DRG here again to get you through the weekend...

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays.

• The Good: Scoring 13 runs in Yankee stadium in the first regular season game since the incidents in spring training. Like Prof keeps saying. If you want respect, you gotta punch the bully right in the mouth...The Bullpen was solid, even with the game out of reach. Three relievers combined for 3 hitless innings with only one walk...Carlos 'El Gato' Pena hit his second home run in 3 games. Anybody still think he will only hit 30 this year?...Cliff 'Dr. Huxtable' Floyd with his second also. After the game he sat Elliot Johnson on his knee and taught him some lessons picking on his sisters too much...Shawn Riggans came on after Dioner Navarro had to leave the game with an injury and delivered the knockout blow. A huge 3-run double to right-center.
  
• The Bad: Scoring 13 runs in Yankee stadium in the first of a 4-game series. The Yankees were undoubtedly embarrassed by their performance. Let's hope the Rays did not wake the sleeping giant...Carl Crawford grounded into a double-play. Still trying to figure that one out...
  
• The Telling: Eric Hinske made his first start at third base since July 22, 2006 over Elliot Johnson and of course poor Joel Guzman who of course is still in the minors 26 years after the Dodgers signed him as a 16-year old prospect...Jonny Gomes was originally penciled in to make his first start of the season in right field even with a right hander on the mound. Instead he served his 1-game suspension...Dioner Navarro was in the 6th spot of the lineup rather than his usual 8-hole. It appears as if Joe Maddon was ready to ride his hot bat before he was injured...With a 1:05 start today, it is unclear if Mike DiFelice will make it to the ballpark in time for the game. If he does he very well could get the start in a day game after a night game.
  

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Jonny Gomes had his suspension reduced from 2 games to 1 and he served it last night. Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan also had their suspensions reduced by one game. Cabrera served his suspension last night and today. Duncan will serve his 2-game suspension starting Sunday. [The Heater]
  
• Dioner Navarro has been placed on the 15-day DL and Mike DiFelice has been recalled from Durham to take his place on the roster. Navarro slipped entering the dugout and cut two fingers on his hand. He needed 12 stitches. [MLB]
  
• Sounds like a little luster has come off Ian Kennedy already which if you ask me is awesome because I am sick and tired of hearing from Yankees fans how great their pitching staff is this year. [New York Post]
• Edwin Jackson makes a huge start today in his career. Joe Maddon is hoping that Jackson can focus on every pitch and try not to rush when things start to unravel. [MLB]
  
• DRays Bay found some rather disturbing photos of BJ Upton. [DRays Bay]
  
• Brian Griese will throw out the first pitch at a Rays home game on April 18. Good thing for Griese, Shawn Riggans will not be moving or else the pitch would certainly be about 5 yards behind him. [Tampa Bay's 10]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (17 days until Opening Day)

With the Rays proposed stadium starting to feel like it could become a reality, we got to wondering when the new stadium might host a Major League All-Star game. The Rays are one of only three franchises that have never hosted the mid-summer classic, with the other two being the D-Back and the Marlins.

There have been 10 new stadiums opened in MLB since 1999. Of those stadiums, seven have already hosted an all-star game. Of the three new fields not to have hosted an all-star game yet, all three cities (Philly, San Diego, Cincinnati) have hosted the game in the last 20 years.

Including the Nats' new stadium this year and the Rays' new park in 2012, there are seven new stadiums scheduled to be opened in the next five years. The Yankees will host the game this year in the final year of Yankee Stadium so it will be a while for their new park. That leaves six parks that appear to be in line to host the all-star game.

According to the Biz of Baseball, the Angels will host in 2010, with the D-Backs following in 2011 and the Royals renovated stadium in 2012. Biz of Baseball is predicting the Mets new park to host in 2013. If this is true, 2014 will be the earliest the other five stadiums can host the game. 2026 seems like a logical year for the Nationals' which would coincide with the 250th birthday of our nation.

Therefore if the Rays do indeed land a new stadium along the St. Pete waterfront, we can most likely expect the Major League Baseball all-star game to come to St. Pete for the first time as early as 2014 and no later than 2017.

2008-2013: Here's the locations for the All-Star Game [Biz of Baseball]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Jonny Gomes, Shirley Duncan and Melky Cabrera were each suspended for their roles in the rest bench-clearing incident. Gomes was hit with a 2-game suspension, while Duncan and Cabrera will sit out the first three games of teh regular season. Cabrera's suspension comes as a surprise as he was not mentioned in any reports immediately after the incident. Word on the street is that Cabrera hit or punched Evan Longoria in the back of the head. [Fox Sports]
  
• Because of the recent bad blood between the Rays and the Yankees, Joe Maddon has altered the team's travel schedule. Maddon was originally schedule to attend the team's split-squad game on Saturday in Orlando, but will now go to Tampa where the rest of the squad is facing the Yankees. Jonny Gomes will no longer be part of the group going to Tampa. [Tampa Bay Rays]
  
• John Romanoof the St. Pete Times comes down pretty hard on Joe Girardi for being a hypocrite. [St. Pete Times]

The New York manager continues to tap dance his way around questions concerning Shelley Duncan's spikes-high slide into Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura...Girardi tried to avoid the topic after Wednesday's game, and then again 24 hours later. He said he still hasn't seen a replay, despite video on ESPN, numerous newspaper Web sites and several YouTube posts....What's disturbing here is that Girardi didn't feel the need to wait before criticizing Johnson and Rays manager Joe Maddon last week. Back then, he used words like "disheartening" and "scary" and "uncalled for."

• Rays of Light debates the merits of signing Kenny Lofton to replace Rocco Baldelli. [Rays of Light]
• Jayson Stark of ESPN.com looks at how Troy Percival went from semi-retired to signing a 2-year contract with the Rays and becoming their clubhouse leader and mentor to David Price. [ESPN]

...first, you need to understand that this isn't only a story about Troy Percival, the pitcher. This is just as much about Troy Percival, as unique a member of the human species as you'll ever run across in this life.

• St. Pete Times' writers look closer at a sponsorship agreement the Rays had with a local financier that went bankrupt. The Rays are now suing the group. [St. Pete Times]