Rays Index

Something Bizarre Is Going On In The Rays Dugout Tonight

Cork Gaines — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:36:34 +0000

This is the best Rays video-bomb ever.

We think this is Fernando Rodney. But he is not the only one. It looks like Stephen Vogt (?) has joined him in the madness….

Tailgating With The Rays: Is Jose Molina A Liability Behind The Plate?

Cork Gaines — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:39:33 +0000

This post, which will appear before every game, will include starting lineups (when we learn them) and during the game will include a Game Graph that will constantly update the percent chance the Rays have of winning this particular game.

Game Graph…

[Will be up at game time]

Playing A Little Pepper…

Jose Molina is hitting .181 with a .234 OBP and let’s face it, his defense hasn’t been great. He has 3 passed balls (although that number probably should be 6 or 7) and has only thrown out 3 of 13 base stealers. Is there any chance the Rays keep Chris Gimenez when Jose Lobaton comes back?

It is certainly possibly but (...)
Read the rest of Tailgating With The Rays: Is Jose Molina A Liability Behind The Plate? (125 words)

© The Professor for Rays Index, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Tailgate

Rays Acquire Infielder From Pirates

Cork Gaines — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:11:10 +0000

The Rays announced today that they have acquired Drew Sutton from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later or cash. Sutton was traded to the Pirates from the Braves yesterday, where he was in triple-A.

Sutton was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in 2004 when Gerry Hunsicker was the GM.

With triple-A Geinnett, Sutton was hitting .270 with a .374 OBP in 38 games, playing mostly third base.

Sutton has spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Reds, Indians, and Red Sox (2011) and can play all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots. He has hit .258 with three home runs in the majors.

Can Hideki Matsui Hit Lefties?

Cork Gaines — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:25:51 +0000

The simple answer is “yes.” And that is why many people believe Hideki Matsui will likely be called up this week. But like many things, it’s not that simple.

Here’s a look Matsui’s career splits…

That is about as even as it ever gets for a left-handed batter. And in fact, in 2011, Matsui was better against lefties (.795 OPS) than righties (.654).

But let’s break it down a little further and look at his year-by-year Weighted On Base Average (like OPS but better. On a similar scale as OBP)…

Matsui’s wOBA versus right-handed pitchers is very consistent as we would expect (wOBA tends to be a better indicator of how a player will perform in the future because it tends to be more consistent from year-to-year for most batters). But if we look at his year-by-year wOBA versus lefties, we see a different picture, with his wOBA fluctuating anywhere from a weak .283 (in 2006) and an incredible .412 (in 2005). That is a big swing for wOBA.

So which Matsui will we see with the Rays? We know Matsui can hit lefties. But there have also been entire seasons in which he was dominated by lefties. With both Evan Longoria and Desmond Jennings on the disabled list, the Rays are hoping Matsui’s stock versus lefties is up this season.

Here’s The ‘Stars N Stripes’ Cap The Rays Will Wear On Memorial Day

Cork Gaines — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:45:10 +0000

As has become tradition, Major League Baseball and New Era will ~~profit off of~~ honor soldiers and veterans with special caps to be worn on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

This year’s version is lacking in both Stars and Stripes. We are not sure if that is an improvement or not.

Here’s the Rays’ version…

This Weekend’s Games Included A Bow Tie, A Smiling DP, And A Sign In The Booth

Cork Gaines — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:30:58 +0000

The Rays lost 2 of 3 to the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. But as usual there were still plenty of fun/interesting/funny sights. Here are the highlights you won see on SportsCenter (via SunSports and Fox Sports South)…

Sam Fuld looking sharp in his bow tie

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 31

Rays May Add A Big Bat This Week

Cork Gaines — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:00:10 +0000

The Rays made no promises to Hideki Matsui about calling him up to the big leagues. But after just six games in triple-A, the Rays have apparently seen all they need to see.

According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Matsui “seems likely” to be promoted to the Rays some time this week, possibly for the weekend series in Boston.

Matsui is 3-21 with a double, a walk, and five strikeouts for Durham.

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Sean’s Glove, Being Shut Down, And Another Injury

Cork Gaines — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:30:47 +0000

The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.

Braves 2, RAYS 0 (boxscore)

THE GOOD: Sean Rodriguez. When did Rodriguez morph into a gold glove third baseman? He made another stellar defensive plate yesterday, diving into foul territory to rob a would-be double and make a strong throw to first which was dug by Carlos Pena, who has always been a gold glove first baseman…David Price. It was not his best outing, allowing multiple baserunners in 3 of his 7 innings. But he did hold the Braves to 2 runs (1 earned) striking out 7.

THE BAD: Shut Down and Out. Despite the Rays missing a number of key bats at different points this season, yesterday marked the first time the Rays were shutout this season, and only the second time they scored less than 2 runs. And it was worse than that. The Rays didn’t get their first baserunner until the 4th inning (who was then caught stealing). They then left the bases loaded in the 6th and left a runner in scoring position with less than 2 outs in the 7th. But the worst came in the 8th when it looked like Luke Scott had a shot a single through the right side with the bases loaded that would have tied the game. Only the ball hit Carlos Pena in the foot ending the threat (although it should be noted that Dan Uggla was going to make a diving attempt on the ball as he was shifted over).

THE TELLING: Sam Fuld spent the game in the broadcast booth discussing advanced baseball stats with Dewayne Staats and Brian Anderson…The Rays still trail the Orioles by 2 games and are 2 games in front of the Blue Jays…Jose Molina, who has been taking a beating behind the plate this season, was pulled from the game after being hit by another foul tip. Stephen Vogt replaced Molina, who is not expected to miss much, if any, time.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

Check the below to see a couple of funny clips from yesterday’s game.
Now Jeff Keppinger is injured after being hit in the foot by a foul ball while sitting in the dugout. He was in a walking boot on Sunday. [TampaBay.com]
Joe Maddon’s theme for the next road trip will be (...)
Read the rest of [THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Sean’s Glove, Being Shut Down, And Another Injury (248 words)

© The Professor for Rays Index, 2012. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: The Hangover

Postgame Shot Of Joe: Carlos Pena Needs A Few Days Off

Joe Rays Fan — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:31:01 +0000

Joe is back with his post-game thoughts…

Sometimes, Joe has to doff his cap to the other guy. That “Other Guy” today was Braves hurler Tim Hudson. The guy was a simple Bulldog, keeping the Rays off the scoreboard as the Rays suffered their first shutout this season.

Of course, the way Carlos Pena has been playing, and played today, surely didn’t help. Pena is in a terrible slump at the plate, and judging by his play in the field and on the basepaths, Pena is in dire need of a short-vacation.

Pena hasn’t been playing his normal solid defense lately and today he dropped a ball. Sure, Will Rhymes got a throwing error on the play, but Pena still had his glove on the ball and didn’t secure it.

Pena’s bumbling baserunning in the eighth inning was simply inexcusable. With the bases loaded and two outs down by two runs, Wolverine blasted what appeared to be a potential game-tying two-run RBI single. Pena initially watched the ball come toward him near second base, then instead of trying to dodge the ball, began looking at second base and got hit by the ball for the third out.

Now if Pena was trying to shield the ball from Braves second baseman Dan Uggla, Joe could live with that. But Pena wasn’t even looking at the ball. That’s a Little League stunt.

Yes, Joe knows the Rays are razor-thin thanks to so many injuries. But it’s clear to Joe that Pena is in dire need of a couple of days off.

One Year Ago On Rays Index

Cork Gaines — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:00:33 +0000

One year ago on Rays Index we learned that the Rays had designated Dan Johnson for assignment. He would eventually clear waivers and accept an assignment to triple-A, and the Rays narrowly avoided a disaster.

Dan Johnson Designated For Assignment; Ruggiano Promoted [Rays Index]