The Devil Rays Need A Torii Hunter

Peter Gammons‘ latest ESPN Insider piece highlights a recent meeting between Torii Hunter and the Rays three young prospects B. J. Upton, Elijah Dukes and Delmon Young. Hunter, a former first round pick came from a troubled background to emerge as one of the top center fielders in baseball. He sought out the three and relayed some of his own personal experiences to the young, talented, but oft-criticized triumvirate.

The article is part of ESPN Insider and can be found HERE. If you do not have an Insider account, here are a few snippets from the article.

“There isn’t anyone in this game who doesn’t have something back there in the closet…You just have to fight and get beyond it”–Torii Hunter

(Hunter) talked with Dukes about his own background, his street and gang life, his drug-ridden family situation, getting shot at, and like Gary Sheffield, how he knows the way out is never looking or going back.

“I did what I had to do…You will, too. You can be a great player. I want to see it. We all do. We want you to win.”–Torii Hunter speaking to Elijah Dukes

What was so striking is that here is Hunter, making $12 million, going out of his way to help three young players trying to learn to trust themselves in their environment.

“If I can help anyone, then I’ve done something worthwhile”–Torii Hunter

“Torii is who we all should strive to be.”–B. J. Upton

We understand the small payroll. We understand the talent on this team and letting it grow into something bigger and better. We even understand the hesitancy to jump into this off-season’s over-priced and under-talented free agent market. But we have to wonder how much the Rays young stars could benefit from having a veteran presence like Torii Hunter in the clubhouse everyday. Is Greg Norton or Ty Wigginton that clubhouse big brother? We highly doubt it. And that is not a knock against those guys. We are sure players can learn some important lessons from them. We just don’t think that Dukes or Young or Upton can relate personally to one of those guys. Sometimes it takes more than just talent.

The Hangover: Josh Hamilton Is Now About 500′ Farther From The Rays

• Josh Hamilton is not the only former Rays first round pick that is trying to stick with another major league club this spring. One time opening day starter, Dewon Brazelton is in camp with the Kansas City Royals as a non-roster invitee. Don’t the Royals employ scouts? Then again, it couldn’t possibly turn out as bad as his stint in San Diego last year…could it?
• Josh Hamilton hit his first home run in a game since 2002. Seriously, 2002. And it was prodigious.
• Papa Joe Maddon wishes that nobody had to compete for a job in Spring Training. Can’t we all just get along?
• Greg Norton will DH again today in the first Spring Training game. Maybe our prediction of 300 ABs for Jonny Gomes was actually too high.
• The fifth spot in the rotation may come down to who can throw strikes the most consistently.
• Andrew Friedman promises not to rush Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and Andy Sonnanstine. All three are likely to start at AAA and when they are ready, Friedman promises to find a spot on the Rays for each of them.
• Several spots are still up for grabs, but it is going to take more than just gaudy numbers this Spring to win those spots. Papa Joe and Andrew Friedman will also be looking at intangibles. That leads us to believe that they probably already have a sense of what the roster is going to look like and the other players will have to force them to change their minds.
• Hey! It’s another Delmon Is Soooo Mature story. On top of that, for those of you that are familiar with the website Fire Joe Morgan they would have a field-day with this story. There are about 20 single-sentence paragraphs.
• We made an oopsy last week. This will actually be Don Zimmers 59th season in the major leagues (not 58th as we had previously reported) and hence he will be wearing #59 on his uniform this season. A truly impressive feat.
• A pleasant interview with Stuart Sternberg just don’t expect him to say anything.

The Hangover: Gettin’ A Delmon

• A lot has been made about the Rays farm system and most agree that it is the best in baseball right now. Well, apparently the Rays rank first in overrated prospects also. D. A. Humber: Baseball Central decided to rank the most overrated prospects in baseball. At the top of the list as the most overrated of the overrated? Our very own B.J. “Don’t call me Melvin” Upton. They point to how high he was drafted and his struggles in the field and his lack of production at the plate. They do concede that he is young enough and athletic enough to still develop into a solid major leaguer, but they are skeptical. In addition to Upton, Joel Guzman comes in at #4. There biggest point (and a valid one) is that despite his size (6’6″, 252 lbs.) he does not hit for a lot of power. We have never seen Guzman play, but we have been around baseball long enough to know that when a kid that big can’t hit for power it is usually because they have zero bat speed.
• D. A. Humber then countered with another post defending B.J. Upton and why he is not overrated. The main argument is that he is young and he was the second pick in a weak draft.
• Nate Silver at Baseball Prospectus wonders if B. J. Upton could be a Gary Sheffield in the making. Nate, stop teasing us. They test for steroids now. At this point we are still hoping for Jose Reyes but will settle for Mike Cameron.
• Josh Hamilton’s progress so far has been labeled “OK” by Reds manager Jerry Narron. Still, the Cincinnati Enquirer speculates that he will make the 25-man roster for the Reds, but worry his development may be stumped much the same way former Red Wily Mo Pena was. The Reds may also try to work out a trade with the Rays so they can send Hamilton to the minors.
• When the season starts, the Rays have a good shot at being the youngest team in the majors, but the two oldest players, Dan Miceli (36) and Greg Norton (34) let it be known that the youngins need grow up or things aren’t going to be any better in 2007.
• This has been out there for a while, but we had forgotten about it. If Delmon Young has any success this season, we need to prepare ourselves for more “bat tossing” jokes or as The Dugout likes to call it…Gettin’ A Delmon.
• DRays Bay has landed a couple of solid interviews in the past month and want you to know it by patting themselves on the back Ricky Henderson-style, over and over. Pretty soon they will start referring to themselves in the third person.
• Yet another write up on the Rays top 10 prospects.
• Do you remember the Turn Ahead The Clock promotion that Major League Baseball ran back in 1999. We remember, but strangely had forgotten that the Rays had participated, which is probably for the better. Well, for only $14.99 you can relive that night by owning your very own Rays Turn Ahead The Clock jersey!
• What would it take to make someone blog about the Rays all year?
  

The Hangover: Fans In Walla Walla Spared From Having To Watch Rays

• Deadspin has started their baseball previews and on day 1 they give us our beloved Rays. The first two-thirds of the post is a recap of the 2006 implosion (that sound was us banging our collective heads on the keyboard…over and over and over and over). We recommend skipping to the last five paragraphs, unless of course you are a masochist. Some interesting tidbits…
1. The author speculates that another poor performance this year could lead to Joe Maddon’s dismissal. That is probably a bit premature. The team has publicly stated that this is a second year of “evaluation”. We would be shocked if Maddon was not back with the team in 2008 no matter what the results of 2007. The team has two option years on Maddon’s contract after this season. Most teams make decisions on managers before the final year of a contract. So don’t expect a move either way on Maddon until after 2008.
2. Maddon used 140 different lineups last year. We are amazed that he actually repeated a previous lineup 22 times. Maddon has received a lot of criticism for this and sometimes it is warranted, but Maddon has stated that he would love to have a regular lineup. Again, during this evaluation period, expect more lineup shuffling, although less than 2006, and even less in 2008 as the team and the players settle into their respective roles.
3. We have covered this before, but Andrew Friedman nor anybody else from the organization has EVER said that Carl Crawford was untouchable. This rumor has run rampant since devilrays.com ran a poorly titled article. The article was originally entitled “Baldelli continues to draw interest; Crawford will stay put” despite the fact that Crawford was never mentioned in the article. In fact, the article’s title was later changed (which can still be seen HERE) most likely at the request of the Rays front office. Are you telling us that if the Twins came and offered Johan Santana and Justin Morneau, the Rays would say ‘No’? Friedman has actually stated that nobody is untouchable but that they were not actively shopping C. C…Big difference.
• A couple of days ago we ran a list of 11 questions entering the 2007 Spring Training. The St. Pete Times could only come up with nine. Pathetic.
• An interesting look at the AL pitching staffs from 2006. The Rays starters actually put up some above average numbers. But when they take into account how deep the staff worked in games, they weren’t so good after all.
• Some mathematical projections for Delmon Young in 2007. The four models are fairly consistent. Looks like we can expect about a .300 average with about 15 home runs.
• DRaysBay interviewed potential first pick David Price of Vanderbilt.
• The return of a familiar face. Shinji Mori threw about 20 pitches from a mound for the first time since his surgery.
• FoxSports has ranked all of baseball’s general managers. Andrew Friedman? #22.
• Surprise, surprise, the Rays will not be featured on ESPN’s sunday night baseball in 2007. The last time the Rays played a nationally televised game was in 2000.
• Yep. These are our fellow Rays fans.

Delmon Young’s First Major League Home Run

We can’t get enough of this clip!

Apparently Delmon can do more with a bat than hit umpires…

Delmon Young Could Be In Devil Rays’ Lineup Tomorrow

The St. Pete Times is reporting that that Jonny Gomes will be placed on the DL and will miss the rest of the season, and Delmon Young will take his place on the roster. The move which could happen as early as this afternoon would have Young make his major league debut in right field Tuesday night when the Rays begin a 3-game series in Chicago against the White Sox. This move has been speculated about for weeks and looked to be a near-certainty to happen on September 1st when the roster can expand to 40. The Rays will use the last 5 weeks of the season to see if if the 20-year old, former 1st overall pick, can be the everyday right fielder in 2007.

This is a move that needed to happen. If anything, the team needs Delmon Young in right field to make sure there are fannies in the seats the last month of the season. With the team’s anemic performance since the All-Star break, attendance has fallen considerably. Attendance is up nearly 30% over last year, but the number of fans attending games in recent weeks has been painfully low. During the most recent 4-game series against the Rangers, attendance was less than 10,000 for each game. With the Rays losing column inches to the Buccaneers, Delmon Young is a player that can keep the team in the news and bring fans to the park.

Young’s callup appears near. [St. Pete Times]

Devil Rays Non-Committal On Delmon Young

Earlier this week we reported that there was a rumor circulating that Delmon Young was told to be ready for a call-up to the big leagues. Manager Joe Maddon was asked about the possibility of Young being called up on September 1st, when rosters expend to 40 players. He would only say that “He’s being discussed.”

We can only think of two reasons why the team would not call up Delmon Young on September 1st. The first reason is if the team feels that Young needs further ‘punishment’ for the bat-tossing incident earlier this season that netted Young a 49-game suspension. In this case, they just need to come out and say that this is the reason and be done with it. The other potential reason is that the team really is being stingy and are afraid to start Young’s arbitration clock. If that was the case, then this would suggest that the team does not intend for Delmon Young to be in right field for any length of time in 2007 either. Bringing Delmon up in September would NOT allow Young to be arbitration eligible a year early. On the other hand if the team has made a decision, for some reason they do not want their intentions to be known. For the life of us, we can’t think why.

Delmon Young is as ready for the big leagues as anybody else they could call up, except for Kevin Witt. He is hitting .323-7-53 in 75 games this season (actually he has hit home run #8 tonight). Do they want Delmon to continue working on his plate discipline? Do they want him to hit .400 in the minors? If Young is not ready for the majors, then nobody in the farm system is ready, and nobody should be called up.

He is on the 40-man roster already. He is the top prospect in all baseball. His batting average would be 3rd in the IL if he had enough at bats to qualify. His numbers dwarf those of B. J. Upton and his defense is obviously better. There is an immediate need for a right fielder, for a team that continues to start Damon Hollins and Russell Branyan. There is no reason not to call him up.

Or is there? There could be another reason the team is “discussing” it. They could be afraid of the media backlash of calling up a guy that threw a bat at an umpire. If that is the case, then the sooner they call him up the better. It will only be news for a day, but it will be news no matter when they decide to call him up, so they might as well get it over with.

Devil Rays still deciding whether to call up Young [ESPN]

Delmon Young And Elijah Dukes…Meet Kevin Witt

Kevin Witt needs to be in a Devil Rays uniform now

Much has been made of the USA Today article that appeared late last month in which B. J. Upton, Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes were quoted about their displeasure with the Devil Rays front office and the organization as a whole. While many in the local media and the Rays’ front office blasted the quotes, Kevin Witt has decided to take a different approach to responding to the article. At the time we were highly critical of the local media coverage and the reaction of the Devil Rays’ front office to the article. While we thought the team and the local media overreacted to the article and the quotes (B. J. Upton never once says anything negative towards the team) there were some things said that should not have been said.

Enter Kevin Witt…Witt is in his first season in the Devil Rays organization, his seventh organization in 13 professional seasons. His eighth organization if you include his stint in Japan last season. This year Witt is hitting .292-33-92 and leads the International League in home runs by a considerable margin. At 30 years old, Witt is much older than most of his Durham Bulls teammates and is considerably older than the three super-prospects that were quoted in the article. With his age and experience comes a level of maturity that appears to be lacking in one or more of his more highly-touted teammates.

In response to what was said by Upton, Young and Dukes, Witt decided to speak out and write a letter to the editor of USA Today to defend the rest of his teammates, the Durham Bulls and the Devil Rays organization. In particular, Witt seems to take issue with the comments of Dukes, who left an impression that the conditions in Durham were subpar and the management of the Bulls were unprofessional. Witt wanted to make it very clear that none of that was true.

Having played for 14 different teams since my professional career began in 1994, I can say without question that the Durham Bulls management is extremely professional and the ballpark we play in is second to none…The facility is kept in outstanding shape and the clubhouse staff works very hard to ensure that players continue to spread the good word about Durham.—Kevin Witt

Since the original article first appeared, two of the three prospects are no longer with the Bulls. Upton has been promoted to play third base for the Rays and Dukes has been suspended by the organization for 30 days as a result of his latest league suspension. No doubt, his quotes in the USA Today were a factor in the decision to suspend Dukes. Young remains with the Bulls and continues to display the talents that gave him the recognition in the Spring as the top prospect in baseball by Baseball America.

It would not be surprising to see Delmon wearing a D-Rays uniform in the very near future. Even if his age and arrogance gets the better of him from time to time, he appears to be ready for the Majors. And while many fans are pushing for Delmon Young to be promoted to the majors before the end of the season, we hope that Kevin Witt gets the call also. While a winning team needs players like Upton and Young to be competitive, good teams also need players like Kevin Witt. Teams need a player that can contribute at the major league level, but can also contribute in the clubhouse. A good player and a good guy…The team needs Kevin Witt, but more importantly…the fans need Kevin Witt.

We are rooting hard for Kevin Witt to be promoted. And if he does, we will root even harder for him to succeed. And while we are sure the loss of Kevin Witt will be bittersweet for Durham Bulls fans, it is about time that fans of the Devil Rays get to see something that the fans in Durham already know.

Here is a local Durham news broadcast covering the Letter that Witt wrote to USA Today.

Three don’t speak for the team. [USA Today]
D-Rays kids set for major promotions. [USA Today]
The Irresponsible Reporting Of The Tampa Tribune And The St. Pete Times. [Rays Index]

Delmon Young To Be Called Up This Week?

MLB Rumors Clearinghouse is reporting that Delmon Young could be called up as soon as tomorrow. Acording to the report, Young was informed by team officials to get “his affairs in order”, that a call-up was imminent. It would not surprise us if Jonny Gomes is headed to the DL.

There is no source for this report, but MLB Rumors Clearinghouse has been on the button before.

Delmon Young en route, Jonny Gomes to pay fare. [MLB Rumors Clearinghouse]

50 Games For Delmon Young

The word finally came down from the president of the International League. Delmon Young, who threw a bat at an umpire two weeks ago, will be suspended for 50 games. He was given 10 days time served for the games he has already missed, and will be eligible to return to the Durham Bulls for the June 19 home game against Charlotte. Young also has to perform 50 hours of comunity service. The president of the IL stated that he would have only suspended Young for the entire season if he could determine that Young intended to hit the umpire. We are not going to jump on the trade Delmon Young bandwagon. The fact is, he is one of ours. He is a Devil Ray, and as long as he is, we will support him. We hated Me-Shawn before he was a buc…we loved him as a buc…and now we hate him more than ever. We will let others criticize and demonize. Do we condone what he did? Absolutely not. We were embarrased and sick to our stomach that the future of the organization could do such a thing. We believe the suspension was about right and we hope he learns from this, but the fact remains he is a D-Ray and we will support him as long as he is part of this organization.

Prospect Young suspended for 50 games [mlb.com]
Delmon Young Video [Rays Index]