HER RAYS!

Is it my fault? 

I wanted the Rays to find a way to get Aybar’s bat in the line-up, and Pat the Bat got a kink in the neck.
I wanted Price to be brought up, and Kazmir got hurt.
I wanted Percy gone, and now he is.
I wanted Zobrist to get more playing time, and Aki got the Tom Brady treatment.
I’ve always wanted to see Brignac in action, and now Barty is gone.  Barty.  Excuse me while I wipe the tears off my face.

Yes I’m aware that the world doesn’t revolve around me, but just in case here are some other things I want.

The Rays starting pitching to find their groove.  Price is so good that when Kazmir comes back all fixed the Rays will have a tough decision between Niemann and Sonny for the 5th spot.
Navi becomes a doubles machine again.
Brignac fills in so nicely that when Barty returns and keeps putting up insane numbers, Reid slides over and becomes the starting second baseman.
Longo goes on a tear again.
Pat comes back with a hot bat.
CC keeps stealing bags and scoring runs.
BJ gets it going on offense.  Making the Rays 1 thru 4 pretty unstoppable.
Zobrist and Gross keep the magic alive, sending Kapler packing.
The bullpen isn’t orthodox, but they hold and save games.

Wow that would be like winning the lottery.  Kind of like last year.  C’mon Rays!

Oh and I also want them to get the hell out of Cleveland, where they are obviously cursed.

This weekend was filled with all kinds of drama for the Rays.  I was planning on writing about losing Kazmir and Aki and gaining Price, Brignac and Thayer.  That was before the bullpen shit the bed tonight.  They gave up 6 runs with two outs in the bottom of the 9th.  The way that felt to watch I don’t know how they don’t fire somebody.

It was 10-4 at the beginning of the 9th.  Brignac did have an unfortunate error, but the sizable lead should have been enough to cover that.  Balfour and Isringhausen should be hiding in shame somewhere.  I understand that the strike zone was pretty tight, but who flippin cares.  With a seven run lead just don’t walk anyone.  Make them hit it!  Balfour did have a couple guys on when he came in so his meatball turned into 3 runs, but even after that the Rays were still ahead by two with two outs.  How do you excuse that?  Balfour walks the next batter.  In comes Isringhausen, who promptly walks three more batters.  Three!  Why was he still pitching after that?  Did Maddon just figure he had to do better at some point.  Did he scream after this game?  I did.

All weekend I was feeling pretty good about the Rays.  The offense has been rockin, and Price was here to pitch, but with a bullpen like we saw tonight times are gonna be tough my friends.

This is a sucky way to go to bed at night for sure.  I hope the Rays can shake it off and Garza can give them yet another boost.  Okay I’ll give them a weak… Go Rays.

As a Rays fan I am overcome with a variety of emotions this year.  There is still a part of me that is amazed and thrilled that the Rays can and do repeatedly beat teams the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox.  Then there is the part that knows how good this team should be and gets frustrated with their lack of wins.

This weekend was a perfect example.  Saturday the Rays whooped the Red Sox 14-5, but on Sunday they beat themselves.  That game made me grouchy.

Matt Garza pitched great again.  His line said he gave up three runs, but I beg to differ.  Aybar should have made that throw home, and someone should have caught the pop up to right.  Who’s to blame there?  Should Zobrist call him off, or should Aki catch it since he seemed to be right under it!  Two free runs.
Why does Pena need a day off the day before a day off?  Sure he’s been having a tough time against Beckett, but aren’t you messing with the flow of things?  As Joe Morgan said “He plays first base, all he does is catch the ball.”  He’s the king of unintentional comedy.

Either way this is something the Rays need to avoid at all costs, since it makes me want to vomit.  Not to mention ugliest cleats ever.

Alright boys time to go on a winning extravaganza.  Go Rays!

First the disclaimer.  Remember where you’re at.  This is a female fan’s perspective.  It is not always rational or spot on like Rays Index.  It will not appeal to your mathematical side with pretty graphs like DRaysBay.  Nor will it remain eternally optimistic ala Mr. Chalk.  The reason being, girls rely way more on their emotions.

You see viewing pleasure weighs heavily into how a female fan feels about her team.  If a player is attractive and fun to watch then he gets our vote.  Some would say “Well, that’s stupid.”  To these people I would point out two things.  First stupid is a mean word.  Second we don’t go on looks and entertainment value alone, we actually want our team to win games.  However the players ability directly effects his attractiveness.

Example 1 - Matt Garza is pretty attractive.  He’s got a great smile and a rockin body.  However after game seven of the ALCS, where he was the MVP for his awesomeness, he went from pretty attractive to super hot.

Example 2 – Robert Pattison is quite hot, but what if he trotted out there daily for the Rays and his OBP was nill?  His negative baseball ability would suck the hotness from him, and while we’d wish him well, we’d call for his replacement.  Maybe Ian Somerhalder?

Now you know how my twisted mind works.  Those Girls explain it better and they even have stats to correlate.

So how do I feel about the Rays this season?  Well to tell you the truth it feels a little odd.  Normally at this time of year I am uber-optimistic.  Really believing that they can do better than 97 losses.  Then last year they won more than 97 games.  They went to the world freakin series.  Yet when I look at the team on paper, it looks even better this year? Don’t know about you, but my mind is not sure how to deal with that.

Outfield
With any luck the Rays should have a healthy Carl Crawford and BJ Upton shortly after the season starts.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  I’m also very excited that Matt Joyce got a spot on the roster.  Because of the formula above I’m hoping he can do well enough to boot one of the Gabe’s when BJ returns.  The way Ben Zobrist swung the bat last year improved his value so I’m sure he’ll be in the picture too.  I love Perez, so I’m hoping he can make it back by the dog days of summer if they need him.

Infield
The Rays have a great infield.  Longo is Mike Schmidt like.  Which is cool, unless he decides to grow the porn star mustache.  Barty is superb on so many levels.  Did anyone else like him in the lead-off spot?  Aki is back, and although he’s no Mark DeRosa, he was obviously the best looking guy on the Japanese WBC team.  That’s something.  Then there’s Mr. Carlos Pena.  He’s as pretty on the inside as he is on the outside, and he happens to be really good at baseball.  That folks is a win-win-win.

DH
I don’t really have a read on the new DH.  He’s supposedly a machine, so he shouldn’t break down.  I’m excited to see how he can help the Rays.  Cliff Floyd’s personality endeared him to me.  I’m hoping Pat’s bat endears him to me.

Catchers
Navi and Riggy.  What’s not to love.  If Navi can continue to improve every year that would be phenomenal.  Plus Riggy is the perfect back-up.  He’s so cute that he doesn’t have to be awesome, and when he is it’s like the cherry on top of your day.

Pitchers
This is where I get a little worried.  Don’t get me wrong these guys can pitch.  I’m just worried about them staying healthy.  Although the Rays have a better back-up plan than most teams.  Ever heard of Wade Davis or David Price?  That’s quite a back-up plan.  I’ll be following them at Watching Durham Bulls.  So who should be the fifth starter when the season starts?  If you go by my highly scientific theories it should be Jason Hammel.  He is way more attractive than Jeff Niemann.  Plus his Mom is a HerRays reader.  Major bonus points.  Besides I think Niemann is better trade bait.

The Bullpen
I just hope they can be more like 2008 than 2007.  This is the one area where I could care less what a player looks like.  At this point in the game my sanity is much more important.  Of course if the Rays could find a closer that looked like CJ Wilson and pitched like Mariano Rivera I would not object.  Plus there would be many nights I would go to sleep with a smile on my face.

All of that to say I’m totally geeked about the start of the season.  Go Rays!  Too bad Monday’s game is during the day.  I could use some brown liquor to help me deal with this…

A lot has happened in the Rays world since my last post.

Injuries – Two of my favorite outfielders had set backs.  Just when BJ was finally getting started on his comeback, he got hit by a pitch.  Infuriating.  He should have charged the mound, but he shouldn’t really be throwing punches in his current state.  Maybe he could have kicked him.
Then Perez got the news that his wrist is more damaged than they thought.  He’ll be out for while.  Yes, I’m making my pouty face.
At least Matt Joyce is on the comeback trail and Carl Crawford is looking good.

WBC – The game last night featured some Rays action.  Aki hit a big triple.  JP Howell pitched a scoreless inning, getting Aki to fly out.  Longo even got an at bat.  Plus watching the game made me really appreciate Joe Maddon.  I rarely yell at the TV when Maddon’s managing.  Last night my neighbors were probably wondering who pissed me off.

In person – Last Friday I caught up with the Rays live, when they played the BlueJays.  It was a beautiful day and the Rays brought a pretty good line-up.  The most exciting part by far was I got to see Mr. Garza pitch.  For some reason last season I was on the Edwin Jackson rotation, so I was very glad to see someone else.

Garza looked very relaxed as he got his work in.  He wasn’t stellar, but he never let anything get out of hand.

Jason Bartlett looked great.  He started the game 0-2, but battled back to draw the walk.  He also looks bigger up close.

Carl Crawford hit a homerun his first time up, and he looked downright speedy when he was in the game.  Navi also looked speedy, and Mr. Pena looked very handsome  solid.  A BlueJays fan in front of me was bummed when he got out, she was hoping he would make it to third so she could look at him for a while.  My kind of fan.

Gabe 2.0 (Kapler) made a great catch in center.  Morgan Ensberg hit better, but he’s no Longo, especially in the field.  Ray Sadler played right field and he was super nice.  He came over and signed a bunch of balls for a bunch of kids who had no idea who he was.  Elliot Johnson was super cute.  Can we keep him?

Everything was moving along just fine.  I’m not sure if Garza got to a certain pitch count or if Maddon just thought he was done, but they decided to bring in Niemann to get the final out of the inning.

That’s when the sucking started.  He sucked at pitching, and I sucked down the beers.  Ya gotta love spring training!  Go Rays!

Nothing better than blowin off work and spending the day at the ballpark.  I’ll be seeing the Rays later this month, but today I got to check out Team USA as they took on the BlueJays.  I had a great time, since it was almost like going to an all-star game.  Plus as a bonus I got to see JP Howell pitch a scoreless inning, complete with pimp walk off the field.

He started out with two strikeouts.  Then he got bored and gave up a couple of hits, but he recovered and got a fly ball to end the inning.  JP representing.

I won’t bore you with my pictures since they all have that netting in them, and most of them are players from the back.  There is one that’s kind of odd though…

It was funny, these two and David Wright spent most of the game on the top step of the dugout, just shootin the breeze.  It was driving their fans crazy.  I think they really wanted them to hate each other.  I just wanted to know what they were talking about?  How Pedroia got time off from his reality show Jockies?

Some other HerRays observations from the day…
Ted Lilly is good at baseball.
Chipper Jones is a big dude.
Adam Dunn is ginormous, and a better first baseman than Kevin Millar.
Jimmy Rollins is little, but he has big range.
I didn’t see the Hawaiian fly?
Derek Jeter is captain America.  No really, he’s the Michael Jordon of baseball.
Mark DeRosa is kinda hot.  I like Aki and all, but maybe we could make a trade.
Curtis Granderson looks bigger in person, and man is he built for speed.
Barry Larkin looks like he could still play some good ball.

It’s quite a team.  Hopefully they can put it together and do well in the tournament.  In the meantime, now I’m really excited to see the Rays.  It’s baseball season people!

Because that was exhausting!  The post season is supposed to be all about pitching right?  Not last night.  It was like a study in opposites compared to the first game.

Kazmir had a painful start, giving up two runs in the first.  Not the tone the Rays wanted to set, but you can’t count the Rays out that early in the game.

In the bottom of the 1st.  Pena doubled and the Longo hit a two run homerun to get right back into it.  That was huge against Beckett.  Longo looked more like himself.  Could have been the pep talk he got from Maddon, or maybe my idea worked.  IBT* squad to the rescue.

Both pitchers got through the 2nd inning.  Then Kazmir gives up a homerun to Pedroia.  Ugh.  3-2 Boston.

In the bottom of the 3rd BJ homers right back to tie it.  Longo doubles and Crawford singles to score him.  This game is officially wacked at this point.  4-3 Rays.

Floyd hits a bomb to center in the 4th inning.  5-3 Rays.  Rock on!

Top of the 5th.  Kazmir gives up another homerun to Pedroia.  Two homeruns to mighty mouse!  Yes, I yelled at the TV.  Then he follows that up with another long ball to Youkilis.  Aaaaagh!  Maddon’s seen enough.  Balfour is in.  He promptly serves one up to Jason Bay!  Can no pitcher hold the game tonight?!  Balfour even walked the next two, and JP had to come in to end the inning.  6-5 Boston.  Dammit.

Bottom 5th.  Upton walks and then steals 2nd.  Pena singles and BJ scores.  Unfreakingbelievable.  Tie game.  Longo doubles and scores Pena.  7-6 Rays.  Pitching smitching.  CC singles and scores Longo.  8-6 Rays.  Can they keep it that way?

Top of 6th.  Howell walks Pedroia.  Maddon comes to the mound and says “focus dude, if you only do one thing for me today, strike this mofo out!”  JP strikes out Ortiz.  Bradford comes in and gives up a single to score that pesky Pedroia.  Just like that, the lead is cut to one.

The pitchers actually hold in the seventh.  Totally amazing at this point.

Top of the 8th.  Pedroia singles off of Bradford.  The kid is everywhere, it seems like he’s up to bat every inning.  Miller comes in and walks the only guy he’s asked to get out, Ortiz.  Maybe Maddon should have given him the focus speech.  Wheeler comes in and gets Youkilis to ground into a double play!  Sweet, except now Pedroia is on third.  Then came the wild pitch that was heard around the world.  Pedroia scores.  Tie game, again.  I can’t handle much more of this.

Wheeler actually did a great job except for that wild pitch.  He pitched the Rays into the 11th inning, where he was rescued by Mr. Price.  Price came in with one out and a man on first.  He walked Drew, but then regained his composure and got out of the inning.  You know he had to be so nervous.  Great job chosen one.

Bottom of the 11th.  The Rays face Mike Timlin.  Navi walks and Perez comes in to run for him.  Zobrist walked.  Barty had a timely chopper down to third and moved the runners over.  They walked Aki, and the bases were loaded with one out.  BJ hits a short sac fly to right.  No problem for Speedy McSpeedster, Perez scores.  Rays win!  Rays win game two!

In this case 9>8!  Go Rays!

Get some rest today people.

*itty bitty titty

The Rays beat the White Sox
to go ahead two and O
they had Kazmir on the rocks
but he said screw this and started to mow

Carlos scratched his eye like a dingleberry
good thing Willy is the super sub
and Navi is no hairy fairy
more like and RBI machine for this club

Aki wanted a turn as hero
so he planted one in the seats
Balfour thinks he’s DeNiro
confident he can take out anyone he meets

JP Howell is the man
and it’s nice to have Crawford back
BJ got a triple cuz he really ran
time to cut him some slack

I personally love the Woonsocket Rocket
he could make me sin
what’s next on the docket
Garza awesomeness and another win!

Go Rays!!!

Don’t worry Orioles, they’ll be back next year…

This blogger can hold a grudge, and yesterday’s game will not be forgotten.  The Orioles were trying to break the Rays.  You’d think they would sorta be happy for the Rays, but I guess they don’t like be in the cellar.

They blatantly tried to mess up our infield, and maybe even our centerfielder.  Longo was hit by a pitch, in the stomach?  Barty was hit twice in this game alone.  That’s just bullshit.  Then they tackled Aki on the basepath.  These boys are crucial to this team.  Why wasn’t anybody else pissed off?  It looked like they threw at BJ too. 

Yes I realize there is a good chance that their pitchers just suck and have no aim, but the hitting of Barty every other time he comes to bat is very suspicious, and chick Rays fans love him and will not stand for this.

Anyway I’m glad the Rays just blew them off and didn’t risk any suspensions, but I would have wholeheartedly approved throwing Talbot or Niemann in there to plunk some O’s.  All I kept thinking about was that scene in Wedding Crashers where Vince Vaughn gets shot in the butt when quail hunting.  That would be a nice way to take down an Orioles pitcher, bird hunting. 

Okay enough anger.  The Rays magic number is one, and they have won 96 games now!  Groovy.  I’m trying to hold in my excitement, especially since they face the Tigers rookie who can actually pitch tomorrow.  Just one more guys.  Go Rays!! 

Oh and yay Twins! 

Bleck!!?!!

What is the deal with the Rays and Mike Mussina?  He owns them.  The whole time I was watching the game all I could think about was Mussina as Henry Rowengartner and the Rays as Heddo,  “Henry, he can’t hit your fastball”.  Ugh it was not pretty, and the umpire was not helping.  Aki looked at so many pitches I was honestly wondering if something was wrong with him.

Then the umpire went and pissed off the ever volatile Matt Garza.  First he was pissed because Jeter should have been out by a mile at second but the play was biffed.  Can you imagine how freakin pissed he would have been  if he played for the Rays last year and had to deal with that defense?  Look out.  Then he struck out Alex Rodriguez but didn’t get the call and ended up walking him.  That kinda pissed me off and I’m a pretty reasonable chick. 

I think Matt had reason to be pissed off, and he’s super entertaining that way, but when he get angry he gives away the game.  Maybe he needs a little refresher with that baseball guru.

BJ made a stellar catch at the wall in dead center.  So proud.

So here’s a question.  I know Hinske should have looked at the third base coach when rounding second, but if Hinske is safe with a triple shouldn’t Aybar be safe at home?  They never really showed it at an angle so that you could see Willy and if he could have scored.

Okay we should just chalk that one up to losing to their ace, but I sorta feel like the Rays beat themselves.  So let’s hope they come out tonight and stick it to those Yanks.  If they don’t, I’m going to blame the Professor and his many Yankees are roadkill comments.    I know they have basically no chance to make the playoffs but I’d really like to see the Rays put them away.  Go Rays!!