The Hangover: Elijah Dukes Finds Way Back To The Diamond

Devil Rays (66-96)

We decided a while ago that we would no longer mention Elijah Dukes on this site unless it was baseball related. The last time we reported on Dukes we got a sneaking suspicion that his tenure with the Devil Rays was unofficially over, as the team gave away his #35 to Dan Wheeler, after he was acquired from the Astros via trade. Wheeler specifically requested the number, and the Rays granted his request. The move flew a bit under the radar, but was one way for the front office to send a very strong message to Dukes. Teams do not just give away the number of top-level prospect to a journeyman middle reliever.

Yesterday the Devil Rays announced that Dukes would be participating in the Domincan Republic winter league.

“Elijah continues to make great strides,” said Andrew Friedman, Devil Rays executive vice president of baseball operation. “We’re still at the point in the process where it would be premature to elaborate much more, but we feel like he is at the stage where it’s appropriate for him to go out and play some in the Winter League and take it from there.”

Does Dukes once again have a future with the Devil Rays? Not necessarily. The Rays outfield for 2008 is set with Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Delmon Young from left-to-right. Undoubtedly there will be endless speculation of the Rays trading CC or Delmon for pitching help, but Rocco Baldelli and Jonny Gomes will be ready to step in if needed. In other words, there is not a position on the major league club for Dukes in ’08.

Certainly Dukes would like to be traded to another organization where he can find a fresh start and compete for a spot on the 25-man roster. Unfortunately for Dukes and the Rays, his trade value could not be any lower. So at this point, the logical move for the Rays is to hold on to Dukes. Get him back on the diamond and wait. Wait for Dukes to once again establish himself as a top prospect. Wait for public disdain for Dukes to die down and be forgotten. Wait for an opening to occur naturally or wait for another organization to up the ante and look past Dukes’ troubled history.

The only problem with this scenario is what to do with Dukes in 2008. Obviously he will not be on the 25-man roster. And most likely he will not be welcome in Durham, where memories of the 2006 debacle of a season are still fresh on their minds. The Bulls and the Rays are also entering the final year of their affiliation contract and forcing Dukes on the local community may be seen as a slap to the face. Montgomery is possible, although Dukes had a checkered tenure his first time with that ballclub.

Vero Beach seems like the most likely destination. The organization would be able to keep a close eye on Dukes. His big name and prospect status could be seen as a way to draw fans to the ballpark. Also, 2008 will be the final year in which the Rays will have a minor league affiliate in Vero Beach as the team will move their high-A affiliate following the upcoming season. Therefore the front office does not need to worry about a permanent negative backlash from the community and the team.

Will Dukes ever play another game for the Rays? Our gut says ‘no’. More likely the team will try to find a trade partner following the 2008 season. Then again, if Dukes stays out of trouble and posts huge numbers in the minors during the 2008 season, we might see just how forgiving a team and their fans can be.

Dukes to play in Winter League [Devil Rays]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Why don’t we ever see this headline associated with the Devil Rays: “Phillies Have $20MM To Burn”…Oh yeah…because “Rays Have $200,000 To Burn” doesn’t have quite the same ring. [MLB Trade Rumors]
• Three of the top six prospects from the Southern League are Devil Rays prospects. Evan Longoria (#2), Wade Davis (#3) and Reid Brignac (#6) were all named to the “Southern League Top 20 Prospect List” produced by Baseball America. Longoria was second only to BJ Upton’s lil’ brother Justin Upton, who made his major league debut this summer for the D-Backs and is a key contributor in their playoff push. [Baseball America]
• And yet another proposal for relegation to be used in baseball. These people just don’t give up. We love non-American football, but this belief that soccer is “perfect” reeks of arrogance and is yet another reason why American’s will never take to the sport. [Jake and Susie In Spain]

The Hangover: Xavier Hernandez Breaks Down Top Prospects

Devil Rays (66-96)
Durham pitching coach, Xavier Hernandez is considered to be a major league pitching coach-in-waiting. Having spent 2006 with Montgomery and this past season with the Bulls, X may have as much to do with the recent surge in top pitching prospects in the Devil Rays organization as anybody. In a recent interview, X discusses various topics including the Rays top pitching prospects and making the adjustment from AAA to the majors. On Mitch Talbot:

“Talbot, he was a little bit inconsistent, but he did lead the league with 15 [wins],” Hernandez said. “I think he learned a lot just about himself. He realized that the Triple-A hitters are a lot more disciplined. So he has to work on just being aggressive with being in the strike zone more often. Stuff-wise, he’s good. But he still has a little bit more growing, has to learn about himself.”

On Jeff Niemann:

“He’s going to be good,” Hernandez said. “He still needs a little bit more seasoning, and I think it was probably the right call to not bring him up [this season]. He will be ready, and probably in the near future. He’s definitely got a Major League career ahead of him.”

Having never heard or read an in depth interview with Xavier Hernandez prior to this one, it is difficult to know whether these comments are muted to keep the young hurlers motivated or if this is exactly how X feels. If they are his true feelings, the comments on Niemann may be very telling. The tone of the comment leads one to believe that Hernandez does not see Niemann as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. On Andy Sonnanstine and the transition from AAA to the Majors:

“There were some things we needed to work on at Triple-A, but he was a little bit resistant because he was having so much success,” Hernandez said. “And we’d say, ‘You’re going to have to do this to be successful at the Major League level. But he wouldn’t do it, because he had success. Then once he got here and struggled some, it was like, ‘That’s what X was talking about.’ … Sometimes you’re going to have to experience failure to grow.”

Hernandez aiding hurlers in Durham [MiLB]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. Can Jake McGee and Wade Davis do anything without each other? The latest? McGee and Davis find themselves together on the second team for Baseball America’s Minor League All-Stars. Only five pitchers were named to the second team. If and when they ever get married, I hope their future wives know what they are getting themselves in to…In all, the Devil Rays had five players named to the All-Star team. Evan Longoria was named first team third baseman. Joining Davis and McGee on the second team are Ryan Royster and Desmond Jennings. [Baseball America]
  
• Pythagoras did more than invent triangles. He is an amazing predictor of how well baseball teams will perform. Of the 3o major league teams, Pythagoras predicted within 5 wins, the record of 24 teams. And maybe we shouldn’t have looked at this season’s record for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as a disappointment. The team’s final record of 66-96 is exactly what Pythagoras predicted in the preseason.
  [Batter’s Box]
• Evan Longoria has a sex tape out on the internet? [Lalate]

It’s sex tape season! Britney Spears? Evan Longoria? Meg White? Natalie Portman?

• Dave Martinez, an original Devil Ray, may be returning to the team as a coach. Last week, he interviewed for one of the vacant coaching positions. [tampabay.com]
• The Montgomery Biscuits were named the MiLB AA team of the year. [Our Sports Central]
• Carl Crawford is the only player in recent memory to come close to winning the speedster’s triple crown (lead the league in steals, runs and triples). In 2004 and 2006, CC lead the AL in steals and triples, but neither time he was in the top 10 in runs scored. Dom DiMaggio is the last player to achieve the triple, in 1950. [Baseball Digest Daily]
• Man, I knew somebody would eventually discover that I had a major league arm. I just didn’t realize that it had already happened. [Bradenton Herald]

The Hangover: DRays Bay Still Committed To Tampa Bay Rays Despite New Colors

Devil Rays (66-96)
Our questions have been answered!

DRaysBay will be changing their colors to match those of the new Tampa Bay Rays uniforms and logos that will debut next season. They will also be changing their logo (Please make it a sunburst!). Patrick Kennedy sounds like a kid losing his woobie when he talks of trying to refer to the team by their new moniker.

I will try and respect the team’s decision and refer to the team as the ‘Rays’ as much as I possibly can, although having grown up a fan of the Devil Rays and having written about the team online for 33 months, that will be admittedly difficult.

But one thing will not change at DRaysBay…

we are all committed to wanting the Devil Rays to become a championship organization as soon as possible.

Thats right folks. DRaysBay writers are “committed to wanting” the Rays to be good. We are not sure what “committed to wanting” means, but we envision all the writers at DraysBay already have “Tampa Bay Devil Rays: World Champions” tattooed on their asses. Now that is “commitment to wanting”.

DRaysBay to Change as the Team Does [DRaysBay]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• On the last day of the season, Jim Hickey, passed Randy Johnson, and took home the “Most White Trash Story of the Year” Award. [Drunk Jays Fans]
• The Hardball Times takes a close look at Scott Kazmir and try to answer questions concerning where his career is headed. One has to wonder if Derek Carty was the right choice to write this piece. Can a Mets fan truly analyze Kid K from an unbiased viewpoint? [The Hardball Times]
• When Jake McGee and Wade Davis go out to dinner, do they go to the bathroom together? Once again the two pitching prospects are found attached at the hip. This time it is on Baseball America’s list of the top 20 prospects in the Florida State League. McGee and Davis are #3 and #4 respectively. [Baseball America]
• Joe Henderson believes that the Rays may regret the decision to not extend the contract of Bill Evers. We don’t like the idea of losing a guy like Evers will all his experience and old-school style, but a bench coach needs to be a consigliere…His confidant. Apparently Joe Maddon and Bill Evers did not have this type of relationship and bench coach is the one assistant that the manager needs to be completely comfortable with. [TBO]

The Hangover: Even Without Long-Term Deals, Look For Carlos Pena And Scott Kazmir To Avoid Arbitration

Devil Rays

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• The Ledger takes a look at the upcoming arbitration cases of Scott Kazmir and Carlos Pena. Another thing to always consider when teams deal with arbitration and their top players. A big incentive to avoid arbitration is that teams do not like having to go into an arbitration hearing and trash their top players in an effort to show why the player does not deserve more than they are offering. It can lead to hurt feelings and increase the chances of the player leaving the team once they hit their free agency years. While the Rays will try to work out long-term deals with both, if that does not happen, it does not necessarily mean they will automatically go to arbitration. Once each side submits a salary to the arbitrator, they will often find a middle number and agree on a one-year contract avoiding the arbitration hearing. This was the route taken by the Marlins and Dontrelle Willis last season when they agreed on a 1-year deal for $6.5 million. Look for Kid K’s number to come in just south of that one. Let’s say $5-5.5 million. [The Ledger]
• Evan Longoria was named to the USA National Baseball Team that will compete in IBF World Cup in November. [tampabay.com]
• Andy Sonnanstine. Yuo have never looked so good. Not sure. We think the first attempt is a more accurate mugshot. Either way, willing to bet Jim Hickey’s mugshot looked half as good as either of these. [Baseball Mugshots]
• A look at David Price’s already impressive career. [Prospect Spotlight]
• Tampa Bay Sports Fanatic believes the Rays should pursue Pudge Rodriguez if the Tigers decide not to exercise his option. First of all, his salary demands would not fit into the Rays projected payroll for 2008. Second of all, Dioner Navarro firmly established himself as a major league catcher in the second half of this season. His defense is already strong and getting better, and he already knows the young pitching staff very well. And finally, we are talking about Pudge Rodriguez. Hall-of-Famer? Sure. Over-the-hill? Probably. Not to mention his defense has always been slightly over-rated, and has a long reputation of not being much of a team player. This is a guy that would call fastballs when the situation demanded something different, just so he would have a better chance of throwing out a base stealer. [Tampa Bay Sports Fanatic]

New Devil Rays Uniforms: Comment Roundup

It has now been two weeks since the new Tampa Bay Rays uniforms were leaked on the internets, once again proving that the internet is spawned by true evil. The initial reaction was anywhere from Kevin Federline (disinterest) to a Root Canal (pure hatred), with very little support for the changes. Our initial reaction was that we thought there was potential. We don’t hate the new uniforms but we do feel they could have been better. Yes they are boring, but we think “boring” has more staying power. In the end we are still waiting to see the uniforms “live” to make a more accurate assessment. Below we have added a few more thoughts of our own now that we have digested them for two weeks and have had a chance to be influenced by the opinions of people smarter than we are. Those are followed by a summary of a few of our favorite comments from the original post.

• We have never had much thought one way or another ever since we first heard that the Devil Rays would be changing their name to the Rays. Hell, we named this site “Rays Index” because most people have long referred to the team as the “Rays” or the “D-Rays”. but now that the change is official, we feel like we will miss the Devil. So we made an executive decision…we will continue to refer to the team as the “Devil Rays”, no matter what the official name is. Really…what has changed concerning the name? It has been “Rays” on the front for a while now.
• The colors don’t bother us, but they are not as inspiring as we had hoped when we heard that the colors would be blue and yellow. Many think the new unis look like some combination of the Royals, Mariners and Rangers. Many people have come forward supporting the current color scheme as one that is unique and helps the Rays stand out from the rest of the league. We have a feeling the backlash would have been just as great had the team switched from these new unis to the green. We always liked the current uniforms, but were never fans of the green jersey which looks like a batting practice jersey.
• They need to have “Tampa Bay” on the front of the road uniforms. To go with “Rays” home and road, makes the team look like a generic team used in some feel-good sunday night movie.
• A few of the players will wear their pants the correct way. That is, above the ankles. If the team wants to add some flavor to the unis, GIVE US SOME GOD DAMNED STIRRUPS!

Best comment roundup…

I like the Navy color. Not crazy about the font, and really don’t like the little gold star on the R. The baseball diamond, and I guess the overall font treatment look like something my dad created in photoshop. My dad is 70. [Anonymous]

I just hate that Brian Stokes modeled for these drawings that totally dooms them, I am waiting for the unveiling to make a real decision [Anonymous]

I like the classic look. Reminds me of the phillies a bit. And call me crazy, but I like the navy/light blue combo (though I’ve always been a UNC fan, so maybe i’m a little biased). All in all, I think they’ll look good once we actually see them live. [Aki-4-Prez]

Gee, blue and white uniforms, how **yawwwn*** original. These lame ass things look like something out of a bad 80’s video game…I agree with a lot of postings, they look a lot like the Padres, Rangers, Mariners, Dodgers, and especially the Royals – which is not a franchise that should be emulated…As for the Photoshop logo, I think this is actually a stock item from the Sports Authority; “Hi! My over weight softball team needs a logo. We’ll take…uhh…how bout this crappy little diamond one?” [Kaz Rules]

There seems to be a thought that sturrips could improve the looks…I agree…Make the sturrips huge, elastic and about six feet tall so the Rays can pull them all the way up and over the horrible uniforms [KeepTheTrop]

SUCKS! These uniforms are a joke. First – they’re boring. Second – royal blue is the ROYALS color. Third – where is the creativity and the progression forward in design as the Broncos did in football and as the Bucs did. Come up with a “new color” or add something that’s unique like the Bucs did with the skull and cross bones. [Anonymous]

On a scale of 1 to 10, these uniforms suck. [Rays Rules]

I’m getting a sorta seattle mariners vibe with that yellow star thing, Also not crazy about the white pants, but if stirrups or high socks were worn I think it would make them pretty classy uniforms. [Ben]

I think the uniforms are boring and show no creativity whatsoever….it looks like the uniforms were designed by high school kids in art class…Once again, another bad move by a consistently bad organization. [Anonymous]

The new uniforms are OK but not nearly as nice as the current set, especially the home jersey uniform. Also, it looks exactly like the Royals uniforms and the “wave” swoosh on the R in Rays is a little silly. I’m wearing my green gear to next years games. Hopefully I can get some cheap green jerseys in the next few weeks. [Anonymous]

Why iz everywun maeking fun of my uniform dezine?! -Signed, Billy Simmons, Tampa Elem. School, Grade 3 [Billys Rays]

You have got to be kidding me with these. I hate the new “color scheme”…As far as the uni’s though, my god. We look almost identical to the Royals and Dodgers and even the Padres. That sunburst creates an idiotic double entendre with the word Rays, which by the way is now the blandest nickname in all of pro sports. I also find the sunburst ironic since we PLAY IN A DOME. The road uniforms not saying “Tampa Bay” is an insult to everyone in this area, and I’m sick of the team’s weak attempts to “regionalize” and bring in places like Orlando and Naples…As far as boring vs. modern, classic does not = boring. The Detroit Tigewrs uniforms are not boring. The Blackhawks, Packers, etc, all have classic looks without being boring. These uniforms are an absolute disgrace. With the history of this franchise (which I still love), I don’t know if I should be surprised or not that all of the build-up and all of the effort and undoubtedly money that went into the process yielded what we see before us today. Just an airball on all counts. [Bobby Fenton]

Let me start by saying that I am a big fan of the current Rays uniforms, and feel that they have never gotten their full due. However, what bothers me most about these new uniforms is actually not the new colors but the design…they could have taken the current design and just switched the old green color scheme for the new blue one and it would have been MUCH better… it looks like an amateur did this on Photoshop. The logos with the baseball diamond in the backgrou
nd look like something a little league team would make up…Not using “Tampa Bay” on the away uniforms not only looks bad, but could lead some of the more paranoid fans to believe the Rays are leaving their options open when it comes to relocation. [Tony]

I can handle the dropping of “Devil” from the team’s name, but question the change from a unique color to one shared by many teams. And I agree with other posters in that not having Tampa Bay on the road uniforms is an insult to the area. Is the new owner of the Rays trying to become Florida’s answer to the hated Orioles owner Peter Angelos? The Orioles don’t have Baltimore on their road uniforms as they too are trying to expand their regional following. [Jackson]

Why fix something that ain’t broke?! The Tampa Bay green is really nice, unique and different. There is way too much blue in MLB. Come on, whoever made this decision is missing the boat. For a troubled organization, at least the green unis were the best thing going for them. Bad move to go with the new blue unis. No doubt they will not sell as well as the green. Just a bad bad move. [Anonymous]

H O R R I B L E…Everything about these are bad, the colors, uniforms, and especially the font…Just when we got an awesome logo, one that people can wear with pride around town. If we have to change to this, we should just wear the old 1998 rainbow uniforms again because these are as bad as those. [Anonymous]

I am not crazy about the new uniforms. Heck, I think the current uniforms are great! Just drop the “devil” from the name and you’re all set. I haven’t called them the Devil Rays for years. I’ve called them a bunch of other names, none of which I’ll repeat here. [Anonymous]

[THE HANGOVER] Winningest Manager In Devil Rays History Is Let Go

Devil Rays (66-96)

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• The longest tenured member of the Devil Rays organization, Bill Evers, is being let go by the Rays. Joe Maddon, felt that he and Evers did not have a strong enough relationship. Evers leaves the Rays having compiled the best managerial record in the history of the franchise (2-0). He won both games in which he served as manager in 2006, while Maddon was away for personal reasons. [tampabay.com]
• Carlos Pena was named Comeback Player of the Year. A few weeks ago, we questioned whether or not Pena was deserving of the honor, because we weren’t sure if Pena had ever actually “been here” before. First of all, Pena has never been anywhere close to “here” before, but then again, few people have. And then we read the following line and we were sold: “One season after being released by three teams…” That is one hell of a Comeback. [Yahoo! Sports]
• At least one blogger agrees with our original assessment that Carlos Pena was never here in the first place, so how can he be “Comeback” Player of the Year. [The Futon Report]
• Carlos Pena finished in the top 5 in 7 offensive categories. On a side note: We heard this during a broadcast in the final week: Did you know that for all the talk about Pena “using the whole field” and not pulling the ball as much, and how that was a reason for his resurgence in 2007…Pena was actually in the bottom 5 in all baseball for number of opposite field basehits. Strange.[Bradenton Herald]
• Joe Maddon discusses the 2008 lineup as he looks forward to next season. [Devil Rays]
• There will be plenty of rumors about Carl Crawford this offseason, but unless the Giants are willing to move Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain, don’t look for CC to be playing for San Francisco in 2008. With Elijah Dukes’ personal issues and Rocco Baldelli’s glass legs, the Rays no longer have a deep major league outfield. [Yahoo! Sports]

The Hangover: Will Jim Hickey’s Arrest Open Door For Xavier Hernandez?

Devil Rays (66-96)

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• The Rays 68-94 record was only 2 wins less than their expected final record. [Baseball Musings]
• Jim Hickey. We guess being the coach of one of the worst pitching staffs ever would be reason to drink, but it is not reason to drive and it is not reason to take your frustration out on the batboy. By the looks of the mugshot, Hickey lost the argument. [Lion in Oil]
• Jim Hickey’s arrest comes only days before the team is to decide whether he and the rest of the coaching staff will be retained in 2008. Hitting coach Steve Henderson is the most likely coach to come back. Before Sunday, we would have assumed that Hickey was a lock to be given at least one more season to work with the staff. However, after his DUI, the Rays may turn to their pitching coach-in-waiting, Xavier Hernandez, who is highly regarded for the work he has done the last two seasons at Montgomery and Durham and with whom many of the Rays younger pitchers are already familiar and comfortable with. [tampabay.com]
• Its difficult to make an assessment of Akinori Iwamura’s ability to play second base, based on one game and especially one play, but when the opportunity arrived to turn his first double play from the middle infield, Mu-Rah was flawless. [TBO]
• Scott Kazmir finished as the Major League leader in strikeouts. Of course that goes a long ways to explaining whe he led the majors with 6,432,867 pitches thrown. [Bradenton Herald]
• Carlos Pena was named the AL Player of the Week for the final week. [tampabay.com]
• Carlos Pena finished with 46 home runs in less than 500 at bats, which makes him the most underrated first baseman in baseball. “If Pena was a Red Sox or Yankee’s player he would finish second in MVP voting. Instead he was underrated.” Actually, if Pena was playing for almost any other team, he probably finishes second in the MVP voting. That is the mark of being underrated. [I’m smarter than you]
• ArmchairGM makes a case for considering Carlos Pena for MVP. [ArmchairGM]
• Carlos Pena is a finalist for the “Pepsi Clutch” award that goes to the clutchiest player. We agree that he is a worthy nominee, but we disagree with the notion that “few people knew of Pena before the year”. Anybody that follows baseball even remotely, knew of Pena as one of the top prospects in baseball a few years ago. [MLB]
• We have a feeling that Delmon Young will finish second in the Rookie of the Year balloting, but it will not be because of his outburst following Saturday’s game in which Joe Maddon pulled Young from the game for not running out a ground ball. Ballots for the award were due on either Sunday or Monday, which means most writers are likely to have already made their selections prior to Saturday. [Yahoo! Sports]
• It was a disastrous season for Korean baseball players. Of course, Jae Seo, Jae Kuk Ryu and Hee Seop Choi were all member of the Devil Rays at one point, so it is kind of like the Chicken and the Egg argument. [Korean Times]
• Greg Norton will have surgery on his elbow. A case can be made that Norton should share team MVP honors with Carlos Pena. If Norton had not gotten hurt the final week of Spring Training and was hitting well to start the season, it might have taken the team a while to call up Pena. [Devil Rays]
• Some of the players believe that the team is very close to competing. [tampabay.com]

“We don’t need much,” All-Star Carl Crawford said. “Maybe another starter and probably a little more bullpen help. Just three players and we’re right there. We’re right at the tip.”

• Marc Lancaster takes a look back at the 2007 season and hands out a bunch of awards, we like to call the Marckie Marcs. Our favorite category is “Veteran of the Year” for a team that has exactly 3 players over the age of 12. And then there is the “Most Frustrating Season”. He should just rename that one the “The Rocco”. He also looks ahead to what we can expect for 2008. [TBO]
• Marc Lancaster can’t wait for next year. We would take it a step further. We would like to replay this season with the group the Rays ended with. Playoff contender? probably not, but definitely not the worst team in the league and maybe a run at .500 would be in order. [TBO]
• Bill Chastain takes a look back at the 2007 season and calls the second half lineup “one of the best lineups in team history”. He also takes a look forward to 2008. [Devil Rays]
• Hey! It’s the off-season. It is time to start reading a million and one articles about how [Insert Team Name] should acquire Carl Craw
  ford and that the Rays would probably give him up for 20 rusty nickels. The Akron Beacon Journal wasted no time. [Ohio.com]