The Hangover: And The Hits Just Keep On Comin’ For Evan Longoria

Scottsdale Scorpions (1-10)

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Mesa 6, Scottsdale 2. Reid Brignac led of for Scottsdale, going 2-3 and hitting a olo home run, his first in the AFL. Evan Longoria was 2-3 with 2 doubles and a walk.

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Scottsdale 9, Peo Javelinas 3. Evan Longoria was 3-4 with 2 doubles, a home run and 3 RBI in Scottsadale’s first win. It was Longoria’s 4th home run. John Jaso also homered for the Scorpions, going 1-2 with 2 RBI. Reid Brignac was 0-4. Mike Prochaska started and picked up the win, going 3 innings, and allowing 1 run on 3 hits, and a walk, while striking out 2. Calvin Medlock relieved and pitched 2 scoreless innings striking out 2.

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Phoenix 3, Scottsdale 2. Evan Longoria went 1-4 and is now hitting .317. He also committed his 3rd error of the AFL.Longoria is 4th in the AFL with a 1.063 OPS. He is tied for the league lead with 4 home runs, is third with 8 RBI and second with 4 doubles. Chris Nowak started at first base and went 1-3 with an RBI. Nick DeBarr and Evan Meek each pitched in relief. DeBarr threw 2 perfect innings with a strikeout, while Meek strike out two, but gave up a hit an a walk in two-thirds of an inning.

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OFF DAY

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• 2007 has been unkind to the state of Ohio. [The Sporting Orange]
• Was anybody esle disturbed a little to see a member of the Orioles in the Boston dugout and throwing the first pitch in game 7? [The Kansas City Star]
• We believe the Dustin Pedroia should be and will be AL Rookie of the Year…But Baseball America thinks that Delmon Young was only the 13th best rookie (5th best in the AL)…seriously. [ArmchairGM]
• Yet another blogger that thinks Joe Torre should take a year off and then replace Joe Maddon as manager of the Devil Rays. After hearing Torre refer to the Yankee’s contract offer as an “insult”, we are starting to warm to the possibility if Maddon gets off to a bad start in 2008 or if the Rays fail to reach .500 at the end of the season. It is not a secret that George Steinbrenner considers Tampa his home turf and has never been fond of the Devil Rays franchise. Taking the Tampa job and beating the Yankees could be the ultimate answer from the manager that is a lot more fiery and calculating than his public persona would suggest. [Quick Hits From The Sidelines]
• Keep in mind that Joe Torre and Don Zimmer are close, and Zim was none-too-happy about the way the Yankees handled his pal Torre. [tampabay.com]
• More funky baseball math. This time, Roto Authority suggests that Andy Sonnanstine was the 4th unluckiest pitcher in 2007 which suggests he could be much better in 2008. [Roto Authority]
• Minor-ity Report take a look at David Price and compares his numbers to Mark Prior. Not the first time we have heard the comparison, but Price’s numbers in college were actually better than Prior’s and Price has an extra year of college under his belt. And did we mention that Price is left-handed. We are starting to get giddy. [Minor-ity Report]
• Despite a big dropoff in production in 2007, the Devil Rays still believe that Reid Brignac is their future shortstop. It just won’t be in 2008. [TBO]
• “The only thing that keeps this organization from being recognized as one of the finest in baseball is wins and losses at the major league level.” – Devil Rays GM Chuck Lamar…We are not sure why this is one of “The 35 Dumbest Sports Quotes Ever”. Isn’t it true? [LiveJournal]
• Jon Garland or Jose Contreras for Carl Crawford? Contreras? No. Garland? Not likely. He is set to make $12 million in 2008 and will be a free agent at the end of the year. [Mets Blog]
• Then again, MLB Rumors cites “industry sources” that “The Devil Rays and White Sox have worked over the past couple months on possible deals this off season that involve Jon Garland and Carl Crawford”. Maybe THIS GUY qualifies as an “industry source” [MLB Rumors]
• In the four professional sports leagues in North America, there are 92 teams. Sports Frog ranks the Devil Rays 89th, ahead of only the Memphis Grizzlies (90), Charlotte Bobcats (91) and the Houston Texans (92). See? The Rays don’t always finish last. [Sports Frog]
• RJ Anderson discusses his upcoming book about Chuck LaMar. [The Stat Pack]
  

AL East Roundup: Prodigal Rocket Swayed By King George

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Boston Red Sox	21	10	–	7-3	W2	—
New York Yankees	15	16	6.0	7-3	W1	126
Baltimore Orioles	15	18	7.0	4-6	W1	124
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	14	18	7.5	5-5	L2	124
Toronto Blue Jays	13	19	8.5	2-8	L7	123

Yankees 8, Rangers 2. How huge was Alex Rodriguez’s April? Last night he hit his first home run of May and he still leads the majors by 4 home runs over the nearest slugger. Meanwhile, the Yankees got a much-needed strong performance from Andy Pettite, who was obviously in a homoerotic state of euphoria now that his buddy Roger Clemens has signed with the Evil Empire once again.

Red Sox 9, Jays 2. The Jays have now lost 7 in a row and are the only thing keeping Rays fans from jumping off the band wagon completely. The bad news for the Jays is that they now know why Victor Zambrano doesn’t like to throw strikes. Before he was yanked with 2 outs in the 3rd inning, Zambrano had only walked 2 (that’s good for him) but he managed to give up 8 runs, courtesy of 4 home runs. Oh, by the way Josh Beckett now has 7 wins ins 7 starts this season. Can we just give him the Cy Young award now? We better, or soon the Pink Hat nation is going to want the award renamed in his honor.

NOTE FROM AROUND THE AL EAST…

• David Ortiz is not sure if he took steroids as a youth. If he did, it sure didn’t help him in Minnesota.
• Troy Glaus was named AL Player of the Week, which of course helped the Jays to exactly 0 wins during the week.
• Roger Clemens will pitch at least one game in Tampa for the Tampa Yankees as he prepares for his coronation as the savior of the historic franchise.
• Roger Clemens says that he was swayed to pitch for the Yankees based on something that George Steinbrenner said to him. Clemens refuse to elaborate about what was said until at least after the season. This make one wonder if this is not King George’s last season as the principal owner of the Yankees. He has been conspicuously less present in recent years and many have speculated on his health.

AL East Roundup: Rocket’s Return

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Boston Red Sox	20	10	–	7-3	W1	—
New York Yankees	14	15	5.5	6-4	W2	128
Baltimore Orioles	14	17	6.5	3-7	L1	126
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	14	17	6.5	5-5	L1	126
Toronto Blue Jays	13	18	7.5	2-8	L6	125

Yankees 5, Mariners 0. We can understand if nobody noticed that the Yankees beat the Mariners for their second straight win. Apparently news came down that the Evil Empire added a couple of dollars to their payroll with the signing of some veteran pitcher. With the Red Sox off to a huge start, and Houston being Houston, there is no surprise in this move, so let’s move on.

Red Sox 4, Twins 3. JD Drew drove in 2 runs without hurting himself and Curt Shilling didn’t allow a run until the 7th inning.

Indians 9, Orioles 6. The Tribe scores 7 runs in the 4th and 5th innings and cruised behind CC Sabathia and his crooked cap.

Rangers 3, Blue Jays 2. Michael Young’s solo home run in the 8th put the Rangers on top and sent the Jays to their 6th straight loss.

NOTE FROM AROUND THE AL EAST…

• George Steinbrenner‘s support for Joe Torre may have influenced Roger Clemen’s decision to join the Yankees.
• It will be interesting to see how all of Roger Clemen’s special privileges will go over with the rest of the Yankees veteran roster.
• JP Ricciardi revealed that the Jays lied about BJ Ryan’s injury in spring training, telling the media it was a bcak problem when in fact he had a sore elbow.
• With BJ Ryan on the DL, the Jays have been going to Jason Frasor in the 9th, but that could change as Frasor has struggled in the role and could be sent down to the minors.
• MLB has approached the Red sox and the Yankees as two potential teams that could play spring training games in China next season as well open the regular season in Japan.

The AL East Roundup:

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Boston Red Sox	16	8	–	7-3	W1	—
Toronto Blue Jays	13	12	3.5	5-5	W2	135
Baltimore Orioles	12	14	5.0	3-7	L2	133
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	11	14	5.5	5-5	W1	133
New York Yankees	9	14	6.5	2-8	L1	133

Tigers 8, Orioles 4. Another day and another loss for the O’s. Last night’s debacle makes it 7 of 8 for Baltimore. While Oriole losses bring smiles to our little faces, this one we can empathize with. Baltimore pitchers walked 8 batters and threw 2 wild pitches. ouch.

Blue Jays 6, Rangers 1. Roy Halladay pitched a complete game. How rare is that these days, especially this early in the season? There are 20 teams that are yet to have a pitcher throw a complete game. Roy Halladay? HE HAS TWO! If Halladay wins the Cy Young this season, the Jays will look like geniuses. If Halladay is on the DL by the all-star break? well, oops.

NOTES FROM AROUND THE AL EAST…

• General George S. Steinbrenner released his missive yesterday, and while he is not happy with the team, Joe Torre and Brian Cashman have his support.

It is time to put excuses and talk away. It is time to see if people are ready to step up and accept their responsibilities. It is time for all of them to show me and the fans what they are made of. Let’s get going. Let’s go out and win and bring a world championship back to New York. That’s what I want.- George Steinbrenner

• It is Boston’s other Japanese import that is causing the Yankees grief.
• The benches cleared last night in the O’s/Tigers matchup after the ultra-sensitive Miguel Tejada thought an inside pitch was a little too close.
• Jaret Wright. $3 million well-spent. It is May 1, and Wright is beginning his second stint on the DL, already.
• Gustavo Chacin is latest Blue Jay to hit the DL.
• Tampa Jesuit graduate, Dave Magadan, has the Red Sox hitting on all cylinders.

AL East Roundup: Red Sox ManRam The Yankees

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Boston Red Sox	16	8	–	7-3	W1	—
Toronto Blue Jays	12	12	4.0	4-6	W1	135
Baltimore Orioles	12	13	4.5	4-6	L1	134
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	11	14	5.5	5-5	W1	133
New York Yankees	9	14	6.5	2-8	L1	133

Red Sox 7, Yankees 4. How are the Rays ever supposed to pick up ground on the Sox, if Boston keeps getting to play weak teams like the Yankees? The Sox went all Big Papi and ManRam on the Yankees. Both David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit home runs for Boston. Ramirez had the decisive blow, a 2-run shot in the 8th that put the Sox up 7-3. After losing 5 of 6 to the Red Sox in a little over a week (and 2 of 2 to the Rays), the Yankees have fallen 6.5 games behind the Sox and once again sit alone in last place of the AL East, a game behiiiiinnnnnd the TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS.

Indians 6, O’s 1. All of the sudden the Orioles have lost 6 of 7 and are back in their familiar position (below .500).

Blue Jays 7, Rangers 3. You don’t hear us make too many predictions around here. One of our biggest pet-peeves is somebody that makes 20 predictions and gloats when they get one or two right. Still we are starting to get a sense that this will be the story of the Blue Jays for the rest of the year. After their win yesterday they are now 12-12. We know this team has talent and they have had injuries, but even when the roster is healthy this looks like a .500 team. We would be surprised if this team finishes more than 2 games above or below .500.

NOTE FROM AROUND THE AL EAST…

• Not surprising, there are rumblings in the Bronx that Joe Torre’s job security is very thin right now. George Steinbrenner has a history of firing managers early in a season. In 1985, he fired Yogi Berra after a 6-10 start. Of course, Berra wasn’t coming off his 11th straight playoff appearance and did not have 4 championships on his resume. If Steinbrenner was younger, we might think this could happen, but we would be shocked if it happened now. On the other hand, Steinbrenner almost fired Torre last October and he already has a manager-in-waiting on the bench, that goes by the name Don Mattingly.
• You wont ever hear Derek Jeter publicly defend Alex Rodriguez, but as team captain he is quick to defend Joe Torre.
• The Orioles activated Jaret Wright before Sunday’s game in order to start against the Indians. He only lasted 3 innings.
• Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne was named “Sports Douche of the Week.” A little harsh. We would have gone with Ron Mexico.

AL East Roundup: Yankees Can’t Get Out Of Thir Own Way

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Toronto Blue Jays	3	2	–	3-2	W2	—
Boston Red Sox	3	3	0.5	3-3	W1	157
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	2	3	1.0	2-3	L2	157
New York Yankees	2	3	1.0	2-3	L1	157
Baltimore Orioles	2	4	1.5	2-4	W1	156

Orioles 6, Yankees 4. The Boss is getting ready to make some heads roll. After splitting a season-opening series against the Devil Rays, the Yankees turned around and lost 2 of 3 to the O’s. All at Yankee Stadium. Alex Rodriguez hit his third home run in 2 games and fourth of the year to give the Yanks a lead in the first inning. However, in the eighth, with Bobby Abreu on first, down by two, A-Rod was only able to draw a walk. Yankees fan can now resume their natural hatred of the best hitter in baseball.

Red Sox 3, Rangers 2.Big Papi supplied all the offense with a solo home run and a 2-run shot. Curt Schilling rebounded rfom his poor opening day start to go seven strong innings and pick up the win. As far as we know, JD Drew still had all his limbs intact after the game, although Red Sox fans shouldn’t feel safe until he is tucked in bed tonight.

NOTES FROM AROUND THE AL EAST…

• The Yankees Hideki Matsui was placed on the DL with a strained hamstring. That is the second outfielder for the Yankees to miss action already this season. GM Brian Cashman has stated that they will not invite Bernie Williams to play this season, but we could see George Steinbrenner smacking Cashman around a little bit and telling him to go find Bernie.
• Buster Olney points out that in Kei Igawa’s major league debut, he threw 26 pitches that were not fastballs. Of the 26, there was only 1 called strike and nobody swung and missed. So far Yankees starting pitchers have pitched 21.2 innings in 5 games and given up 36 hits and a 9.97 era. That’s DevilRays-esque.
• While the Yankees starters are struggling in the cold weather, the answer to those problems could lie in the arm of AAA right hander Phillip Hughes, one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. Yes, the Yankees do occasionally develop their own talent, and sometimes they even decide not to trade them.
• Joe Torre is not worried about the pitching. But you can tell he is starting to stir a bit.
• We don’t need no stinkin’ graph to tell us that Mo Rivera is the Yankees most valuable player.
• The Red Sox offense is struggling. Before Sunday’s 2-home run performance, the Red Sox had one home run as a team.
• The Orioles placed catcher Ramon Hernandez on the DL, with a strained oblique.
• Camden Yards got a little bit of an off-season make-over.
• Leo Mazzone is trying to rediscover his Atlanta Braves’ magic. Maybe trading for Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine will help.

The Devil Rays Have Shortened The Distance From Tampa Bay To New York

The distance from the Trop to Yankee Stadium is more than just 40 wins and $160 million in payroll. Most of that distance can be measured in a single word.

Accountability.

When the Devil Rays released Dan Miceli yesterday it barely registered a blip on the national sports radar. That was a mistake. The rest of the baseball universe should have taken notice. And the rest of the Rays players better have noticed. The Rays front office and manager Joe Maddon have made it clear…This is not our old brother’s Devil Rays. Releasing Miceli was more than just a move to open a spot for Gary Glover. It set a precedent. The Rays will no longer be held captive by the thought of saving a buck at the expense of a few wins.

Now we don’t want to make too much about the team swallowing $850,000, but this is is significant. We, like most observers, had assumed all along that Miceli was a lock to be on the opening day roster. We never even questioned it. He was the closer on opening day last year and struggled with arm injuries early in the season. After his return he was decent if not spectacular. Entering 2007 Miceli was one of only two veterans that were expected to anchor a young, inexperienced and shaky bullpen squad that was atrocious in 2006. In the past, a veteran with a guaranteed contract would have been enough to guarantee a roster spot. Other managers would have ignored his spring performance and given the veteran the benefit of the doubt. Not this time.

The Yankees have won 4 world series and been in the playoffs every season for the past 11 years. Is it only because of their $200 million payroll? The Yankees are not the only big payroll team. There are a number of teams with payrolls north of $100 million these days. Not all of them win. The payroll helps, but there is a difference between the Yankees and other teams.

Accountability.

It comes from the top. It comes from George Steinbrenner. For all the silly things he has done and said, he is a great owner. He wants to win, and he holds the players accountable if they don’t. If a Yankee fails to perform, he is gone. The Rays have made a statement and that declaration is the Rays will field the 25 best players. Andrew Friedman and Maddon have stated that there were no guaranteed jobs. We wanted to believe them, but we were skeptical. Yesterday the Rays put their money where their mouths are. If Jorge Cantu and Jonny Gomes didn’t feel the pressure before…they feel it now.

This is not your older brother’s Devil Rays.

Accountability.