DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Joe Magrane is leaving the Rays TV booth and will join the new MLB Network. [The Heater]
• The Rays have raised ticket prices for the 2009 season. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Bobby Fenton of 1010 Sports pointed out that all the changes to ticket and parking prices (ie. day of game surcharge) are designed to increase the number of season ticket holders. He also feels that many Bay Area fans are more likely to walk up day of the game and wonders if the day of game surcharge might backfire. [The Free Stretch]
  
• UmpBump is running an offseason series looking at what every team needs. They have now published the Rays' needs. [UmpBump]
• In the upcoming "Bill James Handbook", James ranks the top 25 young major leaguers under the age of 29. Evan Longoria is #17. Only Longoria and Felix Hernandez (#15) are under the age of 23...Also, the Rays are ranked third in terms of young talent on the major league roster, behind only the Twins and D-Backs. Of course, this does not include David Price. [Baseball Analysts]
  
• In the same piece, we see that in the upcoming "Bill James Handbook", one formula ranks Dioner Navarro as the worst baserunner in baseball. In the formula a baserunner, among other things, gets 1 point for a stolen base and -2 points for a caught stealing. Navi was 0-4 on the year. How many of those do you think were straight steals as opposed to missed hit-and-runs?...On a side note it really should be -3 points for a caught stealing. It has been shown that stealing bases only has a positive effect on the offense if successful about 75% of the time. Anything less and it costs the team runs. [Baseball Analysts]
• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks doesn't care if Dioner Navarro is a bad baserunner. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Baseball Happenings thinks baseball can work in the Bay Area. [Baseball Happenings]
• Examiner takes a closer look at prospect JT Hall. [Examiner]
  

Back in early August, the Rays added Chad Bradford from the Orioles for a Player To Be Named Later (PTBNL). It is two months later and the Rays have yet to send a player to the O's to complete the deal. A couple of weeks ago, O's GM Andy MacPhail was asked about the trade.

MacPhail also said the player to be named in the Chad Bradford deal will be announced between the end of the World Series and the start of the winter meetings. That's quite a gap. But it's hardly worth pacing the floor over..."I've done everything I can when asked to downgrade expectations," he said, adding there won't be any immediate benefits to the acquisition.

The winter meetings are to be held December 8-11.

Often in trades involving a PTBNL, the receiving team (in this case the O's) is given a list of several players to choose from. This gives the receiving team a chance to scout the players on the list and decide which player they prefer.

With the seasons completed, this suggests that the Orioles are scouting one or more players in the Arizona Fall League. The AFL schedule ends on November 22, two weeks prior to the winter meetings. Rays prospects participating in the AFL include Rhyne Hughes, JT Hall, Matt Spring, Chris Mason, Ryan Reid, Wade Townsend, Mike Wlodarczyk and Desmond Jennings.

We have been unable to confirm, but there is some sentiment that if the teams cannot agree on a player, the Rays will send a predetermined amount of "cash considerations" to the O's in order to complete the deal. There may also be a six month time limit on the deal.

MacPhail snippets [MASN]

Durham 6, Louisville 2. Ben Hendrickson won his 10th game, striking out 7 in 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk...Dan Johnson was 2-4 with 2 doubles and a walk...John Jaso finished 1-4 with a walk and an RBI...Jonny Gomes was 0-5 with a strike out.

Tennessee 1, Montgomery 0. Mike Prochaska allowed only 1 run in 8 innings on 7 hits and no walks. He struck out 3.

Daytona @ Vero Beach (gm 1; ppd rain).
Daytona @ Vero Beach (gm 2; ppd rain). The D-Rays have now had their last 6 games postponed or cancelled due to rain or a wet field.

Columbus 2, Charleston 0 (gm 1). Jesse Darcy pitched a 2-hit shutout improving to 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA. He did not strike out a batter and did not issue a walk...Maiko Loyola finished 2-3.

Columbus @ Charleston (gm 2; ppd rain)

Hudson Valley 10, Oneonta 1.

Princeton 7, Johnson City 0. Tim Beckham did not play.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• 5 of the Rays 6 Arizona Fall League participants will be from the Montgomery roster including James Houser, Ryan Reid, Rhyne Hughes, JT Hall and Matt Spring. Houser was originally scheduled to participate last fall, but was unable due to his on-going suspension. No word yet on who the 6th member will be, although it will likely be a pitcher. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  
• The Bulls' magic number to clinch the South Division is now 4 with 10 games remaining on the schedule. [Durham Bulls]
• The Biscuits now trail Mississippi by 3.5 games with 10 to play. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  

Durham 9, Norfolk 5. Chris Mason was pulled with 2 outs in the 5th after giving up 5 runs. He struck out 5 and walked 1...Reid Brignac was 1-2 with 2 walks...Dan Johnson was 3-5 with a double and 2 home runs. He drove in 3 and now has 11 home runs...Fernando Perez was 3-5 with his 2nd home run and he stole 2 bases. He now has 22 steals.

Mississippi 9, Montgomery 8 (11). Jino Gonzalez started and went 4 innings giving up 1 run...Ryan Reid gave up 2 runs and picked up the loss as his control betrayed him for the first time this season. In the final 4 outs of the game, Reid walked 3 gave up 1 hit and struck out 2...Sergio Pedroza and Rhyne Hughes homered for the Biscuits and Ronnie Merrill was 2-4 with a walk and 2 RBI.

Vero Beach 5, St. Lucie 3. David Price made his 6th and final start for Vero Beach cruising through the first 6 innings, before giving up his second and third run in the 7th inning and having to be pulled with only 1 out. He struck out 7 and walked 2. He had retired 11 in a row before back-to-back walks in the 7th that were followed by a 2-run double...Desmond Jennings was 0-4.

Charleston @ Columbus (ppd).

Staten Island 9, Hudson Valley 1.

Princeton 7, Bluefield 2.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• David Price has been promoted to double-A Montgomery and is scheduled to make his debut with the Biscuits on Thursday. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  
• Reid Brignac shows up on this weeks "Not Hot" list on Baseball America's "Prospect Hot Sheet". [Baseball America]
• FSL All-Star JT Hall, has been promoted to double-A Montgomery. [Biscuits Batter]
  

Durham 4, Buffalo 3. Ben Hendrickson improved to 5-4, holding Buffalo to 3 runs in 6.2 innings...Scott Dohmann struck out 5 in 2 perfect innings for the save...Dan Johnson was 3-4 with an RBI to improve his average to .292...Chris Richard's 3-run home run, his 11th, gave the Bulls the lead for good in the 5th inning...Reid Brignac and Joel Guzman combined to go 0-7 with 3 strike outs. Brignac walked once.

Montgomery 9, Mobile 7. James Houser cruised through the first 5 innings, allowing only 2 singles, until the defense let him down in the 6th when 3 hits and 2 errors led to 5 runs...Ryan Reid struck out 2 in the 9th for his 2nd save...Gabriel Martinez was 2-5 and hit his 10th home run...Chris Nowak was 3-4, scoring 3 times.

West 9, East 3 (FSL ALL-Star game). Four members of the Vero Beach D-Rays started for the East squad, including starting pitcher Ryan Morse, who gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in 1 inning of work...Heath Rollins also pitched 1 inning, giving up 3 hits and 1 run...Cesar Suarez, a third baseman, started at short, JT Hall was the DH and Garrett Groce started in right field. The three went a combined 0-10. Suarez drove in a run with a ground out...Jeremy Hellickson likely would have started but was held out with a blister on his throwing hand.

Columbus v Rome (ppd.)

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• JT Hall won the FSL All-Star game home run derby. [TCPalm]
  

Rochester 1, Durham 0. After his first bad start with the Bulls in his last outing, Jeremy Cummings rebounded nicely, throwing 4 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 4...Juan Salas gave up only his 2nd run in his last 18 innings. He worked 2 innings, striking out 2...The Bulls had only 2 hits, one from Chris Richard and one from Mike DiFelice, both singles...Fernando Perez stole his 18th base.

Montgomery 1, Mobile 0 (13). Wade Davis threw 7 shutout innings, striking out 4, giving up only 4 singles and a walk...In the 13 inning, the Biscuits took advantage of a throwing error on a sac bunt to move a runner to third. After an intentional walk, Montgomery scored the winning run when Chris Nowak grounded to the third baseman who tried to force Rashad Eldridge at home. The catcher dropped the throw to end the game...John Jaso was 2-4 with a walk.

Vero Beach (All-Star break)

Columbus 7, Rome 6. Jeremy Hall was roughed up for 5 runs in 3 innings...Glenn Gibson pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief...Reid Fronkhad 2 doubles and a 3-run home run in 4 at bats.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Biscuits manager Billy Gardner said that last night's performance by Wade Davis was his best with Montgomery. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  
• We now know where Burt Reynolds will make his Rays debut. The Princeton Rays announced their roster. [Bluefield Daily Telegraph]
  
• No Rays are on this weeks Baseball America "Prospect Hot Sheet". However, Heath Rollins is on the list of guys that just missed. [Baseball America]
• Vero Beach's JT Hall will participate in today's FSL All-Star game home run derby. [MiLB]
  

Tennessee 6, Montgomery 2. Erold Andrus was 2-4 and hit his 10th double and 1st home run since being promoted from Vero Beach. Reid Brignac was 0-4, and Fernando Perez was 2-4.

Clearwater 9, Vero Beach 8. Sergio Pedroza was 4-4 and hit his 18th home run. It was his third straight game with a home run and he is 8-10 over that span, with 3 doubles, 3 home runs and 10 RBI. He is 17-36 (.472) with 5 home runs and 5 doubles and a triple in the last 10 games.

Columbus 6, Lexington 4. This year's 2nd round pick, Will Kline, had his longest outing yet as a pro, striking out 3 in 4 innings. He gave up 1 run in 4 hits and a walk. Ryan Royster hit his 19th home run.

Staten Island 5, Hudson Valley 4. Alex Cobb, the Rays 4th round pick last year made his 10th start of the season, allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. He has a 3.18 ERA on the season.

Danville 7, Princeton 6 (10 innings). After scoring 3 in the top of the 10th to break the 3-3 tie, Danville came back with 4 in the bottom half of the frame for the victory. Two errors did in the P-Rays in the bottom of the 10th with the final run being scored on a 1-out single. Another 2006 draftee, Jeremy Hall, struck out 8 in 6 scoreless innings.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• The Durham Bulls had a scheduled off day yesterday.
  
• Dale Thayer was named the Southern League's pitcher of the week. During the week he picked up 1 win and 3 saves. [Stacy Long's Riverwalk Talk]
  
• Jed Lockett takes a look at Tyree Hayes, the son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes. Being around the game his entire life made his career choice somewhat inevitable, but his path to becoming a pitcher did not develop until much later. [Bluefield Daily Telegraph]
• With the promotion of Rhyne Hughes to AA, JT Hall has been working at first base, a position that he is familiar with. [TCPalm]
  
• The P-Rays have made an effort this season to visit as man of the local little leagues as possible. [Princeton Rays]