SB Nation User Blog: John 63

Great Piece on E:60

John 63 — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:15:06 -0000

If you didn't catch the E:60 Tampa Bay front office piece on ESPN the Magazine, here it is. The piece is a great interview with owner Stuart Sternberg and interviews with team Prez Matt Silverman and Rays GM Andrew Friedman.

While I was very skeptical of Stu and Co. in 2005, I have to say, "Great job gentlemen!

Today, it's good to be a Rays fan.

E:60- Ball Street - ESPN Video

or copy & paste:

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3554845

Percival = GLUE FACTORY

John 63 — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:08:00 -0000

He gone!

After single handidly trying to wipe out another Rays win last night Manager Joe Maddon saw enough of Percival and of all people Jason Hammel came in to shut down the bases loaded no-out threat to preserve victory.

The two questions that will arise is will Percival be realeased or placed on the DL so he can save face? And, will Dan Wheeler be the new closer?

Everyone has seen enough of Percie and his heroin tough guy antics on the mound. It's time to focus on winning, the guy just hasn't got it anymore. Name him emeritus for the rest of the 2008 season and allow Troy some time in the dugout, just no more games.

Besides that, let's hope the Yanks have thrown in the towel and will allow the Rays a clean sweep in the Bronx to keep the Red Sox out of 1st. And if we have to kick some Yankee ass, as Smith Barney would say, "We earn it." That's just fine by me too..

A Tip of the Hat

John 63 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:29:24 -0000

It was the 1st inning, Navarro puts down a single digit between his legs and shakes his head NO. Did anyone else catch it? Jackson preceded to throw a slider on a fastball called. What's up with that you ask?

I bring this up because just after that happened the Bosox bats went dormant. Tampa Bay has caught onto the Red Sox cheating ways at home. In the 90's in Cleveland cameramen would flash a green light in the CF stands to signal a fastball. I am not saying that Boston may have been cheating by a cameraman picking up signs and signaling the pitches being thrown. I'm saying the damn cheaters were doing it and the Rays caught them as they immediately changed their pitch calling signals.

Alls I gots to say is "CHEATERS" were busted. May the worst, whining, crying fans go straight to hell with the Football equivalent Bill Bellicek. May the Red Sox lose all their games the rest of the way out.

TWO WORDS:

FUCK BOSTON! It's time to kick some Red Sox ASS!

Percival's ready for the glue factory

John 63 — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:41:36 -0000

It's more than apparent Troy Perciaval is going to cost this team more games than he will save. He reminds me of Al Reyes a season ag, started hot, turned to shit.

Release Percival, DFA him, just get rid of him. It's time to set this guy to pasture, he's pitiful at this point. Joe Maddon cannot continue sending this guy to the hill. He's done, goose is cooked, PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!

Get rid of Perciaval NOW!

USA vs. China

John 63 — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:00:13 -0000

If you haven't caught any of the olympic baseball on the tube, here's your chance to watch it online. If you are a Verizon Fios subscriber as I am, you will enjoy the best of quality pictures.

Let me know what you think of watching this if anyone gets to watch the game. Me, I'm a baseball junkie and any baseball is good baseball. There are many inconsistancies or differences of watching this game fed from China compared to watching in the States.

Enjoy! http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=bs1h-bj-sd07-081808-185002

Hamilton #6

John 63 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:31:59 -0000

With Joe Maddon calling for 4 against Josh Hamilton, he becomes only the 6th player in MLB history to be intentionally passed with the bases juiced.

With two outs in the 9th inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 28, 1998, Bonds became only the fifth player in baseball history to be given an intentional walk with the bases loaded. Nap Lajoie (1901), Del Bissonette (1928) and Bill Nicholson (1944) were three others in the 20th Century who received that rare honor; however Abner Dalrymple was the first to receive one in 1881.[31] Bonds finished 8th in the MVP voting.[32]

What was everyone else's reaction to the intentional pass. I was able to discuss this with a few Tribe mates who were in awe over Maddons decision. My take on everyone's opinion was from the movie Top Gun in which Hollywood said to Maverick in their aerial simulation room , "gutsyiest move I've ever seen, man."

As for me watching the game, how did I feel and react? Last night I was biting at my lip, pacing in my recliner, and asking myself, what the hell is Joe doing? Here's what I found: Joe knows stats, Joe knows tendancies, Joe's not afraid to make the bazaar move of the season. This is Joe's team, he manages without fear or hesitation. After cursing the screen screaming, don't walk the winning run to the plate, Wheeler steps in K's Byrd, and I'm sitting back saying, good move Joe, good move.

Winn & Aurilia to Rays?

John 63 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:42:42 -0000

Has anyone heard any word of this?

There is word here in the REAL Bay Area that the Giants just called up Minor League infielder Ryan Rohlinger as a possible precursor to a trade with the Rays. Supposedly the deal would be Randy Winn and Rich Aurilia for prospects...not sure which those would be if it goes through. Still not a done deal obviously...just some chirping going on.

And consider the following:

All teams have been scared away by Bonds' off the field baggage but I do think that if (BIG if!) Bonds shows he can still hit, he'd be worth a look. He wouldn't cost any prospects and if he doesn't work out, you can always just cut him and the Rays would be no worse off than they are now.

The Seasons not over II

John 63 — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:11:16 -0000

The math is simple; if the Rays can lose four games less than the Red Sox over the next 40 games they will almost definitely win the American League East. Yet without Evan Longoria (for the next three weeks) and Carl Crawford can the Rays pull it off?

The math is moreso on the Rays side more than ever. Consider that if the Rays succumb to the Bosox and surrender the A.L. East, they are still almost a shoe in to win the Wild Card. At 25 games above the .500 mark the Rays could play the next 45 games with an 18 - 27 record and still sqeak out a wild card birth.

Assuming the White Sox or Twins win an avg. of 55% of their games the rest of the way (which they have done throughout the season), the best either Central team could do would be to finish tied with the Rays for the W.C.

It is more evident than ever that this Rays team will indeed make the playoffs one way or another.

TICKETS! GET YOUR PLAYOFF TICKETS!

Tampa Bay wins the A.L. East

John 63 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:27:52 -0000

According to the numbers the Tampa Bay Rays finish the season as A.L. Champs. Of course many things can change between now and early Oct. such as Jason Bartlett getting his fingered mangled by a heater or Shawn Riggans manning up and taking one in the chest for the team. Not to make light of the situation but Shawn will be fine, I've seen some devastating football hits to the upper thorax that would have killed the avg. man, but these are fine tuned athletes. Shawn most likely was winded and will have a softball size bruise in the morn'n.

Thank goodness for 15 yr old algebraic guru's. After analyzing the %'s of the Rays, Sox & Yanks, here's what sonny boy showed me as to the final standings of the A.L. East. I knew I reared a good'n:

Tampa Bay 95 - 67

Boston 92 - 70

NY Yanks 87 - 75

The tally was based on the Rays winning 73% of their home games and 45% of their road games. Based on the home / away schedule throughout the rest of the season the Rays will win 17 of their remaining 23 home games and win 13 of their 30 remaining road games. 30 more wins? That I could live with.

The Red Sox actually win only 42% of their road games and are winning 68% of their home games. Boston's split thru the rest of the year will be winning 18 at home and 11 on the road or a total of 29 wins before years end.

The Yanks it would seem would have it the roughest but are 1 game over .500 on the road this season. Regardless, playing 30 road games in which they are basically 50% winners vs. 19 home games which they win 57% of the time makes one get the feeling the Yanks have a tough road to hoe. Out of the Yanks remaining 51 games, according to the % they will win 27 games before years end.

Congrads to Joe Madden, the team, Stuey, and Andie for a job well done.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - Oi, Oi, Oi

John 63 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:26:33 -0000

If everyone here had one reliever to bring out of the pen to get an out, who would it be as of right now?

My post must be 75 words long so I must tell you a joke:

A man and a woman were driving down the road, arguing about
his deplorable infidelity when suddenly the woman reached
over and sliced the man's penis off. Angrily, she tossed
it out the car window.
Driving behind the couple was a man and his 6-year-old
daughter. The little girl was chatting away at her father
when all of a sudden the penis smacked their car windshield,
stuck for a moment, then flew off.

Surprised, the daughter asked her father, 'Daddy, what
the heck was that?'
Shocked, but not wanting to expose his little girl to
anything sexual at such a young age, the father replied,
'It....it was only a bug, Honey.'
The daughter sat with a confused look on her face, and
after a moment said..
'Sure had a big dick, didn't it?'