HER RAYS!

This morning on MSN.com, Fox Sports had one of the lead stories.  The hottest men in baseball.  Nice morning present right?  You would think but this particular piece only brought total confusion.

It is quite possibly the worst list I have ever seen.  If they were talking about good guys who do a lot for their charities, then it shouldn’t be called the hottest guys in MLB.  So why is this list so bad?  Because not only do they pick guys who are not hot, they miss so many obvious choices.

Think about all the hot baseball players out there.  It is freaking hard to narrow that down to a top ten.  Fox Sports got three maybe four, if we’re being generous, that would be in the top fifty.  Some speculate that the list was created by a guy.

All female fans have their favorites and tastes do differ.  I’m sure many a blogger has covered this aspect at one point or another.  I know Those Girls even have a podcast in which they pick all-star line-ups based on adorableness.  Good stuff, except for that AJ Pierzynski pick, but tastes do differ.

So let’s review the Fox Sports list.
Bronson Arroyo- not a bad guy to put on your top 50 list near the bottom, but top ten?  When he’s not in uniform he looks like a member of Nickelback, not that there’s anything wrong with that.  However he made a choice in the past that should prohibit him from being on any such list, ever.

Now that’s a bad hair day.

Jose Reyes – Many people would put him on this list.  He’s cute.  I don’t think he’s top ten material, but I get that some ladies would.

Marco Scutaro - Again he is definitely cute, and great at baseball, but top ten?  He has also been disqualified based on photographic evidence of severe creepiness.

Matt Kemp- Another good looking guy that I was surprised would make top ten.

Grady Sizemore – This one they got right.  9 out of 10 women would put him in their top ten.

Robinson Cano- What?!  Not even Yankees fans think Cano is hot.

David Wright- Extra credit.  He’s a no brainer, and even cuter in person.

Ichiro- Really?  I don’t see it.  He can fit in Frank Thomas’s pocket.  Aki is way hotter than him if they were trying to represent the Asian population.

Barry Zito – Now I know somebody is smoking something, and probably with Barry.  He doesn’t do it for this girl.

Jimmy Rollins – Another decent choice, but he has teammates that I think are hotter than he is.

In conclusion the Fox list is terrible.  Since I can’t do worse I will bring you my Hottest Men in Baseball list tomorrow.  (actually later today since it is after midnight now)  Hopefully the Rays will win and this will all just be gravy.

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!!

Triples and homeruns aren’t usually Gross, but today they are!

Holy cow I can’t believe the Rays won with this line-up, but they did dramatically and they win the series.  Final score Chicago 3 – Tampa 4.  Some thoughts from the game:

BJ gets picked off once again.  Just make him stand on the base already.  He hit a triple shortly after that and the whole time I’m hoping he doesn’t get picked off third!

Pena finally came through in a big situation and drove in a run.

It was interesting how they walked BJ later in the game to get to Pena.  Worked like a charm. 

Riggy had a good day with two hits.

Normally 3 earned runs for Sonny would be great, but today it could have been a whole lot worse.  There were times that it looked like Raymond could have hit a double off of him.

Ball-four looked anything but, and Reyes was pretty sharp.

Good time to put Crawford back in the game, he made a diving catch to rob Nick the ventriloquist doll Swisher of a hit.

But then Crawford came up to bat and grounded out to the CATCHER.  Seriously.

Howell was amazing today.  He had a runner on third, only one out and he kept the Rays in the game.

The hero du jour was Gabe Gross.  He knocked in 3 of the Rays 4 runs with a triple and a walk-off homerun.  Superb outing Mr. Gross.

So the Rays take the series and have a terrific home-stand.  Now they head to Boston for a big test.  C’mon boys keep the wild ride going!  Go Rays!!

Great Scott What a Memorable Memorial Day!

The great Mr. Hinske once said “We’re just havin fun and ridin the wave.”  So are your fans sir, so are your fans.  The Rays took the first game of the series from the Rangers tonight.  Texas 3 – Tampa 7.

Scott Kazmir was phenomenal.  He pitched seven innings and struck out ten.  He only gave up three hits and one run.  He just kept sitting them down.

The Rays offense on the other hand annoyed the Rangers pitchers all night.  They scored seven runs, but they also left 15 on base. 

The horns annoyed me all night!  It was like kids learning to play the trombone.  I’m getting a tick in my eye just thinking about it.

Bottom 1st – Aki walks, but CC hits into a fielders choice.  BJ basehit followed by Pena base hit scores Crawford.  0-1 Rays.

Bottom 4th – Bartlett bunted out.  Aki base hit to left.  CC ground out but moves Aki over.  BJ hits another base hit.  Aki scores.  0-2 Rays.

Bottom 5th – Clifford had an infield single.  You had to see it to believe it.  Navi walked.  Hinske hits a three run shot!  This is where you pump your fist and say YES!  0-5 Rays.

Top 6th – They actually got to Kazmir a little bit.  A single, double and sac fly later it’s 1-5 Rays.  Two nice plays this inning.  One great catch by our resident superhero Crawford, and a nice throw down to third by Navi to get the little bugger trying to steal.

Bottom 6th – Longo basehit.  Love him.  Navi doubles and Longo scores from first.  1-6 Rays.

Bottom 7th – Bartlett and Aki walk.  CC hits one of his yucky choppers, but beats out the double play.  BJ hits a sac fly to make it 1-7 Rays.

Reyes got them in order in the eighth.

Glover in the 9th.  No comment.  He is the only player that routinely gives me flash backs to last year.  Okay I guess that’s a comment.  He promptly gives up a double and a homerun.  WTF?  Is he on the hotseat with Willie Randolph now?   3-7 Rays.  Miller came in to save the day, and the Rays now have the best record in baseball.  Did you hear that…the best.  Unbelievable.

Let’s hope the Rays can keep ridin the wave tomorrow.  Go Rays!!

Side note – A nice way to remember our troops is to pick up a flat rate box at the post office.  I usually grab an $8 one.  You can fill it with whatever you want.  I filled it with candy last time because it’s cheap and fun.  Then you can go to anysoldier.com and pick a soldier to send it to.  It’s a little thing, but it goes a long way to showing that we care. 

Not on TV!!!

This is a game I wish I could have seen!  Even if it was a bit like batting practice for the Rays.  What do Staats and Magrane do on these nights?  They wouldn’t want to miss the Commodores.

Evan Longoria is way hotter than Eva.  The fact that I’m not a switch hitter might have something to do with it but…  Evan hit two homeruns tonight.  In the first two innings.  Love him.  He drove in six runs.  Six.  That’s hot!

The super cool BJ Upton went 4 for 4 with two doubles.  Smooth.

Pena was rockin too.  Was he just a homerun shy of the cycle?

Can’t comment on any of the defensive plays, because the freakin game wasn’t on TV!

E. Jackson finally gets a win.  Although he pitched five innings and gave up three runs.  I’m going to venture a guess that he was struggling with control.  I’m not a professional, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Howell did good in relief once again.

Glover did not good in relief once again.

Reyes finished it.  Oh and the Rays won big.  Baltimore 4 – Tampa 11!

Hope they saved some bat power for a sweep tomorrow!  Go Rays!!

Walk this way….

The Rays lost another tough one today in the bottom of the ninth.  Tampa 4 – St. Louis 5.  So they couldn’t take advantage of this series and they are now one game behind Boston.  That’s not a very uplifting sentence, is it.  I guess it’s such a bummer because the Cardinals didn’t beat the Rays the Rays did.  They walked nine Cardinal batters.  NINE. 

Maybe the pitchers didn’t feel comfortable in their practice jerseys.  Why were they wearing those? 

Jackson actually had a pretty good day.  He worked himself out of trouble several times.  When he left the game in the 6th the Cardinals didn’t have any runs, although he was charged with one earned run later.

The Rays scored in the second when Longo doubled, and then Hinske doubled to bring him in.  One minor detail though, Hinske was thrown out trying to stretch that to a double, which sucks because Navi doubled too and Hinske would have scored.  Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda!

Longo looked kinda humorous when he lost a fly ball in the sun.  Still love him though, even if that really called for another Alex Rodriguez comparison.  Did I tell you guys that I saw Alex at Clearwater Beach last weekend.  He walked right by me.  Seriously.

The Rays scored again in the third when Aki Locked and Loaded doubled, Crawford moved him over to 3rd and BJ doubled him home.  2-0 Rays.

Top of 5th – Zobrist doubles, steals third and then scores on the over throw.  His wife is really cute too.  3-0 Rays.

Bottom of 5th – Jackson had a couple of walks, but worked through a bases loaded jam. 

Top of 6th – Jackson has a couple more walks.  Then gets a fly out.  Howell in relief walks another.  Bases loaded.  Base hit scores one.  3-1 Rays.  Bases still loaded.  Big strike out.  Then in steps Albert Pujols, but he grounds out to the pitcher.  Major catastrophe avoided right there.

In the bottom of the 7th Wheeler came in and gave up a first pitch homerun!  To Ludwick!  The same guy who hit the walk-off homerun last night.  Oy Vey.  3-2 Rays.

Top 8th – Carl Crawford goes yard.  Groovy.  4-2 Rays.

Bottom 8th – Wheeler comes back in and walks one.  Miller comes in and walks one.  Sac bunt moves runners.  Base hit scores 2.  Tie ball game folks.  Reyes gets a nice out on Pujols.  Intentional walk Ludwick.  Unintentional walk.  Bases loaded.  Duncan flied out.  Ugh, another catastrophe avoided.

Bottom 9th – I can’t even imagine the comments on the message boards when Glover comes in to pitch the ninth.  He walks the first batter.  Again not recommended.  Strikes out the pitcher trying to bunt.  Base hit that Longo makes a great stop on.  1st and 2nd one out.  Fly ball deep to left, Carl can’t make the play.  Ballgame.   Glover not a closer, shocker.

Okay time for the boys to regroup.  I think someone already mentioned this but it’s kind of cool that we even worry about losing two games now.  Let’s hope they can get back to winning series.  Go Rays!!

Oh my gosh is this ever ugly.  The game is not even over yet, but I’m bailing.  The starters are out and they’ve thrown in the white sock.

Niemann didn’t seem to have much control so he had a short night.  Bartlett had a rough time AGAIN.  What is up?  I declared my love for him.  He is so much better than Rays shortstops of the past.  So why is he doing this to me?  Al Reyes needs to take him out on the town, then maybe he’ll relax a little.  He’s still getting to more balls but he needs to step and throw not just wing it.   I don’t even want to talk about the double play he hit into with bases loaded and only one out.  Fugly.

Thankfully Gomes drove in a couple of runs so they didn’t get bageled.

Tomorrow is another day.  Go Rays!!

I couldn’t make it home until about 9pm tonight and I didn’t have it in me to rewind the game to the beginning.  I had a vague idea of what was going on because every where you go in Florida there are Yankees fans.  So I’d heard about multiple homeruns, yada yada.  Why do I want to go back and put myself through that.

Sounds like Sonny had a night to forget right from the beginning.  He must not have been breathing through the right eyelid or something.  Damon and Rodriguez each hit one out in the first inning.  Then in the second Morgan Ensberg sends one to the seats in left.  Morgan Ensberg!  He looks like a tax accountant not a baseball player, and I’m pretty sure he should be an easy out.  After four more runs in the fourth Sonny’s done.

So I sit down to 7-2 Yankees, just in time to see BJ get thrown out at third.  I’m not entirely sure he was out, but he’s got some seriously bad base running karma going on right now.  Maybe he should play it a little safer for a while.

Cut to the bottom of the seventh where things get real interesting.  Aki flies out.  Carl Crawford 2 run shot!  Pena hit by pitch. (possibly on the end of the bat?), BJ Upton 2 run shot!  Longoria hits his first homerun, to tie it up!  Cool! 7-7  Hinske grounds out and Riggy strikes out to end the party.

Top of the 8th, things are rolling along.  Reyes gets the first two outs, then Robinson Cano comes in to pinch hit and totally rains on our hit parade, homering to right.  Dag-nab-it.  I had a feeling that might be the end and that was before they brought in Rivera. 

I guess this is what you call a positive loss.  Yankees 8 – Rays 7.  Some would argue that a loss is a loss but the Rays showed some spark tonight.  Doh!mann was impressive and kept the game from getting really ugly by fending the Yanks off for 3.2 innings.  Reyes took another loss, but Glover did a great job getting A-Rod out in the clutch.  The offense got going.  Carl Crawford cranked it up for 3 RBI.  BJ, Longoria and Hinkse hit well too.  It would be great to see more of that.

One negative thought – This batting order gives me the heeby geebies: Riggans, Haynes, Bartlett, and Aki.

C’mon EdWIN, get them back to .500!

Well I came in late, just as the O’s were making it 5-2.  So I really didn’t get to see how Shields did.  From reading the recap the game sounds a little sloppy to that point.  Evidently only two of those runs were earned.

Some thoughts on the part of the game I did watch.

Miller got a huge out on Huff and Puff with the bases loaded.
Congrats to Carl Crawford.  1000 hits. 
Carlos Pena is not only tall, dark and handsome but he can crank a baseball!  What more could you ask for in a man?
Al Reyes is in to pitch?  WTF?  Isn’t he hungover?  Doesn’t a taser take something out of you?  Why didn’t he get grounded?
Nathan Haynes had 3 hits.  Way to totally confuse the right field situation.
Everyone wanted in on the action in the bottom of the eighth to take a commanding lead.
Percival slammed the door shut.

Big Win!  Baltimore 5, Tampa 10!!

Longoria and Niemann are coming to join in on the fun this weekend.  Go Rays!

First Rays Index blames the Rays lack of success on New Kids on the Block, now Al Reyes gets arrested on the same night as Vanilla Ice??  The Rays need a new theme song by a hot new artist.  Stat.  Any suggestions??

I like this one.