Last week, we updated our Trade Value Index Top 50 in which we ranked the top 50 players in the organization based on value to the team. In our list, we had Evan Longoria at the top, followed by David Price, James Shields, BJ Upton, Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza. Considering talent, potential, age, position and contract status, which player do you think should have been #1?

Online Surveys & Market Research

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Last week we learned that Wade Townsend had suffered another injury that would derail the former first round pick for a good part of the '09 season. Now, Joe Smith is reporting that Townsend had surgery on his right shoulder and will likely miss the entire season...Townsend will be 27 in 2010 with only 2 career starts above single-A. Last week we speculated that his career with the Rays was in jeopardy. This week we have to wonder if his career in baseball is in jeopardy. [The Heater]
• Aaron Sharockman of the St. Pete Times has a sobering report on the demographics of the Bay Area and how Tampa-St. Pete compares to other baseball markets and whether the area is a viable option for supporting a baseball team...In short, it is not impossible, but it is an uphill climb. [St. Pete Times]
  
• Last week, Rays Prospects did a nice job of analyzing the 2008 performances of the starting pitchers throughout the organization. This week they are back with the relief pitchers. Must reads if you follow the minor leaguers. [Rays Prospects]
  
• Tampa Bay Sports Blog has a list of 5 moves the Rays should make...We don't have any issue with trading for Magglio Ordonez, but the Tigers better be picking up some of that contract or it won't happen. [Tampa Bay Sports Blog]
• Another interview with the one writer that did not vote for Joe Maddon as Manager of the Year...We would have hated to see David Chalk's reaction had Papa Joe not won the award. [Bugs and Cranks]

Some sobering news today. Via RaysProspects we learn that Wade Townsend has been shut down in the Arizona Fall League due to a shoulder injury that is expected to "sideline him for an indefinite period of time into 2009."

This is a huge setback for Townsend, who will be 25 in February, and only has two starts above single-A. We can't imagine he will be full strength again until 2010, when he will be 26 and likely back at single-A. The bitter irony is of course that Townsend suffered his first major injury in the Arizona Fall League back in 2005 when he blew out his elbow and needed Tommy John Surgery. We have to wonder if this latest injury will mark the end to Townsend's career in the Rays organization.

On a personal level, this is especially difficult because Mrs. Professor and her sisters grew up with Wade and we have to deliver almost weekly reports on his progress to the in-laws. We are not looking forward to that part of dinner this weekend.

Rays Notes [RaysProspects]
Rays boast deepest system in Majors [MLB]

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• That story we posted yesterday about Evan Longoria and his offseason in Long Beach? Well, during the interview a waitress interrupted to tell Longoria that she would be attending an upcoming party hosted by Longoria. Thanks to some stalking nifty interweb research by 'Duk over at Big League Stew, we now know that the young lady in question, Paloma Soto-Castillo, was a contestant on the latest season of "Survivor". And there is a picture...Is there anything Dirtbag can't do well? Nice pull kid. [Big League Stew]
• Evan Longoria as Brad Pitt? Fine. But "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" as a "chick flick"? Not even close. Listen. We have no problem with "chick flicks". They serve a purpose. Some are even good. We have over 300 DVDs and there are more than a few "chick flicks" in there that we would never admit to owning in public. The problem with "chick flicks" is the plot has to be very, very good. If the plot sucks, the movie has nothing to fall back on. On the other hand, take a typical guy movie. If the plot sucks, it is not the end of the world. There will still be explosions and car chases and aliens and girls in lingerie. In other words, there are plenty of distractions from a disastrous plot. And that is what "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" offers. Plenty of distractions. Love story? Sure. But there are enough explosions and gun fire to distract you from the sappy parts. Not to mention, the use of the song "Mondo Bongo" in the climatic fight scene is one of the great movie song/scene combinations ev-ER. Besides, can it be a "chick flick" if the filming led to one actor cheating on his wife? But we like where Her Rays is going with this. [Her Rays]
  
• MVN Outsider plays the role of Andrew Friedman and looks at a few moves the Rays should make this offseason. The big suggestion is trading Andy Sonnanstine and Chad Bradford for Andre Ethier...Not terrible, but the Rays would prefer to add a right-handed bat and would probably like to avoid an arbitration-eligible player that comes without cost-certainty. [MVN Outsider]
  
• David Chalk writes a guest piece over at Big League Stew breaking down the World Series odds for various teams in 2009 and let's you know how stupid it would be to wager on the Yankees. Really, really, really stupid. [Big League Stew]
  

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

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

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

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

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

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

MacPhail snippets [MASN]

Toledo 6, Durham 5. Chris Mason has yet to put together back-to-back strong outings. After throwing 5 shutout innings, his last time out, he was touched for 6 runs in 5.2 innings last night. He looked decent until the 6th inning, when he gave up 2 home runs...With runners on 2nd and 3rd in the 9th inning, Jon Weber went down looking to end the game...Dan Johnson continues to swing a hot stick. Last night he was 3-4 with 2 doubles and his 6th home run to go with 4 RBI. His 2-run home run in the 8th made it a 1-run game. Johnson has 6 home runs in just 70 AAA at bats as well as a 1.131 OPS...Reid Brignac was 2-4 with his 3rd stolen base.

Montgomery 8, Tennessee 7. Patrick Cotrell won it in the bottom of the 9th with a single that plated 2...Jake McGee allowed 4 runs (1 earned) in 5.1 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 1...Chris Nowak was 3-5 with his 3rd home run and 2 RBI...Rhyne Hughes added 2 singles and 2 RBI and Ronnie Merrill also added 2 hits in 4 at bats.

Palm Beach 5, Vero Beach 4. Ryan Morse allowed only 1 unearned run in 5 innings on 6 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 3...Cesar Suarez and JT Hall provided 2 hits and an RBI apiece.

Hickory 10, Columbus 2. Jason Ragan was pulled after allowing 7 runs (all unearned) in just 1.2 innings. He did allow 8 hits, but 3 errors in those 2 innings didn't help...Henry Wrigley was 2-3 with his 3rd home run, a solo shot.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Wade Townsend has been demoted to high-A Vero Beach...Townsend, who has adjusted his mechanics to avoid further injuries, had just been inserted into the Montgomery rotation, but was knocked around in his last start. On the season, he had posted a 7.66 ERA in 13 appearances with a 17-to-17 strike out to walk ratio. [Biscuits Batter]
  

Durham 3, Pawtucket 0. Ben Hendrickson started but was pulled after the 1st inning with shoulder tightness. Nick DeBarr relieved and pitched 4 perfect innings with 5 strikeouts. Bulls pitchers did not allow a base runner until the 7th inning...Grant Balfour picked up his 4th save with 2 strikeouts in the 9th...Dan Johnson hit his 3rd home run, a solo shot...Joel Guzman had yet another 2-hit game, his 5th in the past 9 games...Fernando Perez was 1-3 with a double and a walk...Reid Brignac was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and is hitting .241.

Birmingham 7, Montgomery 4. Wade Davis only gave up 3 hits in 6 innings, an infield single and 2 bloopers. He did walk 4 and gave up 2 runs. He struck out 6, leaving with the score tied 2-2....Erold Andrus drove in 2 with a 3-5 night...Ronnie Merrill scored two runs on 1-4 at the plate and is now hitting .323.

Dunedin 5, Vero Beach 2. Brandon Mann gave up 5 runs (3 earned) in 6.1 innings...No Devil Ray had more than 1 hit and Matt Fields was the only with an extrabase hit, a double...Ryan Royster and Nevin Ashley had RBI.

Columbus 11, Greenville 5. Alex Cobb picked up his 5th win despite giving up 4 runs in 6 innings...Emeel Salem was 3-5 with his 23rd stolen base of the season...Greg Sexton was 4-5 with 2 doubles and a grand slam and 5 RBI...Mike McCormick added a 2-run double and an RBI groundout.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Finally some news on Jeff Niemann. Stacy Long reports that Niemann had a throwing session yesterday that went well and is scheduled to start on Friday. Niemann has not made a start since being demoted on April 20. He has been sidelined with what Long calls a "stiff shoulder". [Biscuits Batter]
  
• Mike Wlodarczyk has been bumped from the Montgomery rotation and replaced with Wade Townsend. Townsend began the season in the bullpen in as he adjusted to his new mechanics which are designed to lower the risk for further injury. [Montgomery Advertiser]
  

Durham 10, Columbus 4 (11 inn). The Bulls scored 6 in the top of the 11th after there were 2 outs, to break a 4-4 tie. Alex Cannizaro had the big blow, a bases-loaded double that scored 2 to put the Bulls up for good. Chris Richard capped the inning with a 2-run home run...Reid Brignac was 1-4 with 2 walks...Evan Longoria was given the night off...Mitch Talbot started the game. He cruised through the first 5 frames allowing only 1 run, but the wheels fell off in the 6th. He gave up 3 hits to the first four batters in the 6th before being pulled. All 3 runners would eventually score.

Carolina 7, Montgomery 1. Jake McGee had trouble finding the strike zone. He was removed after only 2 innings, after 3 hits and 4 walks. He did strike out 4...The Biscuits had 13 baserunners (5 hits, 8 walks) but could only manage 1 run.

Jupiter 3, Vero Beach 2. Jeremy Hellickson had his second straight strong start throwing 6 innings of 1-run ball. His only rough patch was in the 2nd when 2 singles and a walk led to a run. He retired 9 of the last 11 faced...An RBI single by Ryan Royster in the 8th tied the game, but Brian Baker gave up a game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the 9th...The Devil Rays (still) managed only 4 hits.

Rome 10, Columbus 5. Glenn Gibson, who came over from the Nationals for Elijah Dukes, got roughed up for the second time in two starts this year. He gave up 7 runs (6 earned) in 3.2 innings on 7 hits and 4 walks...Three Catfish had 2 hits apiece including Emeel Salem who stole his 4th base and Mike McCormick who is now 9-20 in the first 6 games.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Former first-round pick Wade Townsend has made three appearances this year, all out of the bullpen. Townsend is currently changing his mechanics to avoid further injury to his elbow. It is unclear if the switch to relief pitcher is a permament move or temporary.
  

Tampa Bay Rays (10 days until Opening Day)

Yesterday: Tampa Bay Rays 4, Indians 4.

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

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

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


DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evan Longoria has been promoted to AAA Durham. He hit .307-21-76 with a .930 OPS in 105 games. He is tied with for the lead league in home runs and leads the SL in RBI and Runs (78). Despite a stellar glove, Joel Guzman will be moved permanently to first base to make room for Longoria. Guzman started at first base for the Bulls on Tuesday night. It will be interesting to see if a strong month at AAA will tempt the Devil Rays front office to bring The Dirtbag to the Trop for a September call-up. [Montgomery Advertiser]

Indianapolis 5, Durham 3. JP Howell was masterful for the Bulls, striking out 12 and allowing only 1 walk and 2 hits in 7 shutout innings. Howell left the game with a 3-0 lead but the bullpen was unable to protect it as Chad Orvella and newly acquired Brian Shackelford combined to allow 5 runs in the 9th inning on 3 home runs. Shackelford allowed a walk-off 2-run home run to the only batter he faced. Jason Pridie was 0-3 and Joel Guzman was 0-4.

Montgomery 6, Birmingham 2. Reid Brignac was 1-4 with his 14th home run. He also committed his 20th error of the season.

Columbus 4, West Virginia 0. Heath Rollins moved to 12-4 with 7 shutout innings. He allowed 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5. Ryan Royster hit his 16th home run, a 3-run shot in the first.

Vermont 6, Hudson Valley 1.

Princeton 6, Elizabethton 3.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Rhyne Hughes (.329-12-57) and infielder Aaron Sisk were promoted to AA Montgomery. Sisk was recently named the FSL offensive player of the week when he hit 6 home runs in the week ending July 15.
  
• Both Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend are currently sidelined but neither injury is considered serious. [TBO]
  
• Evan Longoria was named the top prospect in the "MLN FAB50 Baseball 2007 Rankings", a mid-season look at minor league talent. [The Raw Feed]
  
• Jeremy Owens was named the IL's batter-of-the-week. He is the 5th Bull to win a weekly award. [Our Sports Central]
• Behind the Dugout takes a look at three of the Devil Rays' top pitching prospects. [Behind the Dugout]
• Vero Beach and Jupiter were postponed due to rain.
  

Durham 10, Louisville 2. Jae Seo moved to 4-1 with a 3.35 ERA since his demotion after allowing 1 run in 7 innings. Justin Ruggiano hit his 12th home run and drove in 5. Jason Pridie was 2-5 with 3 runs scored and is now hitting .316 since his promotion to AAA.

Montgomery 7, Carolina 2. Wade Davis picked up his 4th win in 6 AA starts. He struck out 7 in 5 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned). Fernando Perez was 3-5 to raise his average to .292. Reid Brignac was 1-3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI. He committed his 19th error. Evan Longoria was 0-2 with 2 walks.

Ft. Myers 6, Vero Beach 4.Doug Waechter struck out 7 in 4 innings but gave up 4 runs on 8 hits.

Columbus 11, Greenville 1. Wade Townsend had his best outing in nearly a month by allowing 2 hits and 1 run in 6 innings. He struck out 7 and walked 2. Desmond Jennings was 1-4 and stole his 41st and 42nd bases of the year. Ryan Royster picked up 3 hits and 3 RBI in 4 at bats. He picked up two of his singles in Columbus' 10-run 8th and is now hitting .320.

Hudson Valley 5, State College 1.

Durham 11, Pawtucket 3. JP Howell had his best start of the season for the Bulls last night. He struck out 10 in 6 innings with only 2 hits and 1 run. He did walk three and hit a batter. Ruddy Lugo pitched 2 scoreless innings, but walked 3, and Seth McClung pitched yet another scoreless 9th inning. We are starting to get nervous. McClung has only allowed 1 run in his last 10 appearances, covering 16 innings with 21 strikeouts. He has an ERA of 1.54 with 28 Ks in 23.1 innings. We need to accept the realization that we will see Big Red again in Rays uniform and it could be sooner rather than later. Ohhh, the Agida...On a brighter note, the Bulls hit 5 home runs. Wes Bankston hit his 5th and drove in 4. Elliot Johnson hit his 6th and drove in 3. Justin Ruggiano hit his 3rd.

Montgomery 7, Birmingham 4. Chris Seddon gave up 4 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk in 6 innings. He struck out 3. Seddon was cruising through the first 5 innings and then in the top of the 6th he gave up 3 consecutive hits to lead off the inning, capped by a 3-run home run. Evan Longoria returned to the lineup and went 1-4. He is hitting .328. Reid Brignac was 0-3 with 2 walks and is now hitting .267. Brooks Badeaux cleared the bases with a double in the 8th inning that proved to be the game-winner.

Palm Beach 10, Vero Beach 7 (gm 1). The Rays needed a pitcher to start game 1 of the double-header and apparently they needed a pitcher to work a lot of innings and Jeff Kamrath was the sacrificial lamb. Kamrath made just his second start of the year and gave up 9 runs in 7 innings on 13 hits and 4 walks. Erold Andrus was 3-5 with his 2nd home run.

Palm Beach 2, Vero Beach 1 (gm 2). Mike Wlodarczyk struck out 6 in 6 innings with 8 hits and 2 runs allowed.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Fernando Perez who went on the DL with a minor knee injury will now have his return delayed another week due to a hip injury suffered during a recent workout.
  
• Gerry Hunsicker was in Montgomery to most likely see Evan Longoria.
• Columbus was rained out and will play a double-header today. Wade Townsend will come off the DL and pitch game 1.
  

Richmond 2, Durham 0. The Bulls only managed 3 hits, with Brent Butler collecting 2. Jason Hammel only gave up 2 hits in his 6 innings of work but allowed 2 runs, 1 on a ground out and the other on a sac fly. Both in the 1st inning.

Montgomery 9 Missisippi 6. Evan Longoria went 4-4 with his 6th home run of the year to raise his average to .333. Jason Pridie was 2-5 with his 5th stolen base and scored 2 runs. Reid Brignac went 2-5 to get his average back to .300. John Jaso hit his 2nd home run and had 4 RBI.

Columbus 5, Charleston 4. Lewis Rollins pitched 7 shutout innings to lower his ERA to 1.57. He struck out 4. Ryan Royster cooled off just a tad, going hitless in 2 ABs with 2 walks. He is now hitting .361.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Wade Townsend has been shutdown and placed on the DL with a tired arm. Doesn't sound serious, but we can understand the team taking every precaution with the former first-round pick.
  

Devil Rays 4, Twins 3.
Delmon Young likes to throw things very hard and very far and very accurately. We call it Gettin' A Delmon...Jason Kubel Got A Delmon...In the 4th inning, Kubel rambled a little too far towards second base on a line drive to Delmon Young in right center. Despite catching the ball while moving away from first base, Young turned and fired a pea to Carlos Pena at first to double-up Kubel and get the Rays out of the inning...Justin Morneau Got A Delmon...In the 6th inning, Morneau hit a rocket off the right field wall that would be a double on any other night. But on this night Delmon Young was roaming the FieldTurf II of the Trop. He played the ball off the wall, spun and fired a rocket to Brendan Harris at second base. Both Kubel and Morneau should just be grateful that Young wasn't throwing a bat.

As for the rest of the game, the Rays once again were able to get to Twins closer Joe Nathan, scoring 2 in the 9th to tie the game. In 3 appearances this season against the Rays (3 innings) Nathan has given up 9 hits and 4 runs. In his other 10 appearances (10.1 innings) he has allowed only 10 hits and 1 run. In the bottom of the 10th inning (the Rays first extra inning affair of the year) Ben Zobrist fell rounding third base on Harris' double, but made up for the gaffe beating the throw home on Dioner Navarro's ground ball to short.

The Rays are now in sole possession of third place in the AL East, 5.5 games behind the Red Sox and only 1 game behind the Jays for 2nd place. Even more intriguing is that the Rays are only 4 games back in the wild card. But that is the last time we will mention that number until the Rays reach a more important milestone, .500. In our minds there are three numbers the Rays are chasing. 6.5 games is the Rays "mark" in the AL East. 4 games in the Rays mark in the wild card race, but neither of those numbers mean anything until the Rays reach "The Charlie Hough Line". For his career Hough was 216-216. The knuckleballer was the epitome of a .500 pitcher. The Rays cannot think of any other teams until they first surpass Hough's career winning percentage. So from now on we will only speak in terms of "Games behind Charlie Hough". Right now the Rays are 1.5 games behind Charlie Hough.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• The Rays base stealing is greatly improved in the last 10 days. After only being successful on 14 of their first 27 attempts, the Rays have stolen 14 of their last 17.
  
• Josh Hamilton was named NL Rookie of the Month for April. During the month, Hamilton, who started the season as a reserve, hit .266 with 6 home runs, 16 RBI and a stolen base.
• Akinori Iwamura finished second in the AL Rookie of the Month voting to fellow Japanese rookie Hideki Okajima of the Red Sox.
• Greg Norton has been getting at bats in extended spring training, and will begin a rehab assignment in Montgomery on Friday, where he will get 27-30 at bats (6-7 games). Norton should be back with the Rays a week from Friday when the Rays begin a series in Toronto.
  
• Now that Benny Boo Boo is on the bench, he has more free time to visit local school children. The upsetting part is that apparently BenZo was accompanied by his wife and mlb.com could not provide us with any pictures. That's ok, we still have Julianne's MySpace page.
  
• FoxSports has their first power ranking of the season and the Rays come in at #22. Might be the highest we have ever seen the Devil Rays ranked in any power rankings. Of course they mention that Jeff Niemann is returning from Tommy John surgery. Must have him mixed up with Wade Townsend.
  

Durham 2, Charlotte 1. After Chris Richard tied the game with a 1-out single in the bottom of the 9th, Shawn Riggans knocked in the winner with a 2-out single. Mitch Talbot got back on track after 3 straight bad starts. He gave 1 run in 7 innings and did not walk a batter. He struck out 4.

Montgomery 7, Jacksonville 2. This is becoming an old story...Another great start for Chris Mason. This time he went 5.1 innings and gave up only 1 unearned run. He struck out 6 and only walked 1. He is now 3-0 with an ERA of 1.26 in 28.2 innings spanning 5 starts. Reid Brignac hit his 4th home run and drove in 3.

Vero Beach 4, Brevard County 0. Wade Davis struck out 9 in 7 shutout innings, giving up only 2 hits and 2 walks. He lowered his ERA to 2.15 in 29.1 innings. Rhyne Hughes hit his first home run of the year. He is hitting .324.

Columbus 7, Charleston 1. Joshua Butler gave only 1 unearned run in 6 innings to lower his ERA to 1.61. He struck out 5. Ryan Royster and Matt Spring both homered for the Rays.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Yesterday's Biscuits game featured two bench-clearing incidents although it appears as if no punches were thrown. Evan Longoria was hit after Reid Brignac homered. In the following inning Chris Mason threw at least one pitch that was a little too close. In all, three players and coaches were ejected.
  
• We have been singing the praises of Jason Hammel and now others are starting to take notice. Hammel is back to throwing a slider and his confidence has never been higher...Quite often these decisions are based on a player's turn in the rotation, but if that were not a factor, Hammel would be the first starting pitcher called up from Durham.
  
• Wade Townsend is off to a hot start at low-A Columbus, in his return from Tommy John surgery, and he was just recognized for his performance. The South-Atlantic League named Townsend their pitcher of the week. Both of his starts (prior to his last outing) were wins in which he gave upa combined 2 runs in 11 innings. He is now second in the SAL with 32 strikeouts (8 walks), and has an ERA of 2.25. Very impressive considering he is on a tight leash right now.
  
• James Houser was placed on the DL after having his wisdom teeth pulled. That's a new one. Evan Meek, who went on the DL after being hit in the head with by a line-drive from his own teammate, replaces Houser on the roster.
  

Pawtucket 2, Durham 1. Jason Hammel finally allowed a few hits, but was still strong in his second outing of the season. Last night he worked 5 innings giving up 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 run. Chris Richard hit his 2nd home run and Jorge Cantu went 0-3.

Greenville 3, Columbus 0. After an impressive 2007 debut, Wade Townsend came back to earth a bit. He pitched 3 innings and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 4. Can we now calm down on the "Wade Townsend promoted to the Rays in September" talk? We have no reason to think that Townsend won't be at Columbus all season. The first season after Tommy John surgery for a young pitcher is always about learning how to pitch all over again. The earliest we would see Townsend at the Trop is 2009.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Walks were the downfall for Wade Townsend in his start yesterday.
  
• JP Howell tries to rebound this afternoon from his first start of the season.
  
• Yesterday was the Biscuits first full off-day in over a month and they took advantage by goin'fishin'. Chris Seddon will get the start today.
  

• Game 2 of the 2007 season was rained out yesterday. No makeup date has been scheduled.
• If the game had been played, Jonny Damon would not have been in the lineup. He is suffering from a sore calf, which caused him to be removed from Monday's opener. In fact, now it looks like he is headed for the DL.
• Four of the Rays minor league affiliates will start today. The starting pitchers are scheduled to be: Jason Hammel (Durham), Chris Seddon (Montgomery), Jake McGee (Vero Beach), Wade Townsend (Columbus). Hammel will be followed at Durham by JP Howell, Jeff Niemann, Andy Sonnanstine and Mitch Talbot.
  
• The rain-out pushes the rotation back a day which is already on an extra day of rest due to the off-day Tuesday. To compensate, Scott Kazmir will pitch ahead of Edwin Jackson on Sunday, with Jackson going Monday against the Rangers.
  
• Jorge Cantu's agent reiterated that the former team MVP has not changed his position and he still wants to be traded.
  
• Expect the Rays to be even more aggressive on the base paths this season, with as many as four players swiping 25 or more bases. The Rays had three on opening day.
  
• According to Buster Olney, manager Joe Maddon is giving a Bob Gibson tape to Edwin Jackson, hoping that it will light a competitive fire in the young prospect.
• The state house might have just helped the Rays sign a new middle reliever, by granting the team a $2 million per year tax break.
• Here is your chance to vote for Devil Rays to make it to Cooperstown. Might be their only chance.
  

• The Rays fell to Cleveland 4-3. You can tell that Joe Maddon wants his pitchers working deeper in games this year. For the second time this week a starting pitcher worked 7 innings, a rare sight in spring training. This time it was James Shields, who gave up 4 runs on 8 hits and a walk. He struck out 7. Jorge Cantu had his first home run of the spring and Elijah Dukes doubled home the other run.
  
• Dioner Navarro was scratched from yesterday's game which is not good news. Navarro has had hamstring problems in the past. The Rays may be better served to put him on the shelf for two weeks and make sure he is 100%. Carl Crawford was also a late scratch from Monda's lineup although his injury appears to be less threatening at this point.
• Speaking of injuries, Wade Townsend pitched in a minor league game for the Rays yesterday. You remember Townsend, right? He was the Rays top pick in 2005 and then after 12 unimpressive outings, he threw out his elbow and needed Tommy John surgery. He missed all of 2005. He is 24 now and scheduled to pitch all season at single-A Columbus.
  
• B. J. Upton is playing more relaxed this season and it is probably going to translate into a position on the opening day roster. Now the question is will he be relaxed enough to duplicate something similar to his 2005 numbers at Durham?
• In 2006 Delmon Young drew one walk in 126 plate appearances with the Rays. That would normally be a red flag for a prospect. Young isn't worried, and believes the walks will come when pitchers learn to fear what he can do with strikes. We are big believers in plate discipline for young hitters, but with Young, it won't be a problem. For the record, Young has 2 walks in 62 plate appearances this spring.
  
• Al Reyes has no regrets and is just happy to be back, even if he is old enough to have fathered half his teammates.
  
• The Curse of LaMar-Naimoli.