim Hickey. [Providence Journal]
• Gary Shelton says game 2 was par for the course for the Rays. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Marc Topkin takes a look at how the Rays won game 2. Our favorite quote comes from Fernando Perez on tagging up from third on a shallow fly ball to win the game: "I wanted to go no matter what. When you see an owner holding a very dangerous dog back, that's kind of how I felt with [third base coach] Foley there." [St. Pete Times]
  
• Dennis Maffezzoli takes a look at the challenges of playing the Monster at Fenway Park. [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
  
• Since when did Jon Lester suddenly morph into Sandy Koufax? According to one blog, Lester is a "sure bet" in game 3. [Josh Q. Public]
• Josh Beckett insists that he is OK. [Boston Globe]
  
• Big League Stew has the final numbers from game 2. [Big League Stew]
• Prior to game 2, Joe Maddon told Evan Longoria to be more selective. [Rays Report]
  
• The Serious Tip has some images from his trip to game 1. [The Serious Tip]
• Big League Stew thinks it was a mistake for Joe Maddon to give the Rays green lights on 3-0 counts in game 1. [Big League Stew]
• Since Joe Maddon took over the Rays, only three teams have swung and put a 3-0 pitch in play more than the Rays. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Joe Maddon said he felt that for the first time this season, the players were impacted by the pressure during game 1. [Rays Report]
  
• Just because there are no state lines between St. Pete and Miami doesn't mean there is any correlation between what has happened with attendance for the Marlins and what will happen with attendance with the Rays. By that thinking, one should be able to predict the attendance of Brewers games based on Cubs games, seeing as how the distance from Milwaukee to Chicago is half the distance from St. Pete to Miami. [MVN Outsider]
  
• If you were about to be interviewed after an LCS game by a reporter about the game, what would you say? We can't imagine "I sat in gum" would be high on many people's lists. [Red Sox Monster]
• Big League Stew examines the tale of the tape for the GMs of the Rays and Red Sox. [Big League Stew]
  
• A look at how the Rays prospects are performing in the Arizona Fall League. [Tampa Bay Rays Prospects]
• Demond Jennings, who missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, is now listed on the AFL roster. [Tampa Bay Rays Prospects]
  

Click on above images to be taken to full standings, boxscores or schedule...

THE GOOD: Evan Longoria. There has been some recent talk that his extended stint on the DL would cost Dirtbag the Rookie of the Year award. 3 home runs last night. What about now? That's what we thought.

THE BAD: Joe Maddon. With 1 out and men on first and second in the 9th with the score tied Maddon brought Trever Miller in to face the lefty Jason Kubel. Ron Gardenhire countered by pitch-hitting with the righty-hitting Adam Everett. Maddon has 86 pitchers in the bullpen now, so it would have been fine to go back to the bullpen and bring in a righty. Instead Papa Joe leaves Miller in to face the righty, the same pitcher that has a .642/.800 OPS split against lefties and righties. For all the good moves this season, the one move he continues to make that leaves us dumbfounded is having Miller face righties. Earlier this season there were situations, because of injuries, where it was necesaary. But with the expanded roster, it should never happen [Ed. note: Prof suffered a brain-fart this morning. A pitcher must face at least one batter when brought into a game as noted in the comments. As the commenter notes, that does not change the point that Miller should not have been brought in to the game anyway if it is just one lefty batter in a bunting situation]... Bizarro Bullpen. There is a problem when the two relievers that we have the least amount of confidence in are the two guys that the Rays depend on to close out games. If the Rays continue to go to Dan Wheeler and Troy Percival in the 8th and 9th inning, we will see more games like last night.

THE TELLING: As we suspected, Troy Percival was eased back into live action, as he was called upon to work the 8th inning last night. With his recent back and leg problems, Joe Maddon wants to make sure Percy is ready to dominate before handing him the closing duties. Percival does say that his back feels better than it has all season.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Apparently there is still a scenario under which the Rays could clinch a playoff spot tonight. According to Marc Lancaster, if the Rays win AND the White Sox, Blue Jays and Yankees all lose, the Rays clinch at least a wild card. We can only guess that this has something to do with head-to-head matchups among those teams. We will take Lancaster's word for it, as just typing that sentence hurt our brain. [Rays Report]
• A situation we have speculated on since Spring Training could come to fruition in the next few days. We have long thought BJ Upton would make a great right fielder with his strong arm as long as Fernando Perez was in center. With Upton's legs still not 100% we might see that exact lineup as early as Saturday or Sunday according to Joe Maddon. [MLB]
  
• Brittany Ghiroli reports that Carl Crawford will not be back during the regular season, as he is still a ways away from even being able to swing a bat. If he plays in the first round of the playoffs, he will be limited to pinch-running and late-inning defensive substitution roles. [MLB]
• The second starter in Tuesday's double-header in Baltimore looks to either be Mitch Talbot or David Price. The availability of Price will depend on whether Joe Maddon needs King David out of the bullpen in the next couple of days. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Shawn Riggans was officially placed on the DL and it now appears that he is done for the season...Although there is no official word, the backup catcher in the playoffs will likely be Michel Hernandez who had 5 career games under his belt prior to September. [Rays Report]
• "Little-name trade"? Seriously Scott Miller? Anybody that thinks the Matt Garza-Jason Bartlett-Delmon Young trade was a trade of "little names" is somebody that does not follow baseball. Young was a former #1 overall pick. Garza was the Twins top prospect. Bartlett's glove was not a mystery among baseball fans. This was a blockbuster, and anything but a "little name trade". [CBS Sportsline]
  
• The guys at one of our favorite new blogs, Joe Bucs Fan are worried that the Bucs will start playing second fiddle to the Rays. [Joe Bucs Fan]
• Speaking of the Bucs...We are not sure what bothers us more...the fact that Jerramy "King of Turds" Stevens has now been activated or that some day when Stevens is facing a felony charge, the press will refer to Stevens as "Former Bucs Tight End". Seriously. Is this creep going to be the difference between being a playoff team and being home for the holidays? Is the reputation of the entire franchise worth the risk? If the Rays ever signed a nutcase like Stevens we would become a Red Sox blogger in about 0.4 seconds. [Joe Bucs Fan]
  
• Al Reyes was released by the Mets without making an appearance for the ballclub. [New York Post]
  
• Former Rays Delmon Young and Brendan Harris commented on the Rays success. [MLB]
  
• Jayson Stark says it was the Rays that "played as if it had been there, done this pennant-race stuff a thousand times. And it was the Red Sox who did the mumbling, the stumbling and the fumbling." [ESPN]
• Chad Finn of the Boston Globe updates his list of "those subpar, non-descript and just plain lousy ballplayers who have tormented the Sox in recent years." The latest incarnation of the list includes several Rays. [Boston Globe]
  
• DRays Bay shows one benefit of having Andy Sonnanstine in the rotation. He faced the Red Sox twice in a week and the Red Sox basically saw two different pitchers...Although one problem we have run into in the past with Sonnanstine's Pitchf/x data, is that he throws so many different pitches from different arm angles, that it is difficult to classify exactly which pitch he is throwing sometimes. [DRays Bay]
• The Serious Tip shows that there are indeed Rays fans at the Trop and attempts to classify them. [The Serious Tip]
• Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. [San Diego Union-Tribune]
  

THE GOOD: Andy Sonnanstine was the hard-luck loser, shutting out the M's for 7 innings before allowing a run in the 8th. At one point he retired 17-straight batters, a team record...Rays batters that led-off an inning were on base 4 times in a row at one point.

THE BAD: Dan Wheeler. After throwing 3 straight fastballs, Wheeler tried to sneak a 1-2 slider past a red-hot Raul Ibanez. Ibanez had 7 home runs in the 21 games prior to last night. Throwing a slider there is lose-lose for Wheeler. Ibanez is a lefty, pull-hitter with an open stance. Even if the slider bites and is down-and-in, it will be right in Ibanez' power-zone. For those familiar with Ted Williams' "The Science of Hitting", that is where the red balls would be for Ibanez and he would likely fire that down the right-field line for a double. And if the slider hangs as it did last night? Well, we like to call those 400-foot strikes. Game over...Despite the success of the batters leading off innings, only 1 of those runners scored and the team was 0-8 with runners in scoring position and grounded into 2 double-plays. The biggest blow was the 9th inning with the score tied 1-1 and Evan Longoria on 3rd with only 1 out. Cliff Floyd and Dioner Navarro struck out to end the threat.

THE TELLING: The Rays magic number to make the playoffs is 44.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• If you missed our announcement yesterday afternoon, the Rays traded a PTBNL for Chad Bradford, a submarine pitcher from the O's...And soon, we will all learn the answer to the age-old question: Does Chad Bradford get rug burns on his knuckles when he pitches on artificial turf? Also, some of you may remember Bradford from the book "Moneyball", by Michael Lewis. Bradford was one of the players featured in that book. [Rays Index]
  
• Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Padres tried to move Brian Giles through waivers in order to trade him to the Rays. The Red Sox blocked the move by putting in a claim on Giles and now the Sox and Padres are working on a trade to send Giles to Boston. [Fox Sports]
• Evan Longoria, who was hit on the wrist with a pitch, had X-Rays return negative. He says he is "OK". [The Heater]
• Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald breaks down the race in the AL East with a detailed look at each team. [Boston Herald]
  
• A Red Sox blog breaks down the remaining schedule for the Sox and the Rays and predicts the Rays to win the division by one game. [Fire Brand of the American League]
  

THE GOOD: Akinori Iwamura's defense. We can't stop praising how seamlessly he has moved to his new position. If he does not win the gold glove, it would be a bigger injustice than Evan Longoria not winning the rookie of the year. Last night, the Rays turned 2 double-plays in the first two innings. Most teams would have only been able to get the lead out. Not with Aki. Aki's turns at second base are as quick as anybody we have ever seen and he always has zip on his throws to first. Those double-plays probably saved Matt Garza at least 1, and maybe more, runs. It also got Garza out of the first two innings with 14 pitches total.

THE BAD: Matt Garza. The Garza Complex, who seemed to have turned his season around, walked 4 and did not strike a batter out. A pitcher with Garza's stuff, should be able to strike out at least 3 batters in 5 innings based on chance alone. His 4 walks matched his season-high and was the first time he had more than 2 since May 23.

THE TELLING: Can we stop with the "struggles versus lefties" nonsense. This team is in an offensive funk, no matter who is on the mound...Jason Bartlett returned to the lineup and went 3-3.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Jayson Stark says the Rays are telling other teams that David Price, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson are not available at any price...He also says that their first choice is to use David Price or Rocco Baldelli, rather than trade for a rental. [ESPN]
• Joe Maddon continues to bat BJ Upton in the 2-hole to break-up the lefties in the lineup and offer them a bit of protection against left-handed relievers. [MLB]
  
• Joe Maddon was very hesitant but did acknowledge that Rocco Baldelli could be the right-handed bat the Rays need. [St. Pete Times]

"You don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves," Maddon said. "It's possible, but I don't know when. He's still going through this process. I don't want to say we're going to hang our hat on that quite yet. But it's possible."...Maddon said it was important that Baldelli felt good the day after, but also that he felt good about it in a conversation with head trainer Ron Porterfield..."He spoke really well, he spoke in a very encouraging, positive way," Maddon said. "It was the kind of script we haven't heard, so it's good."

• Just curious...does anybody find "The Sports Comedian" at Fox Sports funny? Anybody? [Fox Sports]
  
• The Rays are back on top of Bugs and Cranks "Top 30". [Bugs and Cranks]
• First he brought us an interview with Reid Brignac, now we have one with Dan Wheeler. This guy at the New York Daily News will interview anybody. [New York Daily News]
  

THE GOOD: Another running grab by Carl Crawford in left. This is why he will win a gold glove despite having one of the worst outfield arms...Jonny Gomes home run was very Jose Canseco-esque. A LOT of Canseco's home runs were all muscle. A lot of times he would get a decent fastball on the inside part of the plate, a pitch that would jam a lot of batters and Canseco would just muscle it over the wall without even getting his arms extended. That's what Gomes' home run reminded us of. Was not a typical sweet home run swing...The backhand stab and hard throw by Jason Bartlett in 5th for 2nd out. Came in on the ball and showed a strong arm to just get runner...Matt Garza battled back for a huge strikeout to end the 5th. After walking Brian Roberts with 2 outs, fell behind Melvin Mora 3-0 before battling back to make count full. Mora fouled one 3-2 pitch off, and then Garza got him swinging on a slider off the plate after 6 straight fastballs. That at bat saved the game for the Rays.

THE BAD: Aknori Iwamura looks awful. He is just flailing and hoping at this point...Anytime Aubrey Friggin' Huff gets a hit and then Matt Garza giving up 2-out runs on the 2-run home run. Those are daggers...BJ Upton's shoulder injury is not serious but it scares us a little. That is the second time he has done that with the Rays and apparently it has happened several other times in his past. There is something about the swing (maybe the follow-through) that is causing this to happen. And while it has yet to be serious, it seems to us that it is only a matter of time...The token blonde "sideline reporter" for MASN was reporting from Boog's BBQ, named after former Oriole Boog Powell. Well, let's just say the token blonde needs to work on her annunciation of "Boog's" or at least she should refrain from using the opening line "Everybody loves Boog's". And lest you think it is just where my mind was, even Mrs. Professor peaked up from her Shape Magazine when she heard it and asked "Did she just say 'Everybody loves boobs'?"

THE TELLING: Rays third straight series win. Just keep winning series...Dan Wheeler had another 2 inning stint (28 pitches). Probably will not be available tonight...Jason Bartlett is not the fastest guy in the world but he is a very good baseruner. He is 4-5 in steals this season and 42-51 in his career...Kevin Millar looks like an idiot with that eye black/Ultimate Warrior face paint...The Rays are all alone in first place, percentage points ahead of the Sawx.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• BJ Upton will be out of the lineup tonight, but could be back Saturday. [Rays Report]
  
• Everybody is writing about the Tampa Bay Rays and for once they are not cracking jokes. First up a feature story in the Boston Herald. [Boston Herald]
• And another one in the New York Times, with the title "Young Rays Give Yanks a Model to Envy". Burried near the bottom of the article is a note about some t-shirts some of the players are wearing in the clubhouse that alludes to a belief that the Rays are thinking playoffs. [New York Times]

Before the season, Maddon gave the players blue T-shirts with “9=8” in yellow on the back. Although Maddon would not reveal the message’s meaning, Longoria offered hints. Longoria said there were various components to the message, but, in part, the nine refers to playing hard for nine innings and the eight to the number of playoff berths.

• Troy Percival says the winning is being handled well by the younger Rays. [Tampa Tribune]

"The guys are handling this with a lot of composure, because we know it's early," said Percival..."We know we'll probably hit a slide here and there. As long as we just keep playing consistently and playing hard, I think the guys' attitude is going to help us out."

• The Sporting News suggests that Troy Percival is responsible for the winning attitude in the clubhouse. [The Sporting News]
• Bill Chastain writes about Jonny Gomes who is making a case to play everyday. [MLB]
  

THE GOOD: With McScrappy on third base and two outs in the first, Jason Hammel got Vernon Wells to strike out to end the inning and avoid early trouble...Lots 'o goodies in Rays Rally in 6th inning with the Rays down 3-0. Opposite field lead-off double by Dioner Navarro, followed by another slap-hit to the right side by Jason Bartlett with Navi on second base. Carl Crawford had an RBI single one out later. BJ Upton walks on 4 pitches to load the bases. After a Carlos Pena strikeout, Evan Longoria goes opposite field with a great swing to tie game at 3. Pitch was in on his hands. Dirtbag kept his hands in and ahead of the barrel of the bat. Not easy. Eric Hinske followed with a one-handed wrister and just flipped the ball into right field for a 4-3 lead...Nice 5-4-3 to end the 7th with a great scoop by Carlos Pena...The bullpen was fantastic once again. 2 scoreless innings from Dan Wheeler and 3 scoreless overall...We guess we should file under "good" keeping Roy Halladay in the game in the 8th inning, down 4-3. He only had 96 pitches entering the inning, but had thrown 34 in the 6th inning alone. A Carl Crawford triple followed by a BJ Upton sac fly and the Rays had a huge bonus run to make it 5-3.

THE BAD: Jason Hammel versus Roy Halladay. Turned out OK last night, but that does not mean we will be too excited to see the same matchup in the future...Asshole Jays' TV announcer: "Jason Hammel has worked 20 innings this year and allowed only 1 home run." About 0.4 seconds later a ball off the bat of Matt Stairs is flying over the right field wall. In the bottom half of the same inning: "Well [Evan] Longoria has some pop in his bat. He showed it last night." About 0.2 seconds later Dirtbag grounds into a 5-4-3 double play...Jason Hammel walked 2 batters in the second with only one out. He got out of it...Joe Inglett stole second and third in 5th. Counts against Dioner Navarro in the stat sheet, but that is all Jason Hammel's fault. Anytime a runner steals third, it is almost always on the pitcher...Joe Maddon got lucky in the 8th inning. We wondered if maybe Trever Miller would get the 8th inning with Dan Wheeler coming on in the 7th inning. Seemed smart with Matt Stairs due up in 8th and already with 2 home runs. Instead, Papa Joe stuck with Wheeler in the 8th inning and Stairs just missed a home run to the opposite field that would have tied the game...The Jays broadcast network runs these idiotic 10 second commercials smack dad in the middle of innings. So fucking annoying. Your first reaction is, "What the hell happened? That was only the first out!" We cannot emphasize enough how annoying this is. It completely interrupts the flow of the game for the viewer.

THE TELLING: Dan Wheeler worked 2 innings last night and is probably not available to work tonight...Troy Percival might not be available either. He has worked the last two nights and his fastball was clearly not sharp last night touching only 88 on the gun after hitting 92-94 the night before. Joe Maddon may have to be careful how often he uses Percy on back-to-back nights in the future. We have no idea who Maddon would use in the 9th inning tonight. Trever Miller? Maybe Papa Joe is counting on another complete game from Andy Sonnanstine...Joe Maddon got caught with his pants down in the 7th inning. Not anticipating the Rays to take the lead in the bottom of the 6th, Dan Wheeler was not ready to go at the start of the 7th. Jason Hammel had to go out to the mound and pretend to be staying in the game while Wheeler got in a few more warmup pitches...Carlos Pena was back at first base...Only two teams in baseball are batting better than .300 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the Los Angeles Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays...Noticed on Carl Crawford's triple that he is running the bases batter this year. Crawford has mentioned in previous seasons that he hates "rounding" bases. He prefers to run straight to a base and make very sharp turns. He always felt that rounding bases was a waste of steps. Last night, CC took rounded approaches at first and second base. Looks like Dave Martinez finally got into CC's head when others could not...The Rays are now in 4th place and have won 2 in a row for the third time this season. They are yet to win 3 in a row.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Wow. We predicted that Dan Johnson's stay in a Rays uniform would be short, but we didn't think it would be this short. To make room for the newly acquired Gabe Gross, the Rays DFA'd Johnson. To recap: Johnson's career with the Rays included one game, zero plate appearances. [The Heater]
• Joe Maddon has finally come to the realization that back-to-back-to-back lefties in the lineup is not necessarily a good thing and has recently altered the lineup accordingly. [MLB]
• Sorry, this one missed the "Down on the Farm" feature, but for our Y-Chromosome deficient readers, you might be happy to know that Wade Davis has made the list of hottest prospects at Ladies... [Ladies...]
  
• Rays Digest wonders if the Rays are stretching too far by reaching out to potential fans in Orlando. Their biggest piece of evidence is the empty seats from Tuesday night's game...It should be noted that the Rays were going head-to-head with an Orlando Magic playoff game. It is difficult to gauge exactly how much the impact is, but they probably should have waited to see how attendance was in game 2, which was up about 700 over game 1. While there were still empty seats last night, this is a town that is mad for the Magic right now. [Rays Digest]
• No surprise here...there appears to be a disagreement over how much parking would be available for Rays games at the proposed waterfront stadium. The Rays say plenty. The city of St. Pete says "don't count your parking spaces before they hatch" or something like that. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Apparently a Canadian likes to stereotype people from Orlando and calls the Rays stupid for trying to expand their fanbase. [The Heater]
• Shawn Riggans and JP Howell read to some Orlando-area school kids. A truly noble effort, but let's hope it went better than the Shawn Camp-Ruddy Lugo incident last year. [MLB]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (1-0)

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays (Off Day).

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• The Rays signed Dan Wheeler to a 3-year extension. The deal will pay Wheeler $9.5 million over the next three years with a 4th year team option that is worth $4 million with a $1 million buyout. With the deal, Wheeler actually takes a slight pay cut for 2008. Prior to the season Wheeler avoided arbitration when he agreed to a 1-year, $2.875 million. With the new deal, he will earn $2.8 million for 2008. Wheeler would have been a free agent at the end of the year and likely would have been traded prior to July 31 had an extension not been signed...In other news, the Rays picked up the first of two options on Carl Crawford's options. This one is for the 2009 season and will pay CC $8.25 million. The Rays also declined Rocco Baldelli's 2009 option for $6 million, instead, paying the $4 million buyout. The buyout is to be payed out, half this November, and half next November. [The Heater]
• Outs Per Swing hit the nail on the head with the Dan Wheeler extension. The rate may seem a little steep on the surface, but at some point in the next three years, Wheeler will likely be the Rays closer and if that happens, the price tag will be a bargain. [Outs Per Swing]
• Rays of Light says the Dan Wheeler signing is another sign that the team is committed to winning even if this deal is not as sexy as some others.Of a more immediate concern, they suggest that this increases the chances that Al Reyes is dealt prior to the trading deadline. Reyes is a free agent-to-be. [Rays of Light]
  
• Andrew Friedman says that once Rocco Baldelli's health situation is addressed, the team will make every effort to keep Rocco in a Rays' uniform. Baldelli says that he is encouraged after recent visits to doctors. [St. Pete Times]

Baldelli said he "hadn't given any thought" to his contract situation as he focuses on his health, and he said after recent visits to several specialists: "We are seeing progress as far as a more specific type of diagnosis and I'm encouraged by that."

• Sure sounds like even Dan Shanoff is jumping on the Rays bandwagon. [Sporting News]

Tampa is not only 1-0 as the "Rays"; they seem as legit as all of the preseason hype suggested they were ...

• DRays Bay calls Andrew Friedman the opening day MVP. [DRays Bay]
• Matt Garza is anxious to make his Rays' debut tonight. [MLB]

Tampa Bay Rays (5 days until Opening Day)

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 10, Jays 0.

The Good: Rays pitchers combined on a shutout without walking a batter and striking out 8. Jason Hammel was limited to 4 innings in the game so that the relievers could catch up on their work (Hammel continued to work in bullpen after his 4 innings), but was very effective. He did not allow a run and gave up only 3 hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out 2...Five relievers, that will all be on the opening day roster, combined for 5 shutout innings, with only 2 hits and no walks with 6 strikeouts...Another errorless game...Jonny Gomes was 3-4 with his 4th home run of the spring...Eric Hinske had a double and a RBI.

The Bad: Guess we could put Cliff Floyd here for going 0-3 and lowering his spring average to just north of the Mendoza Line (.205), but that is a stretch as spring numbers don't mean much, but they mean even less for veterans.

The Telling: Elliot Johnson started at short and played the first 8 innings. Right off the bat in the first he successfully turned a double play and later handled a ground ball cleanly. Johnson needed to show he could handle short if he is going to be a utility player off the bench while Ben Zobrist is on the DL.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Obligatory Public Service Announcement: We will be hosting the 2nd Annual Opening Day Tampa Bay Rays Live Blog here at RI. So feel free to stop by and join in on the shenanigans as participation is certainly welcome.
  
• In case you missed it late yesterday, we have a poll going to gauge the reaction of RAYSHEADS to the demotion of Evan Longoria and see what you think the Rays should have done. [Rays Index]
• Several Rays are not happy about the demotion of Evan Longoria including Jonny Gomes...They must not have asked Willy Aybar and Joel Guzman their thoughts. [St. Pete Times]
  

If I say I commit to winning, he's on my team for sure. I think everybody wearing a Tampa Bay hat and uniform wants that guy here. I don't think it's a good day on the players' end and for everybody in a uniform.

• Joe Maddon is taking a very a conservative approach with Scott Kazmir. Kid K will play catch the next few days and may throw from a mound some time next week. And yes, he was officially placed on the DL. [The Heater]
• Gary Shelton shows that the Rays will improve in 2008 and the biggest reason is the bullpen, especially considering the Rays in essence traded Shawn Camp, Ruddy Lugo and Brian Stokes for Troy Percival, Dan Wheeler and Trever Miller. [St. Pete Times]
  
• This is the extreme example of the uninformed bashing that some people are tossing at the Rays since the Evan Longoria demotion...And for the record, the Rays do not have the worst winning percentage in baseball history. There are 20 franchises in history with lower winning percentages. [Mike Responts]
  
• Drays Bay found a stat that shows that Dioner Navarro is one of the better catchers in baseball at blocking pitches in the dirt and preventing runs. [DRays Bay]
• Most previews should have this title. At least this blog is honest enough to admit it, and that earns points in our book. [The Ballclub]
• Willy Aybar is trying to put his troubled past behind and is relishing his fresh start. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Brian Anderson, who attempted a comeback from Tommy John surgery this spring with the Rays, has accepted a position with the team in which he will assist pitching coach Jim Hickey and the front office with scouting. [Rays Report]

Tampa Bay Rays (10 days until Opening Day)

Night game tonight. No BJ Upton or Akinori Iwamura until Sunday. Andy Sonnanstine gets the start. A solid outing would probably secure his spot in the rotation if there is still any doubt. Evan Longoria will start at third base. If the Rays have decided already to send The Dirtbag to the minors, they will wait until Willy Aybar is ready to play again before making an announcement.

Rays-Yanks: Upton, Aki likely back Sunday [The Heater]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Buster Olney compares BJ Upton's apparoach at the plate to that of Derek Jeter. However, he does note that Upton should hit for more power and post better OBPs. [ESPN]
  
• It sure sounds like Andy Sonnanstine and JP Howell have both already made the roster. No surprise that Howell is headed to the 'pen, but Hickey's comments on Sonnanstine as an ideal relief pitcher is a little surprising. [Tampa Tribune]

According to Hickey, it's rare that either reports soreness in his arm the day after starting, neither takes particularly long to get warmed up, and both can be relied upon to come in and throw strikes even if they haven't pitched in a few days..."You kind of target those guys," Hickey said. "You don't just take anybody and say 'This guy's capable of being a relief pitcher.'"

• Outs Per Swing breaks down the Final Four for the Rays' rotation, predicting Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine and Jason Hammel to fill out the empty slots. [Outs Per Swing]
  
• Troy Percival is not the only pitcher that has accepted the role of mentor in the Rays' clubhouse. Dan Wheeler and Trever Miller have both used their experience to help the younglings on the Rays' pitching staff. [St. Pete Times]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (10 days until Opening Day)

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 4, Indians 4.

The Good: Dioner Navarro continues his hot spring, going 2-2 with a double, home run and a walk. He is now 11-28 (.393) on the spring with 2 doubles, 2 home runs and a OPS. Elliot Johnson and Reid Brignac Durham's likely double-play tandem successfully turned a pair of twin-killings.

The Bad: Jason Hammel wasn't terrible, but he really needed a strong showing to get his name back in consideration for the rotation. In 4.1 innings, he gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, 2 walks and a hit batter...Same can be said for Jeff Niemann. He was a little better, but his 4 innings of 1-run ball came against the B-teamers and he did walk 2 and give up 5 hits while striking out only 1.

The Telling: Jonny Gomes played 5 innings in center field as Joe Maddon continues to look fir a suitable backup...Joel Guzman got the start at third base. With Willy Aybar nursing a sore hamstring, Guzman stands to be the backup third baseman if Evan Longoria is demoted. A start at third suggests that Maddon wants to get Guzman some work at the hot corner in preparation for the regular season. It was not a case of giving Longoria a day off as he came in and played the second half of the game.


DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Yesterday, the brilliant, highly esteemed, good-lookin', greatest writer in the universe, Rob Neyer of ESPN.com wrote a piece focusing on our "Dirtbag-O-Meter". Neyer argues that the Rays should use the money they could potentially save by having Evan Longoria begin the season in the minors and buy some goodwill with the fans by keeping The Dirtbag in the majors. [ESPN]

Two opinions: 1. Management wants Longoria to open the season in the minors, if only because it might save the franchise a few million bucks down the line. and 2. Management really, really wishes Longoria wasn't doing quite so well this month.

• Both BJ Upton and Akinori Iwamura had to be removed from yesterday's game due to injury. Neither injury appears serious. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Rays of Light thinks the Rays have no choice now but to keep Evan Longoria on the roster for opening day. Considering the recent comments by Carl Crawford they correct conclude that it is a tricky situation the team has created telling the players they want to win, but then send the team's best spring performer down to the minors. [Rays of Light]
• If Evan Longoria is reassigned to minor league camp, he won't be the only top prospect in baseball that will have to wait a little longer. The Reds' outfielder Jay Bruce, Baseball America's top-rated prospect (Longoria was #2) will start the season at AAA. [Baseball America]
• The Ledger says "Jason Hammel appears likely to start the season in the Rays' pitching rotation unless the decision is his to make." We are going to have to agree with Hammel on this one when he says " "Honestly, there's other guys who have thrown better than me." We know Hammel is out of options, but Niemann deserves the shot before Hammel. At least in the case of Jackson, he has shown that he can be dominant. Hammel has never shown that. [The Ledger]
  
• David Chalk argues that the Yankees level of failure in the 21st Century exceeds that of every other team, including the Devil Rays. He actually makes a pretty convincing argument. In essence Tampa Bay has met expectations. The same cannot be said of the Evil Empire. [Bugs & Cranks]
• Not only has Wade Townsend healthy for the first time in years, but he enters 2008 with more velocity than ever on his fastball. [Tampa Bay Rays]

"My velocity and the curveball are the best they have been," he said. "It's just a matter of going out there and transforming that into performances this year, and hopefully I'll start as high as I can go."

• Baseball Crank published their 2008 AL East projection and have the Rays finishing 4th with only 71 wins. While the 88 wins projected by PECOTA seems a little high, this number seems a little low. We are also skeptical of a projection that gives the Yankees 101 wins and the Red Sox only 88. [Baseball Crank]
  
• Brittany Ghiroli points out that Gary Glover, Dan Wheeler and Trever Miller have all been able to work on consecutive days recently in an effort to get them ready for the regular season. Joe Maddon also notes that he is trying to get Miller more work against lefties in the spring, a scenario that is difficult with so many pitchers needing work. [Tampa Bay Rays]

"We want to get those guys some innings. Plus, when you are able to stretch these guys out over here [at Al Lang Field], that's less time on this side of things," Maddon said. "Sending guys over there just to get some work and match them up is ideal for us...You just don't want the first time they're going back-to-back to be at the beginning of the regular season," Hickey said.

• So far Joe Maddon likes what he has seen from Akinori Iwamura at second base and notes that there is already a strong chemistry between he and Jason Bartlett. [Tampa Bay Rays]

"Any time you go from this side to that side, the runner is coming in at your back," Maddon said. "[But] I see him staying in there really well on the double play. I see him throwing really hard and accurately to first."...Maddon added that Iwamura has been equally as sharp on the mental side of playing second, noting he has been in the right place every time on bunts, cutoffs and relays. Maddon also likes the chemistry that has developed between Iwamura and shortstop Jason Bartlett...."[Bartlett] has really helped the transition for Aki by just the way he is, his personality and his character. He's embraced having Aki there. You see it all the time. They're together constantly, and I watch the conversation. They're really cut from the same cloth emotionally. They are both confident young men -- and because of that, they have both hit it off."

• Outs Per Swing takes a look at some of the players that may end up on waivers for the Rays to pick up as a fourth outfielder. [Outs Per Swing]
• Beyond the Boxscore takes a look at how much of Carl Crawford's game is owed to his speed and tries to predict what type of player Crawford would be if he had average speed. [Beyond the Boxscore]
• Bleacher Report names the best players to play each position for the Rays in their first ten seasons. [Bleacher Report]
• Stacy Long projects where some of the Rays top prospects will begin the season. [Riverwalk Talk]