HER RAYS!

I picked up the Rays game at the point where they had bases loaded and no outs.  We all know how that ended, and the night just kept getting better and better.  I’ve now witnessed three of these freaking games in like a years time and you know what gets me?  The Rays are good now.  The DEVIL RAYS sucked and they didn’t put me through this.  WTF!

You know how when you’re young and you did something stupid and you had to face your parents and you expected them to go off but instead they just gave you that disappointed look and the silent treatment and somehow that was so much worse than them yelling and screaming.  Yeah that’s where I’m at with the Rays.  I don’t want to be mad anymore.  I’m just sad and disappointed.

I’m really hoping they get hot again and we can forget all of this silly losing and being no hit and stuff.  I really hope they get to a point that a 1 run lead doesn’t seem insurmountable! 

I honestly don’t know what to say.  I guess I’ll just congratulate Edwin Jackson and state for the record that Brignac needs to be back, in the lineup that is.  Oh and an atta boy to Jeff Niemann. 

This totally disappointed fan is going to bed now muttering all the way “three, three friggan no hit sh*t, f*ck, d*mn.”  Go Rays…

A popular trend among female baseball bloggers is to chose a player who performed well as their boyfriend of the game.

Well let me just tell you that tonight I would be a ho.  How could I chose just one boy on a night like this?

Jeff Niemann was brilliant.  He pitched a two hit shutout.  In other words, he did it all by himself.

Carlos Pena hit TWO home runs, to the tune of FIVE RBIs.  Plus he really needed that.  He even got a curtain call!

BJ was back in the lead-off spot and he owned it.  He was on base four times. 

Oh and don’t forget Longo who quietly went three for five and drove in two.  He has 46 RBIs on the 8th of June.  Dude.

So how is a girl supposed to be faithful to one?  Yeah it’s not happening.  I love them all.  Especially when they beat the Jays like that.

I do have one question about tonight though.  Why is the clean-up hitter bunting with two men on???

Things were pretty hot this weekend.

The weather was hot both here and in Texas.

The players were hot, and not just in temperature if you know what I mean.  The Rays are always hot, but I also appreciate the Texas Rangers.  Many girls go for the likes of Ian Kinsler, but I fancy myself some Michael Young.  I like to see the Rays beat the Rangers, but I feel like everybody wins when these teams face off.  Besides Mr. Garza got a haircut and the thing on his chin has been tamed, so he’s back in the hot column.

Rays fans were hot.  After their team imploded on Friday, you would have thought the sky was falling.  Then Saturday happened adding fuel to the fire.  Thank goodness one game can calm down a fan base and Sunday’s four hour battle to get a win achieved just that.

The offense was hot.  Well some of them were, and only on Sunday but it’s something right.  Imagine for a moment if every Rays player in the line-up were to get hot simultaneously?  Scorching!  The stuff that dreams are made of.

Speaking of the stuff that dreams are made of, John Jaso is the stuff that wet dreams are made of.  Boys I’m looking at you too.

Off day today and then it’s back to work for the Rays because the Blue Jays are coming to town and they’re not letting up.

Rays pitching seems to be struggling against aggressive teams.  Let’s hope they rethink the strategy a bit.  The big solid oak tree Niemann is up, so let’s see how he weathers the storm.

Today is also the start of the draft.  Let’s hope they draft somebody hot.  In this case hot can also be defined as good at baseball.

Stay cool my friends.  Go Rays!

A win is a win right?  Last night I didn’t post anything because frankly it was one of those games where I just didn’t want to talk about it.  Tonight’s game didn’t feel much better.  Niemann wasn’t great but, it was like a study of opposites as far as hitting goes.  The Jays were striking the ball hard and far, while the Rays were pretty much stinking up the joint, again.

Then in the seventh they started picking away at Toronto’s lead.  I’m not really sure why they took Tallet out, but it worked for the Rays.

The way they have been playing lately, I still didn’t have oodles of confidence that a win was in their future.  Enter Kevin Gregg.  He made quick work of BJ Upton, but then the wheels fell off.  He walked Carl, who stole second immediately.  He had Carl picked off but threw the ball into center field, so Crawford took third.  Gregg then walked Longo.  We’ll skip the Pena at bat because it was shitty all around.  He got out and so did Maddon.  So there are two outs.  I didn’t have a lot of hope, but Gregg was the gift that keeps on giving.  He walked Jaso, and then walked in a run with Benny.  Bases loaded for Sean Rodriguez.  I still didn’t have hope, but Sean came up big!  A double in the gap scored three.  The Rays took the lead.  Whoa.

Slowriano came in and saved the day.  A win is a win right? 

A couple of thoughts on the game…

It’s nice to see BJ in the lead-off spot again, let’s hope it sets him off.
Navi had a pretty good night.  Credit where credit is due.
Balfour scared the crap out of me.  Rodriguez sure saved his butt.
Briggy had a tad of a rough game.  He did have an RBI double, but he looked pretty bad in his other at bats.  He has a  bit of Vladdy in him.  He doesn’ t meet too many pitches he doesn’t like.  I still love him even if he had an error in the bottom of the ninth that caused me and many others serious stress.

A win is a win right?  Put this one in the books and let’s hope the Rays can be more convincing tomorrow.  Go Rays!

Jeff Niemann, the big solid oak tree, brought the Rays back to the winners circle.  He had a couple of walks in the second that scared the bejesus out of me, but he got out of it and only really made one mistake all night.  I’m telling you the dude is solid.  Embrace him people.

Carl Crawford soothed the whole fan base with his first inning home run.  This was really good considering it wasn’t until the fifth that the Rays could get anything going again and it was Carl who drove in that run too.

Remember when everyone was choosing between Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac?  I was happy when Sean got hit by a pitch tonight, because he didn’t seem hurt and that actually put him on base.  Reid on the other hand I want in the line-up every day.  Sean did get lucky on a gutsy/dumb play taking third base, and he eventually scored.  This doesn’t really change how I feel about him vs. BJ.  As painful as it is to watch BJ at bat right now, I would much rather see him in center field.  Besides offensively they’re about the same.

I have the same problem with Pena.  He is the master at first base.  Does his defense make up for his sucking at the plate?

Longo homered in the sixth.  I cheered and then found myself wondering if he really manscapes.  Ugh. 

Hank Blalock drove in some much needed insurance runs.  I have more warm fuzzies for him than Burrell.

Choate gave up a hit, but Wheeler saved the day.

See they just needed to change their Sox.  Let’s hope David Price can find his groove again tomorrow.  Go Rays!

The Rays lost tonight.  I know right?  I’m not really sure how to feel about it.  I am aware that they are not going to win every game this season, but it still kind of sucks.  Mostly because the game seemed to be right there within their reach. 

Both teams played solid.  Bannister shut down the Rays and Niemann was doing the same to the Royals.  The defense was superb tonight.  Pena was lobbying for his gold glove award.

Since the Rays haven’t lost in a while, let’s nitpick.
Jeff Niemann was visibly fatigued in the seventh inning.  He walked the first batter.  Tough call, but I might have went to the bullpen there.  He did end up giving up the tying run, but also got a ground ball double play which Longo handled with ease.  I was shocked to see him come back out in the eighth.  Of course he walked the first batter.  He and Choate were able to get out of the inning, so I guess that shows you why I’m not the manager.

Sean Rodriguez grounded into a double play in the 8th.  Where was Briggy?  He’s hot.  Where is the respect for the hot streak.  That’s probably why Jaso was off too, his buddy Reid didn’t have his back.  

Soriano did not have it today.  He kept hitting the bats.  Let’s not make a habit of THAT.

The offense tried to pull it out but came up just short.  Like one foot short.  Dagnabit.

Oh well, you win some, you lose some.  Let’s have some more wins.  Go Rays!

Because the Rays are having a good time there.

They started the game with small ball.  Barty doubles, and Carl moves him to third with a sac bunt.  Zobrist puts it in play and Barty scores. 1-0 good guys.

Niemann goes to work and shuts them down.  He’s like a big oak tree.  He’s not flashy, he’s just solid.  I wanna give him a big bear hug.

Jason Bartlett likes John Lackey’s pitching.  He gets on again in the third.  Carl gets a base hit too.  Ben Zobrist walked twice, but actually struck out.  Yeah, try and figure that one out.  It’s alright Longo makes them pay with a two run double.  3-0 Rays.  Pena walks and then BJ strokes one to center.  Welcome back Benjamin Jackson!  6-0 Rays, good times.

In the 4th Reid Brignac doubles.  I think he should play everyday folks.  What’s he going to do stike out against lefties?  I’m sorry, that wasn’t nice.  Navi moves him over and then the unstoppable Bartlett hits a triple sending Lackey to the showers early.  Carl Crawford hits a sac fly off the replacement pitcher and the Rays are up 8-0.

I gotta be honest.  At this point I have faith that the Rays can pull this one out, and I have to get some work done.  I did keep the game on in the background though.  I saw Pat the Bat think he was fast, and I saw the Hermida homerun, and I saw the final outcome.  Rays win!

I hope they have this much fun in Chicago.  Do we get Brian Anderson again?  He increases my viewing pleasure exponentially.  Go Rays!

The Tampa Bay Rays 2009 season is now in the books, and it is quite a collection of stories. 

Beloved main characters were lost.  Rocco Baldelli defected to enemy territory.  Jonny Gomes found success in a different city, and Scott Kazmir headed to LA to try to become a star.

The team’s story got off to a slow start in April but it picked up the next month.  Different facets did well at different times.  At times the offense was at the forefront.  Other times the pitching was masterful.  Even the bullpen had its moments.  However, the team never seemed to put it all together for any length of time.  This underlying theme is present throughout the 2009 story.

There were many subplots involving individual characters this year, some are joyous and others heartbreaking.  First there were the stories of the five all-stars.

Jason Bartlett had an amazing season at the plate.  He increased his power and got on base routinely, all while playing a not too shabby shortstop.  Plus I shared an elevator with his wife and son, and let’s just say he is a very lucky man.

Ben Zobrist decided to show the baseball world that he’s got this game figured out and he’s not going anywhere.

Evan Longoria started out blazing hot, and eventually cooled.  It’s obvious he has the talent to be an MVP in the future though.

Carlos Pena’s story is hard to classify.  Is it fantasy, he did hit 39 homeruns and didn’t even play the last month of the season.  Or is it tragedy, because he only hit about that many singles and he snapped two fingers?

Carl Crawford’s guide to a great year in left field is a best seller.  Hopefully we’ll get to read the sequel next year.

Jeff Niemann also quietly put together a great rookie campaign.  Let’s hope he can build on it next year.

Then there were the few, the tired, and the weary.  James Shields and Matt Garza didn’t have bad seasons they just were not nearly as sharp.  Let’s hope they get some much needed rest and come back strong next spring.

Now on to the sad stories…

BJ Upton’s was perhaps the saddest of them all.  This kid has enough talent to carry this team if he can find a way to put it all together.  It was very hard to watch him struggle.  I only hope we can watch his epic comeback next season.

Navi also struggled.  That is putting it mildly.  Only he can write the next part of his story.  I hope he puts in the work.

Pat Burrell’s got some ’splaining to do.  I would prefer he does it with his bat in about six months time.  If he can’t, I hope to see his butt on the bench and Willy Aybar’s cracking bat in the line-up.

The most painful story of the Rays season by far was of course the collapse of the bullpen.  It actually caused this blogger to seek therapy in college football, while watching the Rays with my hands over my eyes.

The coaching is hard to summarize.  My personal review is that Mr. Maddon is loyal to a fault, and it hurt this team this year.  It aided to the fact that the team never put it all together.  I understand wanting to encourage guys and show them support, but if it is at the expense of the team??  BJ Upton was left in the lead off spot for way too long.  Andy Sonnanstine was given way too many chances.  Pat Burrell was put in the line-up consistently and never proved that he deserved to be there.  Several relief pitchers were marched out there time and time again even during their own personal suckfests.  This is only my opinion, but I really feel that it hurt the team this season.

The most puzzling story is the one where the hitting coach is let go and the pitching coach stays??

Remember even though this season is in the books there are many exciting stories to look forward to next season.  Young kids who could save the world.  Okay, I might be getting a little dramatic now…

As for Her Rays, this season mirrored the team’s.  After an epic rookie year that was very exciting, this blogger suffered a bit of a let down this year.  Real life seemed to get in the way a little more, and as a result the performance lacked.  I still had a great time, and I have the Rays to thank for that.

I’m not sure what the future will hold for this blog.  Either I will work really hard this off-season and make the team out of spring training or I might be designated for assignment.  Thank you to those of you who stopped by.  I appreciate it.  A special thanks to those of you who were nice.  Yes, I found out these internets can be a cruel place.  Oh, and a very special thanks to the Professor at Rays Index for all of your support.

Have a happy off-season.  If I’m not here in the spring, you can find me at a Rays game.  Go Rays!

Yesterday I realized something.  Even though I haven’t been that interested in the Rays, they only have three games left this season.  Three games before they are out of our lives for the winter.  Knowing how much I will miss those guys, I decided to appreciate them for the final weekend.

The Rays definitely didn’t live up to their potential this season, but a couple of guys have had great years and they deserve some kudos.  Yes I’m lookin at you Zobrist, Bartlett, Crawford and Niemann. 

So I went out to support the team and man was I ever rewarded.  BJ Upton hit for the cycle!  The first Rays player to ever hit for the cycle.  He had a great game and it was great to see.  Yes I was one of the many fans who wondered if BJ would have found his stroke earlier in the season if the ending would have been written differently. 

Here’s hoping they have a great weekend.  Enjoy them, two more times.  Maybe they can collect some magic for next year.  Go Rays!

Jeff Niemann needs to channel his inner Red Forman.

Grant Balfour – “Jeff, I’m really sorry man.  How about I take you out to dinner?”

Jeff Niemann – “How about I put my foot in your ass!”