The Hangover:

Devil Rays 2, Red Sox 1.
The Devil Rays struck out 9 times last night. How unusual is that? Not at all. The Rays lead the AL with 986 strikeouts. The AL record was set by the 1996 Detroit Tigers who whiffed an amazing 1,266 times. They are averaging 7.8 Ks per game. At the current pace, the Rays would go down on strikes 1,268 times, breaking the previous record.

There are some that would argue that a strikeout is not necessarily a bad way to get out. After all it is still just one out. Obviously a double-play is worse. Still, for all the ways a batter can make one out, the K may be the worst.

A strikeout is a rally killer. With runners on base (except for a double-play) a strikeout is the worst thing a batter can do. It does nothing except move the other team closer to getting out of a jam. A strikeout does not move runners. A strikeout does not force the defense to make a play. A strikeout pumps up a team. It rallies a road stadium or it deflates the home field.

A good pitcher doesn’t necessarily pitch for strikeouts as a large number of Ks translates to a large number of pitches. But there are clearly times when a pitcher needs a strikeout with runners on base and all-too-often the Devil Rays kindly oblige.

Rays on record strikeout pace; Bedard dominant [USA Today]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• The Devil Rays are now 3-1 against Boston in games in which Daisuke Matsuzaka is the starting pitcher. They are 0-9 in all other games against the Red Sox. [tampabay.com]
• BJ Upton has batted cleanup before last night, he just doesn’t remember when. Upton took to the new role as well as can be expected hitting a home run and driving in both runs. [TBO]
• Sure sounds like we can expect to see Jeff Niemann added as a sixth starter in September. [TBO]

“If the whole group feels that it’s appropriate to bring him here, I could see value in that,” Maddon said. “No question about it. A lot of times a guy will come up in September like that, and that one month of experience really can catapult you into the next year.”

• Grading any draft immediately after it happens is rediculous, but even more so in baseball where most prospects require 3-4 years of development and most first round picks will never make a significant impact. So please tell us why in hell the Hardball Times feels the need to give out “The DRAFTYs:The 2007 MLB draft awards”. [The Hardball Times]
• Carlos Pena is having a career year, having bested his previous career-best with his 28th home runs. He is now six home runs shy of Aubrey Huff for the franchis record. [Devil Rays]
• Don Zimmer will have to change his number next season to #60 as he is planning on returning to the Rays for his 60th season in major league baseball. [MLB News Blog]

Down On The Farm: An Akinori Iwamura Bobblehead In Vero Beach Makes Perfect Sense…To Nobody

Durham 8, Richmond 2. JP Howell struck out 9 and walked 2 in 8 innings. He was touched for 2 runs (1 earned) on only 4 hits. He did throw 2 wild pitches. Jay Witasick pitched a perfect 9th. Evan Longoria went 2-4 with 2 RBI. In 18 games, he is 18-60 (.300) with 12 RBI and a .943 OPS. Jason Pridie was 3-4 and was a single short of hitting for the cycle.

Montgomery 8, Birmingham 3. Chris Mason improved to 14-4 with a 2.56 ERA. He went 6 innings, and allowed 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. Rhyne Hughes was 2-4 with 3 RBI and Fernando Perez was 3-5 with an RBI.

Vero Beach 4, Palm Beach 2 (10 innings). Patrick Cotrell’s 10th home run of the season was a 2-run walk-off shot in the bottom of the 10th. Josh Butler pitched 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks.

Charleston 6, Columbus 1. The Catfish managed only 3 hits, two by Maiko Loyola. Woods Fines took the loss, allowing 2 runs in 4 innings.

Tri-City 7, Hudson Valley 2.

Princeton 4, Bluefield 2 (game 1). Jeremy Hall moved to 4-1 with a 1.56 RA after allowing 2 runs in 6 innings. He struck out 6 and walked 1.

Princeton 5, Bluefield 1 (game 2). Matt Moore (8th Rd.- 2008) and Austin Hinkle (41st Rd. – 2008) combined on a 1-hit shutout. Moore worked 3 innings, allowing no hits and 3 walks, striking out 5. Hinkle struck out 3 and walked none.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• Can somebody explain to us why the Vero Beach Devil Rays are giving away an Akinori Iwamura bobblehead? anybody? anybody? [MiLB]
• JP Howell broke the Durham Bulls’ AAA record and now has 129 on the season. [Herald-Sun]

[THE HANGOVER] Curt Schilling Just Wants You To Talk About Him

Boston 8, Devil Rays 6.
Rays fans are abuzz after Curt Schilling announced during a radio interview in Boston that he would consider playing for the Devil Rays after his contract expires at the end of the year.

“It’s one of those situations you’d certainly have to look at. Knowing that I’m probably going to spend one more year playing, if circumstances happen and things happen and they made some moves that were positive, I’d love nothing more than to finish my career working on a pitching staff where I know that there are young guys that are going to be positively impacted by me being around [after] I was gone. I enjoy that. I love working and talking and being around young pitchers.”

If there is one thing Schilling loves, it is attention and headlines. This looks like nothing more than another attempt to say something so far out that writers will have no choice but to write about it and fans will have no choice but to talk about it.

It obviously made big headlines in Boston as well as in the Tampa area. But the story was also picked up in places like Atlanta as well as making the “notes” section of many other papers across the country.

The other angle that cannot be ignored here is that Schilling is a free agent after this season and he is probably looking to increase the number of bidders for his services. His first choice is probably to remain with the Red Sox, and Schill may be bluffing interests in other teams to increase the offer from Theo Epstein.

Still, we doubt the Devil Rays are the longest shot at acquiring Schilling’s services. We would still give them better odds than half of the teams in Japan.

Curt Answer [tampabay.com]
Schilling’s comments devilish [boston.com]
Schilling exclaims his love for Devil Rays [AJC.com]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Scott Kazmir is frustrated by being pulled with lower pitch counts in the second half. In his last ten starts, he has topped 100 pitches only six times. [Devil Rays]

“It just frustrates me,” Kazmir said. “It’s kind of in my head. You come to the late innings and you always have to look at the pitch count. It’s something where you just don’t need it. You’ve got enough stuff going on; you don’t need to be looking at the pitch count.”

• Fernando Cabrera, who turned down a waiver claim by the Devil Rays, signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. [Baltimore Sun]
• Seth McClung was called up to the majors by the Milwaukee Brewers after winning the PCL pitcher of the week award. In his first appearance, he nearly blew a 3-run 9th inning lead, allowing two runs before being pulled. Seth being Seth. [WFRV]
• Could the last two months of the regular season be Joel Guzman’s last chance to become an impact player? Minor League Beat thinks it might be. Reality is, Guzman only seems like he has been a prospect forever…well, because he has been. He was signed by the Dodgers when he was 16. But he is still only 22, and he has something you cannot teach…size. He is 6 foot-friggin-6-inches tall. The dud is huge and wings a mean stick. If he fails with the Rays, somebody else will certainly give him a shot. Carlos Pena anyone? [Minor League Beat]

Down On The Farm: Three Rays Minor League Affiliates Now In First Place…Tampa Bay Devil Rays Are Not

Durham 8, Richmond 5. The Bulls took the first game of a 4-game set against Richmond. The leapfrogs Durham past Richmond into first place in the South division by half a game. Jeff NIemann returned from the DL and gave up 3 runs in 4 innings on a very tight leash. He was limited to 71 pitches. He struck out 4 and walked 1. Wes Bankston hit 2 solo home runs and now has 14 on the year. Justin Ruggiano added his 19th homer. He finished 2-5 and is hitting .306. He also stole his 26th base. Evan Longoria was 3-4 with 3 singles and an RBI.

Montgomery 7, Birmingham 3. The Biscuits scored all 7 runs in the final four frames after falling behind 3-0 in the first inning. The win puts Montgomery in a first place tied in the redundant Southern League South division. Jake McGee struck out 8 and walked 2 in 6 innings. He allowed 3 runs on 5 hits. Gabby Martinez was 4-5 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. He has 15 on the year. Reid Brignac was 1-5 and scored two runs.

Palm Beach 3, Vero Beach 1. Mike Wlodarczyk allowed 3 runs (2 earned) in 5 innings. Rocco Baldelli DH’d and lead off, going 0-3 with a strikeout and managed to not pull a hamstring walking between the batters box and the dugout. He is scheduled to play 3 innings in center field tonight. Mark Mulder pitched the first four innings for Palm Beach on a rehab assignment, allowing 2 hits and 1 unearned run.

Charleston 3, Columbus 0. The Catfish managed only 3 hits and saw their lead in the South division drop to 1.5 games. Jeremy Hellickson struck out 4 and walked 3 in 6 innings. He gave 1 run on 4 hits.

Aberdeen 4, Hudson Valley 1 (game 1). Brian Flores, a 13th round lefty out of Arizona State, gave up 2 unearned runs in 4 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 1. Shortstop Kevin Colon is committing errors at an Uptonian pace, with his 14th in just 29 games.

Hudson Valley 6, Aberdeen 0 (game 2). Diego Echeverria and Ryan Zimmerman combined for a 5-hit shutout. All-Star Mike McCormick was 2-3 with an RBI.

Princeton 6, Kingsport 2. 5th round pick Dustin Biell went 3-5 with a double and his 7th stolen base. Tyree Hayes improved to 4-6 after giving up 2 runs (1 earned) in 5 innings. He struck out 5 and walked 1.

The Hangover: Quick And Painless

Tim Wakefield 6, Devil Rays 0.
We got nothin’ today…Enjoy the links while Delmon Young flails and misses yet another Wakefield knuckler by 18 inches. And wake us when Kazmir finally stops throwing pitches in the first inning.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• In addition to being called up to the majors and getting a walk-off hit in his first at bat with the Devil Rays, Joel Guzman was able to meet his childhood idol, Davif Ortiz. [Devil Rays]
• Joe Maddon says not to expect more than a couple of additional players to be called up when teams are allowed to expand the rosters on September 1. Look for Maddon to go to a six-man rotation to ease the pitch counts of Scott Kazmir and James Shields [tampabay.com]

“We don’t need a whole lot of folks up here right now,” Maddon said. “We have a young group that needs to continue to play. We’re playing to win and we’re playing against a lot of contending teams and we set it up to win, so I don’t anticipate a whole bunch of people showing up.”

• We thought for certain that The Ledger would have fixed THIS headline by this morning, but apparently not. Just to clarify, Joel Guzman had 19 at bats with the Dodgers last year. [The Ledger]
• Carlos Pena is the Devil Rays representative on the ballot for the Hank Aaron Award. We have made our thoughts on this award known before and we still think it is a joke. [Devil Rays]
• Another blogger weighs in on how to “fix” the Devil Rays. This time the solution is a new stadium. Simple huh? First of all, if we have said it once, we have said it six times, the Trop is not a bad place to watch a game. It is still being penalized by a reputation that is perpetuated by people that have never seen a game at the Trop. Have these people ever been to Shea Stadium? And we know that Fenway is historic, but it is the most uncomfortable stadium we have ever been to. There is more leg room on a plane and most of the seats do not even face towards the infield. For example, if you sit down the right field line, you are facing the monster. Second, the lease the Devil Rays have with the Trop is well-documented and about as iron-clad as any stadium has with a pro team, so the Rays are not going anywhere anytime soon…even if everybody seems to think they should. [Dahmen Daily]
• The Devil Rays have broken ground on their new Spring Training complex in Charlotte County. [WinkNews.com]

Down On The Farm: Two More Farmhands Take Home Awards

Montgomery 4, Birmingham 3. Wade Davis allowed only one base runner (a walk) and faced the minimum over the first 6 innings, taking a no-hitter into the 7th, before giving up a lead-off single. He struck out 5 and walked 1 in 6.2 innings to pick up his 5th win. He allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and his ERA now sits at 3.16. Reid Brignac was 1-3 with an RBI.

Palm Beach 9, Vero Beach 2 (game 1). In the first game of his most recent rehab assignment, Rocco Baldelli DH’d and went 0-2, flying out to center twice and had a walk. Derek Feldkamp allowed 2 runs in 5 innings, leaving with the score tied at 2-2.

Vero Beach 6, Palm Beach 1. Rocco Baldelli did not play in the second game. Mike Kamrath pitched a complete game, striking out 7 and allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks. He retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. Sergio Pedroza hit 2 home runs and drove in 3. He has 3 home runs in the last 2 days and 22 on the season.

Princeton 3, Kingsport 1 (11 innings). Chris Andujar gave up 1 run in 5 innings. Omar Luna broke the 1-1 tie with an RBI double in the 11th.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• The Durham Bulls and Columbus Catfish had a scheduled night off, while Hudson Valley was postponed due to rain.
• The say many pitchers don’t learn how to pitch until they have had their first major surgery. That may be the case for Doug Waechter as he continues on his comeback trail down in A-ball. [MiLB]

“My fastball is getting back to where it was pre-surgery and I’ve started throwing a cut fastball, which is not only helping me stay consistent with my delivery, but it’s also allowing me to get quicker outs.”

While quicker outs ultimately will lead to more favorable results, Waechter has his eyes set on a much bigger prize.

“My goal is to get back to the Major Leagues as soon as possible. If this is the year, so be it, but I’m just going to continue to go out there, show that I’m healthy and just leave the rest up to the team to decide,” he said.

• Jake McGee was named the Southern League’s pitcher of the week. [Stacy Long’s Riverwalk Talk]
  
• Heath Rollins was named the SAL pitcher of the week for the third time this season. He is 15-4 with a 2.57 ERA. [Basil’s Blog]

The Hangover: Joel Guzman Does Not Homer Or Strikeout. We Are Confused

Devil Rays 4, Indians 3 (12 innings).

PLAYING A LIL’ PEPPER WITH THE RAYS (random thoughts on yesterday’s game)…

Joel Guzman hits singles? When did that start happening?

How many people watched the game-winning hit and thought there was no way Jonny Gomes was going to score. We still aren’t sure how he managed to cross the plate after Guzman hit the ground ball up the middle and Gomes’ first move was to start running back to second base.

We have talked a lot recently about the horrible Rays defense. In the 10th inning we saw a perfect example of how bad the defense can be without committing an error. With a runner on first base and 1 out, Trot Nixon is facing Al Reyes with the score tied 2-2. Reyes is not a hard thrower, so a lefty is more likely to pull the ball through the hole on the right side, so Brendan Harris was cheating a little in the direction. Nixon hit a routine ground ball to Harris’ right. Harris basically took one step and then fell down in what we can only assume was an attempt to dive for the ball. It should have been a tailor-made double play. Rather, it was now first and third with 1 out. Harris not only showed perhaps the worst range ever for a second baseman, but he also showed a lack of natural baseball instincts. While he needs to cheat a little towards the hole with Reyes on the mound, he should have noticed that Dioner Navarro had set up about six inches off the plate, away, from the batter. Even at 87 mph, there is no way Nixon is pulling that ball. Harris should have been leaning up the middle before the pitch was even thrown.

We know this is unlikely, but it was hard not to watch the game yesterday and wonder what if Joel Guzman could hit well enough to be a major leaguer and play defense well enough to be a 6’6″ shortstop? It would settle a lot of issues with the Devil Rays lineup in 2008 and beyond. Evan Longoria at third, Goose at short, Iwamura at second, Upton in center. Rocco in another uniform after being flipped for a middle of the rotation starter, and Brendan Harris as the utility infielder. Not a bad lineup…Not bad at all.

It is fun watching BJ Upton in center field, and it looks like BJ Upton is having fun playing center field. He must be kicking himself for being so stubborn about switching positions the last two years. He is basically Alfonso Soriano with a better glove.

James Shields needs a nickname. The problem is he is almost boring on the mound. But that is a good thing. He is a professional. Yesterday, he walked the first batter of the game, and Shields actually showed a little emotion, that we don’t recall ever seeing from him before. He was right to be upset. That walk led to a run, but he settled down and did not walk another batter.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Ben Zobrist was placed on the DL with a strained oblique. Joel Guzman was called up from Durham to take Zobrist’s spot in the roster. [tampabay.com]
• Joel Guzman could see playing time at all four infield positions. [TBO]
• Some guy named Rocco Baldelli will begin a rehab assignment this week with the Vero Beach Devil Rays. We vaguely remember hearing about this kid. Supposed to be pretty good, but something happened to him…He will play four games this week, and will play a grand total of three innings in center field. The rest of the time will be served as a DH. [Devil Rays]
• Joe Henderson believes that bringing Joe Maddon is the right move. [TBO]
• Manny Stiles is back on the radar and he has set out to debunk 12 myths about the Devil Rays, including “Tropicana Field is horrible”, “Joe Maddon isn’t a good manager” and “The Devil Rays are the worst team in baseball.” We agree with most of Manny’s points, but know that the argument will fall on deaf ears to most. [Armchair GM]
• We are big fans of Paul Lukas of ESPN and UniWatchBlog. In his most recent ESPN column, Lukas tackles uniform prototypes for professional teams that never made it onto the field or the court. Two of the local teams were mentioned in the article. First, we are all familiar with and likely scarred by the Devil Rays Rainbow Warriors uniforms. And most probably remember the hideous patch that adorned the sleeves in the inaugural season as seen HERE. Apparently that trumped a patch that as produced, but never used, which would have been easier on the eyes, as seen HERE. Lukas also points us to some prototype helmets that the Buccaneers toyed with before settling on their current design. This reminds us too much of the Tampa Bay Bandits…The Black design is hideous…But we kinda like the white, that reminds us of the South Carolina Gamecocks helmets. And apparently distance does make the heart grow fonder, because sometimes we do miss Bucco Bruce. [ESPN]

Down On The Farm: Justin Ruggiano Helps Bulls Keep Pace With Walk-Off Home Run

Durham 6, Louisville 5. After Chad Orvella allowed the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th inning, Justin Ruggiano answered in the bottom half of the frame with a 2-run walk-off home run. JK Ryu gave up 4 runs in 6 innings. He struck out 7. Evan Longoria went 0-3. He is hitting .250. He is 2 for his last 16…Durham is one game back in the South Division, and lead the wild card by two games.

Vero Beach 8, Brevard County 2. Doug Waechter won his second game in his last three starts with 6 shutout innings. He struck out 6 and walked 2. Sergio Pedroza hit his 20th home run. Montgomery is one game behind Jacksonville in the South division.

Columbus 7, Asheville 3. Matt Fields hit his third home run in the past two games. He now has 18. Ryan Royster went 0 for 3. Columbus has stretched their lead over Asheville by 2.5 games.

Hudson Valley 8, Aberdeen 4.

Danville 6, Princeton 2.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• Durham Bulls hitting coach Gary Gaetti, left the team this weekend to attend the 20th anniversary celebration of the Minnesota Twins 1987 World Championship. Gaetti was inducted into the team’s hall of fame. [Post-Bulletin]

The Hangover: Upton Stolen Bases Down In 2007

Indians 8, Devil Rays 1.
BJ Upton is hitting .313 with a .397 OBP. By our count he has been on base 160 times, between Tampa Bay and his rehab stint earlier this season. Yet despite the number of the high number of times on base, he has only stolen 13 bases in 19 attempts. His season totals of stolen bases prior to this year were 40, 24, 44 and 57. And granted he missed considerable time with a leg injury.

Joe Maddon may be hesitant to send Upton following the injury, but he was not even running before the injury. 13 of the stolen bases came before the injury. Upton was on pace for approximately 30 stolen bases for the year before going to the DL. That is a paltry total for a player with Upton’s speed that is having such an outstanding offensive season.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Ben Zobrist was injured and had to be removed from the game. He is likely headed to the DL. [Devil Rays]
• Marc Topkin speculates that Joel Guzman could be called up to replace Ben Zobrist. [tampabay.com]
• Contrary to earlier reports, Fernando Cabrera has not signed with the Devil Rays. Rather, he turned down the Rays’ waiver claim and decided to become a free agent. [Devil Rays]
• A new Tampa Bay sports blog has started with an open letter to Stuart Sternberg. The author suggests that the Rays need to go after big names this off-season, listing several examples, such as Bartolo Colon. The problem with this is that if the money is equal, no big-name free agent is coming to Tampa Bay. Therefore, not only would the Rays need to open up the pocketbook, they will have to go above and beyond what other teams offer, by a considerable margin. [Tampa Bay Sports Report]

Down On The Farm: Ryan Royster Continues His Torrid Pace

Louisville 8, Durham 7. Mitch Talbot was touched for 6 runs in 6.2 innings. He allowed 9 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 6. Shawn Camp entered the game with a 7-6 lead, getting the final out of the 7th inning, but blew the lead in the 8th giving up 2 runs on 5 hits. Justin Ruggiano hit a 3-run home run in the 7-run second inning. Evan Longoria was 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Montgomery 12, Jacksonville 2. Gabby Martinez was 2-4 with a double and a grand slam, his 13th home run. Reid Brignac was 3-5 with a double and an RBI. Patrick Breen added a 3-run home run.

Vero Beach 7, Brevard County. Greg Dupas made just his fourth start of the season giving up 3 runs in 4 innings.

Columbus 16, Asheville 7. Heath Rollins picked up his 15th win, striking out 7 in 6 innings. He gave up 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk. The Catfish hit 6 home runs including 2 by Matt Fields who now has 17. He drove in 5. Ryan Royster hit another home run to give him 26 on the year. He was 4-5 and is now hitting .327.

Hudson Valley 9, Aberdeen 2 (game 1). Stephen Vogt was 2-4 with 2 doubles an 4 RBI.

Hudson Valley 13, Aberdeen 5 (game 2). Cody Cipriano had 3 hits including his 4th home run. Stephen Vogt added 2 more hits in the nightcap.

Princeton 9, Danville 0. Nick Barnese, the Rays’ third round pick this year, improved to 2-2 with 6 shutout innings. He struck out 6 and walked none.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

• In a shocking revelation, James Houser denies using steroids, but does admit to a “mistake”. Stacy Long speculates that he may have been suspended for amphetamines, but that would not be possible as a first positive for amphetamines is no suspension. A second positive is a 25-game suspension and a third positive is 80 games. [Stacy Long’s Riverwalk Talk]