SB Nation User Blog: Orlando Rays

Hedo is a hot commodity, at least to the fans

Orlando Rays — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:06:14 -0000

Hedo is a hot commodity, at least to the fans

According to an ESPN poll, with over 78,000 respondants as of this moment, 39% prefer to sign Hedo Turkoglu as a free agent. Lamar Odom is second, at 29%. Hedo took all but three states (CA, ND, WV).

Thanks

Orlando Rays — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:40:24 -0000

Thanks

I'm sorry I took so long with this. I went to Wednesday's game. It was a great experience. GABP is an excellent facility, and the fans (where I was sitting anyway) were very friendly. Having been there now, I really like GABP. It truly is what an open-air baseball park should be.

One last thing: is anybody else baffled by how Jonny Gomes is being used?

Don't Quit

Orlando Rays — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:47:13 -0000

So, it seems that we're spending the day wallowing in our pity at the 3-1 deficit.

I know, I feel the same way too.

I don't profess to call myself a gigantic basketball fan, but I have always and unequivocally been an Orlando Magic fan. From the beginning when just about all we had was the occasional record assist night by Scott Skiles or record 3-point night by Dennis Scott; to the glory days of Shaq, Penny Hardaway and Horace Grant; to the heart-and-hustle period where we were led by little more than Darrell Armstrong; to the struggles with Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis and Grant Hill; to the modern era of good times with Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson.

This team has come a long way since we were dumped "for an extra $1 million" by Shaq in 1996. We overcome the odds on a franchise level, on a seasonal level and on a game-to-game level. We go from no center to the greatest center currently playing. We go from threats to move away in the late 1990s to a new arena after next season. We go from terrible to spectacular with just a few lucky breaks.

No matter what happens from this point forward, there is nothing but good in the Orlando Magic's future, and I have no doubt in my mind that, come what may, we will be back here in the Finals next year.

Then again, this season--and this series--isn't over yet, no matter what the pundits are saying.

The team can recover from this. Just because a Finals recovery from a 3-1 hole hasn't been done, doesn't mean it can't be done. All it takes is a new gameplan, and a simple mindset:

"Don't let us win this game."

Rays fan coming to Great American

Orlando Rays — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:23:40 -0000

Hey guys. I like to find situations where I can go out to ballparks whenever I can. I've managed to get to three outside of Florida thus far (Turner, RFK, PNC).

Next week I've decided to come up from my timeshare in northern Georgia and make the trip up to Cincinnati for a Reds game. I already have made arrangements, and will be up in the View boxes, section 423 to the left of home plate next Wednesday night.

I just have the general questions: What should I see/do/eat at the park, and around Cincy if I have the time (besides the Underground Railroad Museum, which I have already been told about ad nauseum)? Not too much, I'm only gonna be in town Wednesday, have plans to do Churchill Downs on the way back down to Georgia on Thursday.

Too bad it doesn't mention Dwight.

Orlando Rays — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:55:58 -0000

Too bad it doesn't mention Dwight.

Quick! Sign Tom Glavine!

Orlando Rays — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:03:47 -0000

Quick! Sign Tom Glavine!

The Braves just outrighted him despite 11 shutout innings in his major league rehab assignment.

He's only due $1m if he makes the bigs.

Peaches on The Jim Rome Show!

Orlando Rays — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:10:06 -0000

Peaches on The Jim Rome Show!

Mickael Pietrus will be on The Jim Rome Show during its second hour (the 1pm hour), I think the first segment, I'll update if I find out for sure.

740 the Game in Orlando, 620 WDAE in Tampa

We don't care who we play. They don't put the opponent on my championship ring.

Orlando Rays — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:59:31 -0000

We don't care who we play. They don't put the opponent on my championship ring.

This quote by Derek Fisher. Keep up the disrespect...

20th anniversary of Schmidt's retirement

Orlando Rays — Sat, 30 May 2009 03:02:14 -0000

"To have his body, I'd trade him mine and my wife's, and I'd throw in some cash."

-Pete Rose, about Mike Schmidt

I am honestly surprised nobody has written anything about this.

I came by today to see about adding my thoughts about the retirement 20 years ago today of one Michael Jack Schmidt, but nobody wrote anything, much to my surprise. Or maybe not. I only found out because they just showed it in the "MLB Remembers" segment on MLB Network.

Mike Schmidt was arguably the greatest slugger to put on a Phillies uniform, and perhaps one of the finest in all baseball history. He hit 548 home runs in his 18 seasons in the big leagues. Although his career batting average was .267, his career OPS was .908, leading the NL 5 times, twice over 1.000. He drove in 1,595 runs (32nd all-time for RBI), and was also 15th all-time with 108 sacrifice flies, and 11th all time with 201 intentional walks. He led the NL 8 times in home runs, and is still 13th all-time.

At the time of his retirement, he was hitting .203 in 42 games in 1989. After going 0-for-3 with 2 walks on May 28, he threw in the towel on May 29 in an emotional locker room speech, eventually ending the press conference because he was crying too much to go on. Interestingly enough, he was still elected to the All-Star Game, but he held firm on his retirement, participating in the starting lineups but not playing.

He was elected into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1995.

AJ's flagrant-1 rescinded

Orlando Rays — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:03:38 -0000

Today, the NBA ruled on the "elbow" applied to Mo Williams by Anthony Johnson. In the game, it was originally ruled a flagrant-2, but was reduced to a flagrant-1.

Mo argued that it was definitely a cheap shot, and should be raised to a 2.

The NBA disagreed. This just came in from Fox Sports Radio. They ruled it wasn't even a foul, and rescinded the flagrant altogether.

That's one less thing to worry about.