SB Nation User Blog: bobr

Did you see this Upton blog?

bobr — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:47:12 -0000

It is linked at Dock of the Rays:

_________________________________________________

After making it to the World Series last year it has been hard for me to watch the playoffs this year. There's nothing like playing in October. Playing on baseball's biggest stage was the most amazing experience I've ever had on the field and I was very disappointed we didn't make it there this season. Not making the playoffs has motivated me that much more to re-dedicate myself and help the Rays make it back to the playoffs in 2010.
One thing I'm doing with my free time is helping give back to the communities that gave me so much. Over the weekend, I went to the Trop and spent time with kids from the St. Pete area. Next week I'm holding a golf tournament with my brother Justin in Virginia that benefits Friends of the Portsmouth Juvenile Court. I'm also hosting my second annual BJ Upton Golf Classic in Tampa that will help the homeless in the Tampa/St Pete area.
I can't wait to get back on the field and get 2010 underway, hope to see you at the ballpark!
- BJ Upton

Did anyone go to the instructional league game at Tropicana Field yesterday? Except for Beckham...

bobr — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:51:27 -0000

Did anyone go to the instructional league game at Tropicana Field yesterday?

Except for Beckham and Sheridan (who I saw play in Bowling Green), it was the first time I had seen any of the players. I would love to know what someone else thought of those s/he saw.

It was nice to see Beckham get a solid line drive hit to RF, although I think he swung at a high pitch out of the zone (which he did in his previous AB as well). And exactly as happened in Bowling Green, he threw wildly to 1B while moving after the catch. I am not making anything of this, just observing.

It seemed to me that Moore does indeed have an impressive curve that young hitters simply cannot figure out. He threw a lot of balls, but not really wildly, just a bit off the plate. The stadium gun was clocking his fastball in the 87-89 range.

And it was nice to see Luke Bailey take a couple of ABs and to watch Lobstein pitch as well.

This is from Perotta at BP, On the Beat column. It is near the bottom under the heading what scouts...

bobr — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:44:14 -0000

This is from Perotta at BP, On the Beat column. It is near the bottom under the heading what scouts are saying about players:

"Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir: "He’s just not right physically. He’s become a soft-tosser, and his pitches lack bite. If Tampa Bay does get to the postseason, I don’t think [they] can afford to pitch him."

I did not think this was true. Seems to me his fastball has returned somewhat if not all the way. I don't know if his slider is as sharp as it was, but my impression is that it is also improving.

I don't know when the scout said this.

From Project Prospect, a review of Tim Beckham based on watching him play. Not particularly...

bobr — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:20:16 -0000

From Project Prospect, a review of Tim Beckham based on watching him play. Not particularly encouraging.

http://www.projectprospect.com/article/2009/08/21/tim-beckham-scouting-report

Right vs. Smart: More of an old story From The Hardball...

bobr — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:11:45 -0000

Right vs. Smart: More of an old story

From The Hardball Times:

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/rubbernecking-part-1/

A totally frivolous post I have no problem if you want to erase this post. It's just something...

bobr — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:03:31 -0000

A totally frivolous post

I have no problem if you want to erase this post. It's just something that occurred to me and I wanted to express it somewhere.

I recently read that Crawford decided, after viewing tapes the past off-season, that he needed to be more selective at the plate.

When Crawford was promoted at age 20 in 2002 he was totally raw and inexperienced. Football was actually his game. Suppose the exact same Crawford were 20 years old in 2006 in the Rays organization.

A hypothetical question:

When would he have been promoted, and what would his career have looked like? That is, would the Rays have worked on his plate discipline in the minors so that when he arrived he was already more aware of that skill?

Leaving aside imponderables (a different situation, different players et al), is it possible he would have become a far better player even than he is?

John Smoltz

bobr — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:16:44 -0000

Let's suppose that

1. Boston releases him rather than trades him.

2. Smoltz is willing to go into the bullpen.

Would it be reasonable for the Rays to sign him?

We know how terrible many of his numbers are. He has been brutal against lefties although pretty effective vs. righties. He has given up a ton of home runs.

On the other hand, he still strikes out a fair number of batters and walks relatively few. From what I have read, he apparently still has good stuff. His command may be off, which may be a sign that he is done at his age, but is it also possible that it is a function of being a starter and needing to pace himself?

As a matter of fact, the first time through the lineup his stats look pretty good. Each subsequent time they get worse and worse. I suppose I am grasping at straws, but he has actually been pretty good in his first two innings. (Well, not exactly. He has allowed 5 runs in the first inning over his 8 starts, but 4 were in his first start of the year. His second innings have been brilliant. It goes downhill after that.)

Would he be an improvement over Bennett? And might his signing please those who think the Rays could use a veteran with a winning tradition on the team-and perhaps really have some effect, however small, in that regard?

There are a lot of "ifs" involved. It may be pie in the sky anyway (or arsenic in the sky perhaps), but I wonder if it is worth consideration. I don't think the bullpen is the primary concern, but anything that upgrades anywhere and costs nothing seems worthwhile.

Joe Sheehan always has an interesting angle on issues. I'm not sure I agree with everything he...

bobr — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:53:52 -0000

Joe Sheehan always has an interesting angle on issues.

I'm not sure I agree with everything he says here, but I do think his fundamental point is valid.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9290

From RaysProspects: "Minor Moves: Gorgen Charlotte Stone Crabs closer Matt Gorgen has been...

bobr — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:23:45 -0000

From RaysProspects:

"Minor Moves: Gorgen
Charlotte Stone Crabs closer Matt Gorgen has been promoted to the double-A Montgomery Biscuits, after saving his 15th game of the year tonight for the high-A Stone Crabs. In 28 appearances this year, Gorgen has only allowed 3 earned runs in 47.2 IP. He has pitched to a 4-0 record with a 0.57 ERA. Florida State League batters have only hit .151 against him.

Gorgen was the Rays' 16th round pick in the 2008 draft. He pitched for Hudson Valley last season, recording a 1.96 ERA with 13 saves."

And the award for the stupidest blurb about baseball ever written goes to Jon Heyman. This has...

bobr — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:42:37 -0000

And the award for the stupidest blurb about baseball ever written goes to Jon Heyman.

This has nothing to do with the Rays, but it is so outrageous I wanted to expose it somewhere. It is posted at Shysterball, and if you follow the link to the Heyman article you will see it stands alone, with no caveat or comment.

I know there are almost an infinite number of candidates for the award of most stupid ever, but Jon Heyman's is inner circle stupid.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/shysterball/article/great-moments-in-notes-columns/#comments

The comment about Freddie Sanchez and the Rays is pretty apt, by the way.