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Online Surveys & Market Research

Just the links for now...the "Pepper" post for games 1 and 2 will be up in a little bit.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Ben Zobrist will get the start in RF tonight over Gabe Gross. [The Heater]
  
• Marc Topkin is reporting that the Rays' roster is official and it is the same as the ALCS. No Eric Hinske and no Shawn Riggans. [The Heater]
• The World Series preview is up at Deadspin. [Deadspin]
  
• "If you care about sports, you will root for the Rays when the World Series opens tonight". Dan Shanoff goes on to list a number of reasons why all fans outside of Philadelphia should be firmly behind the Rays. [The Sporting Blog]
• Wag Rankings breaks down the players' wives. (thanks Kevin) [Wag Rankings]
  
• Jayson Stark and Jim Caple debate who will win the World Series. Caple says Rays will sweep. [ESPN]
• Hugging Harold Reynolds peruses Craigslist looking at the ticket market for the World Series. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]
  
• Tyler Hissey interviews a Phillies writer about the team. [Scout.com]
  
• The Blue Workhorse has "23 Reasons to Root for the Rays". [The Blue Workhorse]
  
• Here is a breakdown of the World Series, position-by-position...We are not sure where they got Dioner Navarro's statline. Not even close. [SI.com]
• A new take on the old "Rays are bad for baseball" shtick. Rumors and Rants feels that the Rays are proving that equality in baseball is not necessary. [Rumors and Rants]
  
• The Phillies have lost a World Series to every team in the AL East, except the Rays. [The Big Lead]
• A World Series preview from Rays Digest. [Rays Digest]
  
• Jonny Gomes says the brawl with the Yankees in Spring Training set the tone for the season. [New York Daily News]
• Howard Bryant wonders if the Rays will be able to maintain the success if they win the World Series or if they will go the way of the Marlins after each of their titles. [ESPN]
• Philly Burbs breaks down each team's "intangibles". (thanks Chris) [Philly Burbs]
• A look at where several of the players on the field tonight were the last time the Phillies won the World Series. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]
  
• Stu Sternberg also runs a softball team in Rye, NY. [New York Times]
• A roundtable at Fanhouse discusses the World Series. They (mostly) like the Rays. [Fanhouse]
  
• The Hardball Times has a scouting report on Scott Kazmir. [The Hardball Times]
  

We wanna be sedated...

Lots o' Linkety Goodness, so let's get right to it.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• "Rays Index binging on caffeine" is back. This time we were asked by Deadspin "What the World Series means to us." [Deadspin]
  
• Game will mark the first time this season that the Phillies played a game on artificial turf. [Beerleaguer]
• Marc Topkin is reporting that the Rays will go with the same 25-man roster used in the ALCS. There is some speculation that Shawn Riggans and/or Eric Hinske could be added to the roster. Topkin says neither is likely. Also, as expected, Scott Kazmir will be the game 1 starter. [The Heater]
  
• Evan Longoria was named the AL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. [The Heater]
  
• Tim Welke will be the crew chief during the World Series. [MLB]
  
• An in depth statistical look at the World Series by Baseball Prospectus gives the edge to the Rays. (thanks Scot) [Baseball Prospectus]
  

For all of the detail above, I keep coming back to one point: the Rays are a much better baseball team than the Phillies are. The gap between the leagues is real, and when you adjust for it and other factors—as third-order wins do—you find that the Rays were actually ten games better than the Phillies this season. They’ve also beaten better teams to get to the Series. Compare the rosters, and while the Phillies have their share of frontline talent, perhaps even more than the Rays have, the Rays have almost no dead spots on the roster, and are much stronger towards the bottom of the lineup, the back of the rotation, the bullpen, and the bench...Three of the last four World Series have been AL sweeps. The presence of Hamels makes that result unlikely, but even he won’t be enough. Rays in six.

• A solid piece on ESPN.com looking at how the Rays were built for success. [ESPN]
  
• The Phillies are putting all their hopes on rubber duckies...OK, may be not all. [The Fightins]
• David Chalk makes a guest appearance at Walkoff Walk and in his usual unbiased manor, predicts a Rays win. [Walkoff Walk]
  
• Some tales of "wretchedness" from the Rays fanbase. [Deadspin]
  
• Big League Stew has a cool video of fans at Raymond James Stadium gathered around TVs watching the final inning of the ALCS game 7. [Big League Stew]
  
• A Rockies fan will be rooting for the Rays for selfish reasons...The odd thing is we used the exact same logic last season when we were rooting for the Rockies. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Yet another Red Sox blogger throws their support behind the Phillies...We wouldn't want it any other way. [Sully Baseball]
• In a classic example of "Like Team, Like Fan", one fan tries to run onto the field at Fenway and fails miserably (video). [Home Run Derby]
• Big League Stew ranks the Mohawks found in the Rays' clubhouse. [Big League Stew]
• Home Run Derby breaks down the Rays and Phillies cheer squads. [Home Run Derby]
• 31.5 reasons to watch the World Series...Our favorite is #31.5. [ESPN]
  

A few afternoon links to get you through the last hour...

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• [Let's try this again with an actual link] YES! They're baaaccckkkkkk on the bandwagon. [Mets Rays Geek]
• Joe Maddon would not answer directly but Troy Percival could be part of the ALCS roster, but Shawn Riggans does not sound likely. [Rays Report]
  
• Big League Stew has 10 reasons why the Red Sox won't miss the Yankees in this season's ALCS. [Big League Stew]
  
• Mike Lopresti says the Rays are the Cinderella the Red Sox used to be...What? Even when the Red Sox first broke through in 2004, they had won 90 games 4 of the previous 6 seasons and had one of the biggest payrolls in baseball. Not exactly "Cinderella" criteria. [USA Today]
• One fan site thinks TBS doesn't want to talk about Andrew Friedman because TBS does not like how the Rays front office operates...That is being a bit neurotic and paranoid. Besides, to call the Rays a "sabermetric" team is overly simplistic. "Quantitative analysis" is not the only reason for this team's success. In Friedman's own words, this team is built on "information" and "information is king". Not all of that information is numbers. [Drays Bay]
• Some think the Rays local media coverage is getting a bit too cocky...Ahhh. Red Sox media and their fans: Defining "classy" since 2004. [Deadspin]
  
• The 1969 Mets? How about the 1991 Braves. [CBS News]
• Mark Kriegel says needing postseason experience is a myth. [Fox Sports]
• Dayn Perry breaks down the appeal of all four potential World Series matchups. [Fox Sports]

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. Facing the Red Sox for the first time this season, Duke didn't disappoint. Despite hitting 2 batters (he only had 3 entering the game), he did not walk a batter and struck out 7, giving up only 1 unearned run...Carlos Pena. We thought it was just going to be off the wall, but he hit that ball so high that it just kept going. Of course, our neighbors would not call this a "good". Loud noises...Lost amongst Carlos Pena's home run were Akinori Iwamura and Rocco Baldelli who both singled with 2 outs to prolong the inning...Jason Hammel. We have handed out more than our fair share of grief to The Grim Reaper, but we tip our hat to Hammel after last night. Honestly that had to have been the first time in history that we were actually happy to see Hammel come in to a game. And he didn't disappoint. The Jason Bay at bat was as good as we have ever seen Hammel and it was not his 95 mph fastball. After Bay missed the first slider by a foot, we hoped Dioner Navarro was smart enough to just keep throwing that pitch as Bay was not going to touch it. Four sliders later, Bay was the second out and the threat was almost over.

THE BAD: Troy Percival. Percy struggled once again. We were relieved at the beginning of the inning that the lead was 3 and not 1 and yet, even that didn't seem safe 5 minutes later. Turns out Percy's back tightened up on him when he was warming up. Which begs the question: Why did he allow himself to go into the game in the first place? It is one thing to be a "gamer", but it cannot be done if it hurts the ballclub. Right now, Troy Percival is hurting the ballclub...The Rays were 0-13 with runners in scoring position before Carlos Pena's home run.

THE TELLING: On the season the Rays have been walked 17 times and been hit by a pitch 4 times with the bases loaded. The 21 total "free" runs is second only to the Red Sox who have 17 walks and 5 hit batters...James Shields will now pitch on Saturday against the Yankees, rather than his originally scheduled Friday start. Matt Garza will be moved up one day and will make the start on Friday. This means Shields will not be available in the Red Sox series next week. Also, Mike Mussina has been pushed back a day to give him an extra day of rest and he will now face Shields on Saturday...The Rays magic number to win the division is now 16 and the magic number to clinch at least a wild card is 11*...The chances of the Rays making the playoffs is now 99.8% according to Baseball Prospectus and 75.5% to win the division.

*The White Sox and the Twins play each other 3 more times. The most wins the second place team in the Central can have is 96. So technically, the Rays magic number is 10. We could mark off the "guaranteed" loss now or we can do it when it actually happens...We choose the latter.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Troy Percival said this time it was his back that tightened up. He said it happened the last time warmed up in the bullpen, prior to entering the game...Which makes us wonder why he didn't inform the coaches. Apparently Percival thinks he, unable to bend over, is a better option with the game on the line than somebody else. [The Heater]
  
• Shawn Riggans had surgery on his right knee yesterday in St. Pete. He is scheduled to be sidelined for 2-4 weeks, which means he could be done for the season. In his absence, Michel Hernandez will be the backup catcher and not John Jaso. Hernandez, who has played in 5 major league games in 11 seasons, will likely get a start this weekend against the Yankees. [The Heater]
• Evan Longoria took about 30 pitches of batting practice and Marc Lancaster is reporting that Dirtbag may go to Durham to play a rehab game and should be back in the lineup on Friday against the Yankees. [Rays Report]
• Joe Maddon seemed a bit annoyed when asked if he would be happy just winning the wild card. [Tampa Tribune]
• The Rays...as Muppets? Oh, Chalk. [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• The Snapper jumps on the bandwagon...Welcome! The more the merrier. [The Snapper]
  
• Jack Curry of the New York Times takes a look at what the last two nights mean for the Rays. [New York Times]
• Everybody is starting to believe, even ESPN.com. [ESPN]
  

THE GOOD: We thought Joe Maddon had been out-managed in the 9th inning. With Cliff Floyd due up, Terry Francona was going to leave the lefty in. So Papa Joe put in Justin Ruggiano as a pinch-hitter. Of course, Tito counters with Jonathan Papelbon. At the time we wondered which was the better situation, Floyd versus a lefty or Ruggiano against one of the better closers in baseball. We chose Floyd. But then the depth of September came through. Papa Joe switched batters again, going with Dan Johnson, who had joined the team only minutes before the start of the game. We still wondered if this was a good idea. Using a player that has not had a major league at bat in months and didn't even get a chance to hit BP prior to the game, against Papelbon. Seemed lose-lose to us. Of course Papelbon fed a steady diet of fastballs to a fastball hitter and eventually Johnson got the timing down and tied the game...It would be impossible for us to understate just how important this game was. Sure the Rays were still going to the playoffs, but the psyche of the team was in legitimate danger of being destroyed last night. It is not just losing. It is playing like the Rays do not even belong in the playoffs...The odds of making the playoffs is now 99.6% according to Baseball Prospectus and the odds of winning the division just went up from less than 50% to 61.9%.

THE BAD: Just knew Jason Bay was going to happen. It was too obvious. The guy that many RAYSHEADS thought the Rays had acquired at the trade deadline, only to have him go to the Red Sox instead. After walking a batter, and setting up a situation in which Bay had a chance to put the Sox up. The only possible ending to that situation was a home run...The Rays continue to struggle with runners in scoring position. The Rays left a runner in scoring position in every inning from the 2nd through the 7th.

THE TELLING: Dan Johnson was originally scheduled to start in left field, but did not arrive at the park until just before the first pitch. Ben Zobrist got the start in center with Gabe Gross moving to right field and Eric Hinske shifted over to left...How many times have the Rays scored a run when a player was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded?...Interestingly, Andrew Friedman chose to promote Michel Hernandez, rather than sign Mike DiFelice who is still a free agent...The Rays magic number to win the division is 18 and the magic number to clinch at least a wild card spot is 12*.

*The White Sox and the Twins play each other 3 more times. The most wins the second place team in the Central can have is 96. So technically, the Rays magic number is 11. We could mark off the "guaranteed" loss now or we can do it when it actually happens...We choose the latter.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• In case you missed it last night, Dan Johnson and Michel Hernandez were promoted from Durham to give the Rays some added depth. [Rays Index]
• We also updated our 2009 25-man and 40-man roster projections. You can find those in the sidebar.
• Marc Lancaster says Shawn Riggans could be out a while, making the decision to promote Michel Hernandez instead of signing Mike DiFelice all the more perplexing. Hernandez has 5 games of major league experience and DiFelice has 13 seasons...Also Lancaster says Jonny Gomes is likely to be called up once the Bulls conclude their playoff series. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Last night was could have been a demoralizing loss for the Rays. Instead it was a demoralizing loss for the Red Sox. Several Sox players refused to talk to the media after the game. [Boston Globe]
• Bugs and Cranks pushes the envelope in recapping last night's game, quoting "Hamlet" and insinuating that the Rays did something naughty to the Red Sox...Our eyes...Our eyes!! [Bugs and Cranks]
  
• Joe Henderson may have said it best: "There are moments in any pennant race that transcend the ol' "one game at a time" bromide. Some wins really are bigger than others, just as some losses are as well. This is one of those moments...A loss that would have been devastating turned instead into the kind of moment that validates what the Rays have been saying all along. They've been knocked down and beaten up, but a baseball team such as this is rare. This team with the pint-sized payroll showed its 10-gallon heart again Tuesday night." [Tampa Tribune]
  
• David Price has completed his season with the Bulls. If he is to be called up, it could happen as early as today. [Rays Index]
• Baseball Analysts take John Romano to task for predicting the Rays may be succumbing to pressure and "won't have that pressure much longer." [Baseball Analysts]
• The Rays will televised nationally on ESPN tonight and Friday. [St. Pete Times]
  

PARENTAL ADVISORY: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AHEAD. We have our editors bound and gagged in their office, so some explicatives might not get deleted...

THE BAD: Shawn Riggans. This is just one reason why if (and that is a big IF), the Rays make the playoffs, we feel Mike DiFelice should be the Rays' backup catcher. With 2 outs in the 9th and the Rays up 1 run, a single to left was fielded by Ben Zobrist who made a throw to the plate that 2-hopped Riggans, but still beat the runner by 10 feet. Riggans let the ball bounce off his mitt tying the game. Does Dioner Navarro miss that throw? Maybe. Does DiFelice miss that throw? We doubt it.

THE WORSE: BJ Upton. In 9th inning of a 1-run game take nothing for granted. With AJ Pierzynski on first base and no outs in the 10th inning, Upton went back on a flyball and allowed Pierzynski to tag up up and move to second. Before we bash Upton too hard, we noticed earlier in the game that the wind was playing havoc with flyballs, all the more reason for Upton to go back harder and then come in if needed. And Upton claims he was aware there was a chance of the tag-up saying: "Obviously, there was a chance he might tag. I just didn't get my feet under me to get the ball in…I couldn't get my feet set under me to make a strong throw." We call bullshit. After he catches the ball, he takes two more steps towards the wall before even thinking about throwing it back in. It was just another case where Upton had his head stuck up his ass...And of course the Upton-apologists are at it again. You guys have to stop. And we are not saying that the people who think Upton is somehow responsible for children with cancer are any better. But Upton sometimes makes boneheaded plays. Occasionally...rarely even...he doesn't hustle. To say otherwise is to ignore the obvious and suggests that either you are related to Upton or just aren't watching the games...Not exactly the best timing for this article.

THE WORST: The Grim Reaper, Jason Hammel. We know Hammel has pitched better recently, but we call him the Grim Reaper for a reason. He should only be coming into games when death is imminent. We do not want Hammel within 500 feet of the mound when the game is still undecided. And we know we was hosed a bit but he still allowed AJ Pierzynski to get on base and he still gave up the winning hit.

THE WORSTEST: Doug Eddings. In the history of bullshit made up c***-sucking calls that was the bull-shitiest most made up c***-suckiest off all calls. It was like calling travelling with 3 seconds left or like a pass interference call on a hail Mary. Even if there is contact...and we still aren't sure there was...you swallow the mother-effin whistle unless you are absolutely certain. Really, Doug? An obstruction call in extra-innings? Really? Did you really see that, or did you let AJ Pierzynski make the call for you?

THE MOST WORSTEST: Our first-ever stomach punch game as a Rays fan. It is the next morning and we still feel sick to our damned stomach. And there is no game tonight so we have to deal with this stench another day. We feel like the ump kicked us in the groin and then clubbed a baby seal while we were curled up in fetal position. This is maybe the worst we have felt since the Bert Emmanuel play in the 1999 NFC championship game.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks posted a list of "206 Things We Like About Joe Maddon". One for every victory he has as manager of the Rays and apparently one for each of the two games the Rays won when Maddon took a vacation (and yes, we are still bitter about that). The list includes contributors from throughout the Rays blogosphere, including us...To the list we would add, "Able to recognize importance of Sunday's game and somehow keep his cool enough to not get thrown out." If we were in his shoes, we would have been ejected 3 times and would probably be facing a hefty suspension. [Bugs and Cranks]
• This wasn't the first time that Doug Eddings has made a bone-headed call that cost a Joe Maddon squad against the White Sox. [Tampa Tribune]
• The Rays are now #2 in the Chicago Tribune power rankings. [Chicago Tribune]

THE GOOD: Rally Time. The Rays are now 3-0 in games in which Troy Percival blew a save and are 27-0 in games in which he has appeared.

THE BAD: The offense for the first 6 innings. Prior to the 7th inning, the Rays only hit was an infield single by Evan Longoria in which he beat out a routine ground ball to third. Prior to BJ Upton's grond-rule double to lead off the 7th, Fernando Galarraga had retired 14 in a row...

THE TELLING: After Jason Bartlett was removed from the game and Shawn Riggans was used as a pinch-hitter and was the Rays' last player off the bench, meaning he would have stayed in the game had Rays not won the game in the bottom of the 10th. The question then becomes: What would the defense have looked like had the Rays taken the field in the top of the 11th (We were on the Detroit feed, so not sure if Dwayne and Joe discussed this) [Ed. note: See second bullet below]? Our guess is Riggans would have been in right field, with Willy Aybar coming in to play third and Evan Longoria shifting over to play short. Riggans has never played a position other than catcher in his major or minor league career...The Rays are 16-1 at the Trop this season when the crowd is more than 30,000. Bodes well for any potential playoff hopes.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Jason Bartlett will need a couple of days off after taking a pitch off the index finger of his throwing hand, but there is no break and he will not need a trip to the DL. This likely means that Evan Longoria will be the starting shortstop for the next few days, unless the Rays recall Ben Zobrist and demote Jonny Gomes...Also, Shawn Riggans has a significant bruise on his chest, but is otherwise OK, after taking a 97mph fastball to the middle of his chest. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Marc Topkin says that Shawn Riggans would have come out of the game, with Jonny Gomes moving from DH to right field had the Rays needed to play the 11th inning. That would have elimnated the DH spot forcing the pitcher to bat in Riggans' spot (#9). Therefore, whoever pitched the top of the 11th, would have been the 4th batter in the bottom of the 11th. We are not sure if this is Topkin's speculation or if this came from Joe Maddon, but we are not sure that scenario is better than Riggans playing right field. How much worse than Gomes could he be? [The Heater]
• Rocco Baldelli is back with the Rays and is set to meet with Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman today to discuss the next step in his return...That next step is likely to be activation from the DL, and we are hearing that could be as soon as today. Of course that could be altered if the Rays need to recall Ben Zobrist and demote Jonny Gomes. [MLB]
• If and when Rocco Baldelli returns, the Rays are asking that he not give 100% all the time. [St. Pete Times]
• Brant James does a Q&A with Rocco Baldelli. The biggest revelation is that Rocco does not sound optimistic that he will ever be able to be an everyday player again. [The Heater]
  

"It's a weird thing to say to an athlete. Rocco would sprint after balls 110 percent, no matter what the scoreboard (said)," Friedman said. "That's how he played the game, or plays the game. We're trying to get him to pick situations and understand situations on the scoreboard, different things to conserve his bullets, for lack of a better word."

• Trever Miller got the win, ending his record streak of 121 straight apearances without a decision. [Bradenton Herald]
• In Ted Flemming's blog, he ponders Eric Hinske and Dioner Navarro for Comeback Player of the Year...Hinske, sure. But Navi? Not sure where he came back from. [Speaking of Sports]
  
• The Rays are up to 3rd in the latest Chicago Tribune power rankings, behind only the Angels and the Cubs (of course). [Chicago Tribune]
  

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]
  

THE GOOD: Jonny Gomes and Justin Ruggiano started against the lefty and went a combined 3-6 with a walk and an RBI...Last night during the Live Blog-A-Baloo we introduced a new nickname. McGlovin. For Gary Glover. He really is faking the whole major league pitcher thing (For those unfamiliar with the reference, google 'McLovin').

THE BAD: We don't know what to call Edwin Jackson's performance. If he had pitched like that in '07 against the Yankees, we might have actually been impressed, but this was a little dissapointing for the '08 Jackson. At least when he isn't on top of his game against a good team he didn't embarras himself or the team. He very easily could have given up 9 runs...However, the pitching staff as a whole which was walking less than 3 batters per 9 innings entering last night's game, walked 9, including 5 from the bullpen in only 4 innings...Twice early in the game the Rays had a runner on third base with 1 out and failed to score...

THE TELLING: Getting swept, even if it is just a 2-game series. The Rays need to be winning series and right now they are letting opportunities slip away...Joe Maddon wanted to give Aki Iwamura the night off. He had Elliot Johnson start at second. That's fine. But he replaced Aki with Jason Bartlett at the top of the order. Bartlett who entered the game with an OBP below .200. He did go 2-5 and drive in a run, but Bartlett at the top of the order is not something we want to see very often. We know Carl Crawford doesn't like leading off and we know Maddon likes stability in the order, but would it kill CC to lead off 4-5 times a year when Aki is given a night off?...Mike DiFelice is hitting .429 and the staff has a better ERA with him behind the plate.With Dioner Navarro returning soon, might Shawn Riggans be on the way out to make room for the veteran catcher the team always said they wanted?

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Matt Garza had his first bullpen session since going on the DL. He said he threw pain-free after he was diagnosed by the team doctor's and given a cortisone shot. Garza says he feels good enough to come off the DL the first day he is eligible, April 24. [MLB]
• Here is one issue that we have with Fantasy Baseball...You websites that run stories titled "Who Is Better: Evan Longoria Or Kevin Youkilis". Would this ever be a question in real life? [Fake Teams]
• A preview of things to come? Andy Sonnanstine will be available for relief duty tonight rather throw his usual between-starts throwing. The Rays say it is because the bullpen has been overused recently...Mike DiFelice is not only hitting well, but the pitching staff has a better ERA with him behind the plate (3.25) as compared to Dioner Navarro (5.21) and Shawn Riggans (4.50)...Juan Salas is expected to return to the US today. [St. Pete Times]
• Dioner Navarro will play in extended spring training games today and tomorrow and then will catch Scott Kazmir's rehab start at Vero Beach on Friday. [Tampa Tribune]
  
• Sean Deveney of The Sporting News says that it is only one start but Jeff Niemann's performance was a glimpse into the future of the Tampa Bay Rays. Niemann is the first of several top pitching prospects that will eventually make their way to the Rays. [Sporting News]

No one is confusing the Orioles with the 1927 Yankees. But Niemann is 25, making his debut. The fact that he -- and catcher Mike DiFelice -- had confidence in his entire repertoire says a lot about where this guy's stuff is. He wasn't just using the breaking ball when he was ahead. He was throwing it when he was behind or even in the count.

• Fanhouse says a Yankees-Rays rivalry is good for baseball. [Fanhouse]
  
• DRays Bay continues their profiles of the candidates for the top pick in the June draft. Up next is Aaron Chow. [DRays Bay]
• Outs Per Swing has moved shop over to the MVN Network, replacing the previous Rays blog. We had forgotten there was a Rays blog on MVN. [Outs Per Swing]
• Sports Indeed is clearly depressed over the loss of Rays Anatomy...Nahhh! We're BS'n you. Sports Indeed threw a party. [Sports Indeed]
• Home Run Derby notes that Carlos Pena may be leading MLB in home runs but he is not hitting anything else. [Home Run Derby]
  
• Evan Longoria recounts his first major league home run. [MLB]
• Sticks of Fire noticed some peculiarities in the treatment of governor Charlie Crist and Mike Alstott on opening day. [Sticks of Fire]
  

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 Devil Dogs (2 days until opening day)

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

Yesterday: Reds 6, Tampa Bay Rays 3.

• The Good: Carl Crawford was 3-4 with 2 doubles...Carlos Pena hit a ball so hard off the top of the wall in right field that he was held to a single...Dioner Navarro continues to hit, adding 2 more hits and is at .366 in March...Matt Garza went 5 allowing only 2 unearned runs...Jason Bartlett and Aki Iwamura combined on yet another picture-perfect double play.
  
• The Bad: Miscommunication in center field with BJ Upton allowed a routine fly ball to drop, leading to 2 unearned runs, after Matt Garza cruised through the first four frames.
  
• The Telling: Joel Guzman had a great game in the field getting several tough plays and handling them well including throwing a runner out at home. With the addition of Nathan Haynes, Eric Hinske is probably out meaning the third baseman is either Guzman or Elliot Johnson if Willy Aybar is not ready on opening day...Oops. Just found out this morning that Guzman is out, Hinske is in.
  

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• A total of 8 players were cut yesterday. Other than Grant Balfour, the biggest names were Mike DiFelice, Josh Paul and Andy Cannizaro meaning that Shawn Riggans will indeed be the backup catcher and Elliot Johnson will be the backup-whatever. [Tampa Bay Rays]
• Word just came down that the final roster spot will go to Eric Hinske with Joel Guzman being optioned. [The Heater]
  
• Scott Kazmir threw in the outfield yesterday and all reports were that he looked and felt good. [Tampa Tribune]
• Willy Aybar and Cliff Floyd are both on track to be ready for opening day while Rocco Baldelli was officially transferred to the 60-day disabled list opening a spot on the 40-man roster. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Baseball Prospectus looks at the leading candidates for the top pick in the June amateur draft, with hot shot high school shortstop Tim Beckham looking like the odds on favorite these days. Sweet Fancy Moses! I am drooling just reading the scouts takes. Better than Justin Upton? Sign me up. [Baseball Prospectus]

Beckham is without question the toolsiest player in the draft, and he's lived up to expectations this year, if not exceeded them. A true shortstop with outstanding hitting skills, power potential, plus speed, and good fielding skills, most insiders agree that no position player comes close to his overall upside. "He looks like Justin Upton to me, only Upton had the throwing problem in high school and this kid doesn't," said one scouting director. "He's also a lot stronger than I thought he was," he continued. "I wasn't sure of the power before, but I'm pretty convinced now." Another scouting director agreed that he was one of the elite players in the draft. "He's a guy who has proven it at every event and every showcase, he plays up the middle and he doesn't have to move," he said. "It's hard to classify high school players as safe, but this one is about as safe as it gets."

• The Wall Street Journal grades the managers in three categories and then ranks them. Joe Maddon comes in at #14. Interestingly, he is tied with his former boss Mike Scioscia. [Wall Street Journal]
  

Tampa Bay Rays (7 days until Opening Day)

We have a busy, busy day planned here at RI, so be sure to check back early and often...

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 10, Reds 9.

The Good: The two players that the Rays will rely on to be power sources in 2008, Jonny Gomes and Carlos Pena, each hit their third home run of the spring...Elliot Johnson continues to secure his spot as the opening day utility player, assuming Ben Zobrist is on the DL, with 2 more hits while playing center. He is now 19-41 (.463) on the spring with a 1.145 OPS...Aki Iwamura started 2 double plays with his new partner-in-crime, Jason Bartlett...Al Reyes struck out all three batters he faced.

The Bad: Matt Garza needed over 90 pitches to get through 5.1 innings walking 2 and hitting 2 more batters...Troy Percival gave up 7 runs in 1 inning of work on 6 hits and a walk.

The Telling: Andy Cannizaro who figures to be the only person that could beat out Elliot Johnson for utility player, saw time at both second and third.


DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• It is never a good day when we read the sentence "David Price left a Minor League start Thursday after feeling some discomfort in his left elbow." Andrew Friedman says that it is not serious. We hope World B. Friedman will forgive us if we hold our breath until Price makes another appearance on a mound. [Tampa Bay Rays]
  
• Tom Singer names the Rays as one of two team in the AL that are "worth watching for early signs of a miracle". [MLB]

In already setting a club record for Grapefruit League wins, Tampa Bay also has lost only twice in 13 games against other AL clubs, is 6-1-1 vs. the AL East and is 5-1 against Detroit and Philadelphia...Yet it's almost as if the Rays are being humored. That could be a mistake, even if the weight of the AL East does have to curb their optimism.

• Bill Chastain notes that several roster decisions are still up in the air and the team met again last night to discuss some of those decisions. According to Chastain Ben Zobrist is likely to start the season on the DL, but will be available as early as April 5...Our best guess is that Elliot Johnson will now join Eric Hinske, Joel Guzman and Shawn Riggans on the bench. Not bad for a guy that had the 5th worst OPS in AAA last year. We are rooting hard for Johnson. [Tampa Bay Rays]
• Joe Smith also looks at the remaining roster questions...On a side note, does anybody else remember a couple of weeks ago when Joe Maddon was talking about how nice it was that most of the roster was already in place. [St. Pete Times]
• Joe Maddon all but confirms that JP Howell will be on the Rays opening day roster as a long reliever by saying that the last bullpen spot will go to either Scott Dohmann, who was better last year and Grant Balfour, who has had the better spring. Both players are out of options. One will make the team. The other must be traded or will need to clear waivers in order to be optioned to the minors. [Tampa Tribune]

"That is a tough one," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Both have really good arms, both are very competitive. They're making it tough. This is going to be quite a discussion in regard to that spot, because I have a lot of respect for both of these young men - they're both great workers, they're great teammates. It's tough."

• It sucks to be a hitter during an intrasquad game when the opposing pitcher is working on pitching inside. Yesterday, Chris Mason hit two batters in one game at minor league camp...Chuck Tiffany who missed all of 2007 also participated. [Riverwalk Talk]
• Delmon Young has a new commercial promoting the 2008 Twins in which he seeks the advice of Twinkies legends. They tell him to "See the ball, hit the ball". Might just be us, but isn't Young's problem that he swings at too many pitches? [Chinese Evil Dead]
• New and Old Rays gear is being spotted with alarming regularity as far north as Tallahassee. [FSView]