3 Rays Players picked to Appear in the All-Star Game Next Tuesday
Tampa Bay Rays Starting Pitchers David Price & James Shields & Outfielder Matt Joyce were all selected to the 2011 American League All-Star team yesterday. James Shields (8-5, 2.45 ERA, 17 starts, 14 Quality starts, 127 K’s) was a lock and just as deserving as Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander to be the American League’s All-Star’s Starting Pitcher. But both Shields and Verlander are scheduled to pitch on Sunday, July 10th – 2 days before the All-Star game which is played on Tuesday, July 12th. Major League baseball has a rule that if you pitch 2 days before the All-Star game – that pitcher is not allowed to pitch in the game. David Price was a little bit of a question mark on if he would make it or not. But Price (8-6, 3.43 ERA, 17 starts, 10 QS & 116 K’s) did make it. The guy is absolutely electric and if I could choose any starting pitcher to build my franchise/staff around for the next 10 years…it’s Price.
The biggest surprise to me is Matt Joyce making the All-Star team. Like I said a couple days ago…yes, Joyce is the Rays Offensive MVP for the 1st half…but it is because he had an unreal month of May. Joyce is hitting .300 with 11 homeruns and 40 RBI’s so far in 2011! Really!? A guy on pace for 22 homeruns and 80 RBI’s makes the AL All-Star team?? 80 RBI’s…as an outfielder no less. Look…it’s a bit different if he is a catcher or even a middle infielder….but an outfielder. If anything, at least Ben Zobrist leads the league in doubles (as of Sunday) and can play multiple positions – and one of those is a MI spot…2nd base. And truth is…how do you take Joyce over Paul Konerko? Konerko is hitting .317 with 21 HR’s and 62 RBI’s! And don’t tell me that you have to have 4 reserve outfielders…just for the record, Adrian Gonzalez has played rightfield a few times during interleague play. It is almost embarrassing that Joyce was picked…no – it is. Good for Joyce, but bad for baseball…kind of like Commissioner Bud Selig. Good for him for getting the job…but bad for baseball.
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It’s our Fault as Fans for the Rays Poor Home Record!
The Tampa Bay Rays are exactly halfway to the finish line (81 games played) and they are 45-36, 9 games over .500. Seriously – how are that at this point? They are 19-20 at HOME, but 26-16 on the Road. Yeah – 10 games over .500 on the Road. How? When? Where? Why?
The First thing I would say the reason for the better record on the road…it is always more fun and motivational to play in front of fans. Many times, the Rays will say they have drawn 18,000+, when actually they are lucky if there are 10,000 people in the building – and that includes the staff and the players. So I blame us, the fans first and foremost for the Rays poor home record. Look, I played soccer at a professional level…and the fans do matter. I was an energy guy and I can’t even explain how much the fans helped. If I was playing for a team that struggled to draw at home – it was almost deflating if we would only draw a couple thousand fans. And then you go play in towns where they are drawing between 8k & 12k fans…totally awesome atmosphere – even if it was hostile. Oh yeah, by the way, on the Road, they play in front of an average crowd of almost 26,000. Hmmmm – you gotta think the Rays LOVE going to Boston & New York to play. And despite the lack of loyalty of the community, they are still sitting only a couple games out of the AL East’s Division lead.
We should be embarrassed as a community that one of the top teams in Major League Baseball is sitting in our backyards and we sit 2nd from the bottom in Home (more…)
Rays All-Star Vote Update
Major League Baseball released their most recent count of All-Star voting today and unless there are tons of Tampa Bay Rays fans out there that are going to stuff the ballot, the Rays will not have 1 field player among the All-Stars this year. Usually Evan Longoria is a gimme, but he has struggled most of the 2011 season and trails Alex Rodriguez in the vote for starting 3rd Baseman by 1.25 million votes. And when you go around the diamond, there really isn’t any Rays that are deserving to be an All-Star – EXCEPT for whoever toes the rubber every night. I’m sure most of you out there (assuming you are a Rays fan while reading this) think Matt Joyce is deserving with his .312 batting average and 10 homers and 36 RBI’s. But, unfortunately, that gets you an atta boy. Yes, Joyce did CARRY this team through the month of May & that is an understatement, but a 1 month hot streak does not get you in the All Star game.
And then there is Ben Zobrist who plays every position on the field, heck he is probably the Head Athletic Trainer AND the Team Doctor. He probably is the most versatile player in the Majors, but versatility will not get you to the Mid Summer Classic either. Zobrist is hitting .268 with 9 homers and 38 RBI’s – but unfortunately for him and the Rays – I think he did all of that in a doubleheader earlier in the year. BJ Upton is hitting .218, nuff said there.
Now what is more embarrassing…that Johnny Damon is 5th in the DH voting (how sad are the DH’s in the AL if JD is the 5th best DH) or that Jorge Posada is in 3rd…pick your poison. Pretty much if you voted for either of these 2, your All-Star voting license should be suspended for life. Major League Baseball should research anyone’s email address that voted for Damon and/or Posada and they should eliminate them from the system!
Like I have been saying since I took over this blog a long time ago (what was it…Saturday or Sunday) – it is absolutely incredible that Rays Manager Joe Maddon has this team at 40-33. Seriously – 1 word – HOW?????
Obviously Starting Pitcher James Shields is on the team and if the report that came out today is true that Justin Verlander will not pitch in the All-Star game – then Shields may be the starter. Shields may have deserved it anyway, but Verlander is the most dominant pitcher in baseball right now and he threw a no-hitter in the 1st half. And truth be told, Shields is just as well deserving. James has 13 quality starts in his 15 starts, a record of 7-4 with a 2.40 ERA, 108 K’s and just about a 5:1 K:BB ratio. Oh yea- and 5 complete games. Yes – you read that right FIVE!!! That just doesn’t happen before the All-Star break anymore unless your name is Doc and you pitch of the Philadelphia Phillies. Just filthy. And unless Jeremy Hellickson or David Price throw back to back Complete Game Shutouts…Shields will be the only Rays representative for this year’s All-Star game in Arizona. Kyle Farnsworth may get a look, but it is just doubtful to me that he gets in.
Here is the American League All-Star Balloting as of June 21st, 2011
CATCHER
Russell Martin, Yankees: 2,226,797
Alex Avila, Tigers: 1,730,511
Joe Mauer, Twins: 1,341,474
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Red Sox: 1,135,617
Yorvit Torrealba, Rangers: 980,697
FIRST BASE
Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox: 3,017,960
Mark Teixeira, Yankees: 2,407,665
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: 1,771,893
Mitch Moreland, Rangers: 890,468
Paul Konerko, White Sox: 676,194
SECOND BASE
Robinson Cano, Yankees: 3,664,498
Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox: 2,239,172
Ian Kinsler, Rangers: 1,452,880
Orlando Cabrera, Indians: 910,941
Ben Zobrist, Rays: 828,771
THIRD BASE
Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: 2,876,537
Adrian Beltre, Rangers: 2,307,380
Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox: 2,025,438
Evan Longoria, Rays: 1,639,405
Brandon Inge, Tigers: 490,734
SHORTSTOP
Derek Jeter, Yankees: 2,654,040
Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians: 2,242,157
Elvis Andrus, Rangers: 1,513,929
Jhonny Peralta, Tigers: 875,371
Marco Scutaro, Red Sox: 813,888
DESIGNATED HITTER
David Ortiz, Red Sox: 3,116,578
Michael Young, Rangers: 1,760,195
Jorge Posada, Yankees: 1,120,830
Victor Martinez, Tigers: 932,711
Johnny Damon, Rays: 864,535
OUTFIELD
Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: 4,156,940
Curtis Granderson, Yankees: 3,473,227
Josh Hamilton, Rangers: 2,400,408
Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox: 2,249,323
Carl Crawford, Red Sox: 1,789,097
Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners: 1,537,101
Nelson Cruz, Rangers: 1,462,426
Nick Swisher, Yankees: 1,271,843
Brett Gardner, Yankees: 1,120,179
J.D. Drew, Red Sox: 1,112,720
Matt Joyce, Rays: 1,038,098
Jeff Francoeur, Royals: 906,983
Grady Sizemore, Indians: 867,281
David Murphy, Rangers: 785,630
Shin-Soo Choo, Indians: 764,817
So, Mr. Shields, have a blast at your 1st All-Star game appearance…and if you need someone to work your video recorder for you so you can take everything in – I AM THERE for ya man!!
Manny is Key to the Tampa Bay Rays Offense
The Tampa Bay Rays lost several key players during the last offseason. Tough. That’s life for a small market team. However, this is still a team that can compete. They still have Evan Longoria, BJ Upton, and Ben Zobrist- but in my opinion the key to this offense is going to be Manny Ramirez. Why? Because if the Manny we’re used to seeing is driving the baseball, he’s going to provide outstanding protection for Evan Longoria. If Manny is even close to the player he was (25-90), this offense is going to be better for it. If he struggles, has no pop- why in the heck would anyone consider pitching to Longoria? Make sense? I mean I’m sure Zobrist is going to be fine. I’m not an Upton guy, so as long as he’s hitting somewhere other than lead off, I’m fine. But to contend in this division, the Rays need some pop. I hate to say it falls on Manny’s shoulders- but if he goes…this offense will go. If he struggles…this offense could very well struggle.
Tampa Bay Rays “rally” to win 9-8
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The Tampa Bay Rays came away from Friday night’s game with a win but a win which looked a lot more probable after the first inning than it did in the 9th inning. Tampa Bay jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first and led 7-1 after they pounded Toronto Blue Jays starter Brett Cecil for 7 earned runs and chased him from the game after 54 pitches in just two innings. Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upron both hit home runs for the Rays. That is Upton’s 4th home run in his last five games. That’s a good thing because quite frankly as inconsistent as the Rays are playing right now, Tampa needs each and every run they can muster.
After leading the Blue Jays 8-1 after the top of the 4th inning, the Rays allowed the Blue Jays right back into the game. Shields departed after 5 innings allowing 4 runs, Randy Choke, I mean Choate gave up two earned runs and before you know it, the game is tied 8-8 heading into the 9th inning.
Tampa managed to win the game without a hit. Three straight walks and a bobbled throw allow Sean Rodriguez to score from third. Soriano entered in the bottom of the 9th to collect his 41st save. He is now one away from tying the all-time save record for the Rays.
As scary a win as it was for the Tampa Bay Rays, it was a beneficial win as well. Never mind it was a Friday night win, it was a win which was coupled with a New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox loss so the Rays picked up ground in both the division race as well as the wildcard race.
Today’s pitching matchup features Wade Davis (11-9 4.39) going up against Rickey Romero (12-8 3.51) If you would have told me prior to the All-Star break that in September Davis would be one of the most consistent pitchers on the Rays staff, I would have said consistently bad. However, Davis has not lost an outing since losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 27th. Davis is 6-0 with a 3.97 ERA in his last 9 starts.
I’ll take the win, however ugly. They all can’t be masterpieces. But you’d think that the team which has the best road record in major league baseball could be playing a little better. The Rays starters during this road trip have posted a ERA of 7.88 and have only one quality start.
