HER RAYS!

What a tease!  Jason Bay was gonna be a Ray.  I was reading all about him, getting more geeked by the minute and then nope we’re sorry false alarm.  What?  It’s like being in the throws of passion only to be interrupted by the phone, which you don’t answer because you’re in the throws of passion but then the answering machine picks up and it’s your mom.  Climax killer!

It would have been great to welcome him to Tampa Bay, but I’m glad the Rays didn’t sell the farm.  Also I really like the Rays just the way they are.  Think about the big names that were traded this week: Pudge, Griffey, Manny.  I’m happy the Rays didn’t land any of those big names.  That might be foolish of me, but I like our little team.  They are superstars to us, and how great will it be when they win it all!

I predict that Rocco is going to be the spark that ignites this team.  Rays fans are going to be so stoked if he comes back.  I really hope his body cooperates this time.  He deserves to be a part of this turn around.  Besides, he’s my fave. 

Let’s hope Kazmir comes out firing tomorrow.  It’s gettin good.  Go Rays!!

Percy and his clown feet are winning me back one step at a time.

The Rays won again today 3-2.  Percy got the save, in a one run game.  He didn’t walk anybody, he didn’t load the bases, he didn’t give up a run!  He was down right boring, but I’m okay with that.  I thought Maddon was on crack to bring him in but…he’s the closer until he proves otherwise right.  It’s a big job, but he’s got the feet for it.  Check those suckers out.  You know what they say about guys with big feet.  Oh, god now I’ve got this awful visual.  Make it stop!  Tequila stat!

The Rays are in first place.  So stellar, and only one of their starting players has a batting average over .300.  They are like a team.  Everybody chips in.  In my mind they all like each other too.  I don’t think we really have any bro-mances like other teams though.  We need to work on that.  In a perfect world it would be Longo and Barty.  Girls gotta have dreams.

So the trade deadline looms, and the Rays come up in a lot of discussions.  I know some people love to try and figure it all out.  I guess I just figure it’s out of my hands and I’ll deal with it when it happens.  That being said I can’t imagine how Tigers fans feel today.  Pudge, the face of the franchise got traded to the evil empire!  I know it’s a business, but us girls get attached to these boys, and what did the Tigers get in return?  Kyle Farnsworth, or Farnsworthless as the Yankees Chick calls him.  He definitely has an arm on him, but is that a fair trade?  However he is a great guy to have on your team in case of a brawl.  Yeah, he will f*ck your shit up.  Rays please take note.  No rushing of the mound when Farny is pitching.  Especially on Saturday when LL Cool J is there, Mama said knock you out!

Off day tomorrow, but the boys are coming home.  I’ll leave you with some of the searches that have brought people to my blog lately.  Go Rays!!

why does Matt Garza spit so much
what does Matt Garza spit
Kirk Cameron side burns
BJ Upton girlfriend
what does Clay Bucholz have around his neck
Todd Kalas strapping lad

If you are what you say you are, a superstar, have no fear, the crowd is here…

Matt Garza is a bonafide superstar.  He pitched his first shut out tonight against the Blue Jays.  Tampa 3 – Toronto 0.  He out pitched Roy Halladay, for the second time.  I know I’ve said it before but, he’s bad-ass.  He really picked up Rays fans tonight.  Seriously, how many of you thought the Rays would beat Halladay for the third time this year??  This was a huge win, and we have Mr. Garza to thank for that.   I wonder if this guy would like to rethink this post?

One thing though, do you think Matt ever accidentally spits on his living room floor at home?  Dude spits a ton.

Erik Hinske showed some of his superstar moves tonight too.  He hit one out in the 3rd inning, but he wasn’t really sure if it was out, so he booked it around the bases, doing his best Ichiro impression.  It was later ruled over the fence, but it provided some comic relief for the dugout.

There was one other guy proving he is a superstar.  Longo hit a much needed triple in the 8th, driving in two runs.  He just never seems like a rookie out there.  He has amazing presence.  He defense is as awesome as his ability at the plate.  I love to watch him play, and not in a crazy stalker kind of way either.  You just have to appreciate him, he’s the man!  Rays Index has a great new shirt for all you chicks who dig the Longo ball.  I’m hoping they offer it in blue someday too.  I’m just not the pink hat/shirt kind of girl!

Thanks for letting me gush tonight.  This game seemed like another turning point for the Rays.  Let’s hope they can win the series tomorrow.  Go Rays!!

Night of missed opportunities, eh.

Boys, when your peeps get on base, it’s nothing to be afraid of.  Just bring them home.  Maybe you should treat it like a video game.  If you get a hit, you chase them around the bases and push them home.  The more guys you push home, the higher your score.  Highest score wins!  RISP is a good thing, don’t dread it.  It doesn’t stand for rabid inmate stalking people, it’s runners in scoring position.  Bring them home!  They just want to go home!

Of course that’s not easy to do against AJ Burnett.  Tampa 1 – Toronto 3.  The Rays missed plenty of opportunities with men on base.  They also missed a chance to move up in the standings, since both the Red Sox and Yankees lost tonight.  The Blue Jays snuck a game closer though.

Let’s hope Matt Garza can outduel Doc Halladay tomorrow.  Meanwhile I think we need to come up with something to get those bats hot again.  Any suggestions??  Something to sleep on.  Go Rays!!

(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Curse of the Batting Practice Shirts!

At midnight following the final spring training game these shirts lost all of their power.  Matter of fact they now have negative power.  So for the love of pete please stop wearing them during the actual games!  They look all right, and I like BJ with his socks showing but…the team is contending for a play-off spot.  Wear your uniforms!  Tampa 1 – Kansas City 6.

Today I was watching the game, well a combination of the game and Nascar (not my choice), at a friend’s house with some people that are more acquaintances than friends.  Gabe Gross was up to bat.  He struck out and I momentarily forgot where I was.  I firmly said “C’mon Gabe, you can’t look at a third strike with a runner on third.”  The group of men all turned at looked at me like I was from a different planet.  Some guys just can’t believe there are girls out there that care about sports.  So they switched it to Nascar, and I retreated to the kitchen where the women were talking about scrap-booking.  Lovely.

Let’s hope they can pick it up tomorrow in Toronto.  Go Rays!!

Rays win 5-3!

It’s raining,
It’s pouring,
The Royals are boring.
Percy hurts my head,
so I’m goin to bed.
Hope they win again in the morning!

Wow, a road win!

I think there are times that a position player should get credit for the save.  Last night when I heard Percival was warming up, my reaction was…Uh Oh they better try to get some insurance runs, because one run isn’t going to cut it for Percy.  Not exactly the feeling you should have when your closer comes in.  Thankfully Carlos Pena did add some insurance runs and saved the day.  Rays win 5-2!

Since it was Friday and the game was later, I’m sure I’m not the only one that was tired.  So I was easily distracted.  For instance, the white dot on top of the Royals hats is weird.  I started to wonder if other teams have this and I just haven’t noticed.  It looks a little like a bird came along and you know left a dot of poo on their hats.  Just sayin.

I also found this chick behind home plate distracting, and I’m not even a dude.  She was wearing a tube top.  Well someone should inform women that when they wear strapless shirts to a baseball game that the seat in front of them blocks the view of their actual shirt and they end up looking like they’re sitting there naked.  Nekkid!  This phenomena is increased if the woman has eye catching tan lines.

Oh yeah, I did actually watch the game. 

E-Jax – Was better.  Had a no hitter going thru five?  He gave up two homeruns but they were of the solo variety, instead of the three-run ones he tends to give up. 
Balfour – Is it possible to get too pumped up?  He did fine, was a little wild.  Does it look like he’s calling the batters bad names under his breath?
Howell – Great as usual, even with bases loaded in a one run game.
Wheeler – Also held the Royals at bay.
Percy – Scary again.  He gave up a homerun.  I have no confidence in him.
Aki – Good game, two hits, his normal great play in the field.
BJ – Had a lazy bones play to start off with that really pissed me off.  Once again he didn’t run a ball out.  He thought it was a base hit, but he was very wrong.  Fail.  He doubled later in the game, but I’m still a little pissed.
CC – Has been pretty terrible.  Far cry from when he used to be known as superman.  I hope it’s just a slump, and he turns it on right when we need him to.  Like soon.
Longo – Solid play all around.  Love him.
Pena – Finally broke out a little last night.  He doubled and hit a much needed two run shot in the 9th.  Oh and he’s always a gold glover.
Clifford – Hit a couple of balls hard, but they only made it to the warning track.  One at bat he looked lost and silly.
Navi – Mr. Consistent lived up to his name once again.
Hinske – Had a hit, but still hasn’t been able to turn it on.  No embarrassing plays in right field though.
Barty – Made a couple of great plays in the field.  When he wasn’t getting hit by pitches he actually hit the ball hard, just right to someone.  Still love him though. 

Good win, since it looks like they are all going to be important from here on out.  It’s going to be a battle for the east!  Let’s hope they can get another win tonight.  Go Rays!!!

Royal Suckdom.

Tampa 2 - Kansas City 4

Royally Good

Gill Meche – He shut down the Rays.  Not that that’s really hard lately, but he never let them in the game.

Jason Bartlett – Welcome back!  Guess he doesn’t want people to miss Zobrist’s bat.  He went 3-3 with a double.  Plus he made a couple of outstanding plays in the field.  Love him, so having him back increases my baseball viewing pleasure exponentially.

Bullpen – Howell, Balfour and Wheeler all pitched scoreless innings in an effort to let the offense join the game.  To bad they didn’t.

Longo – He’s all that and a bag of chips.

Royally Bad

Mr. Garza – He just did not have it today.  He was so off that I’m hoping he’s not hurt.  Of course he got royally jinxed by Staats and Magrane.  They kept going on and on about his pitch count and how he should be able to go deep in the game.  How many innings did he pitch?  Five.  4ER.

Hinske – He had a Dan Uggla all-star kind of performance.  0-4 at the plate.  3 strikeouts.  Two horrendous plays in right field.  Royally Awful is more like it.

Pena – He did get a hit tonight, but he’s still classified as bad.  He’s had way too many chances to drive in runs lately.  Fail.  It’s a good thing he’s so cute or he’d be on my shit list.

Royally not Good

Everyone else.  Aki, CC, BJ, Floyd, Navi.

Let’s hope the Rays can find their strokes and get back on track tomorrow while the Red Sox and Yankees beat on each other.  Go Rays!!

100 down, 62 to go!

The Rays picked up another series win today.  Sure would be great if they could keep doing that. 

Shields was really good again, pitching into the ninth.  He’s been so solid at home.

Two guys that I have love/hate relationships were instrumental in the big win.  Gomes and Zobrist.  Both of these blokes are pretty bad in the field, and then right when you’re ready to kick them to the curb, they come up with a home run in a big situation.  It’s like picking the petals off of a daisy.  I love him, I love him not.

Then there’s Percy.  Who almost blows the save, but then doesn’t.  His record says I should have confidence in him, but I just can’t do it.  Sue me, girls are emotional creatures.

Rays win!  Oakland 3 – Tampa 4.

Party, Party, tomorrow’s the return of Barty!

The team has been in a bit of a funk since he left, so it will be good to have him back.  Also, it’s better for my eyes!

Go Rays!!

Staats and Magrane storm forecasters on sucky pitcher night.

It was the top of the 4th when the Rays announcers predicted a storm and warned the fans.  Even though it was Sonny, baseballs were being left up in the zone.  They warned us that technically the A’s weren’t power surges, but if something didn’t change, severe weather was ahead.  Sure enough a couple of pitches later the storm hit, in the form of a three run home-run.  Take cover.

Sonny pitched seven innings and gave up three runs.  Rays fans accept that, knowing it could have been much worse.  If the offense would stop sprinkling the hits and put more of them together, three runs is chump change.  Then Maddon decides to make it sucky pitcher night.  Has anyone else ever noticed that he does this?  The non-sucky pitchers like Howell, Balfour and sometime Percival seemed to be grouped together.  Maddon used them when he wants to shut down his opponents.  But tonight his thinking was more like this…

Sonnanstine 7IP, 5H, 3ER  3-1 A’s.
Okay great, Sonny made it through seven.  We’re down by two.  I usually only go with the non-sucky pitchers when we have a lead or a tie.  Let’s throw a sucky guy in there and see how he does.  Miller’s been real sucky lately, maybe he’ll try to prove his worth.

Miller walks the first batter of the 8th. 
Shit, he walked the guy.  Next batter is a righty.  Hmmm.  Let’s leave him in.  He has to get better at some point.

Wild pitch, runner moseys on into scoring position.
That was unfortunate.

Suzuki doubles, runner scores.  4-1 A’s
(slapping forehead)When will I ever learn.  He is super sucky against right handers.

Miller walks the next batter.
Wow, he’s got issues.  Now we’re down by even more, with runners on.  Time to take a stroll to the mound.  I’m not wasting one of my non sucky guys.  Bring in Reyes.

The next batter fouls out to Navarro.
Excellent an out.  Seems like it’s been a while.  Maybe I’ll have some time for wine tonight after all.

Reyes walks the next batter to load the bases.
Eureka, the sucky guys are really suckin tonight.  They’re like Hoovers.

The next batter hits a sac fly and the runner scores.  5-1 A’s.
Well at least there are two outs now.  Let’s see if he can get the third.

The next batter singles scoring a run, and Zobrist can’t catch(but the error goes to CC?) so another run scores.  7-1 A’s.
You got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out!

Reyes gets a strike out to end the inning.
About frickin time.

Top of the 9th, 7-1 A’s.
Perfect time to give Hammel some playing time.

Zobrist biffs two balls hit to short, resulting in a run scoring.
Note to self:  add Zobrist to the sucky list.

Go Rays!!