MLB FanHouse

Is Evan Longoria the Most Valuable Asset in All of Baseball?

Josh Alper — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:50:00 EST

Few players have ridden a faster rocket to baseball fame than Evan Longoria. He was a near-household name before playing a major league game, he earned a long-term contract six days into his big league career and his All-Star worthy play has helped lift the Rays to the best record in baseball. Pretty good for the first chapter in a career and certainly a guy worth watching.

According to Dave Cameron at Fangraphs, he's a lot more than that. He's the single most valuable asset in all of baseball.

Yes, I know, he only has a half season of major league experience, and we have to be careful drawing too many conclusions from sample sizes that don't include more than 300 major league at-bats. However, the value of his abilities is so great, and his contract is so ridiculously awesome for Tampa, that the positives more than outweigh the negatives and make him the guy I wouldn't trade for any other one player in the game.

Longoria is signed through the age of 31 for a total payout of about $50 million. That's a superstar at rock bottom prices which makes it hard to imagine trading him for any other player, no matter how talented. I'd agree with Cameron, then, about Longoria's lofty status. Beyond that, unless another player with his skills signs such a team-friendly contract, Longoria should continue to be the top asset for some time to come.

Is Evan Longoria the Most Valuable Asset in All of Baseball? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tampa Bay Rays Defend the World From Evil Statisticians

Josh Alper — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, Tampa Bay

If you aren't familiar with Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star (and his own excellent blog), then you should really take some time to rectify that. He's the best baseball writer going and his dispatch from a Sunday in Tampa is the latest reason why.

After the game, the Rays invite kids to run the bases and while they are impersonating Carl Crawford, the team plays baseball cartoons on the big screen. One of the cartoons is a homemade job which pits the brave Rays against the evil machinations of Dr. Stat.

But, believe it or not, that's not the hilarious part. No, the hilarious part is this: The villain they were trying to catch was someone named "Dr. Stat." No, really. It seems that Dr. Stat - and I'm quoting from the cartoon now - wants to "use his knowledge of useless statistics to destroy the game."

Yes, I'm completely serious here - I saw the thing twice. This Dr. Stat them (sic) appears on the Superfriends monitor, and he asks them who was the highest paid umpire in 1888. The Rays, of course, don't know, and they make it clear to him that it is a stupid and pointless question. Dr. Stat then says, "Wrong answer," and he says as punishment he will point his stat ray direction at Tropicana Field in order to make it impossible for people to enjoy the games.

You can watch the cartoon here and it's well worth your time.

It seems important to note that the statistics deemed unimportant in the cartoon don't seem to have anything to do with VORP, OPS+ or anything else bemoaned by a certain group of media, like Joe Morgan for example. It's more useless trivia, which makes sense given Joe Maddon's embrace of more forward thinking statistical metrics.

If the stat ray were actually devoted to things Baseball Prospectus holds dear, it sounds like a great idea. Reds fans could hire Dr. Stat to blast Dusty Baker and his misguided bunt attempts while daily newspapers across the country would be devoted to tangible baseball discussions and not "he's just a winner" paeans to players.

The Tampa Bay Rays Defend the World From Evil Statisticians originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rays Have Officially Arrived: A Celebrity Was Sighted at the Trop

Mullet — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:12:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Fans, Tampa Bay

Boy the Tampa Bay Rays have done a complete 180 this season, not only in their record, but now in their coolness factor. You would never think of the Rays as being a team to attract the celebrities before this season, and that's probably still the case, but they did have a celebrity in the owner's box on Thursday.

Comedian Chris Rock, who had a show at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center on Thursday, sat in the owner's box as a guest of the Rays.

"He was the first guy in line greeting us coming in," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "You go, 'Hey Chris,' bang," Maddon added, illustrating a fist-bump, "and move to the next guy."

Cliff Floyd said having celebrities visit the clubhouse is a byproduct of winning.

"I mean, if we were losing, he'd have come into town and his show would have been half about us last night," Floyd said.

And he probably would have made the mistake of calling them the "Devil" Rays too. Instead, Rock stuck to picking on rap music, Jude Law, and Chris Simms. But seriously, if it ever gets to the point where the real bandwagon jumping celebrities like Sylvester Stallone show up, then you'll know the Rays will have made it into the celebrity stratosphere.

The Rays Have Officially Arrived: A Celebrity Was Sighted at the Trop originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Maddon a Victim of Identity Theft

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Police Blotter, Tampa Bay

Now that the Rays have the best record in baseball and just swept the Red Sox this week, everybody in the world is suddenly a Rays fan. There are actually other people besides Dick Vitale showing up at Rays games on a regular basis, and they aren't there to root for the other team. It's amazing.

Still, a sudden surge in popularity isn't always a good thing. The paparazzi start following you around everywhere, and before you know it, you're making out with Madonna while your wife is going Lenny Kravitz' way. Another downside to being popular? If you're Rays manager Joe Maddon, it's identity theft.

Maddon spent part of his morning Monday getting a new bank card after becoming a victim of identity theft.

"Somebody was charging gasoline in New York City on my debit card," Maddon said. "With the price of gas these days, I would have preferred they had gone to Tiffany's."

While police still haven't caught the perpetrator, I've decided to lend my excellent sleuthing skills to the case to help solve this caper, and put the thief behind bars. Going off of Joe's appearance, I'm guessing the culprit is one of the following three suspects: Buddy Holly, Rivers Cuomo, and Elvis Costello.

If you see any of these musicians, I advise you take proper precautions, for they are armed and extremely nerdy.

Joe Maddon a Victim of Identity Theft originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brian Cashman Saw the Rays Coming

Eamonn Brennan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:10:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Media Watch, Tampa Bay

The Rays, fresh off their entertaining sweep of the Red Sox, are in full-on euphoria mode. The team is young and entertaining, the fan base is slowly buying in, and the millions of people who breathe baseball every day are still trying to figure out how a team with no payroll and no history of success is leading baseball's toughest division. The answer came to different people at different times -- Baseball Prospectus predicted it well before this season -- but Yankees GM Brian Cashman saw it last September:

"It's not going to be a situation where they add 10 wins next year and 10 more the year after that. It's not going to be slow. When it happens, it will happen quick. Now. That growing stuff is behind them now. It's going to come fast."

Cashman hit it on the head -- the Rays made tweaks, not giant changes, and flipped on a powerhouse of a team that was waiting to explode. Whether Tampa can maintain 2008's defensive prowess is yet to be seen, but the future is pretty clear. The Rays are not going away.

(HT: Baseball Musings)

Brian Cashman Saw the Rays Coming originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Troy Percival Is Back on the Disabled List

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Injuries, Tampa Bay

While the Tampa Bay Rays have caught everybody by surprise this season (most expected them to improve in 2008, but nobody had them having the best record in baseball on July 2nd), one of the biggest surprises on the team has been the performance of closer Troy Percival. Percival had been out of baseball for a year and a half before joining the Cardinals bullpen last season, and signed with the Rays to be their closer this season.

Personally, I didn't think the 38-year old would be all that helpful to the Rays but it turns out that I'm an idiot, and Percival has been a big reason why the Rays are in first place. He already has 19 saves in 21 chances for Tampa this season, even though he missed a few weeks on the disabled list at the beginning of June. Well, it's going to be a while until he gets his next save, because he's making a return trip.

As expected, closer Troy Percival landed on the 15-day disabled list due to his left hamstring strain.

What was somewhat surprising was what the Rays did to take his place, calling up RHP Mitch Talbot from Triple-A Durham and planning to move RHP Jason Hammel into a more significant bullpen role.

Percival was on the DL earlier thanks to the same hamstring, and had to be removed from Monday's game (much to his chagrin) when it acted up on him again. Tampa is hoping that this time his two weeks off, combined with the All-Star break, will be enough for the hammy to fully heal.

The Rays will use a closer by committee in his absence, using Dan Wheeler, Trever Miller, Grant Balfour, and J.P. Howell as they see fit.

Troy Percival Is Back on the Disabled List originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Devil Ray Nation, Embracing the Cowbell Kid

Will Brinson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Fans, MLB Video, Tampa Bay

Hurry along now, people -- the bandwagon is almost full! Of course, it might not stay that way for long should the Rays stop winning (unlikely) or should the Cowbell Kid continue to beat a loud cowbell in the stands every night (seems likely). Here's the CBK wigging out on a Red Sox sign in the middle of a game.

And after the jump, an interview with the Cowbell Kid, who has been a fan since the beginning of "Ray's time". Pretty convenient language if you ask me.

I kid, of course. If you've been pulling for Tampa for any length of time longer than Sportscenter has heinously been focusing in on them (one week), then props to you.

Although the cowbell, much the thunderstick, should really show itself the backdoor.

Via BLS

~~Devil~~ Ray Nation, Embracing the Cowbell Kid originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorry, Red Sox Fans, You're Actually Number Two Right Now

Josh Alper — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:25:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Red Sox, Rays, MLB Fans, MLB Video, Tampa Bay

If you've watched either of Tampa's wins against the Red Sox this week, you've noticed that there are an awful lot of Sox fans at the games. That's great for the atmosphere because instead of a soulless dome, the Trop actually has a buzz and some intensity, but they've brought some of the other elements of fandom along with them. From Awful Announcing, via Red Sox Monster, comes a fan who epitomizes grace in the face of defeat.

Has there been some kind of mandate that announcers have to ignore someone flipping the bird? The Fox guys did the same thing with Kerry Wood this weekend. I realize it's unfortunate for the broadcast to pick it up but it's not the end of the world. As a citizen and baseball fan, the pink hat riles me up much more.

Sorry, Red Sox Fans, You're Actually Number Two Right Now originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Troy Percival Isn't Thrilled About Getting Taken Out Of A Game

Josh Alper — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Video, Tampa Bay

If you tuned into last night's Red Sox-Rays game hoping to see a renewal of fisticuffs, you may have been disappointed. The teams acted more professional this time around, sorry Papelbon, while playing a taut one-run game worthy of their season-long battle for the top of the AL East.

Those who just can't live without confrontation got a little something to make them smile. Troy Percival, trying to close the game in the ninth pulled up lame backing up home plate which brought Joe Maddon out to replace his closer with the game on the line.

After the game Percival originally denied that he was trying to stay in the game, my lip reading skills picked up quite a few "Nos" coming out of his mouth though. Unless Maddon was telling him about A-Rod and Madonna, it seems like Percy wanted to stay in the contest. He finally came around, however.

"He did the right thing. I apologized to him immediately. I know better than to even act like that, but my frustration got the better of me right there."

The frustration has to be about the return of the leg injury that sent him to the disabled list earlier this season. The Rays need Percival to be right down the stretch, which should mean shutting him down through the All-Star break. Too much on the line to risk losing the closer for the season.

Troy Percival Isn't Thrilled About Getting Taken Out Of A Game originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A New Stadium for the Rays Will Take Longer Than Originally Hoped

Josh Alper — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:55:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, Tampa Bay, MLB Biz

It appears that the Tampa Bay Rays won't have a chance to turn this season's strong play into the new stadium they'd like to build on St. Petersburg's waterfront. The team announced yesterday that they are no longer seeking a November referendum about public financing for the site. The news isn't totally bad, however.

The area has been hit hard by the woes in the real estate market and other economic downturns, which may well have resulted in the referendum's failure in November. The whole idea only came up seven months ago and a little more time, marketing and salesmanship may mean that the project can go forward in the future. That might mean moving into the stadium in 2013 instead of 2012 but that's worth avoiding an acrimonious process.

The team also announced that there will be a group of community officials studying several issues pertaining to the stadium, including alternative sites. That's important since non-waterfront sites don't require referendums, according to the St. Petersburg Times, which gives the opening to take public opinion out of the equation. Less cynically, further investigation creates more transparency and more of a sense that this isn't just a jailbreak to get a stadium built ASAP.

A New Stadium for the Rays Will Take Longer Than Originally Hoped originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rays Give #1 Pick $6.15 Million Signing Bonus

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:12:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Draft, Tampa Bay, MLB Transactions

While most teams around baseball had already started signing some of their draft picks following the draft a few weeks ago, most have been waiting to see what the Rays would do with Tim Beckham before negotiating with their own first round picks.

Well, let the negotiating begin, as the Rays have signed the #1 pick.

Tim Beckham used one word to describe how it felt to walk into the Tampa Bay Rays clubhouse and spot a jersey with his name on the back hanging in a locker next to established major leaguers.

"Sweet," the talented high school shortstop from Griffin, Ga., said Thursday.

Yeah, I'd probably say sweet too if I'd just signed a contract that included a $6.15 million signing bonus. The bonus is more than the Rays gave to their top pick last season, pitcher David Price, who got $5.6 million last season, though overall the deal will pay Beckham less than Price's $11.25 million total.

The Rays don't mind giving Beckham a larger signing bonus than Price because agreeing to a deal with him this early guarantees that Tim can join the Rays minor league system right away. They didn't sign Price until mid-August last season, preventing him from pitching in the minors until this season.

Rays Give #1 Pick $6.15 Million Signing Bonus originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scott Kazmir Gets The Party Started

Tom Fornelli — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:13:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Video, Tampa Bay

One of my favorite things to do on YouTube is search for incredibly lame commercials from other local markets that star famous athletes. Whether it's Joel Zumaya shilling for Comcast Cable, or every athlete in Washington trying to sell you a car, I find them all entertaining.

So when I saw this commercial of Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir coming to the aid of two Rays fans (the Rays have fans! Who knew!?) having trouble with their grill, there was just no way I couldn't share it with you. There's no need to thank me, I do it because I love you.

(Via Big League Stew)

Scott Kazmir Gets The Party Started originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Junior Has His Eyes on Tampa

Tom Fornelli — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:52:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, Reds, MLB Rumors, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay

Now that Ken Griffey Jr. has surpassed the 600 home run milestone, and the Reds are sitting in last place in the NL Central (though they're only three games under), if there's ever going to be a time when Cincinnati would trade Junior, this is it. Griffey has already gone on record as saying that he expects to be traded this season, but since he has a no-trade clause, he's going to have a say in where he's going.

One of those places Junior would consider? According to SI's Jon Heyman, Tampa is looking nice this time of year.

Now Griffey, a longtime resident of the Orlando, Fla., area, is telling friends he's monitoring the surprising Tampa Bay Rays as a possible destination for him, should the Reds decide to deal him.

Griffey, 39, has a no-trade clause but has told intimates that if the Rays stay in the race, he'd consider waiving his veto power to go home. Or close to home, anyway. Tampa is much nearer his Orlando-area residence than any other big-league city. Griffey's tony Isleworth community is about an hour from St. Petersburg, where the Rays play.

Tampa would be a good place for Junior since they are in the race, and they are located near Junior's home in Orlando, so he can be close with his family. It would also work for the Reds because they need pitching, and the Rays are an organization with a lot of young pitching they can move in such a deal.

As for the Rays, while I could understand their motive in bringing Junior to Florida, I'm not sure he'll be enough to help the team overcome Boston in the AL East this season. By making this deal the Rays may just end up giving up the young arms that can help them overcome Boston in the future for a three month rental at DH that's not going to be enough.

Junior Has His Eyes on Tampa originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Still Relevant in Florida

Mullet — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Miami, Oakland, Orioles, Rays, Athletics, Marlins, Pirates, Giants, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Tampa Bay

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Florida Marlins (36-31) at Tampa Bay Rays (39-28) - 6:10 PM ET

All right, so I'm having a conversation today with a buddy of mine and we're discussing the fact that it's June 14th, and both the Marlins and Rays are still relevant in the conversation of baseball. I'm sure that neither of these teams are content with just being in the hunt in mid-June. But the question is, are either of these teams capable of being in the race all the way through? Could both teams be there at the end? Regardless of what your feeling is on this, it will be fun to see a Florida interleague game with some juice ... even though both the Marlins and the Rays have more intense rivalries out there.

P.S. If I had to choose one team there at the end, my money's on the Rays. But that's if you put a gun to my head.

Oakland Athletics (36-31) at San Francisco Giants (30-38) - 9:05 PM ET

One team was supposed to be too young ... the other: way too old. But while we're on the subject of relevance, the fact that this was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Oakland and they're 36-31 is cool enough. But I'm more impressed by the fact that the Giants aren't nearly as putrid as I thought they were going to be. Even though they're 30-38, there seems to be some hope around the corner for the Giants thanks to, among other things, Tim Lincecum pitching like the prospect he once was, and Aaron Rowand proving that last season wasn't merely a product of playing in a hitters' park. But does he really lead the team with only eight home runs?

Rowand may stay at eight with today's pitching matchup: hard throwers Rich Harden and Matt Cain ~~battle to the death~~ hook up.

Pittsburgh Pirates (33-35) at Baltimore Orioles (33-33) - 7:05 PM ET

Neither of these two teams were supposed to be any good either, but alas, both teams are either at or near .500 this season. That's reason enough to watch ... but I just wanted to go on a rant about how cool it would be to see both these teams wear their colorful jerseys from 1979, when they played each other in the first World Series I ever saw and Willie Stargell won his way into my heart and became my one of my first favorite players. But coincidentally enough, the Orioles actually did wear their throwback duds on Friday night ... and forgot to tell the Pirates about it. So even though the O's advertised that the Bucs would also be wearing the pillbox hats and bright uniforms from '79, they never did. Awkward!

Everyone else:

Phillies at Cardinals 3:55 ET
Cubs at Blue Jays 1:07 ET
Red Sox at Reds 3:55 ET
Dodgers at Tigers 3:55 ET
Twins at Brewers 7:05 ET
Yankees at Astros 7:05 ET
Padres at Indians 7:05 ET
Rockies at White Sox 7:05 ET
Rangers at Mets 7:10 ET
Royals at Diamondbacks 8:05 ET
Braves at Angels 9:05 ET
Nationals at Mariners 10:10 ET

On Deck: Still Relevant in Florida originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jonathan Papelbon: Thing With Rays Isn't All Settled and Done

Josh Alper — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Red Sox, Rays, MLB Video, Tampa Bay

Jonathan Papelbon made an appearance on a Boston cable channel this week and, after a little goading from the hosts, stoked the flames of the Red Sox-Rays rivalry. It comes about 90 seconds into the video, which is courtesy of Extra Bases.

I find it strange that the Red Sox are so upset about this. They beat the Rays in all three games and it was their player, Coco Crisp, who started the fight. After all the arguing the night before about plays involving him, any player of Crisp's experience should know that retaliation was coming and it came via a soft plunk on the thigh.

If the pitch is at his head, go ahead and charge the mound otherwise head to first and grit your teeth. That's not saying the guys like Jonny Gomes escalating the situation weren't equally foolish, because they were. Stoking the fires and raising the likelihood of more fights is more foolish, though. It doesn't matter how many wrongs there are, it's never going to add up to a right. Say it was unfortunate but we've moved on and are concentrating on winning ballgames and just let the thing die.

Jonathan Papelbon: Thing With Rays Isn't All Settled and Done originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rocco Baldelli Is Ready to Start Playing Games That Count Again

Josh Alper — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Injuries, Tampa Bay

It wasn't at all surprising when news broke during spring training that Rocco Baldelli would be missing the start of the season because of injury. It was surprising, however, to find out it wasn't his balky hamstring but a rare mitochondrial disorder that was keeping him sidelined.

As Pat Lackey explained well back in March, that meant that Baldelli's body was not allowing his muscles to work as they should and it seemed like an ominous sign about his chances of resuming a once bright big league career. As the song goes, though, no matter how cold the winter, there's a springtime ahead.

Baldelli's ready to go out on a rehab assignment after playing in his final extended spring training game on Wednesday.

"This is probably the first time since the beginning of spring training where I actually felt that I was going to be coming back and playing. We're going to sit down and decide what the next step is. Hopefully go out and get some [at-bats] on some kind of rehab assignment."

These aren't the Rays that Baldelli left behind in May 2007. B.J. Upton's ensconced in center now, though who knows if Baldelli can even play the field anymore, and the team's gotten good production from Eric Hinske, Gabe Gross and Cliff Floyd in right and at DH. They are all lefty swingers so if Baldelli can prove he can still rake, he could find a spot.

Rocco Baldelli Is Ready to Start Playing Games That Count Again originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The History of the Fist Bump

Matt Watson — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:45:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Video, Tampa Bay

Hopefully this can help people understand the difference between a regular old fist bump and a terrorist fist jab, which went out of style in Tampa Bay the day Elijah Dukes was traded to the Nationals.

(hat-tip: Deadspin)

The History of the Fist Bump originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jon Lester Thinks MLB's Suspensions Are 'Stupid' and 'They Have No Idea'

Will Brinson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Red Sox, Rays, AL East, MLB Media Watch, MLB Rumors, Tampa Bay

The suspensions that stemmed from the Red Sox - Rays brawl this past week will end up keeping plenty of stars out for a few games. Such is the nature of fighting in baseball (or any professional athletics for that matter); if you throw punches, you are going to miss time on the field.

Jon Lester, though, does not believe that Major League Baseball is handling their disciplinary actions properly. Oddly, he is not appealing his five game suspension, just going straight to the media.

"[Major League Baseball vice president of rules and on-field operations Bob] (Watson) said, 'You hit [Carl] Crawford with a curveball and guys are hitting guys with curveballs now.' It's stupid," Lester said. "They have no idea. (Watson) didn't watch the video. He doesn't have a feel for the game. He doesn't understand baseball."
[...]"It really is B.S. that I got suspended and [James] Shields, the guy that hit somebody, only gets one more game than me," Lester said. "I didn't throw any punches, and didn't hit anybody on purpose. You have to talk to them and find out why."

That's a fair point, especially considering Shields' decision to appeal will allow him to not miss a single start, based on the way the Rays rotation shakes out. That sort of decision is exactly why Lester is not appealing; by simply taking the suspension he gets an extra two days rest before jumping back in the rotation.

Personally, I think it is kind of B.S. that pitchers, especially those who hit the batters, are not given at least a one start suspension, assuming MLB is going to continue to suspend position players for five full games. But I also back throwing baseballs at the batter when the old school retaliation rules are in full effect, so it's a tough choice.

H/T: LBS

Jon Lester Thinks MLB's Suspensions Are 'Stupid' and 'They Have No Idea' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Garza and Dioner Navarro Weren't Seeing Eye to Eye on Sunday

Josh Alper — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Video, Tampa Bay

There's no doubt that the Tampa Bay Rays would like to be the Boston Red Sox one day. A perennial contender with a huge fan base and tons of history should be every team's goal, after all. They may be following the wrong example set down by the team that passed them in the standings this week. The Rays watched Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis get into a tiff in the dugout on Thursday and Matt Garza and Dioner Navarro decided to do an imitation on Sunday.

I wonder if Garza will be hearing from Troy Percival this week. From SI's recent cover story on the Rays.

The chatty Percival keeps players loose and humble. For instance, he promised to fine pitcher Matt Garza, who was obtained in a trade with the Twins, $500 every time he acted like a jerk on the mound, though Percival used a more colorful term.

Quite a week for the Rays. They started it in first place, had the first overall pick in the draft, got into a fight with the Red Sox en route to being swept and then closed it out by fighting with each other.

Matt Garza and Dioner Navarro Weren't Seeing Eye to Eye on Sunday originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: The Replacement Killers

B. Thompson Stroud — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:37:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, Rays, AL East, Tampa Bay, The Dugout

Two notes before tonight's Dugout:

1) Reliant K Kyle Farnsworth has obviously not been on vacation all week. However, the Dugout version of Farnsworth has been on vacation (and yes, he's the religion he says he is in real life too) and if you can't disassociate the two and need a kayfabed explanation, the one who has been pitching in Yankees games this week wasn't Kyle at all but his evil pseudo-brother Jeff.

2) The subject who appears at the end of this strip was brought up and requested in tonight's Baseball is Boring: Mariners-Red Sox live blog. We really do listen to you guys. We wouldn't be doing these (and getting paid to do these) for Fanhouse if it wasn't for our audience, so we always want to know what you want and hear what you have to say. If you haven't been reading BiB you've been missing out and should remedy that. Especially now, before it gets popular and gets its own Fanhouse tag.

Tonight's Dugout is after the jump.

The Dugout

	Online Host pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth has entered the chatroom with a dufflebag over his shoulder.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: boom britches the black prince kyle farnsworth has returned, did you miss me
	LongLiveGiambi: Miss you? You were gone?
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: what of course i- what do you mean were i gone
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: i have been at a morman family reunion in urban kansas reconnecticaten with my LDS brothas an sistas, i been gone all week
	ADamonApproaches: oh bwuthor you miss a wot
	LongLiveGiambi: no doubt, we all grew moustaches. It was awesome.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: what is this like the time the pitchen staff was gonna shave their heads in solid darity so i shavt my head an then nobody else did
	LongLiveGiambi: No way man, we shoot grew moustaches. And we've been kicking ass since we did, they've been real slump busters.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: yeah nothen goes with a thong like a mustache
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: well i always have 0.5 of a mustache does that count am i a soup strainer or a soup stranger
	LongLiveGiambi: Sorry buddy, you're a soup stranger.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: son of a mung at least joba the hutt has been a misrable sack a crap since i been gone right
	LongLiveGiambi: Not really. Joba got his first start this week! Pretty exciting.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: what do you mean when you say "got his first start" does that mean he ate a jar a paste hey paste-pot pete did ya eat a jar a the paste or what
	LongLiveGiambi: well no, he did eat a bunch of paste, but when I say "got his first start" I mean "the Yankees used him as a starting pitcher in a Major League Baseball game."
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: when you say "the yankees used him as a starten pitcher in a majer league ball game" do you mean to say "joba ate a bunch a change an had to be taken towart the hostpital"
	JobaToTheStars: nope i storted
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: you did what
	LongLiveGiambi: he only pitched a couple of innings and most of the time his emotions got the best of him, but he's going to be good eventually and we're certainly not giving up on him.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: he he greaaaarrgghhhh
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: i leave for one week to learn more about a secont testament of jesus christ an the new york yankees turns inta the u.s. national team for backwords ass retards
	LongLiveGiambi: you could've just said "the Orioles"
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: aight aight, this is fine, if ..... joba is gonna start games the yankees still neet somebody to get em from starter to closer
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: an even my worse detracters arnt gonna say im worse than the troy hawkins so that mil' relief position is all mine
	LongLiveGiambi: uh, not exactly while you were gone we hired your non-union, Mexican equivalent
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: my who
	3dw4r_r4m1r3z: hola mayates es "el rudo de los ojos verdes" ramírez edwar aquí para romper cuellos y cheques del efectivo
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: what did you say
	3dw4r_r4m1r3z: dije que tu madre es un banca de reemplazos
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: somebody tell me what ricky from my so-callt life is sayen to me b'for i break bad an sedate him rayanne graff style
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: there we go, at least y'all can never replace me as the president resident kinda in charge crazy fighten socio path
	LongLiveGiambi: actually we got into a bunch of fights while you were gone
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: come the fcking fck of f*ck on with who
	LongLiveGiambi: uh, well, we got into a thing with the Rays-
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: which race was it white people because i swear to god
	LongLiveGiambi: No, the Tampa Rays. Duncan slid spikes up into Iwamura and tempers flared, and... and, well, we found a replacement for you there, too.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: in tampa?!?! who is it i'll kill em, i'll strate up- wait was it elijah dukes .... /turns off cellphone
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: i will strate up kill his ass to death with extreme prejudice
	LongLiveGiambi: Dukes doesn't play for them anymore, he plays for Washington. Do you even follow baseball?
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: i dont get to pitch a lot, so
	LongLiveGiambi: Well, things got out of hand, and-
	Online Host JonPuffyGomes has entered the chatroom.
	JonPuffyGomes: WOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOO
	JonPuffyGomes: LLLLLLET'S GET READY TO SUCK ITTTTTTTTTT
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: the hell
	JonPuffyGomes: THIS /points to sombrero IS WHERE THE POWER LIES
	JonPuffyGomes: HEY DID YOU TOUCH MY STUFF, I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH MY STUFF I WILL KILL YOU FOR THE CHILDREN IF YOU TOUCH MY STUFF
	JonPuffyGomes: AND FOR THE MILLIONS /tilts head back HAND MILLIONS OF FANS
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: hm.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: hey you know what, i been chatten in this chatroom for four years now an i am to damn old to deal with this dumb shit right now
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: i'ma go play xbox, talk to you later
	Online Host pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth has left the chatroom.
	JonPuffyGomes: WHO HERE IS UP FOR GROWING A MOUSTACHE

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: The Replacement Killers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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