SB Nation Tampa Bay: All Posts by Cristina Ledrahttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49019/tb-fave.png2010-10-25T11:07:37-04:00https://tampabay.sbnation.com/authors/cristina-ledra/rss2010-10-25T11:07:37-04:002010-10-25T11:07:37-04:00Rays Should Learn Lesson From Giants
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<img alt=" Cody Ross hits an RBI double in the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Five of the NLCS (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Trj3GZWsuxwMpAIbbqdvW1eNeiE=/0x0:600x400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1342997/GYI0062144101.jpg" />
<figcaption> Cody Ross hits an RBI double in the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Five of the NLCS (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>If Stu Sternberg is watching the playoffs, hopefully he sees the San Francisco Giants and what happens when a team that really wants to win, makes moves to increase its chances of doing so.</p> <p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; color: #2a2a2a;">If Stu Sternberg is watching the playoffs, hopefully he is seeing the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Francisco Giants</a> and what happens when a team that really wants to win, makes moves to increase its chances of doing so.<br style="line-height: 17px;"> <br style="line-height: 17px;">The Giants had a lot of pieces in place, especially the unbelieveable rookie <span>Buster Posey</span>, but you can't help but notice the impact of the new guys, <span>Cody Ross</span> and, to a lesser extent, <span>Pat Burrell</span>. That's not to say the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a> should have kept Burrell. He is clearly a National League player and just didn't fit with the Rays. <br style="line-height: 17px;"> <br style="line-height: 17px;">And the Giants didn't even necessarily want Ross. They just wanted to keep the sliding <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Diego Padres</a> from getting him.<br style="line-height: 17px;"> <br style="line-height: 17px;">The point is, they did something when the season was winding down and it's worked out phenomenally for them. The Rays, though they promised to go all out, let the team stay as is when everyone knew the bats were lacking. And what happened when the playofffs came? They couldn't score runs. Joe Maddon can take some of the brunt for that for some questionable lineup decisions (See: Shoppach, Kelly). But again, the Giants loaded up when they didn't necessarily need to. Ross and Burrell have sparked the lineup. And that's the one thing the Rays needed. The Giants were aggressive. The Rays needed to be and weren't.<br style="line-height: 17px;"> <br style="line-height: 17px;">Burrell was acquired on the cheap after the Rays sent him packing. He was a low-risk investment but had a lot more on his resume than <span>Brad Hawpe</span>, the Rays' own low-risk investment. Signings don't always work out. For every <span>Rafael Soriano</span> and <span>Joaquin Benoit</span>, there's a Pat Burrell and Brad Hawpe. Hawpe hardly got a chance to show what he could do, appearing in 15 games before he was shown the door at the end of the regular season. Maybe the mistake was in thinking a National League hitter could be productive in not only the American League, but the best division in it.<br style="line-height: 17px;"> <br style="line-height: 17px;">The Giants had an overstock of outfielders and it was fine with them. They did whatever thought it took to win and in this case it was sneaky waiver dealings and being on the lookout for an opportunity.<br style="line-height: 17px;"> <br style="line-height: 17px;">It's not all doom and gloom for the Rays next season. If they deal <span>James Shields</span> to insert <span>Jeremy Hellickson</span> into the rotation, the pitching could be even stronger. And although Rafael Soriano and <span>Carl Crawford</span> are as good as gone, <span>J.P. Howell</span> could be a good enough closer and <span>Desmond Jennings</span> could be a good enough outfielder.<br style="line-height: 17px;"> <br style="line-height: 17px;">Even though this season was the one to go all out, there's a good chance the Rays could be on the cusp of the playoffs as the season winds down next year. <br style="line-height: 17px;"> <br style="line-height: 17px;">Maybe by then, Sternberg will have learned what it really means to aggressively pursue winning, not just hoping it will happen with what they've got.<br style="line-height: 17px;"></span></p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2010/10/25/1769550/rays-should-learn-a-lesson-from-giantsCristina Ledra2010-10-14T09:17:31-04:002010-10-14T09:17:31-04:00Some '10 Rays Will Move On, But Not All
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<p>The Rays will have a chance to battle for the playoffs next year, though you have to wonder if this was their best chance to win it all.</p> <p>
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It's still hard to believe the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a> are <a href="http://www.draysbay.com/2010/10/12/1748273/and-so-it-ends">out of the playoffs</a> already. Guess it's pointless to rehash the outrage over the righty lineup against righty-killer Cliff Lee. And the forehead slapping over <span>Kelly Shoppach</span> getting into the lineup for Game 5 ... because he contributed so much in Games 1 and 2.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">It's over and done and the early exit forces on us the realities we didn't want to face yet. But it's not going to be all bad moving forward.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Carl Crawford</span> is off to roll around in money in a bigger, fancier market. It would have been nice to send him off with a World Series ring to go along with the Gold Glove he darn well better get this season.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Rafael Soriano</span> has ripped his Rays jersey out of his pants for the last time too. Stu Sternberg blew the bank for this season and given the year Soriano had, the fact that he's only 30, and that his agent is Scott Boras, he ain't coming back.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Carlos Pena</span> might not be automatically gone like everyone thinks he is. He's a top tier defensive first baseman, but his atrocious year at the plate certainly has diminished the market for him. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Who's in the market for a first baseman batting .196 and striking out 158 times? Pena made $10 million this season. It's doubtful any team would pay that. The Rays might pay half that to keep him. And the market may not demand any more than that anyway.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The Rays plan to cut payroll from $72 to $50 million and letting Soriano and Crawford go will take care of $17 million of the $22 million they are looking to trim. If Pena takes a 50 percent pay cut, then that gets the Rays pretty close to their cost-cutting goal. They probably also have to account for anyone scheduled to get raises per their contracts.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">That could mean some other household Rays could be on their way this offseason via trade. If a place is to be made for <span>Jeremy Hellickson</span> in the rotation, someone has to go. <span>James Shields</span> probably wouldn’t be missed much. He’s likely shown all he’s going to bring to a rotation. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The Rays also have infielders and outfielders to spare so the much-maligned <span>B.J. Upton</span> could be packaged and shipped, and <span>Jason Bartlett</span> might be a possibility too.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The defense would take a hit without guys like Crawford, Pena, Upton and Bartlett but the Rays are starting to resemble the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/florida-marlins" class="sbn-auto-link">Florida Marlins</a> – minus the World Series Championships - in that they take a step back to reload. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The Rays still have a set of young stars ready to burst including Hellickson, <span>Jake McGee</span>, <span>Desmond Jennings</span>, <span>Reid Brignac</span>, and <span>Matt Joyce</span>.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">And <span>J.P. Howell</span> will be back to resume his role as closer next season, though it’s hard to believe he’ll be as much of a comfort as Soriano was.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The most worrisome thing about next season is that the Rays are still going to be in the AL East. The <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a> aren’t going to get worse. The <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Sox</a> aren’t going to be that banged up again. The <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Blue Jays</a> are still going to be dangerous. And if the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Orioles</a> are as feisty next season as they were once Buck Showalter took over as manager late this season, you can’t take them lightly.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The Rays still have a chance to battle for the playoffs, though you have to wonder if this was their best chance to win it all. You hope the window isn’t temporarily closing but with the upcoming payroll slashing, it’s a strong possibility.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2010/10/14/1750118/some-10-rays-will-move-on-but-not-allCristina Ledra2010-10-09T16:11:40-04:002010-10-09T16:11:40-04:00Sternberg's broken promise left Rays lacking
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<p>It was hard not to get excited back in July when <a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100706&content_id=11985686&notebook_id=11993232&vkey=notebook_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb">Stu Sternberg said</a> he would break the bank on this year's Rays. He was going all in for this special team, willing to make deals in order to give them to best chance to win. The glaring need was another bat in the lineup. But when the fury of the trade deadline calmed, Sternberg had done nothing.</p>
<p>No bat, no wild spending, no blockbuster deal. There was nothing.</p>
<p>The Rays are now a loss away from elimination with the same problem they've had for most of the season - a sputtering offense. Sternberg knew the team wasn't good enough to win as is in July, which is why he vowed to make improvements. So what were we to expect from this team that admittedly wasn't good enough to win in July, when there have been no changes?</p>
<p>The most obvious player that was dangling and waiting to be picked was Manny Ramirez. Whatever people’s opinions are of him, that was almost irrelevant. All they needed him for was half a season. And if he had come in and hit .250, he would have been one of the best hitters on the team. But Sternberg didn’t bite, possibly hoping Ramirez came through waivers, bu</p>
<p>t that’s not the stuff of going all out. <o:p></o:p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Surely there were others available that the Rays wouldn’t have had to sacrifice their future for. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Oh wait, there was Brad Hawpe, who played in 15 games and was politely shown the door at the end of the regular season. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Though Sternberg said Rays management was going to be a power player for once, what it turned out to be was the same old, same old. And maybe the same old would have been fine. It’s what Rays fans are used to. Go with what you got.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times;">But to promise big moves and deliver nothing is bad business. And no one should be surprised the Rays’ inconsistent, sluggish offense remains inconsistent and sluggish. Someone thought to fix it, but never did.</span>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/10/9/1740677/sternbergs-broken-promise-left-rays-lackingCristina Ledra2010-10-09T10:47:55-04:002010-10-09T10:47:55-04:00Joe Maddon's Mangled Mind Strikes At Worst Possible Time
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<p class="MsoNormal">So the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a> are in a 2-0 hole in the best-of-five American League Divisional Series to the <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Texas Rangers</a> and it might have been completely avoidable if not for the appearance, at least, that manager Joe Maddon was totally unprepared for the Texas Rangers.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">There have been enough moments of Maddon genius to make the occasional blunders irrelevant and even forgotten.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">But the problems started with the postseason roster and every big decision since then has been mind-boggling. It should be no surprise that the Rays are one game away from ending their season.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Putting <span>James Shields</span> in the postseason rotation seemed more a move of loyalty rather than selecting the best three pitchers on the team. Shields has playoff experience but it came two years ago when <span>Dioner Navarro</span> was a .300 hitter, <span>Ben Zobrist</span> was playing out of his mind, and <span>Evan Longoria</span> was catching everyone by surprise.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">This year’s Rays have the lowest batting average in franchise history. Think about that. Think about the worst Devil Rays team you can remember. This team is statistically worse in terms of batting average.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">So while Shields made sense two years ago when there was a little offensive cushion to work with, he doesn’t have that this year and his 5.18 ERA didn’t seem to belong.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Maddon felt the need to have him in the rotation, as if he didn’t have another option when he certainly did in <span>Jeff Niemann</span>, who was back to his old self in his last two starts of the regular season.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">But at least Niemann made the roster and acted as security in case one of the starters got in trouble early.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Jeremy Hellickson</span>, who stepped right into being a Major League starter before being tossed to the bullpen where his ERA jumped seven points, could have been a similar security to Niemann. Instead, Hellickson didn’t make the postseason roster at all.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Willy Aybar</span>, a switch-hitter with respectable numbers given his part-time status, was left off the postseason roster.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Instead, the Rays dusted off <span>Rocco Baldelli</span>, who has 25 plate appearances in 10 games this season and put him in as the designated hitter.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Although this was the most puzzling part of the Game 1 lineup, it wasn’t the only head-scratcher.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Right-handed batters have a .221 average against Rangers Game 1 starter <span>Cliff Lee</span>, who hadn’t beaten the Rays all season. Left-handed batters have a .281 average.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Inexplicably, Maddon kept lefty catcher <span>John Jaso</span> out of the lineup in favor of righty catcher <span>Kelly Shoppach</span>, who had 71 strikeouts in 158 at-bats during the regular season.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Shoppach had struck out in 45 percent of his at-bats and was starting the first game of the playoffs (and unbelievably the second too), against the pitcher who is better against righties than lefties.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, lefties <span>Reid Brignac</span>, <span>Dan Johnson</span>, and <span>Matt Joyce</span>, who have been good hitters, relatively speaking, were relegated to the bench and late-game pinch-hitting.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">For all the talk we hear about what a great thinker and mastermind Maddon is, it seems he overlooked a vital stat of Lee’s that took about three minutes to look up.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">You can’t suddenly be horrified by the Rays’ lack of offense. They got here with these batting averages by getting on base and disrupting pitchers with their base running and speed.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Navarro would have been a better option as the second catcher because he can at least lay a bunt down and throw runners out. Instead, he’s hanging out in Venezuela while Shoppach whiffs again and again and provides no threat to Rangers base runners.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">How Maddon can justify that Shoppach deserves to start over Jaso is a mystery. Shoppach’s stats don’t say he deserves the start and neither did his Game 1 performance (0-3, 1 strikeout). And if Game 2 (0-3, 2 strikeouts) didn’t convince Maddon to pull Shoppach for Game 3, maybe someone should check what exactly is in those One-A-Day vitamins.<span> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">On Thursday, the Rays successfully appealed to Major League Baseball to remove Baldelli from the postseason roster for medical reasons in favor of Aybar, That whole thing reeks of Maddon-style trickeration. Perhaps he realized Baldelli was a mistake. Perhaps he spotted a loophole in the rules that would have allowed Baldelli to be available for Lee and planned all along to only have Baldelli for that one game. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">But the very obvious strategy of loading the lineup with lefties against Lee somehow eluded Maddon.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">In Game 2, Maddon yanked Shields in the fourth inning with two runners on, likely because he was afraid Shields would give up a home run. If that fear existed, why put Shields in the rotation in the first place? </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Maddon put in Chad Qualls to face Ranger <span>Michael Young</span>. Young had two strikes that went to a full count, though it was pretty obvious he didn’t check his swing. He was out. They blew the call. But there was no ferocious argument from Maddon.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Qualls gave-up the three-run home run to Young that the Rays were trying to avoid in the first place and THEN Maddon decided to launch into his offensive.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">What was he arguing at that point? That the umpires shouldn’t have let him pull Shields? That it was the umpires’ fault that Qualls gave up the demoralizing blast?</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Maddon is a gambler. He's a thinker. And at the worst possible time, he’s become a bumbler and a dud.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2010/10/9/1739379/joe-maddons-mangled-mind-strikes-at-worst-possible-timeCristina Ledra2010-10-03T09:18:57-04:002010-10-03T09:18:57-04:00Shields Not Proving He's Worthy Of Postseason
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<p>When pitchers should be playing their best to make the postseason rotation, James Shields had another disastrous outing Friday night against the 93-loss Kansas City Royals.</p> <p>
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When pitchers should be playing their best to make the postseason rotation, <span>James Shields</span> had another disastrous outing Friday night against the 93-loss <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas City Royals</a>.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Shields gave up 12 hits and six earned runs to one of the worst teams in the league, but considering whether he is worthy of the postseason goes beyond one ill-timed bad outing.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">He is 13-15 for one of the best teams in baseball with an ERA of 5.18. It’s not looking good for his chances.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Earlier this week, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-contemplating-playoff-rotation-options/1125122">he said he feels he should be part of the postseason rotation</a>. He has the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a>’ only World Series win among his postseason experience.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, Shields’ history is about all he’s got going for him.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">In addition to being two games under .500, Shields has lost his last three starts to make his record in September 2-4. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Granted, the Rays didn’t score any runs Friday night but run support has hardly been a problem for Shields this season. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">He averages 4.63 runs of support per outing and the Rays have scored at least three runs in each of Shields’ 13 wins.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">He has gotten zero or one runs of support five of his 15 losses. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">So you can’t necessarily blame the team around him like you can for Seattle’s <span>Felix Hernandez</span> in the American League Cy Young race.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">For the most part, the Rays have done their jobs and Shields hasn’t been able to keep up his end.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Miraculously, <span>Jeff Niemann</span>, who was a shell of his former self in five starts off the disabled list, has looked like the Niemann of old in his last two and is no longer the automatic cast-off for the postseason.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Niemann is 1-1 in his last two starts and has given up 11 hits and five earned runs while striking out seven and walking two. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The only two certainties on the postseason rotation are <span>David Price</span> and <span>Matt Garza</span>. If the Rays take three pitchers, that leaves one spot between Shields, Niemann and <span>Wade Davis</span>, who has also been solid. Or if they take four two of the three will get in.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">But Shields has not performed well lately and over the course of the season. It seems he needs at least three runs, and in most cases more than that, in order to earn the win. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">That’s hard to do in the postseason and it’s been hard for the Rays to do as of late. The Rays are 1-5 so far this week and have scored nine runs in those six games.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The Rays’ bats are seemingly a whole other issue right now but in the postseason pitchers can’t expect to get a lot of run support. The pitchers should be able to out-duel their counterparts in low-scoring, tight games and Shields hasn’t proven with his numbers that he is worthy of the task.</p>
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https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/10/3/1726755/shields-not-worthy-of-postseasonCristina Ledra2010-09-28T14:38:12-04:002010-09-28T14:38:12-04:00Criticism Of Rays Fans Misguided, Falls On Wrong Ears
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<p>The latest jab at the Tampa Bay Rays fans, or lack thereof, came from third baseman Evan Longoria and pitcher David Price. Longoria <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-evan-longoria-says-team-is-embarrassed-by-poor-attendance/1124556">made apparently unprovoked statements</a> (although, how often do pro athletes really make unprovoked statements?) about the 12,446 fans that showed up for Monday's game. David Price Tweeted that the attendance was "embarrassing" and apologized in a subsequent Tweet. The Rays could have clinched their second playoff birth in franchise history and that attendance figure was the fourth-lowest all season.<br><br>The problem is, the only people who are hearing the complaints are the people who show up and the people who would like to show up but can't afford it. If you don't care about the Rays, you probably don't care that they're upset the attendance is low.</p>
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<p>And if you're a regular reader of the<i> St. Petersburg Times</i>, the team's disappointment has laced the coverage all year long, whether anyone was quoted or not.</p>
<p>The Rays don't have a huge fan base. This team was a trainwreck for the first decade of its existence. So exclusive of a few baseball loyalists who were just happy to have the game in town, the Devil Rays never gave the casual fan a reason to spend their money on games. The franchise basically wasted a decade in building the fan base.</p>
<p>In the same first decade, the Arizona Diamondbacks won a World Series and made the playoffs three other times.</p>
<p>In their first 10 years, the Florida Marlins won two World Series.</p>
<p>After years of being close to unwatchable - except to those of us masochists who just wanted to watch some semblance of baseball - the Rays expect everyone to jump on the bandwagon in a horrible economy, at a ballpark that is inconvenient for most of the market. <a target="_blank" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100725/stadiumconcessions">Oh and let's not forget the cuisine</a>.</p>
<p>And for all the public finger-pointing at bad, bad Rays fans, where is the marketing department with ticket promotions to try and fill seats? The Cardinals offer 50, 30 and 20 percent off seats throughout the season and they boast the best baseball player in the world in Albert Pujols.</p>
<p>The Marlins have BOGO Tuesdays throughout the season and $7.90 infield box seats for certain games sponsored by a local radio station. Cardinals seats range from $19-250. The Marlins charge $9-315. The Rays are $10-210.</p>
<p>Wasn't it nice in 2008 when you didn't have to pay for parking? Now you have to coerce two hobos to get into the back seat of your car to drive through the gate and spare you parking fees. And that only works on Sundays. The Rays' idea of promotions is giving you t-shirts you probably never wear. Personally, I'd prefer the seat discount.</p>
<p>It's also worth noting that in 2007, Devil Rays average attendance <font face="Arial" size="-1">17,148. In 2008, it was 22,259. In 2009, it was </font><font face="Arial" size="2">23,147. Maybe it's not the growth rate the Rays brass would like. But taking all the factors into account, it's still growth. </font></p>
<p>In this economy, the average person doesn't want to hear that they're not spending enough money on entertainment, especially when it's coming from the mouths of millionaires.</p>
<p>And if the fingers should be pointed anywhere, it's at local officials who can't seem to figure out a deal on a new ballpark, not the fans who are making the effort to show up and are being pushed into alienation with one jab after another.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/9/28/1717185/criticism-of-rays-fan-base-miguided-falls-on-wrong-earsCristina Ledra2010-09-26T10:20:05-04:002010-09-26T10:20:05-04:00Making The Case For Jeremy Hellickson, Postseason Starter
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<p>Why not put Jeremy Hellickson in the postseason rotation?</p> <p>Watching Jeremy Hellickson pitch is like watching two different players when he’s starting versus when he’s coming out of the bullpen. He’s used to being a starter, and the transition to the bullpen is probably different for everyone.</p>
<p>But after he came in for Wade Davis in Thursday’s rain-interrupted game against the Yankees and earned the win, it’s becoming more and more obvious that he’s a starter and prepared for high-pressure situations.</p>
<p>Hellickson dazzled in his first four starts when Davis and Jeff Niemann were on the disabled list. He went 3-0 and had a no decision in his fourth start, a 5-4 loss to Oakland. His ERA was 2.05 with 25 strikeouts and just four walks in 26.1 innings pitched.</p>
<p>Out of the bullpen, his ERA is 9.54. So that’s 2.05 as a starter and 9.54 out of the bullpen.</p>
<p>Granted, the Rays were faced with a dilemma when Davis and Niemann were ready to return to the lineup. And no one knew Niemann was going to come back and wet the bed. If they wanted Hellickson in the rotation, they would have had to boot either Davis or Niemann, which neither deserved.</p>
<p>But the Rays are faced with another tough decision in who to have in the postseason rotation. They are likely to take three, maybe four pitchers for the ALDS rotation and when you look at the all the starters, the selection process should probably be based on who’s performed the best and not so much on the body of work.</p>
<p>David Price is in without question and will get the first start of the postseason.</p>
<p>After that it gets a little fuzzy. Matt Garza has lost three straight starts and six of his last 10. Basically, he’s not done a whole lot since his no-hitter on July 26. His ERA is up to an OK 4.01, but he’s a big game pitcher and probably has the second-best stuff on the rotation behind Price.</p>
<p>James Shields, who somehow earned the nickname "Big Game" without having won big games that immediately come to mind, has a 4.96 ERA and has been decent in August and September with a 4-4 record and two no-decisions. His biggest win of the season was arguably his first in August when he pitched 7.1 innings against the Yankees and struck out 11. Unfortunately, that version of Shields doesn’t show up nearly enough.</p>
<p>Davis has been solid for most of the season despite going on the disabled list with a shoulder injury in August. June was a disaster as all five of his starts ended up as losses. Davis isn’t going to wow you with strikeouts, but he provides a better back end to the rotation than most teams have. A back end pitcher, however, isn’t what you need in the postseason rotation.</p>
<p>And there’s just no way Niemann is making the cut. His start (and win) against Seattle Friday night was his best performance since returning from the disabled list but he’s not pitching well enough.</p>
<p>When you look at the numbers, Hellickson in the bullpen just doesn’t seem to be where he should be. Certainly the Rays would love to have him as their secret weapon as they did David Price in 2008, but it’s not a role Hellickson has taken to.</p>
<p>An August call-up like Hellickson could also provide scouting problems for opposing teams. And especially when the rest of the starters aside from Price have been shaky toward the end of the season, Hellickson in the postseason rotation appears to make a lot of sense.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2010/9/26/1711728/making-the-case-for-jeremy-hellickson-postseason-starterCristina Ledra2010-09-18T22:02:36-04:002010-09-18T22:02:36-04:00Rays' postseason must include Dan Johnson
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<p>The Rays still have a couple of weeks before having to finalize their postseason roster of 25, but Dan Johnson blasted his way onto it this week. Johnson's pinch-hit, game-tying home run against the Red Sox in 2008 could have been considered lucky, one of those singular moments that would live on in Rays lore. His walk-off home run against the Red Sox on Aug. 28 made you raise an eyebrow, even though you had been grumbling that the Rays had a designated hitter that wasn't even batting .150.</p>
<p>After his two bombs against the Yankees earlier this week, his single with two outs in the ninth that led to the game-tying run Saturday night, and to a lesser extent his home run in a losing effort Friday night against the Angels, how can the Rays go into the postseason without him?</p>
<p>Looking at the Rays postseason roster from 2008, they took five infielders, six outfielders and one designated hitter. As far as the infield goes, Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett are locks, which would leave two spots for Reid Brignac, Sean Rodriguez, Willy Aybar, and Johnson.</p>
<p>The outfielders are likely to include Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, Ben Zobrist, Desmond Jennings and Matt Joyce. Rodriguez could be considered an outfielder and Aybar the DH, but then you still have to consider spots for Brad Hawpe and Rocco Baldelli, although those two haven't shown much. And the DH could also go to Kelly Shoppach or John Jaso if the Rays wanted to include Dioner Navarro as a catcher. Or the DH spot could go to Johnson.</p>
<p>Certainly there will be tough decisions to make but given Johnson's affinity for clutch home runs, the Rays need to make room for him in the playoffs when runs are at a premium. He's gone from fluky to freakish and he's earned his spot in the postseason.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/9/18/1696936/rays-postseason-should-include-danCristina Ledra2010-09-13T10:56:26-04:002010-09-13T10:56:26-04:00Niemann Looked Better, But Is It Good Enough?
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<p>Jeff Niemann showed a marked improvement over his last three starts since coming off the disabled list, but with the regular season winding down and the playoffs coming, does he have enough time to make his case for the postseason roster?</p> <p>In Jeff Niemann's five innings pitched Sunday against the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Blue Jays</a>, the 6-foot-9 right-hander showed a marked improvement over his last three starts since coming off the disabled list on August 25. But with the regular season winding down and, barring an epic disaster, the playoffs upcoming, does he have enough time to make his case for the postseason roster?</p>
<p>After his disastrous start on Sept. 6 against Boston - 1.2 IP, 4H, 6 ER, 2 HR - I was ready to send Niemann to the glue factory, but <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a> manager Joe Maddon showed no hesitation in scheduling Niemann for his next start, which was yesterday in Toronto. Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey insisted he was perfectly healthy. Although when you looked at his performances after missing two weeks with a shoulder strain, it made you wonder what else could be wrong if he was indeed healthy, and if maybe he had come back too soon.</p>
<p>Niemann pitched 3.1 innings in his return from the disabled list against the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> giving up eight hits and 10 earned runs, including a grand slam to <span>Mike Napoli</span>, while walking three and striking out two. His second start off the DL against the Blue Jays, Niemann pitched five innings, giving up seven hits and seven earned runs - due in part to <span>Lance Cormier</span>'s less than stellar relief appearance (1 IP, 2 HR). Niemann had at least lasted longer in the loss to the Jays so even though his command was clearly still off, you felt that possible fatigue might be fading at least.</p>
<p>Then came the outing against Boston and any signs of progress were shot. </p>
<p>It seemed that if the Rays wanted to shut Niemann down for the season, it wouldn't have been a big blow because they could have slipped <span>Jeremy Hellickson</span> back into the rotation for the remainder of the season and waited until the postseason to put him into the bullpen. Hellickson was 3-0 in his first three starts and lost his fourth, allowing six earned runs in 26.1 innings pitched.</p>
<p>In 2008, <span>David Price</span> was used mostly in a relief role but made his first major league start in late September against the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Orioles</a> and went back to a relief role. So the precedent was there, but the Rays appear to be sticking with Niemann in the rotation for the remainder of the regular season.</p>
<p>But you have to wonder if the Rays can afford to have Niemann and his slow progress in the rotation at this point in the season, only a half game back of the first place <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a> with seven games of the last 20 games against New York. </p>
<p>Given how Niemann has performed as of late, it doesn't seem likely that he would make the postseason rotation. You have to figure Price, <span>Matt Garza</span> and <span>James Shields</span> are locks. That leaves one spot between Niemann and Davis, who went on the disabled list around the same time and have had opposite results coming off it. Davis has been 3-0 in his four starts since returning from the DL on August 25, getting up to 103 and 108 pitches in his last two starts.</p>
<p>Earlier in the season it appeared the Rays would have a tough decision ahead of them about the postseason rotation - like they did in 2008 when 14-game winner <span>Edwin Jackson</span> was left off - but with the way things have gone lately, it looks as though Niemann is progressing too slowly in comparison to Davis to get the nod as a postseason starter. </p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/9/13/1685577/jeff-niemann-good-enough-playoff-rosterCristina Ledra2010-09-09T19:47:36-04:002010-09-09T19:47:36-04:00Rays Had To Go And Make It Interesting
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<p>The Tampa Bay Rays should be concerned that in <a href="http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/9/6/1672702/rays-at-boston-red-sox-on-the-ropes">losing two of three to the Boston Red Sox</a>, they couldn't <a href="http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/6/16/1521930/al-east-standings-race-for-top">make up any ground on the Yankees</a>. But even more than that, they should be concerned by what's lurking behind them.</p>
<p>In not winning the Red Sox series, they left Boston right on the edge of still being in it with 22 games left (23 for the Rays). The Red Sox are now 6.5 games behind in the Wild Card race, when they could have been a much more daunting 8.5 if the Rays had taken care of business and swept.</p>
<p>The Rays got shelled twice by a Red Sox team that is missing Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron, among others. This is a team the Rays should be disposing of easily like they did in Tuesday's 14-5 win, not blowing 4-0 leads to like they did Wednesday night, regardless of how stacked Boston's farm system is.</p>
<p>And at this point, the Red Sox aren't the only ones still showing signs of life. The Chicago White Sox are half a game behind Boston in the Wild Card race, winning seven in a row before losing the last two to Detroit. For much of the season, the talk about the mad dash for the Wild Card involved the the Rays and Red Sox (and Yankees, though they just don't seem to want to lose). And now we're forced to include the White Sox in the conversation.</p>
<p>Between losing the <a href="http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/9/3/1665644/rays-to-begin-9-game-road-trip-in">weekend series to the Orioles</a> and this series against the Red Sox, the Rays are in for a pressure-packed <a href="http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/8/27/1653943/rays-remaining-schedule-favorable">final stretch to the season</a> - including seven more games against the Yankees (four in New York) - that really didn't need to be this intense. But the pitching has been questionable and the the bats have been inconsistent at the absolute wrong time. Now is as good a time as any to start playing with a little desperation.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/9/9/1678528/rays-had-to-go-and-make-itCristina Ledra