SB Nation User Blog: Patrick L. Kennedy

7/18: TOR (47-48) at RAYS (55-39)

Patrick L. Kennedy — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:15:36 -0000

Toronto at RAYS

7:10; RAYS TV/IONRAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

ERA

K/9

BB/9

K/BB

HR/9

OPS

WHIP

G/F

P/IP

TOR

RH A. Burnett

127.0

4.96

8.93

4.04

2.21

0.78

.743

1.46

1.52

16.74

RAYS

RH J. Shields

122.1

3.83

108

7.36

1.62

4.55

0.96

.697

1.15

1.19

14.70

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/18-7/20: Toronto Blue Jays

Patrick L. Kennedy — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:26:56 -0000

Toronto at RAYS

Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg, FL
July 18th-20th

2008 Park Factor: 0.810; 3 Year (06-08) Park Factor: 0.915

Friday: 7:10, RAYS TV/ION

ERA

K/9

BB/9

K/BB

HR/9

OPS

WHIP

G/F

P/IP

TOR

RH A. Burnett

127.0

4.96

8.93

4.04

2.21

0.78

.743

1.46

1.52

16.74

RAYS

RH J. Shields

122.1

3.83

108

7.36

1.62

4.55

0.96

.697

1.15

1.19

14.70

Saturday: 6:10, NO TV

ERA

K/9

BB/9

K/BB

HR/9

OPS

WHIP

G/F

P/IP

TOR

RH R. Halladay

146.1

2.71

151

7.44

1.29

5.76

0.62

.604

1.00

2.26

14.02

RAYS

RH M. Garza

102.1

3.96

104

6.07

2.90

2.09

0.97

.688

1.27

1.06

16.40

Sunday: 1:40, FSN Florida

ERA

K/9

BB/9

K/BB

HR/9

OPS

WHIP

G/F

P/IP

TOR

LH J. Parrish

13.0

2.77

147

4.85

2.77

1.75

0.00

.650

1.08

0.68

15.69

RAYS

LH S. Kazmir

83.0

3.04

136

9.87

3.36

2.94

0.87

.662

1.17

0.65

17.48

All Games Broadcast on RAYS RADIO/1250 AM WHNZ

Poll

How many games do the Rays win in this series?

6/13: RAYS (55-38) at CLE (40-53)

Patrick L. Kennedy — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:43:56 -0000

RAYS at Cleveland

1:05; ION/RAYS TVRAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

ERA

K/9

BB/9

K/BB

HR/9

OPS

WHIP

G/F

P/IP

RAYS

LH S. Kazmir

77.0

2.69

153

9.82

3.39

2.90

0.70

.634

1.13

0.75

17.49

CLE

LH J. Sowers

40.1

7.81

4.02

2.68

1.50

2.23

1.016

1.86

1.28

17.60

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/13: News & Notes

Patrick L. Kennedy — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:08:52 -0000

CF B.J. Upton rode the bench Saturday night as the Rays dropped their sixth straight. Upton, however, has been in a prolonged slump that might be attributable to a "mechanical flaw" noticed by the Rays coaching staff yesterday. He should be back in the starting lineup today, hopefully with the flaw corrected.

Meanwhile, LF Carl Crawford will most likely see his turn on the bench for this afternoon's series wrap-up game in Cleveland. Crawford has not recorded a hit in his past 25 at bats, the latest disappointing stretch in a poor year.

So what is the cause of Crawford's slump? It surely isn't his mortifyingly undisciplined approach at the plate. No, the cause of his latest struggle is his start in center field on Monday:

Crawford said his problems are physical, the result of making an unexpected, and unwanted, start in centerfield Monday. He said he agitated his left hamstring trying to make a play on a ball over his head, and it has made him uncomfortable at the plate since, unable to set up properly or get any drive off his back leg.

I can respect the possibility that a physical injury might hamper his performance at the plate. That is entirely realistic. When you don't have a strong footing at the plate, you cannot gain the leverage necessary to handle the bat with strength.

However Crawford's continual harping on having to make one start in center field is obnoxious. It is yet another instance of a player who refuses to take responsibility for his own failings. What Crawford is describing is an injury incidental to the game of baseball; making over-the-shoulder catches is not a phenomenon exclusive to the position of center field. I find his excuses especially hollow since he already plays an outfield position.

Is there an adjustment necessary to move from left field to center? Yes. Is it insurmountable? Absolutely not, especially for someone who isn't even 27 years of age. I find it impossible to believe that Crawford, a player who takes the field upwards of 160 times a year, cannot transition to center field hastily without being crippled in the effort.

Could Joe Maddon have handled this better? Perhaps. Without knowing the specifics of the situation, I don't want to indict him. All I do know is that Crawford has an obligation to do what's best for the team, under any and all circumstances. If that means moving over less than 100 feet for one day, then so be it. Be a martyr. But don't be making excuses to the media five days later about how the subsequent slump isn't your fault because of it.

I wish Carl Crawford the best in his recovery. I really do. I don't doubt that he hurt himself, but I do hope that whatever pain he is in subsides for what hopefully will be a tremendous second half. But he needs to stop shirking accountability and start taking responsibility for his own lackluster play. He has been terrible all season long at the plate, and his embarrassing lack of patience is an abortion to watch.

Elsewhere:

Maddon does not agree with Scott Kazmir's assertion that the team's struggles can be tied to too much scoreboard-watching.
RHP Troy Percival threw a successful 26 pitch mound session, his first since going on the DL. The best case scenario he laid out has him returning as soon as next Saturday, although given the results following his last DL stint, the team may opt to wait a little while longer.

7/12: RAYS (55-37) at CLE (39-53)

Patrick L. Kennedy — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:49:28 -0000

RAYS at Cleveland

7:05; FSN Florida
RAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

ERA

K/9

BB/9

K/BB

HR/9

OPS

WHIP

G/F

P/IP

RAYS

RH M. Garza

97.1

3.51

117

5.83

2.87

2.03

0.83

.650

1.20

1.08

16.13

CLE

RH M. Ginter

100.0

4.14

5.85

2.88

2.03

0.90

.745

1.41

1.02

15.51

Ginter Statistics from AAA Buffalo

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/12: News & Notes

Patrick L. Kennedy — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:25:41 -0000

Why have the Rays lost five straight heading into today?

There were several theories in the clubhouse, starting with manager Joe Maddon saying the Rays were mentally fatigued, that they had "been playing really hard, and with a lot of emotion, for a long time," and the All-Star break was coming "at the right time."

Starter James Shields said they were physically tired, "pretty much spent" from playing so many tough teams.

Leftfielder Carl Crawford attributed it to bad timing, saying it's "rare to have a whole offense really struggling at the same time."

All are possible explanations. What say you, Scott Kazmir?

"We've got to worry about ourselves and concentrate on what's going on in front of us," Kazmir said before Friday's game. "You see guys coming in right from playing on defense and they're like, 'What's the Boston score? What's the Boston score?' That's not how you're supposed to do it."

Kazmir goes on to basically emphasize the point; that the team's poor efforts have resulted from a sense of complacency about their standing and a lack of focus on the task at hand.

Though what Kazmir says may be true, I'm a bit leery to assign any one factor all of the blame for the Rays' ineptitude over the last several days. In any case, the All-Star break can't get here soon enough. Hopefully we can salvage a split of the series, or at least a split of the next two games.

Elsewhere:

SS Jason Bartlett might not be ready to return when eligible to come off the DL next Friday. If he is not activated on that date, he should be within a couple days thereafter.
RHP Al Reyes saw his fastball velocity sit in the high 80s in a rehab outing on Thursday for Vero Beach. He will throw on Sunday and Monday for the V-Rays, and could be activated after that.
RHP Troy Percival will throw off of a mound today for the first time since going on the DL.

7/10: RAYS (55-35) at CLE (37-53)

Patrick L. Kennedy — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:35:27 -0000

RAYS at Cleveland

7:05; FSN Florida
RAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

ERA

K/9

BB/9

K/BB

HR/9

OPS

WHIP

G/F

P/IP

RAYS

RH A. Sonnanst.

108.2

4.31

5.71

1.66

3.45

0.66

.772

1.35

1.16

15.12

CLE

LH A. Laffey

80.0

3.49

120

4.05

2.70

1.50

0.79

.701

1.28

1.60

15.49

Starting Lineups:

RAYS
2B	Akinori Iwamura
LF	Carl Crawford
CF	B.J. Upton
1B	Carlos Peña
3B	Evan Longoria
C	Dioner Navarro
DH	Willy Aybar
RF	Jonny Gomes
SS	Ben Zobrist

Cleveland
CF	Grady Sizemore
2B	Jamey Carroll
LF	Ben Francisco
SS	Jhonny Peralta
1B	Casey Blake
RF	Shin-Soo Choo
C	Kelly Shoppach
DH	David Dellucci
3B	Andy Marte

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/9: RAYS (55-34) at NYY (48-42)

Patrick L. Kennedy — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:50:08 -0000

RAYS at New York

1:05; FSN Florida
RAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

ERA

K/9

BB/9

K/BB

HR/9

OPS

WHIP

G/F

P/IP

RAYS

RH E. Jackson

103.2

4.08

100

5.38

3.91

1.38

0.87

.725

1.39

1.04

16.50

NYY

RH S. Ponson

66.2

4.19

4.05

3.11

1.30

0.68

.812

1.62

2.23

15.81

Starting Lineups:

RAYS
2B	Akinori Iwamura
LF	Carl Crawford
CF	B.J. Upton
1B	Carlos Peña
3B	Evan Longoria
DH	Cliff Floyd
C	Dioner Navarro
RF	Eric Hinske
SS	Reid Brignac

New York
LF	Brett Gardner
SS	Derek Jeter
RF	Bobby Abreu
3B	Álex Rodríguez
1B	Jason Giambi
DH	Jorge Posada
2B	Robinson Canó
CF	Melky Cabrera
C	José Molina

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hess to Give Away $5 Gas Cards at July 18th Game

Patrick L. Kennedy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:53:20 -0000

Hess to Give Away $5 Gas Cards at July 18th Game

Every fan attending the Friday, July 18th home game against the Toronto Blue Jays will receive $5 worth of free gas at Hess Express. In addition, $5,000 worth of gas will be given out during the game.

Give credit to the Rays and a willing sponsor for an innovative idea here. Granted, $5 in gas isn't a lot, but it adds up if you bring multiple people to the game. It will be interesting to see if this incentive "drives" more fans out to the ballpark than your average Friday night game.

Orioles Most Likely Headed Out of Ft. Lauderdale Following FAA Ruling

Patrick L. Kennedy — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:20:44 -0000

The FAA has declined the City of Ft. Lauderdale's request to keep rent for the Orioles artificially low at Ft. Lauderdale stadium, and as a result, Baltimore will most likely relocate north for the 2010 season. The Orioles are not expected to pay $1.3 million annually to stay in Ft. Lauderdale, which is what the FAA wants to charge them. They are paying between $70,000-$120,000 currently.

The FAA's decision might be appealed, but barring a reversal at a higher level it could spell the end of a nearly-50 year tradition of spring training in Ft. Lauderdale. The $40 million renovation plan for Ft. Lauderdale Stadium was contingent upon the FAA exempting the Orioles and the City from "fair market value" lease payments.

Though I am the Rays blogger here locally at SBN, I do consider myself a connoisseur of Florida Spring Training, and this is of interest to me. On the one hand, I am happy at the prospect that Dodgertown would be returned to service, but on the other hand I'm sad to see another tradition abandoned in Ft. Lauderdale. Still, this decision meets with the economic realities of a "grown-up" Florida, and Spring Training became less and less valuable to Ft. Lauderdale as the city grew into a large part of a major metro area. ST is far more integral to a place like Vero Beach.

It's definitely a shame to see these old sites left behind; we're going through the same thing currently with Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, and it is kind of chickenshit how the FAA is scuttling this deal. They're going to torpedo an economic booster to the area just because they decide now is the right time to jack up the rent. It is the eptiome of know-nothing, disconnected government.

SB Nation User Blog: Patrick L. Kennedy

7/18: TOR (47-48) at RAYS (55-39)

Toronto at RAYS

7:10; RAYS TV/IONRAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/18-7/20: Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto at RAYS

Tropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, FLJuly 18th-20th

How many games do the Rays win in this series?

6/13: RAYS (55-38) at CLE (40-53)

RAYS at Cleveland

1:05; ION/RAYS TVRAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/13: News & Notes

7/12: RAYS (55-37) at CLE (39-53)

RAYS at Cleveland

7:05; FSN FloridaRAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/12: News & Notes

7/10: RAYS (55-35) at CLE (37-53)

RAYS at Cleveland

7:05; FSN FloridaRAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

Starting Lineups:

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/9: RAYS (55-34) at NYY (48-42)

RAYS at New York

1:05; FSN FloridaRAYS RADIO/1250 AM

Pitching Matchup:

Starting Lineups:

GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hess to Give Away $5 Gas Cards at July 18th Game

Hess to Give Away $5 Gas Cards at July 18th Game

Orioles Most Likely Headed Out of Ft. Lauderdale Following FAA Ruling

Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg, FL
July 18th-20th

7:05; FSN Florida
RAYS RADIO/1250 AM

7:05; FSN Florida
RAYS RADIO/1250 AM

1:05; FSN Florida
RAYS RADIO/1250 AM