The Return Of Jorge Cantu: Iwamura to DL

Jorge Cantu is back. Akinori Iwamura was placed on the DL today with a strained oblique muscle and Cantu was recalled from Durham to take his place.

Honestly we are a bit surprised that Cantu was the choice, although there really isn’t a lot of offensive talent at Durham right now. Cantu’s demotion at the end of spring training was not received very well by the second baseman and he subsequently demanded a trade. It is not clear if the Rays have entered into anything other than preliminary discussions with other teams about moving Cantu. There just does not seem to be much of a market for a second baseman with limited defensive abilities and a bat in decline.

Iwamura to the DL is a big blow to the this team. He was the one player on the team that would actually work a pitcher. He is 4th in the AL in walks on a team that has always struggled with getting on base. And is it us or is the oblique muscle a recent discovery to science? Up to 5 years ago, we never heard of a player missing time with an injured oblique. Now it happens all the time. Apparently the injury occurred earlier in the week. The big worry is how serious the injury is. Obliques can be a finicky muscle and if not careful, this could turn into a season-long nagging injury.

As for the Rays lineup, look for Cantu to receive at bats, but not regular playing time. BJ Upton is still the second baseman. Ty Wigginton will likely slide over to third base with Brendan Harris also receiving some starts. On days that Wiggy is at third, Carlos Pena will start at first base. Cantu is most likely to receive one or two starts a week at DH.

The Hangover: Scott Kazmir Has A Lot To Learn

Orioles 6, Devil Rays 4.
He is only 23…he is only 23…he is only 23…102 pitches in 4 innings. 6 hits, 4 walks. Scott Kazmir actually threw 60 strikes, which is not terrible, so it is not just his lack of control. He just throws too many pitches. Some how he needs to learn to hit the bats more often. Wednesday’s loss starts and stops with Kid K, but there were plenty of other problems in between. Ben Zobrist, who was only starting because Aki Iwamura was sick with the flu, committed another error, because he was lazy on a routine ground ball. Instead of getting in front of it, he tried to back hand the grounder…Josh Paul became just the latest Devil Ray that failed to get a bunt a down. And once again Joe Maddon will stick with the call even with two strikes, as if he may be sending a message to the players “I will not let you swing away if you can’t lat down a simple sacrifice.” …And finally Elijah Dukes played a flyball to center into a game of twister and eventually a double…But ultimately, none of that matters if Kazmir can keep his pitch totals down and work deeper into games. He just needs to trust his stuff. You could see it on radar gun where his fastball was rarely touching 90 and never higher than 91. That is a classic sign of a pitcher that is aiming and not throwing. He was slowing everything down, hoping to find the strikezone. When a pitcher does that he loses his mechanics. He is only 23…he is only 23…he is only 23.

• Akinori Iwamura was out of the lineup with flu-like symptoms which are apparently running through the clubhouse.
• Scott Kazmir was not one of those affected despite his performance.
• The Orioles spent a lot of money on their bullpen this off-season and as soon as Scott Kazmir was pulled from the game, everybody knew the game was over. The O’s pen is just better than the Rays right now.
• Elijah Dukes is trying to bust out of his slump and he is smart enough o know that it was not the 2-3 performance yesterday but rather the walk in the 6th inning that could have done it.
• Joe Maddon needs more help at the back end of the bullpen (duh). Brian Stokes is on pace for 93 appearances.
• Uh oh. Jenn Sterger is not happy with people knocking the Devil Rays. And if Jenn is not happy, nobody is happy. Then again, we have no doubt that there are plenty of people (us included) that would be more than happy to cheer her up.
• The Colorado Rockies have asked the Devil Rays about Jorge Cantu.
• It is time to start stuffing those virtual all-star ballot boxes with the names Aki Iwamura, Delmon Young and Carl Crawford.

The Hangover: The Rays Being The Rays

Jae Seo was awful last night. Yes, the defense was atrocious with 3 errors in the Rays 12-9 loss to the Rangers, their 4th straight. Still, Seo gave up 8 hits, 3 walks, 1 hit batter, 1 wild pitch and 10 runs (5 earned) in 3 innings. The Rangers have now scored more runs in their two games against the Rays (20) than they did in their first six games combined (19). And the “Shake your head” stat of the night…Carl Crawford was caught stealing twice last night by the Rangers Gerald Laird. We think that qualifies as an anomaly.

• Elijah Dukes is now the most-days DH. In the spring we predicted that Jonny Gomes would only receive 300 at bats in 2007. Now it looks like he will struggle to get 200.
• Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman aren’t ready to shake up the roster, but they will look at different pitchers in more crucial bullpen roles late in games.
• Andrew Friedman made it clear that the team is not happy with the performance of the bullpen and they will continue to talk trades with other teams in search of relief relief.
• Another look at the Rays bullpen struggles, via The Rays Review.
• The Rays could be interested in the Astros’ former All-Star closer Brad Lidge. Lidge hasn’t been the same pitcher since he surrendered a game-winning home run to Albert Pujols in the 2005 NLCS. Whether it is confidence or mechanics or health, we don’t know. But in the past year, he hasn’t looked much better than Shawn Camp.
• Baseball Analysts take an in depth look at Elijah Dukes minor league career and the first 5 games of his major league career. Two aspects stick out. First is that Dukes has actually improved at every level. The second is his patience at the plate, which is very uncharacteristic for such a young player. A point that hopefully will rub off on some of his teammates.
• Jorge Cantu will see time at third base and first base with Durham.Whether he will see time at those positions in Tampa or it is just an audition for other teams is left to be seen.
• After last night, the Rays have been outscored 22-9 in the 8th and 9th innings.
• The most wins ever by a pitcher drafted by the Devil Rays is 8. In 2002, Joe Kennedy went 8-11 for the Rays.
• Who’s got Aki-Fever!?!

The Hangover: Casey Fossum Ineffective In Return To Mound

• The Rays fell behind big in the first two innings and eventually lost to the Jays 8-5. The big blow in the boxscore was a grand slam by the big hurt. However, Rays starter Casey Fossum never gave his teammates a chance. He gaveup 8 hits and a walk in 3+ innings. He also hit 2 batters. Overall the Rays pitchers walked 7, and threw a wild pitch, in addition to the two hit batters. We can take solace in the fact that Fossum will end up on the DL sooner or later.
• Rocco Baldelli played centerfield for the first time this season. Joe Maddon is not going to have Rocco in the field everyday. He wil be back at DH this afternoon and in center tomorrow against the Rangers.
• After an opening day sellout, the crowd was a respectable 18,495.
• Yesterday’s game marked the 30th anniversary of the Blue Jay’s first game.
• The new FieldTurf2 does look to be playing slower than the previous incarnation. This was most evident when Akinori Iwamura laid down a bunt for a basehit before coming around to score the winning run in the 9th on Friday night. Once the ball hit the Turf, it just died. Last year, that ball would have gotten to the third baseman a lot quicker and Muu-Rah may have been thrown out.
• Stuart Sternberg has believes that the first 12 games will set the tone for the rest of the season.
• Joe Maddon is trying to preach patience to the young Rays hitters. His goal is to force opposing pitchers to throw 145 pitches a game. So far, the Rays have come up short.
• MLB Trade Rumors looks at some potential trade partners for the Rays if they decide to move Jorge Cantu. They lean towards the Mets as the best fit, but admit there really aren’t any great match-ups.
• Thanks to the guys at FireJoeMorgan, we learn that Joe Morgan doesn’t think that Josh Hamilton deserves to be in the majors and that it sends the wrong message to minor leaguers. We have to agree with Ken Tremendous on his criticism of Morgan’s statement. The players with the best skills should be in the majors…Josh is 0-2 in 2 pitch hitting appearances.

The Hangover: Is Bob Gibson’s Arm Available?

• Game 2 of the 2007 season was rained out yesterday. No makeup date has been scheduled.
• If the game had been played, Jonny Damon would not have been in the lineup. He is suffering from a sore calf, which caused him to be removed from Monday’s opener. In fact, now it looks like he is headed for the DL.
• Four of the Rays minor league affiliates will start today. The starting pitchers are scheduled to be: Jason Hammel (Durham), Chris Seddon (Montgomery), Jake McGee (Vero Beach), Wade Townsend (Columbus). Hammel will be followed at Durham by JP Howell, Jeff Niemann, Andy Sonnanstine and Mitch Talbot.
• The rain-out pushes the rotation back a day which is already on an extra day of rest due to the off-day Tuesday. To compensate, Scott Kazmir will pitch ahead of Edwin Jackson on Sunday, with Jackson going Monday against the Rangers.
• Jorge Cantu’s agent reiterated that the former team MVP has not changed his position and he still wants to be traded.
• Expect the Rays to be even more aggressive on the base paths this season, with as many as four players swiping 25 or more bases. The Rays had three on opening day.
• According to Buster Olney, manager Joe Maddon is giving a Bob Gibson tape to Edwin Jackson, hoping that it will light a competitive fire in the young prospect.
• The state house might have just helped the Rays sign a new middle reliever, by granting the team a $2 million per year tax break.
• Here is your chance to vote for Devil Rays to make it to Cooperstown. Might be their only chance.

The Hangover: Jorge Cantu’s Days As A Second Baseman Appear Over

• It is cold and rainy here in New York. We will see if we get this game off in time.
• It is still to be determined if Jorge Cantu will ever play for the Rays again, but we can be fairly certain that he will never play second base for the Rays again. When Cantu reports to Durham, he is expected to primarily play DH. Also, Cantu was scheduled to be arbitration eligible at the end of the season. Depending on how long he is in the minors this season, he may lose that eligibility until after the 2008 season.
• It’s not a good sign when the team’s just hopes the #2 starter will keep them in games. A good team would only say that about their #5 and possibly #4 starters.
• Apparently the Tampa Bay Business Journal decided they needed a poll to show that Devil Rays attendance will increase if the team wins more games. TBBJ calls it the “Business Pulse Survey”. We call it the “No Shit Sherlock Survey”. That was money and time well spent.
• Brendan Roberts of the Sporting News is a closet Devil Rays fan.
  
• The Hardball Times looks at Scott Kazmir and other good young lefties.
  
• There was more than one April Fool’s Day posts involving the Devil Rays, including one that said Carl Crawford was traded to the Braves, and had us do a double-take in our half asleep hangover state. However, that was not as entertaining as THIS one. We laugh because it is funny…we laugh because it is true.
• 2004 18th round pick Jimmy Scholzen, a short stop, has reported to his first minor league camp 2 years after signing a contract with the Devil Rays. The Rays allowed Scholzen to complete his two year Mormon mission despite signing a professional contract.
  

The Hangover: These Are The Rays Of Our Lives

• The Rays fell to the Yankees on opening day 9-5. The loss reminded us an awful lot of 2006. Scott Kazmir looked good at times, but threw way too many pitches and couldn’t get an out in 6th inning, forcing Joe Maddon to turn to his bullpen much earlier than he would have liked. And the bullpen was, well, they were the Rays bullpen. Three of the four relievers used by Papa Joe surrendered at least one run. Also, can somebody explain to us why Rocco Baldelli is stealing bases when he is not healthy enough to play the field. BJ Upton looked good, picking up two hits.
• Akinori Iwamura struggled out of the gate in the spring, but did not let that happen in the regular season, picking up his first big league hit on opening day.
• Elijah Dukes was the one player we were most excited to see play yesterday and he did not disappoint with a big day.
  
• Jorge Cantu will report to the Durham Bulls after all. We mentioned this during our live blog yesterday, but we will say it again. If Cantu is not a minor league player, then shut up, go down there and prove it.
• Josh Hamilton made his major league debut for the Cincinnati Reds yesterday afternoon. He lined out to left field as a pinch hitter in the 8th, but received a 5 minute standing ovation from the fans. Welcome to the show Josh. It’s good to see you.
• Surprise, surprise, the Yankees have the highest payroll in baseball and the Rays have the lowest. The Red Sox have closed the gap with the Yankees and that does not include the posting fee for Dice-K. I guess we will start calling them Evil Empire, Jr.

The Hangover: Opening Day 2007

• It’s Opening Day!
• The Rays will field the youngest 25-man roster in baseball. Today, will mark Rocco Baldelli’s first opening day assignment since 2004. The Rays are actually 5-4 on opening day.
• The Rays and the Yankees have markedly different expectations entering opening day.
• Manny Stiles has posted his Devil Rays preview. He hasn’t been on board long, but he has done his homework.
• The Rays defense should be much improved in 2007.
• Jorge Cantu is threatening to not report to Durham.
• Seth McClung blames his agent, Scott Boras for not informing McClung of the Rays unusual fourth option. The extra option allowed the Rays to demote McClung to Durham.
• No surprise here, but it is now official, Josh Hamilton has made the Reds opening day roster. He still needs to remain on the active roster all season but that will not be a problem for Josh or the Reds.
• Don’t forget to stop by later today for the first ever Devil Rays live game blog. We are now in the heart of the Belly of the Beast. We are in New York City, a stone’s throw from Yankee Stadium. We will be “broadcasting” from the comfort of a couch, a computer, a big TV, and a fridge stocked with beer. We really have no idea what we are doing, but we will give it a shot. We are still trying to figure out this world wide web thing. So whether you are stuck at work or at home, don’t forget to stop by as we will get started around 12:45, and follow along as the Devil Rays take their first step towards .500 and the 2010 World Series! We will also keep an eye on the Reds-Cubs game as Josh Hamilton will be making his major league debut.
  

Your 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays Roster

The Rays made it official today as Jorge Cantu was demoted to Durham, making BJ Upton the Rays starting second baseman. It was probably the last we have seen of Cantu in a Rays uniform, as he has asked to be traded, stating that he “is not a minor league player.”

Also, Jonny Gomes has made the team and will be the most-days DH, although Rocco Baldelli is likely to be the opening day DH as he continues to nurse his sore hamstring. Elijah Dukes is likely to be the opening day center fielder. It also turns out that Carlos Pena could be on the opening day roster after all, as Greg Norton may be placed on the DL, with a knee injury.

So here is your 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays opening day roster (unless Norton is placed on the DL)….

The Hangover: B. J. Upton Could Be Starting Second Baseman

• The Phillies beat the Rays 9-2 in Scott Kazmir’s final appearance before opening day. Damn, we hate losing to Philadelphia team in anything. So then we just go back and watch our tape of THIS game and we feel soooo much better.
• It appears as though we will need to adjust our roster projections after all as Dan Micelli appears to be on the verge of being released. The thought is that Micelli would be released to make room for Gary Glover on the 40-man roster. It also appears that Cantu could be sent to the minors in favor of Brendan Harris who is out of options. That move would allow Harris to be the backup infielder and make B. J. Upton the most days second baseman.
• Both Rocco Baldelli, Josh Paul and Dioner Navarro played in minor league games yesterday. Baldelli was a DH.
• After the three cuts yesterday, the Rays are now down to 34 players on the roster. Several of the cuts have already been decided but won’t occur until Rocco Baldelli, Dioner Navarro and Josh Paul return from their injuries.
• Jonny Gomes and Jorge Cantu seem to be feeling the pressure.
• Season ticket sales are up 10% and sponsorship deals are up 20%. Good news indeed, but keep in mind that 10% of very little is very little.