[Update: 11:58pm] Marc Topkin confirms.

[11:30pm] Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free-Press is now reporting that the deal reported earlier, in which the Rays would send Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for Matt Joyce has now been finalized.

Joyce, 24, is a left-handed hitting outfielder that hit .252/.339/.492 with 12 home runs in 92 games for the Tigers in 2008. He also hit .270/.352/.550 with 13 home runs in 56 games at triple-A.

Moving Jackson assures that Andy Sonnanstine will be in the rotation next season and clears a spot for David Price, although Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Jason Hammel could also get a shot in April if Price is deemed not ready.

And with that, the Edwin Jackson era in Tampa Bay has ended. Some people like to play video games. Some people like to read books. Edwin Jackson liked to impersonate Bob Gibson for four innings and then the Hindenburg for one.

Tigers trade for Tampa Bay pitcher Edwin Jackson [Detroit Free-Press]

[Update: 8:24pm] The White Sox put away the Tigers 8-2. The Rays post-season opponent will now be determined tomorrow at 7:30 ET in a 1-game playoff.

[Update: 7:26pm] Gary Glover's first pitch was a grand slam for Chicago. About right. 6-2 White Sox.

[Update: 7:24pm] White Sox have tied the game at 2-2 and Detroit just brought in Gary Glover with the bases loaded, which should just about a guarantee a White Sox win and a 1-game playoff tomorrow with the Twins.

[Update: 6:08pm] Game announcers just said the Twins are in Minneapolis with a charter ready to bring them to Chicago.

The White Sox and Tigers are currently in the 4th inning with the White Sox leading 1-0. A Chicago win will force a 1-game playoff tomorrow at home against the Twins...Interesting question: Are the Twins in Chicago today? Today's game was delayed by rain for 3 hours. Would the Twins wait until after the game to travel? Can't imagine they would fly in tomorrow morning.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Carl Crawford went 0-4 in 5 plate appearances during an Instructional League game today. He reported no pain and indicated he was playing at 100%. Crawford also says his hamstrings "feel good", no doubt benefiting from the time off. [Rays Report]
  
• Reid Brignac is healthy and playing in the Fall Instructional League. Andrew Friedman said he would not hesitate to put Brignac on the postseason roster should an injury necessitate the addition of a middle infielder...Marc Lancaster also reports that Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Juan Salas have been told they will not be on the postseason roster. [Rays Report]
• Ben Zobrist was named co-player of the week. He is the 4th Ray to win the award this season. [Rays Report]
  
• Outs Per Swing has a nice list of the Rays' top 10 pitching performances this season. A testament to this year's squad, all 5 of the Rays' starters make the list at least once. However, 7 of the outings came via Matt Garza (4) or James Shields (3) with the other 3 starters each appearing once. Our only argument might come with #1. We probably would have gone with Garza's 1-hit, 10-K performance against the Marlins (#2 on the list). That was the most dominating performance we have ever seen by a Rays' pitcher. Still, 1-hit shutout by Shields is hard to argue against. [Outs Per Swing]
  
• Sorry we missed this one yesterday...Baseball Digest Daily spoke with Buster Olney of ESPN.com during their weekly podcast. Among the topics covered were the Rays. You can catch the Rays segment at about the 35 min mark. [Baseball Digest Daily]
• The Angels "Ain't S#!t" compared to the Rays. [Bugs and Cranks]
• The first pitches for games 1 and 2 will be thrown out by senior VP John Higgins, the Rays' first-ever employee and Paul Azinger, the captain of the recent US Ryder Cup team, and Bradenton resident. [The Heater]

[UPDATE: 11:32] The Red Sox beat the Indians, but the Rays overcame a first inning that saw the O's score 5 runs before an out, to get the win. With the victory, the Rays magic number to win the division is now 1. The Angels are currently losing in the 5th inning, 4-2. An Angels loss and the Rays be 1 game behind for the best record in the AL. The Rays won the season-series with the Angels 6-3.

As we get closer to the playoffs, the links are going to start coming fast and furious...On certain days we will provide a late afternoon "Happy Hour" to try and keep the pace...

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Marc Lancaster has a quote from Terry Francona that suggests the Red Sox will concede the division. [Rays Report]
• Carl Crawford is now ceding that he probably will not be ready for the first round of the playoffs...If there was any doubt, this should solidify Fernando Perez' spot on the roster for the ALDS. [Rays Report]
  
• Curious as to who will throw out the first pitch in the Rays home playoff games? Well, it won't be any former members of the organization according to Matt Silverman. "MLB asked us who it'd be. We realized nobody in the history of the franchise had done anything to be worthy of the honor."...Ouch. The truth hurts. [Washington Post]
• Deadspin suggests Victor Zambrano. [Deadspin]
• Outs Per Swing has an exhaustive list of candidates. [Outs Per Swing]
  
• Bugs and Cranks offers 5 suggestions...We like the idea of Mr. T. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Jason Bartlett should hire Brittany Ghiroli as his publicist. Ghiroli breaks down exactly how valuable Bartlett has been to the Rays and she does it much better than we did. [MLB]
  
• MLB Trade Rumors breaks down all of playoff teams/contenders to see which teams have benefited the most from their own first-round picks. The Rays come in 4th behind the Mets, Brewers and Phillies. [MLB Trade Rumors]
  
• Tampa Bay Rays Prospects has compiled a nice list of the organization's top strikeout-to-walk ratios from this past season. The top two players are from the Venezuelan and Dominican Summer Leagues which is even below rookie league, so don't put too much weight in those numbers. The truly impressive numbers are from Jeremy Hellickson (8.1 at high-A and AA), Heath Rollins (4.2 at high-A and AA) and Mitch Talbot (4.0 at AAA). [Tampa Bay Rays Prospects]
• Joe Bucs Fan is not happy with Stu Sternberg for leaving the tarps on the upper deck for the first two rounds of the playoffs...For the record, MLB has final say in the World Series. If the Rays make it that far, MLB has already told the Rays to have the tarp removed. [Joe Bucs Fan]
  

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

THE GOOD: Even though the lead in the East is down to 1.5, the Rays are still very much in the driver's seat. The lead in the loss column is 2 and the Rays hold the tie-breaker. In order for the Rays to lose the division, they need to lose 3 more games than the Red Sox this week and their last 3 games are at home against the Yankees. In other words, if the Rays go 4-4, the Red Sox have to go 6-1. And don't think the Yankees won't enjoy playing spoiler against the Sox...The odds of the Rays winning the Division according to Baseball Prospectus is now 72.3%...The Yankees Tragic number is 1.

THE BAD: We sure hope the Rays don't lose the division by 1 game as the Rays just gave away a game yesterday. We thought the afternoon clinching game on Saturday would help a little. Let the Rays celebrate for a few hours and they could still get a decent night's sleep prior to getaway day. After all, there is still a division to win with only a week to play. Every game is important. But apparently they went too far as the team played as if they were hungover yesterday, managing only 5 hits and committing 2 errors. And keep in mind the difference between winning the division and being the Wild Card. The Wild Card team starts on the road and likely has to beat both the Angels and the Red Sox without home field advatage in order to get to the World Series. Also, the Rays finish the season this week with 8 games in 7 days on the road. If they are the Wild Card, they will come home next Sunday and have to fly out to Anaheim the next morning...The Red Sox magic number to clinch at least a wild card is 1.

THE TELLING: The Rays finished the regular season with an attendance of 1,811,986, second only to the inaugural season in 1998 (2.5 million). Over the course of the season the Rays had 8 sellouts (including Sunday), matching the total number of sellouts from the first 10 years.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Oops. We all know the Tampa Tribune is in bed with the Yankees and barely knew the Rays existed prior to this season. But if Joe Henderson is going to write a piece on how the success of the team starts with Andrew Friedman, then they probably should make sure that the picture running with the story is actually of Friedman, and not Matt Silverman (that is Silverman on the left in the photo, not Friedman). [Update: The picture has since been removed. Here is the picture] [Tampa Tribune]
  
• We are going to try and get in a Live Blog-A-Baloo for David Price's first major league start tonight. No promises as the calendar is pretty full. But by 7:00 we will probably need a drink or 10 anyhow. So be sure to check back. [Rays Index Live Blog-A-Baloo Of The Week]
• Et tu, Chalk? Yes! David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks goes Mohawk, with video! We love that he does this while decked out in Devil Rays gear at a Supercuts. [Bugs and Cranks]
• David Price will make his first major league start on today in Baltimore and Mitch Talbot will make his first start tomorrow in the second game of the double-header. Matt Garza will be skipped in the rotation this time through to give his arm some extra rest. He will next pitch on Saturday. [Rays Report]
• Troy Percival will not be available tonight or tomorrow after receiving another shot for his back. [St. Pete Times]
  
• David Price hopes tonight's start will convince the Rays to include him on the postseason roster. [Lakeland Ledger]
  
• Covering All The Bases isn't ready to sing the Rays praises just yet, saying that "enough is enough." Then again, she might just be taking out her frustration of losing Nomah to Mia. [Covering the Bases]
• The Big Lead, after poo-pooing the Rays all season, has finally decided that they will "officially exclude [himself] from the people that continue to doubt this team." [The Big Lead]
• Joe Torre sent Joe Maddon a fax congratulating him on "winning a tough division." [Tampa Tribune]
• The Sports Frappe gives their "Sports Douche of the Week" award to Tampa Bay Rays fans, slamming their lack of support, saying: "Their soft fans showed their excitement for this year's Cinderella season by attending in lackluster numbers, somewhere around 13,000 per game."...Of course the Rays actually drew more 22,000 per game. But hey, who wants to be bothered by actual facts. The only thing Douchy about that post is the background color on the The Sports Frappe. [The Sports Frappe]
  

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]
  

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

THE GOOD: The Rays still lead the Red Sox by 1 game in the loss column and the Twins by 8 games in the loss column...That translates to a 99.9% chance of making the playoffs.

THE BAD: Do people not understand that the Rays still lead the Sox by 1 in the loss column and the Twins by 8 in the loss column for the Wild Card? They must not, or we would not see headlines with the words "Collapse", or references to the Rays' season as "Gloomy", or as "striking midnight". THERE ARE ONLY 14 GAMES REMAINING! And the Twins only have 12 left. If the Twins go 12-0, the Rays still only need to finish 5-9 to force a 1-game playoff. That is because the Twins and the White Sox play each other 3 times. So even if the Twins win all three, the White Sox will have at least 69 losses (they have 60 now). 5-9 GUARANTEES AT LEAST A 1-GAME PLAYOFF.

THE TELLING: After walking the first two batters on 8 pitches Scott Kazmir gave up his first home run to a left-handed batter since 2007. Game Over.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• BJ Upton still does not know when he will be able to return noting that when he suffered the same injury last season he was out 36 days even though he thought it would only be 5. [Tampa Tribune]
• Carl Crawford still is not close to being able to swing a bat but says his surgically repaired finger is progressing well and he hopes to be back in two weeks." [Bradenton Herald]
• Gary Shelton says Scott Kazmir sure didn't look like an Ace last night. [St. Pete Times]
• One of our commenters from the Blog-A-Baloo last night (Scot), was quoted today in the Providence Journal. [Providence Journal]
  
• Her Rays tries to divert our attention from the car wreck that is the Rays, with a picture...She is cute. [Her Rays]
  
• Jeff Niemann and Mitch Talbot will only be used if the Rays are beset by unforeseen circumstances, such as a starter getting knocked out early due to incompetency or injury. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Brittany Ghiroli reports that the Rays are still maintaining a loose atmosphere despite the recent struggles. [MLB]
• Jayson Stark says the Rays played "like a team that looked exhausted" and feels that not winning the division would be a "gigantic letdown" let down for the Rays. [ESPN]
  
• Stuart Sternberg is confident that attendance will pick up in 2009 noting that season ticket sales will help fill the park next coming off the winning season and business partnerships will increase during the off-season. [MLB]
• Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald wonders if Rays' payoff games should be moved to "a place where fans actually care about the product." [Boston Herald]
  
• We previously heard that Cliff Floyd was contemplating retirement after the season. Now he sounds like he has already decided to come back next season. [SI.com]

Only a few months ago, Floyd was sure that he was going to retire. Now he wants to return as a Ray. "I'm going to play,'' Floyd said. "I don't think you can break this unit up.''

• Outs Per Swing breaks down how everybody has performed since the all-star break...The are some surprising numbers. [Outs Per Swing]
  

THE GOOD: James Shields. It had been a while since we had seen Shields paint one of his Shieldsian Masterpieces. When Shields is on his game as he was yesterday, it is like watching a young Greg Maddux. The Greg Maddux that actually threw fastballs in the low 90s and would work 8 innings. It really is a thing of beauty. 8 innings, 6 strikeouts, no walks. In only 1 inning (6th) did a runner even reach second base. We call him "James the Greater". But maybe "Bulldog" is more appropriate.

THE BAD: In the nightcap, Ben Zobrist put the Rays in a position to win with his second career grand slam and then put the Rays in a position to lose with his 7th error of the season. Instead of an inning-ending double play, Zobrist threw an easy toss to second into right field, leading to 2 runs...The Rays had at least 2 runners on base in each of the first 3 innings and failed to score...Prior to Ben Zobrist's grand slam, the Rays were 0-8 with runners in scoring position (if you count Fernando Perez' "sacrifice" in the 2nd when he was trying to bunt for a basehit)...After Ben Zobrist's grand slam with 1 out in the 4th, Yankees pitchers faced the minimum over the next 14 batters until Gabe Gross singled off of Mo Rivera to lead off the 9th...Matt Garza's control. He only walked 3 batters in 5 innings, but of his 83 pitches only 47 were strikes (57%).

THE TELLING: In the first game of the double-header, both Ben Zobrist and Fernando Perez, switch-hitters, batted right-handed against the righty Mike Mussina. Joe Maddon told both players they could start as long as they went along with the plan. Combined, they went 2-5 with a single and a double against Moose.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Our good friends at The Serious Tip, turn 2 today...Happy Birthday! [The Serious Tip]
• Because Joe Maddon switched Matt Garza and James Shields in the rotation on Friday and Saturday and because of the subsequent rainout on Friday, the Rays are without a starter for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox. That game would have been Garza's start and Papa Joe could still decide use Garza despite only 3 days rest. Garza only threw 83 pitches last night. Or Maddon could decide to use one of the trio of starters just called up from triple-A, David Price, Jeff Niemann or Mitch Talbot...This is where we would normally make an educated guess as to what Maddon will do. However this time we have no clue. We could make an argument for all 4. Our gut says Niemann. Thoughts? [St. Pete Times]
• Reason number 705 that we love Stuart Sternberg and why the Rays are lucky to work for him. [Tampa Tribune]

"I just want to be there with the Red Sox fans when they cheer Jeter on, and A-Rod, and their former Damon, and Giambi, and the whole crew. All the guys that they love all year long, year after year, as they sit there and root for them to get hits and strikeouts and all that good stuff. I'd love to share a bar seat with a couple of Sox fans as they root for the Yankees."

• Rays The Stakes wants to know why Troy Percival is still the Rays closer. [Rays The Stakes]
• John Romano thinks Francisco Rodriguez is a better comparison for David Price than Joba Chamberlain. [St. Pete Times]
  
• We saw in the nightcap that BJ Upton was sporting a fresh mohawk. And now we read that Evan Longoria went mohawk in between yesterday's games. Anybody have pictures? [St. Pete Times]
• Jose Molina took exception to being hit by James Shields in the 6th inning of the opener with the Rays up 7-0. Molina gave a long stare to Shields and then was called for interference when he went out of the baseline to try and kick Jason Bartlett, while sliding into second on a double play. [Rays Report]
  
• The Charleston Post and Courier interviewed Carl Crawford, in which he states a strong desire to have a grass ballpark for the Rays. [Charleston Post and Courier]
• If there is any doubt that a sports franchise can survive in the Bay Area, Forbes ranks the Tampa Bay Bucs as tied for the 6th most valuable team in football at $1.1 billion. [Forbes]
  

Last night's contest was rained out. The Rays and Yankees will play a day-night double-header with the first going at the originally scheduled 1:05 and the night-cap will be at 7:05...Boston beat the Jays last night 7-0, and will also play a double-header today...The Twins were rained out in Baltimore so the magic number remains 10.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• DRays Bay doesn't understand why all 29 Major League GMs, who are actually, you know, paid to make such decisions, passed on the opportunity to add a guy to their roster who had 103 strikeouts and only 19 walks in triple-A. A player that will be out of minor league options in '09. A player that has a career minor league OBP of .311. A player, who despite all of his "power potential" has only hit 20 home runs once in 7 minor league seasons...And when we *tried* to have an intelligent discussion on the matter in their comments section, the only responses were vile attacks on our website and on us personally. Having a conversation with them is like a Martian talking to a fungo. [Drays Bay]
  
• In case you missed it last night in the Twitter updates in the right-hand column or this morning in the "Down on the Farm" segment, David Price, Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Jonny Gomes will join the Rays today, now that Durham's season is over. Despite pitching on Tuesday, Price is available to pitch during today's double-header. Niemann last pitched on Wednesday, so we expect he will not be available today. All three, Price, Niemann and Talbot will work out of the bullpen for now. [Rays Report]
• Evan Longoria will return to the lineup in game 1 today. He will not start in game 2. BJ Upton is not expected to play today and Troy Percival is expected to be day-to-day for the rest of the season. [Tampa Tribune]
• John Romano wants to give Joe Maddon the benefit of the doubt, but if Maddon truly has the team's best interest at heart, then Romano thinks Troy Percival should not be closing any longer. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Take away the historical context and the $20 million players, and we fully agree, the Trop is better than Yankee Stadium. And unlike 99% of the people that badmouth the Trop, we have actually been to games in both stadiums. I would also say that the level of comfort and enjoyment of the Trop is better than Fenway where only people 5'2" can be comfortable and half the seats face the outfield wall, Shea Stadium which is a dump and new Commiskey, which is boring. We are sure there are others. [Bugs and Cranks]
• The Rays lost the coin-flip to decide who would host a matchup should a one-game playoff be needed to decide the AL East crown...To clarify, a one-game playoff will only be necessary if both the White Sox and Twins have better records than the Rays and the Red Sox. One-game playoffs are not used if both teams are guaranteed a playoff spot. In this case it is very likely that both the Rays and the Red Sox will be in the playoffs making this entire matter moot. [The Heater]
• The Florida Aquarium has given five new baby Rays some familiar names. [Tampa Bay's 10]
  

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 20, Durham 2 (Scranton/WB wins 3-1). Wade Davis gave up 8 runs (5 earned) in only 2 innings, as Scranton had innings of 5,5 and 8 runs...Phil Hughes struck out 12 Bulls in just 5 innings as the Yankees won the IL Governor's Cup Finals...Gaby Martinez hit his first triple-A home run for Durham.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Following the game, the Rays promoted last year's top pick David Price as well as Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Jonny Gomes. The only name that surprises us a bit is Talbot. You may recall that Talbot was acquired along with Ben Zobrist in the trade that sent Aubrey Huff to Houston. Talbot has been the Rays most consistent pitcher in triple-A all season. He has clearly earned the promotion, but we did not think Joe Maddon would have enough room in the locker room. Papa Joe has repeatedly stated that he did not want to many new bodies in the locker room at this time of year. However, with injuries the Rays have now promoted 10 players, about twice as many as expected. [Rays Report]
• This will be the final "Down on the Farm" segment of 2008. Any minor league news over the next few months will go in the daily "Hangover" posts...See you next Spring.
  

Scranton/WB 8, Durham 7 (Scranton leads 1-0). Scott Dohmann blew a 1-run lead in the bottom of the 9th, allowing the winning run on a 2-out single...David Price worked 6 innings, but left trailing 4-2. He gave up 3 runs in the first inning, with the big blow being a 2-run home run. Price cruised through the middle innings before giving up one more run in the 6th. He was pulled after 6, striking out 9 and walking just 1...Elliot Johnson drove in 2 with a double in the 3rd...The Bulls rallied to take the lead with 5 in the 7th. Rashad Eldridge who was added just prior to the game, drove home 2 in the inning with a double.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• In case you missed it late last night, David Price was named USA Today's Minor League Player of the Year...And with his season complete, if Price is going to be called up, it could happen as early as tonight. [Rays Index]
  
• If you missed it yesterday, Michel Hernandez and Dan Johnson were promoted to the Rays. Rashad Eldridge and Craig Albernaz were promoted from Montgomery to fill the roster spots. [Rays Index]
• Gaby Martinez will also join the Bulls but will not be activated unless needed. [Biscuits' Batter]
• Whomever wrote the press release for the above moves may have been a tad upset at the Rays. According to Stacy Long, the release original seemed to take a slight shot at the Rays for taking key members of the Bulls just prior to the Championship series. The press release was subsequently changed and now includes less vitriolic language. [Biscuits' Batter]

The Original Release: Hours before the first pitch of Game One of the Governors' Cup Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Rays have taken three of Durham's key position players.

• The Bulls have set their rotation for the Governor's Cup Finals. Mitch Talbot will go in game 2 and will be followed by Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis. Of an interesting note is the Yankees game 5 starter...Victor Zambrano. Great googly moogly. [Durham Bulls]
  

Charlotte 6, Durham 1. Ben Hendrickson struck out 8 and walked none, but gave up 3 runs in 6 innings for the loss...The Bulls managed only 6 hits, with the only run coming off a first inning, solo home run from Chris Richard...The Bulls finished the regular season 74-70, 8.5 games up in the IL South division. They will face Louisville in the first round of the Governor's Cup playoffs.

Jacksonville 7, Montgomery 6 (10). Mike Prochaska gave up 5 runs in 6.2 innings...Rhyne Hughes and Matt Spring homered for the Biscuits in the season finale...The Biscuits finished the second half 35-34, 8 games back, tied for second place in the Southern League's South division. Anybody else find it strange that the Southern League has a South Division and a North Division? No. Ok, nevermind.

Columbus 5, Rome 2. Jason Ragan picked up his 8th win in the Catfish' season finale. He gave up 2 runs in 5 innings on 5 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 6...Henry Wrigley had a 3-run home run.

Staten Island 6, Hudson Valley 3. Tim Beckham was 0-2 with 2 walks and a strike out.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• The Governor's Cup playoffs begin on Wednesday with David Price going in game 1 for the Bulls against the Red's triple-A affiliate, in Louisville. Price will be followed by Mitch Talbot on Thursday, Jeff Niemann at home on Friday and Wade Davis on Saturday in Durham. The Red's top prospect, Homer Bailey, will throw game 2. [Our Sports Central]
• Mike Prochaska mixed in some knuckleballs in the final start of his career. He is expected to retire following the season. [Biscuits' Batter]
  

Durham 4, Norfolk 0. Mitch Talbot pitched 7 shutout innings, striking out 5 and walking 1. He gave up 6 hits...Mike DiFelice drove in 3 runs, 2 came off his 3rd home run...Jonny Gomes was 0-4 with a strikeout.

Montgomery 5, Jacksonville 3 (10). Erold Andrus hit a 1-out, 3-run home run in the top of the 9th to send it to extra innings. In the 10th, Gaby Martinez drove in the go-ahead run with a single...Jeremy Hellickson struck out 10 and walked none in 7 innings. He gave up 3 runs, all in the 2nd inning. After those 3 runs, he retired 14 in a row and faced the minimum over the last 5+ innings he pitched.

Jupiter 2, Vero Beach 0. It is only the Florida State League, but Carlos Hernandez is looking solid so far in his attempts to get back to the big leagues. He has already been named the FSL pitcher of the week. And last night, in just his 4th start since signing with the Rays, he pitched 4.2 shutout innings. He struck out 3 and walked none, with 3 hits allowed...Darin Downs, who the Rays just recently acquired, struck out 7 in 3.1 innings of relief.

Lake Co. 6, Columbus 4. Jason Ragan allowed 1 run in 4 innings...Chase Fontaine finished 2-3 with a double, a walk and an RBI...Mike McCormick was 0-4.

Hudson Valley 8, Jamestown 7 (11).

Princeton 2, Bristol 1 (gm 1). Tim Beckham did not play in game 1 of the double-header.

Princeton 3, Bristol 0 (gm 2). Tim Beckham was 1-3 with a strikeout.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• With the victory, Mitch Talbot now has the dubious distinction of being the second-winningest pitcher in Durham Bulls history (as a triple-A franchise). The win was his 26th in triple-A. Certainly he hopes not to catch Mickey Callaway, who won 34 games for the Bulls. [Durham Bulls]
  
• SportsAgentBlog breaks down draft signings so far. [SportsAgentBlog]
  

Yesterday we presented our updated Trade Value Index (TVI). With a little over a week until next Thursday's trade deadline, rather than take a look at the players the Rays may target we will take a look at the players most likely to be sent packing should Andrew Friedman and Co. decide to pull the trigger on a deal.

Gerry Hunsicker, Rays' Senior VP for baseball operations and Friedman's guru, has made two of the best deadline deals in recent memory. In 2004, Hunsicker landed Carlos Beltran and 6 years earlier he traded for Randy Johnson. While the Astros failed to reach the World Series in either year, both Beltran and Johnson were key figures in Houston's playoff runs.

On the other hand Friedman sounds more like a guy that is willing to sit on the talent in place.

Keep in mind all of the "rumors" in the media recently are 99% speculation. They have a simple formula and the Rays always fit the formula. The media looks at a player and picks the teams still in contention that would view that player as an improvement. Then they decide which teams have the stronger farm system. The Rays will almost always satisfy both criteria.

The problem is the Rays are not like most ball clubs and are in the process of redefining success for small-market clubs. We feel that the Rays are more likely to follow the blueprint of the Angels who rarely make in-season deals and prefer to hold on to their homegrown talent.

That being said, there is still a chance the Rays will swing a deal for a mid-level player such as a middle reliever to add depth to a staff that has suffered a number of injuries. There is also a need for a right-handed hitting outfielder as the Rays have struggled against lefties this season and possibly a utility infielder that is an upgrade over Ben Zobrist and can serve as a backup shortstop.

So if a trade is made, which players are most likely to be used as bait...

Jason Hammel 3:2
Any deals involving pitchers will almost certainly involve Hammel to open a spot in either the bullpen or the rotation (with either Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine moving to the bullpen). Hammel can still bring the heat with a mid-90s fastball, but do any teams still think he can be a starter?

Jeff Niemann 2:1
While other teams will certainly ask for David Price, Wade Davis or Jeremy Hellickson, Niemann is the piece of value that the Rays would prefer to trade. While certainly Niemann's star shines less brightly these days, he is still young, and very big and he has a lot of upside.

Jonny Gomes 3:1
Like Hammel, any deal for a right-handed hitting outfielder will almost certainly involve Gomes going in the other direction. Nobody doubts Gomes' power or his intensity, and if given regular playing time, he could be a solid DH or outfielder for another team.

Fernando Perez 7:2
Perez has loads of talent but he still struggles with strikeouts. The Rays have no room in center with BJ Upton but could Perez play right field in '09 and be the Rays leadoff hitter? Or is he expendable? Like Niemann, Perez is one player we can see the Rays using as trade-bait.

Ben Zobrist 5:1
Whether as a utility infielder or a starting shortstop, Benny Boo Boo has proven that he can be a major leaguer. He will never be an all-star, but there are plenty of teams out there with worse options plaing short or second.

Mitch Talbot 5:1
Talbot would not be the key player in a trade, but he could be the arm that puts a deal over the top. He is a bit of a tweener. He has shown flashes of brilliance, like his performance in '06 SL playoffs, but he has been very up-and-down since moving to Durham. There is some upside and there does not seem to be a future for him with the Rays.

Dale Thayer 7:1
Thayer who seemed destined to be a career minor leaguer, has blossomed this season in Durham with a 1.43 ERA and 57Ks in 50.1 innings with only 17 walks. With Jeff Niemann and Juan Salas also in Durham as bullpen insurance, Thayer is certainly expendable. He is also Rule 5 eligible this winter, so now may be a good time to move him.

Eric Hinske 7:1
Hinske is a free agent at the end of the year, and with Gabe Gross and a healthy Cliff Floyd, Hinske is certainly expendable. But he has also been one of the Rays better hitters this season. Would the Rays risk moving an offensive contributor with the offense struggling a bit?

Juan Salas 8:1
If the Rays don't trade for a relief pitcher, Salas is probably the next guy up from Durham when somebody is needed. He has pitched well for Durham, with a 2.12 ERA and 38Ks in 34 innings with only 8 walks. Might somebody be enticed by the comparisons of Salas' cutter to Mariano Rivera's?

James Houser 8:1
Like Jeff Niemann, Houser is another name that the Rays will counter with when teams ask for one of the big pitching prospects. He is a tall lefty with some upside. Could be more tempting than a Mitch Talbot.

Justin Ruggiano 8:1
Ruggiano is similar to Mitch Talbot in that he is a bit of tweener. He posts good numbers in triple-A and could be serviceable as a 4th outfielder in the major leagues, but does he have a future with the Rays? Again, would not be the key player in a trade, but he could be the bat that puts a deal over the top.

Joel Guzman 10:1
Won't be 24 until November, and while he has a ton of power and a very good glove with plenty of positional flexibility, he still strikes out way too much (88 in 355 ABs this year) and his OBP is embarassing (.271). He will also be out of options in '09, so a move now or this winter may be necessary. Might somebody else be tempted by the talent?

Shawn Riggans 10:1
To us, this is the most intriguing name on the list. Riggans can hit. He still has plenty of room for improvement behind the plate and he is not that young (even for a catcher; 28 in a few days). The Rays also have Mike DiFeLice in Durham. DiFelice will be on the team in September no matter what happens, but would Maddon prefer DiFelice on a potential playoff roster? There is also John Jaso who was recently promoted to Durham and could make Riggans even more expendable.

Reid Brignac 10:1
Have the Rays soured a bit on Brignac? We can't see Brignac being traded, especially until Tim Beckham shows that he is a major leaguer-in-waiting. And there is also that open right field slot in '09. Could the Rays give Brignac a shot at RF in spring training? Still, no matter what the plans are, teams will ask for Brignac. Will the Rays bite?

Dan Johnson 12:1
Having a huge season since being demoted to Durham. Unfortunately, he has shown little or no power in the majors and has very little positional flexibility for a guy that is better suited for a bench role. Still, he has big league experience which a NL contender might value.

Al Reyes 15:1
A free agent at the end of the year, but has been struggling with injuries which make him more valuable to the Rays than to any suitor.

Chris Mason 15:1
Would anybody want him?

Gary Glover 20:1
Ditto

Grant Balfour 50:1
Another name that is very intriguing to us. If there is any inkling in the Rays front office that this recent run by Balfour is a fluke, then now is the time to trade the power righty and sell high. But everything we have seen indicates that Balfour is the real-deal and maybe he just needed to find some confidence which he has plenty of right now.

THE GOOD: The 7th inning. Gary Glover was ginormous in the 7th with a man on second with no outs and Manny Being Manny up in a 4-1 game. There is a very big difference psychologically, between a 3-run lead and a 4-run lead. After working the count full on Ramirez, Glover got Manny to fly out to Gomes in right. He then got Mike Lowell to pop up to Carlos Pena who had to reach over the dugout railing. After an intentional walk, Jason Varitek went down on 3 pitches setting up the bottom of the 7th...In the bottom of the 7th Jason Bartlett did what he needed to do leading off the inning. The biggest reason Bartlett bats 9th is so Joe Maddon has 2 "leadoff" hitters in front off the heart of the lineup. Bartlett hit a double to right and got the rally started. And then in a very risky move, Bartlett stole third after getting a walking jump off second. Akinori Iwamura then beat the pitcher to the bag on a ground ball to first to score the first run of the 7th, and the Rally was on. The first 6 batters of the inning reached base. The big blow was a bases loaded 2-run double by Evan Longoria, of course (is it too early to start MVP chants at the Trop?)...The Top of the 9th saw several close calls. A great running grab by BJ Upton facing the wall in center field. A line drive by Jason Varitek that went just foul and then Dioner Navarro throwing out the tying run trying to steal second base. One of the more bone-headed base running plays we have seen in a while.

THE BAD: The Rays just swept the Boston Red Sox and now lead the AL East by 3.5 games. We repeat the Rays lead the AL East by 3.5 games with the best record in baseball. We dare you to try and come up with something bad.

THE TELLING: The Rays magic number to clinch a spot for the playoffs is 73 (3.5 lead over BOS, who has a 2-game lead in the Wild Card over MIN)

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Mitch Talbot replaced Troy Percival on the roster when the closer went on the DL but Talbot is not expected to see much, in any playing time as he will be the Rays emergency relief pitcher. [Tampa Tribune]
• Since 1995, only one team had the best record in baseball on July 1 and failed to make the playoffs. That was the '06 Red Sox. [Sully Baseball]
  
• Outs Per Swing offers their take on the recent rumors of the Rays interest in Rockies' closer Brian Fuentes. [Outs Per Swing]
• Outs Per Swing also wonders if Freddy Garcia is a better option for the Rays than CC Sabathia. [Outs Per Swing]
• Earlier this week, we wrote that we thought Dioner Navarro was the Rays first-half MVP...Rays The Stakes counters with JP Howell. Their argument is solid, but we just can't bring ourselves to give out an MVP honor to a middle reliever. [Rays the Stakes]
  
• "10 reasons to hate the Red Sox"...We hate the Sox and their Pink Hat nation, but this article is a bit of a stretch as you can tell Tom Jones had a little trouble coming up with 10 reasons. In fact, the various stretches needed to be made actually had us defending the Sox as we read it and that is something we never want to do. [St. Pete Times]
• Newsday comes up with "Top 10 reasons the Rays are for real." [Newsday]
  
• David Ortiz says the Yankees are still the team to beat for the AL East title...That is fine by us and should be great news for the Rays players. We much prefer that the Rays keep flying under the radar. [Boston Herald]
  
• We love all the fans jumping on the Rays bandwagon, but this is one "fan" we are happy not to have. He is a Mets fan looking for a "secondary" team. He bashes the new surge in fans at the Trop and yet he is the one bailing on his team looking for a new team to root for. And of course he fails to realize that 90% of all fans become fans of teams when that team is good. We are willing to bet that this guy is in his mid- to late-20s meaning he was in his formative years when the Mets were the best team in the NL and the best team in NYC. It is Mets "fans" that actually booed Johan Santana on opening day in his first start for the Mets. And it was Mets "fans" that will regularly boo Carlos Delgado early in a game and then give him a standing ovation later in the game when he hits a home run. And then they wonder why he won't come out for a curtain call. We are so glad to not be in the NL East. Mets fans make Red Sox fans look classy and that is not an easy thing to do. [200 Miles From the Citi]
• It used to be the worst day of his life, but now Scott Kazmir calls his trade from the Mets "a blessing". [NY Daily News]
  

Durham 10, Richmond 2. For the 4th time in his last 7 starts, Mitch Talbot did not allow a run. This one may have been the most impressive with 7 shutout innings on only 2 hits and no walks. He struck out 7...Dan Johnson was 2-3 with his 9th home run...Elliot Johnson was 3-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI...Reid Brignac was 0-2 with 2 walks. Brignac has 8 walks in his last 9 games after only having 7 in his first 48 games.

Montgomery 6, Birmingham 3. Jake McGee picked up his 6th win, but did allow 3 runs in 6 innings, on 4 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 2...Ryan Reid continues his domination after his promotion to AA, with 2 perfect innings in relief with 3 strike outs.

Sarasota 12, Vero Beach 3. Ryna Morse gave up 5 runs (4 earned) in 4 innings...Desmond Jennings was 3-3 with a double and a walk.

Columbus 11, Rome 1. Brian Flores made only his 9th start, but made it a good one, throwing 7 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits and no walks...Henry Wrigley had 4 hits in 5 at bats and drove in 2...Quinn Stewart added 3 hits in 4 at bats and 2 RBI...Chase Fontaine was 2-3 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Jeremy Hellickson who pitched 5 perfect innings on Thursday was removed because of a blister. [St. Pete Times]
• You can find all of the Rays draft pics here. [MLB]
  

THE GOOD: Willy Aybar collected 3 of the Rays 8 hits while Jason Bartlett was 2-2...With 1 run in already in the 6th, the O's had 1st and 3rd with no outs. Andy Sonnanstine got out of the jam with a pop up to Aki Iwamura and then an inning-ending double play started by Willy Aybar who had a great night with the glove. The double play showed how quickly Aki has adapted to his new position as he was taking a throw from third rather short, so there was a different angle to the bag, he had to wait longer on the bag and made the necessary strong relay throw...The O's were rained out last night and will play a double-header today. While the Rays should be done with their day by 4:00, the O's won't even arrive in Tampa for another 12 hours.

THE BAD: The Rays 1-5 hitters were a combined 1-18. This just in. That's not good...Which led to the Rays 4th straight loss after starting the year 1-3...Justin Ruggiano in his first game since being recalled from Durham, misplayed a ball to right field that got over his head and instead of sprinting after the ball that should have already been in his glove, he decided to turn and look back and make sure everybody in the stadium new he lost the ball in the lights. If it wasn't so painful, it might have actually been funny. Like when somebody trips over a crack in the sidewalk and they immediately turn back to look at what could have possibly reached up and grabbed the foot...With the game still in reach in the 7th, the Rays got a leadoff double from Willy Aybar and he failed to score...The 3-run homer in the 8th was the lady-killer...0 stolen base attempts. Like a wise man once said, You can't steal first base, and the Rays could not get any of their speedsters on first.

THE TELLING: Yesterday there was some speculation that JP Howell could still get the open starters slot on Sunday with Matt Garza on the DL. Howell faced 9 batters last night indicating that he is not a candidate afterall...With Cliff Floyd now on the DL, Eric Hinske and Nathan Haynes will share the RF/DH duties against righties, while Jonny Gomes and Justin Ruggiano will get the starts against lefties.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Haha. Cliff Floyd to the DL. Alright. Knock it off guys. This isn't funny anymore...He is scheduled to have surgery for a torn meniscus in his knee and will be on the shelf for 4-6 weeks. [Fox Sports]
• Matt Garza is going to rest his arm for 2 weeks and then be reevlauated. If all goes well, he could be back in 4 weeks. [Tampa Tribune]
• With all the injuries, Brittany Ghiroli notes that the Rays are depending more on their veteran bullpen than they would prefer. [MLB]

"Going through a full season you're going to have a lot of injuries, especially in your starting rotation, you just deal with it," Percival said."Usually it doesn't happen this early in the season, but these guys have been around a long time [in the bullpen]," he said. "We just have got to suck it up until we get everybody healthy and they go out there and start going seven, eight innings at a time."

• Nice pick up by Outs Per Swing...MLB.com already has Jeff Niemann listed as the probable starter for Sunday's matchup with the Orioles. [Outs Per Swing]
• Marc Topkin relates an awkward story about the call-up of JK Ryu and Justin Ruggiano. Both were having dinner with Jeff Niemann and Mitch Talbot. Niemann could not have been happy that he did not call when a starting pitcher went down, even if it is just a temporary promotion. [St. Pete Times]
• In the Rays first 8 games, 5 different players have started in right field...The Rays have commmitted 7 errors in 8 games. None by infielders. [Bradenton Herald]
  
• On April 15, every member of the Tampa Bay Rays will wear #42. [MLB]
  
• There is yet another public hearing tonight on the proposed redevelopment of Tropicana Field and a new open-air stadium for the Rays along the St. Pete waterfront. [Suncoast News]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (38 days until Opening Day)
These links are starting to get out of hand. Is it just us or does it seem like the amount of Rays coverage has gone through the roof this Spring? We may have to make an executive decision to break up "The Hangover" into two posts. One in the morning and then one in the afternoon. We'll see....

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• David Price faced major league batters for the first time yesterday during batting practice. [St. Pete Times]

Price's command wasn't perfect, but his form - and his fastball, slider and changeup - was good enough to earn plaudits from Rays brass, which suddenly flocked from all corners of the Naimoli complex to gather on Field 2 as the tall left-hander took the mound and claimed he didn't notice the crowd.

"Perfectly fine," pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "Very impressive."

"He throws like (Francisco) Liriano up there," Bartlett said. "Obviously he doesn't have the changeup Liriano has just yet and the kid's young, but they've probably got Liriano in the future. The guy has to work hard and he'll be up there for a long time."

• Troy Percival has taken well to his new role of team leader, spending time everyday talking baseball with all his teamates. [Herald-Tribune]

With coffee cup in hand, Percival goes from table to table. It doesn't matter if it's a group of veterans or a bunch of non-roster players who have little to no chance of making the major-league team, Percival stops to chat.

"We talked about the cutter," said left-handed pitcher James Houser, a Sarasota High graduate. "The other day it was about the curveball. With me, it's been all about baseball."

"That's the guy you ask," Rays ace Scott Kazmir said. "Any question. I can't think of anything you wouldn't want to ask him."

• Willy Aybar, Joel Guzman and Juan Salas all remain in the Dominican Republic unable to obtain visas to come to Spring Training. The Rays have asked for assistance from Major League Baseball but are unsure when the situation may be resolved. [Tampa Tribune]
• Many of the Rays players and coaches are getting to know Matt Garza the pitcher for the first time. And Garza appears to be maturing as a pitcher, finally realizing that he does not need to strike out every batter. Something we can only hope that Scott Kazmir learns sooner, rather than later. [Bradenton Herald]

"I was a strikeout pitcher. I was always trying to strike out the side, which wasn't necessary because we had a good defense," Garza said. "But if I pitched to contact, I could pitch six or seven innings. I did that until I got up there, and I changed a little bit. I changed back to a strikeout pitcher."

• Last year BJ Upton spent much of Spring Training having to learn several new positions. This year, Upton is able to concentrate on one position and his hitting. [Tampa Tribune]

"It's definitely night and day from last spring," Upton said. "Back then, I wondered where I was going, but I fought through it."

• Carlos Pena is confident he can become an even more complete hitter, even if he does not hit as many home runs in 2008. [Fox Sports]
• John Romano notes that Jeff Niemann may just be following the same trend of all pitchers of his height (6'9") or taller. That is, late maturation. [St. Pete Times]

Future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson did not make it to the big leagues until he was 25. The same is true for San Diego All-Star Chris Young. Niemann? He turns 25 in six days.

Admittedly, the sampling is small. Only eight pitchers as tall as the 6-9 Niemann have ever reached the majors. But among those eight, only one had more than a handful of appearances before age 25. And that one is Andrew Sisco, who turned 25 last month and has a 3-9 career record with a 5.18 ERA.

• Mitch Talbot feels that his emotions may be holding him back. Rays bullpen catcher Bobby Ramos a former major leaguer, has taken John Jaso under his wing. [Tampa Bay Rays]
  
• How young are the Rays? 18 of the Rays 40-man roster spent time in Durham in 2007. [Our Sports Central]
  
• The St. Pete City Council opened the floor to hear opinions from both sides on the debate for a new stadium for the Rays. Our favorite quote is from Caesar Civitella who waited over 5 hours to be heard. "When the Rays decided to move (their spring training) to Port Charlotte, they turned their back on the city of St. Petersburg,"... Huh, wha?!?! He waited over 5 hours to say that? Apparently 78 home games is not enough. Wow. At least nobody was killed. [Bradenton Herald]
  
• DRays Bay interviews Stuart Sternberg. [DRays Bay]
  
• The Tampa Bay Rays have increased the number of promotional giveaways and special theme nights for third consecutive year. In 2008, over half of the home dates (42) will feature some sort of promotion. [American Patriots]
• In 2007, the Rays lost 568 player-days and $1.9 million in salary to player injuries. Will Carroll also predicts some of the Rays' quotes from the upcoming FanFest. [Baseball Prospectus]
  
• This is a little stale as the ads have been running for a while now, but the the Tampa Bay Rays unveiled their marketing slogan for 2008. "We are one team" [St. Pete Times]
  
• This headline made us do a double-take. Link may be NSFW for some, I don't know. [Queer in the Cincy]