THE HANGOVER Peter Gammons Predicts 30+ Home Runs For Evan Longoria In 2008

Team USA 5, Japan 1.
Evan Longoria had a 2-run double in the 8th that put the game out of reach. He finished 1-4. Justin Ruggiano also went 1-4.

Team USA 12, Spain 2.
Evan Longoria went 2-4 and hit his second home run of the World Cup, a 2-run shot. Justin Ruggiano went 1-3.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• Hidden behind the password-wall of ESPN Insider is the latest Peter Gamons article. In the article he has high praise for Evan Longoria. [ESPN]

Three different baseball people insisted that Tampa Bay rookie third baseman Evan Longoria will hit more than 30 homers next year based on what they saw in the Arizona Fall League.

• Carlos Pena took home some more offseason hardware. This time it is the AL Silver Slugger award for being the top hitting first baseman in the AL. [Bottom 9]
• The Devil Rays have contacted free agent catcher Michael Barrett. This just in…The Rays would like to have a veteran catcher on the roster, which means they will be contacting all available veteran free agent catchers. [Fox Sports]
• The Brewers are trying to acquire Carl Crawford looking at the left fielder as the player that can put them over the top. Not surprisingly, the Rays are not interested in anything the Brew Crew is offering so they are trying to get a third team involved. [Mykenk’s Blog]
  
• Rays of Light has started a 9-part series entitled “Offseason Ideas”. They have #1 and #2 up, addressing whether or not to trade Rocco Baldelli, and signing Cesar Izturis to play shortstop in 2008. [Rays of Light]
• Delmon Young should have won a Gold Glove? One blogger thinks so. Young did not deserve a gold glove, even if they got rid of the ridiculous practice in which the outfield gold gloves are given to three outfielders regardless of outfield position, which often leads to three center fielders taking home the award. Young has one of the best arms in baseball, but his defense is below average at best. He plays too deep, takes bad angles and often looks uncomfortable. [Thunder Matt’s Saloon]
• If I ever go into politics, I am hiring David Chalk as my campaign manager. [Bugs & Cranks]
• And remember…if you are not happy about the Rays changing their name and would like to see sites such as RI or Bugs & Cranks continue using the moniker “Devil Rays”, go to THIS POST and leave a comment saying so.[Bugs & Cranks]

The Hangover: There’s No Tying In Baseball!

• OK, maybe there is as the Rays and Red Sox tied 1-1. Edwin Jackson struck out 6 and only walked 2 in 4.2 innings. Gary Glover only surrendered 1 walk in 2 innings.
• It seems like a bit of a stretch that Jorge Cantu could be sent down to Durham to start the season, but to hear Cantu talk about it, he sounds worried.
• Has Gary Glover earned a spot in the bullpen? The way Papa Joe Maddon is speaking of him, he just might have. The problem is Glover is not on the 40-man roster and the team already has one player to remove from the 40-man to make room for Al Reyes.
  
• Dioner Navarro is working his way back from his sore hamstring. He worked 5 innings yesterday and will have today off before working 7 innings tomorrow. Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli will both have the day off today as they work back from their ailments.
• The Rays may have caught a break in their season-opening series against the Evil Empire. The Yankees placed Chien-Ming Wang on the DL.
• Edwin Jackson has a new mental approach this season and it could translate into a spot in the rotation.
• Peter Gammons says that the Rays are one of only four teams with no shot at finishing .500, but that the Rays’ talent is “NFL level”…whatever that means.
• The Rays and the Pink Sox don’t play until July 3, and Joe Maddon does not know yet whether he will employ the “Maddon Shift” that he used against David Ortiz last season.
• FoxSports.com is reporting that the Rays have expressed interest in Jorge Julio of the D-Backs. Yes, the Rays need bullpen help, but we can’t see this one happening.
• Manny, Tim and Neil unleash their mathematical genius and a few big words mixed amongst a lot of little ones to project the 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays, with their first installment of “Raise or Raze the Rays“. The consensus appears to be that there is no consensus and the Rays may be the biggest question mark in baseball. The guys make a case for the Rays finishing with anywhere from 60 wins in a worst-case scenario to 86 wins with a lot of luck. The most telling statement is the they believe the Rays could potentially contend this season if they were in one of the other divisions. High praise indeed.
• We never liked the “Z-man” nickname, and “Benny Boo Boo” was never going to stick, but “Zoey”? That could work.

The Hangover: Another Candidate For The Job Seth McClung Does Not Have

• Moral victory last night. The Rays were losing the entire game so the ‘pen did not blow the lead.
• We never gave Brian Stokes much of a chance to win the fifth spot in the rotation and…what? We had Stokes in the rotation’s 5th spot earlier this week? Never happened. Well Papa Joe Maddon made it official yesterday and Stokes is headed to the bullpen. What we didn’t expect was that Stokes is now a candidate to be the team’s closer. There are worse options. *cough, cough* Seth McClung *cough, cough*
• The second round of pink slips were handed out yesterday. No real big surprises on the list except possibly Jason Hammel. We knew Hammel was a long shot for the 5th spot in the rotation, but we thought he would be given more of a chance. In two appearances he allowed one run on four hits in three innings. The roster now stands at 42, with 17 more cuts to come.
• In theory, the fight for the final spot is now down to four, including Edwin Jackson, J. P. Howell, Jae-Kuk Ryu and Tim Corcoran. We still think the team has Corky pegged as a reliever and spot starter, so now we are down to three.
• The Peter Gammons love-fest continues here at RI. Gammons once again he throws some affection towards the Rays in his column “Ten spring questions left to answer“. Question #8 was to wonder aloud how all of the young talented players would eventually fit together. He states that the Rays could be the most fun team to watch of all the second-tier teams in baseball…He refers to the Rays outfield and says that Elijah Dukes may be the most talented of the group. Gammons also hints that the Rays are so impressed by the slimmed-down Joel Guzman that they may be reconsidering Akinori Iwamura’s roll with the team…We understand that Guzman is a good fielder, but so is Muu-Rah, and while Iwamura is struggling at the plate, Guzman is only hitting .150. Muu-Rah will be the opening day third baseman. But at some point, if Guzman can find consistency with the bat, Iwamura may be headed to second base. 2008?
• When we first heard that Joe Maddon was considering Al Reyes for the closer position, we were worried about putting that much pressure on his arm so soon after Tommy John surgery. Then we hear that Maddon is worried about pitching him on back-to-back nights. In that case, closer might be his best option on the Rays. Think about it, how often will the Rays being leading in the ninth on consecutive nights?
• The guys over at armchairgm have their Rays preview up.

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.

Peter Gammons Is On Board With The Rays Way

At times he can be a bit of a Pink Sox homer, but for pure baseball writing, nobody does it for us the way Peter Gammons does. And in an arena where everybody has an opinion, we trust his above all else. Last season Gammons nearly died after suffering a brain aneurysm. Well he is back in full force (you can’t stop Peter Gammons, you can only hope to contain him) and Tom Jones of the St. Pete Times caught up with him to ask Gammons his thoughts on the 2007 Rays.

He touches on a number of topics, including the surplus of outfielders (they have to trade on of the big three soon for pitching), Delmon Young (“could be on of the best players in the league”), Joe Maddon (he is a big fan and thinks he has the perfect style for this young team), the rotation (it is getting better, but the team needs to trade for one or two pieces), Jeff Niemann (needs to show he can stay healthy), the Trop (the team needs to be in Tampa to succeed), the new ownership and front office (impressed).

We know it is only Spring Training, but with a 1-6 record, damn we needed something positive.

Thanks Peter, and its good to have you back.

An expert’s take on Rays [St. Pete Times]