Tampa Bay Rays Make Playoff Push

The last one third of the season will finally decide if the Tampa Bay Rays have been contenders or pretenders. As the final playoff push begins, the Rays continue to win games despite enduring setbacks caused by injuries. A season of magic once again finds a road block.

The most recent, and certainly the most serious of injuries this season came to Carl Crawford and potential Rookie of the Year, Evan Longoria. Crawford, with a torn tendon in his finger will require surgery. His return this season is in doubt with a 6-8 week recovery time, but is not impossible. Replacing this lineup mainstay will be a committee of journeymen outfielders.

Longoria sustained a fractured wrist off of a pitch from JJ Putz, of Seattle. His recovery is expected to take about three weeks.

Up until the recent injury setbacks, the Rays had been flying high by winning ten of their last thirteen games. The offensively challenged Rays had seen their bats become alive again while the pitching staff remained very efficient as a whole. They had finally put some distance between themselves, the Red Sox and the Yankees.

How the loss of both Crawford, the long time offensive catalyst, and Longoria, the Rays' leader in HR's and RBI's, will affect the team's playoff run remains to be seen. Also lost by their collective injuries is their presence on defense, which has played a very prominent role for the Rays' success this season.

However, during a season of repeated magic, this Rays team has had different players step up all year. Injuries are certainly nothing new, even as disabling as these appear to be. Percival, Pena, Bartlett, Navarro, Kazmir, and Garza are just a few names that have spent at least one stint on the disabled list.

In order, that is the closer, cleanup hitter, potential gold glove shortstop, all star catcher, staff ace, and starter with the best stuff.

The constants for their continued winning ways have been pitching and defense all year. Longoria's glove and Crawford's speed will both be missed, but adequate short term and long term solutions are available for a team that has stored up significant quality depth.

Willy Aybar will assume most the the duty at third base, while Rocco Baldelli, Justin Ruggiano, Eric Hinske, and Gabe Gross will all see additional outfield time. As a group, if they are able to contribute in small ways, the loss to injuries may be reduced a great deal. If not, then others may be forced to step up dramatically.

Clearly, up to this point in the season, the Rays have proven themselves to be contenders. But it's all about finishing in the marathon like 162 game regular season.

The schedule is brutal for the Rays during the next four weeks. After the current series with the A's ends, a return to Tampa Bay along with a visit from the streaking Angels follows. After that, the schedule should answer the proverbial contender/pretender question once and for all.

A brief road trip against the White Sox precedes a 21 consecutive game stretch against their division rivals. Included are 12 games combined against the Red Sox and Yankees. By then, there will be little doubt as to which team has the most flaws or sustainability.

The final test for the season's last third will be how well the young arms of the pitching staff hold up through a pressure packed month. Trips to Fenway and the Bronx in September can be intimidating to veteran pitchers, and how well Kazmir, Garza, Shields, Jackson and Sonnanstine will perform is unknown. If they prove up to the test, the Rays may be in for a playoff berth.

The Rays have shown a brilliant level of resolve thus far this season. In this year of magic, somebody else is bound to step up and be the hero when it's least expected, like Nathan Haynes, Gabe Gross, or Grant Balfour have done before. Overcoming obstacles and setbacks is just one of the many areas the Rays have been consistent at.

Why should now be any different?

Speed, defense, young and aggressive starting pitching, a solid and balanced bullpen, and an offense that is awakening are all components still present. And when October rolls around, it's likely the Rays will still be present as they push their way into the playoffs for the first time.

A season of magic wouldn't finish any other way.

Rays' Offensive Woes Continue

As the Tampa Bay Rays' enter into the dog days of August and thus officially participate in their first pennant race, several issues may become paramount as to their success.

The beauty of the 162 game regular season is that all warts become exposed, and rarely can a team keep winning an excessive amount of games without having the balance needed to contend with their two legendary and wealthy division rivals.

No pretenders allowed. And especially not in the AL East.

The first half of the season saw the Rays' surprise all of baseball with a consistent and sometimes blazing start, peaking with a won/loss record of 55-32 just prior to the All Star break. During that start they beat the best in their own division (Red Sox, Yankees), the best in the AL (Angels), and the best in the NL (Cubs) in an impressive fashion.

The Rays' suffered the ups and down of injuries ( Kazmir, Garza, Navarro, Pena), all spending at least 15 days on the DL, but persevered through it all by having different players step up with clutch performances almost on a nightly basis.

But magic only lasts so long. Remember, this is the AL East.

Struggles at the plate have haunted Carlos Pena (46 hr in 2007), and BJ Upton (6 hr in 2008) so far this season. Together, the two have left a gaping hole in run production of late, leaving the rest of the lineup to fend for itself. Evan Longoria has had his difficulties often, but has had several hot streaks thus keeping the middle of the lineup from completely disappearing.

Despite the won loss record (17-15), the team performance against left handed pitching has been abysmal. With the exception of light hitting Jason Bartlett (.325, LH), the Rays' fail to provide a hitter batting above .270 against southpaws. The middle of the lineup producers are struggling to hit their weight (Pena, .205, Longoria, .239, Gomes, .186, Floyd, .175, Upton , .264) against lefties.

This alone is cause for concern until one examines the Rays' performance with runners in scoring position (risp). Only Dionner Navarro has been productive in this area (.307, risp), while other expected run producers continue to struggle badly (Pena, .265, Longoria, .239, Upton, .265, Crawford, .275). Last season both Crawford and Upton were very productive with risp at .314 and .343 respectively.

Pitching remains fairly consistent, but not dominant as it had been. Troy Percival has battled hamstring problems along velocity issues on back to back nights. Depth in the bullpen remains adequate with the likes of Grant Balfour and the ever steady Dan Wheeler should Percival continue to have problems.

But the pitching may be good enough as is.

Team defense has been shaky of late, but much of that can be attributed to the loss of Jason Bartlett to a stint on the DL.

The question for the Rays' now is what to do. The trade deadline is fast approaching and the Rays' appear to be staying as is. The cost of acquiring a steady right fielder such as Xavier Nady was apparently too much for now, and pragmatically will probably turn out to be the correct decision.

But one thing is clear, that being the Rays' will need better and more consistent production with runners in scoring position. Securing a solid right handed bat may help matters against left handed pitching, but that doesn't appear likely, and still doesn't solve what the heart of the matter is.

Hitters bearing down, and getting focused while attempting to drive in runs with men in scoring position will solve many of the questions. Capitalizing on scoring situations early on in games will be critical for this teams success. This has been a significant team failure of late.

Taking advantage of runners on second and third and nobody out by executing solid fundamentals at the plate will keep the pressure off of this young pitching staff. Rays' starters face too many games that are tied 1-1 in the 6th inning, and it's only a matter of time before that wears thin on a defense and pitching staff.

And should any sort of meltdown occur, it can be traced back to performance with runners in scoring position. The question now should be, "is this a trend, or is this an identity? "

We'll all find the answer during the last 60 days of the season.

Baseball Returns With Dignity

For the millions of viewers on television and those also in attendance, the pre-game ceremonies should have left an indelible mark on how grand a sport that baseball still is. The sport that has endured countless self-destructive moments since it's beginning, just keeps on ticking.

America's pastime survives each new catastrophe by returning to the simple formula of connecting today with yesterday. Aligning the present along with the grace and glory represented by players from decades back, is a sight that evokes memories, stirs emotion, kindles a curiosity among others.

It was Mays, Aaron, Feller, and Gibson last night.

Legends of the game. Elder statesman. Baseball royalty. Dignity. Trust.

They never got caught with corked bats, using sand paper, taking steroids, or causing a brawl on the field. Mays and Feller gave up prime parts of their careers for military service, Mays for two years after his rookie year, and Feller for most of World War ll.

Aaron quietly went about his business hitting home runs for the Braves and Gibson acted as a leader and an enforcer on the mound while pitching for the Cardinals. As their careers wound down, each player simply walked away.

As Yankee Stadium provided the memorable scene last night hosting it's final All Star game, the event appeared to stampede over the miserable news and actions dominating the game for years. There was no talk of steroids, lying to Congress, team retraction, or Barry Bonds.

In fact, there was no Bonds at all. Nor McGwire, or Sosa, or Palmeiro, or even Roger Clemens. Their names were not even mentioned. Not once. Imagine, arguably the greatest hitter and baseball's best pitcher over the last 40 years and maybe ever, were ignored.

Their career achievements speak for themselves, but so does their absence. But enough of that.

Sizemore stood with Mays. Evan Longoria with Brooks Robinson. Justin Morneau with McCovey. Derek Jeter with Banks. And on, and on. Clearly a new path has been taken. Their future is bright, and each player gives baseball a look of innocence, which has been missing for a long time.

Removing the stain of the last era of what now appears to be invisible names will take time to distance itself from the past and consistency from future all stars.

Baseball identified last night as it's official "time to move forward" theme. Subtle, but effective. Just how many stayed up and watched the whole game because it was the last classic to be held at Yankee Stadium? Some, no doubt did, but most were enthralled at the drama of scoreless inning after scoreless inning.

Some of the new All Star heroes were named Holliday, Longoria, McLouth, Drew, and Kazmir.

The game is slowly returning to it's roots, and has an abundance of youth developing as the core of future legends such as sluggers Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols. Dozens of others will fight for supremacy over the coming years too, as did Gibson and Koufax, Mays and Aaron, or Mantle and Snider.

The elegance of the evening's beginning was demonstrated time and time again on the field in it's simplest form. Just play ball.

Let's hope that this only continues forward as baseball once again has proven to be ageless to all.

Magic Sign Pietrus, Maybe Lose Dooling

The Orlando Magic signed free agent swing man Mickael Pietrus to a four year, $24 million contract. He's expected to replace Mo Evans, last years' starting 2G on the roster. Pietrus brings brings athleticism and a solid defensive work ethic to the lineup.

Where this leaves the rest of the back court remains to be seen with today's announcement by Keyon Dooling's camp that he will not return to the Magic for the 2008/09 season. Dooling is seeking a contract in the $4 million per year range, but team president Bob Vander Wiede has recently stated that the Magic are unwilling to exceed the luxury tax cap threshold.

Dooling served as a combo guard specializing in defense, and playing the role of igniter with his consistently high energy level. His departure would leave the Magic currently with only one PG under contract, Jameer Nelson.

General Manager Otis Smith will have his work cut out for him in the coming months in trying to solidify a weak back court. The addition of Pietrus should be of help, but the depletion of the PG position has just become an urgent issue, and one that will be difficult to fix given the team's reluctance to exceed the luxury tax.

Whether or not the Dooling departure turns out to be a mistake is unknown at this time, but what is known is that the Magic are losing a player of high character, consistent work ethic, and having the ability to be versatile in the back court. Four million seems like a bargain.....

Rays' Mid-Season Report

The 2008 season began with much promise for the Rays.

A strong start in the exhibition season led to expectations of the Rays' finishing with their first winning season ever. Not many had expected that carryover effect to be this long nor as this engaging.

Now, at the halfway point in the season, the Rays' record stands at 49-32, and proudly standing one half game up on the mighty Boston Red Sox. A decade full of management incompetence, bad luck, and bad baseball are quickly diminishing memories from the minds of most.

The Rays' are contenders.

Hell must have frozen over, gas is less than two bucks a gallon, and the Rays' are contenders.

In the AL East no less.

Consistency

The Rays' have yet to lose more than 3 games in a row. Much of this can be attributed to the rebuilt middle defense and the solid efforts of a complete pitching staff.

The Rays' have committed the fewest errors by any Major League team. The team ERA is 3.71, and the outstanding defense has much to do with keeping a young pitching staff both confident and efficient.

The bullpen has a mid season ERA of 3.19 while allowing opposing hitters just a paltry .211 batting average. The bullpen ERA is a three run per game improvement over 2007's dismal 6.16. Opposing hitters batted at a .303 clip last year as well.

Starting Pitching

This may be the most promising attribute of the Rays' as they continue their ascending path towards a playoff run. Balance, style of approach, and innings grinders lay the foundation for this pitching staff to continue to succeed through the summer months.

Matt Garza and Scott Kazmir have at times been electric and overpowering while combining for 13 wins despite both players spending a combined 6 weeks on the disabled list.

James Shields has been efficient and steady even without consistent run support. Edwin Jackson has been up and down, but his control is much improved over last year, and has been better in working out of big innings.

Andy Sonnastine is 9-3, and may be the weakest link in the starting rotation.


The Bullpen


The improvement can be best described on one word.

Dramatic.

Troy Percival and Dan Wheeler both have provided stability through performance in finishing games. The Rays' are 14-11 in one run games, and their consistency has played a major role. Percival has been successful in 19 of 21 save opportunities.


Others, like JP Howell (a converted starter), Trevor Miller, and Grant Balfour, have been clutch pitchers while serving in a variety of roles. The three run ERA improvement over 2007 speaks volumes as to the depth of the bullpen.


It's not just a couple of guys

Offensively, the Rays' punch has been coming from all through the lineup. Seemingly, it's a different player stepping up when needed in close games.

Gabe Gross, the part time right fielder, leads the way with three walk off game winning hits.

The three hitter, BJ Upton, has only 5 hr's, while the clean up hitter Carlos Pena has struggled to stay above .220 all year. Rookie Evan Longoria and Dionner Navarro have offset those deficiencies with consistent production. Navarro has hit above .300 all season and Longoria leads both the Rays and all AL rookies in hr's and rbi's with 15 and 47 respectively.

Eric Hinske and Carl Crawford have been steady as well and especially in the clutch.

Schedule

The Rays' played maybe the toughest schedule in all of baseball during the first half of the season. Prior to beginning the series with the Houston and Pittsburgh, the Rays' combined opponents winning percentage stood at .571.

Included in this were impressive sweeps of the Angels, Red Sox, and Cubs.

The Rays' have played an slightly unbalanced home and away schedule, but have been outstanding at either going 30-13 at home, and 19-19 on the road. Tropicana Field is gaining a reputation for being a difficult road venue.

Where does this journey end?

Health matters, along with experience.

But so does speed, defense and pitching.

Right now the Ray's have all but the experience.

The first half of 2008 has been magical for the Rays'. Seven walk off wins, dominating complete game shutouts, series sweeps against the best in baseball, stellar game saving defensive plays, have all made many believe that this is a team of destiny.

A serious playoff run is in the making, and watching this dynamic, aggressive team march on is the story of 2008.

The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays' are playoff bound. Mark it down.

You saw it here first.

The NBA is Fixed?

Fixed?

Not in the sense that the title may imply.

At least through the eyes of David Stern, "fixed" represents the marketing prowess that the NBA believes that it enjoys worldwide. There is no doubt that Stern has done this job well serving as the commissioner of league that has grown significantly in international popularity.

These days, you can find LeBron James jerseys in Paris, Yao jerseys in China, and countless other jerseys of NBA stars at points all over the world. Job well done, Mr. Commissioner.

All this frenzy from a league that as late as the 1970's still showed the NBA Finals broadcasts on tape delay.

Stern "fixed" the NBA by predominately having players marketed instead of teams. No longer was it the Sixers against the Lakers with Dr. J and Kareem. Instead it was Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls take on Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz.

Stern gave the NBA "star power" like it never had before. And "power" he gave.

Brilliant, some have said of Stern through the years.

With the current Tim Donaghy controversy at the forefront, and through all of Stern's marketing prowess, has he dropped the ball in the most basic fundamental of all, which is maintaining the integrity of the game?

"Fixed", is a word to many watching the NBA that has another meaning too.

For years now, and especially with the advent of the David Stern "star power", the NBA has faced the uncertainty of rules enforcement.

The obvious

While beginning a drive towards the basket, Allen Iverson receives a contact foul at the 3 point line against the Magic. Iverson finished his drive successfully, and was awarded a free throw due to the foul.

The problem in this instance was that Iverson never once dribbled the ball after the foul. He took four full steps from contact at the 3 point line to the finishing the shot without the ball once touching the floor.

So, how does the NBA defend this? Oh, that's right, it was a continuation. OK.....

We won't get into the John Stockton holds, the Shaq clear-out post ups or his camping in the lane, Iverson palming the ball, or the seemingly infinite other privileged rules interpretation that stars get from NBA referees.

When Shaq was in his prime, did the 3 second count only start when the opposing bench yells it to the referees?

You do not have to be a knowledgeable person to recognize inconsistencies during games.

The not so obvious

Calls get one sided at times, primarily due to more aggressiveness by one team over another.

Coaches will change the call frequency often during games. The angry coach gets a technical foul by baiting an official, then shortly thereafter the calls usually balance themselves out.


The make up call

Dwight Howard has solid position in the deep post, starts his drop step, is grabbed by his jersey and then gets hammered on the side of his head by Brendan Haywood. Howard misses the shot, the Wizards get the rebound and play continues.

No foul call.

Next time down, Howard receives the entry pass while stationery, Haywood is barely touching the Magic center, and the whistle blows.

Foul. OK....

The make up call happens far too often for any level of fan interest. Imagine an umpire in baseball calling the next runner out because he mistakenly called the previous runner safe.

Or a sideline judge in football calling the next pass complete because he erred on the previous play by ruling it incomplete.

Credibility

How can a league ever have credibility when make up calls are considered normal procedure but are an unwritten rule?

Of course, David Stern would deny this.

How can a league have credibility when stars play to different rules interpretations than other players? Just ask the players if this isn't the case.

The NBA would deny this as well. But the eyes of millions of observers do not believe the sincerity of the NBA's explanations.

Then there are the home court rules, the bad player rules, and of course, the superstar rules. It's no wonder that the NBA can't be consistent.

There are just too many rules to enforce.

Tim Donaghy

Now the NBA faces it's biggest dilemma since the cocaine crazed early 1980's.

Because of all of the different (albeit denied) rules standards given for various situations, the word "fixed" has appeared. The naysayers cry out that evidence is in hand, all you have to do is watch the tapes. Playoff tapes at that.

The hyped NBA Finals are near midstream, yet all discussions these days start with the name Tim Donaghy. Is it true, or isn't it? Donaghy is a crackpot liar, rat, and a gambler, or so the league defenders argue.

Or, can he be telling the truth? Donaghy has little to gain by perpetuating false claims to the FBI. Ask Martha Stewart how well that works out. He does have a lot more to lose if these accusations are a figment of his imagination.

Steering

The truth of Donaghy's claims probably lie somewhere in the middle of "he's a lying rat" to the NBA is "fixed".

It is obvious that games, players, and even situations are "steered" at times by officials.

Sometimes it's necessary (games can get very rough) for safety, sometimes it's done to right a wrong (which is still wrong), and maybe it's done to keep games close (tickets are expensive) and provide consistent fan enjoyment.

The fix

It's time for Stern to actually fix the game itself. The NBA is a great product, but is not a great game anymore. There are just too many obvious discrepancies for the game to stay mainstream with the sports fans.

At some point, accountability may be required from the public, or the NBA may just continue it's fall into the WWE mentality. What a loss of a beautiful sport.

Quit the cover ups, stop sidestepping bad performances by officials, and at minimum restore consistency with rules interpretations. This might mean losing some officials, but for the integrity of the game is probably worth it. Doing any or all of these might prevent a future Tim Donaghy from appearing.

It's your call Mr. Commissioner.

Rays select Tim Beckham with 1st pick

The Rays' selected shortstop Tim Beckham with the first pick in the MLB draft.

Infield depth will be greatly improved over the next few years.

Beckham should not have the potential signing difficulty that Buster Posey would have brought.

Expect Posey to fall as the draft progresses.

Rays' Low Attendance- Are the Critics Wrong?

In a word, yes.

The typical reaction of the baseball pundits is to jump on the bandwagon of whatever link they have read recently. Sure, have a strong opinion, but at least look at the overall picture of the current situation, and at minimum find a comparison to base that opinion on.

The new hot topic in baseball is the rapid success of the Tampa Bay Rays. The media talking heads are heaping praise, and it is deserved. They are however, offering criticisms of the support (or lack of) that has followed this team. That too is also deserved, but with some reservation.

Attendance has been low given the circumstances of the Rays' fast start. But why?

There are several reasons for the lack of support, but these are not excuses. Just reality.

The core fan base

The franchise is now in it's eleventh season, and with one exception every single season being a last place finish. It's next to impossible to develop a fan base over a decade in which the season is over before May arrives.

Think about it, in the new millenium in Florida, nearly everyone is from somewhere else. A bad team locally, combined with a transient community having fan allegiances to other teams, does not grow a fan base with adults.

So that leaves the kids.

The Rays' are still in their first generation of developing the future fan base. It's when the current 12 year old child turns into a 28 year old paying adult that the true core expands.

That's if you are not winning. Field a good team, and the core base expands rapidly.

History

The Rays drew 2.5 million during their inaguaral season. The following year attendance fell to 1.5 million fans. Between then and now, attendance has generally been just over a million fans per year. People won't travel to see bad baseball.

Anywhere.

Ask the Cubs in the early 1980's. One of the greatest fan bases of die hard followers in all of baseball. The 1982-83 seasons produced bad teams drawing 1.2 and 1.4 million fans each year.

In 1984, the Cubs dazzled baseball and their fan base by winning 96 games and their division. Their attendance grew to 2.1 million, a 50% increase over 1983.

Or ask the Indians in the mid 1980's. Fielding a 60 win team in 1985 brought an amazingly low total attendance of 655,000. That preceded 734,00 for a 75 win team in 1984.

In 1986, the Indians showed a stunning 24 game improvement in the standings, and attendance doubled to 1.4 million. They failed to keep the momentum however by falling back into last place in 1987, losing 101 games. Attendance fell to 1.1 million.

Losing "sometimes" does not grow a fan base.

The Whites Sox in the mid and late 1990's were mired in mediocrity. Great tradition, a history of winning, a not too distant realm of success with a developed core fan base, were all present elements at that time. Attendance stayed at roughly 1.6 million during those years.

An 80 win team in 1999 was followed by a first place 95 win team in 2000. Attendance rose to just to 1.9 million for a quality baseball club.

Losing most of the time does not grow a fan base.

Proof? Maybe ask the Oakland Athletics of the late 1970's, a team coming off 5 straight division titles surrounding 3 straight World Series wins. Owner Charlie Finley gutted his championship team and turned them into a cellar dweller overnight. Total attendance bottomed out to 305,000 in 1979. That followed 526,000 and 485,000 the two previous seasons.

The Kansas City Royals have drawn between 1.3-1.6 million during the last four seasons. Their on field success was highlighted by a 69 victory season in 2007. Their overall record for the last 4 years is comparable to that of the Rays, as is their home attendance figures.

Coincidence? No.

Reality? Yes.

The Braves of the late 1980's were a bad baseball team, losing at or near a 100 games every year. Attendance struggled as well, drawing less than a million fans each season.

In 1991, the Braves shocked baseball winning 94 games and beginning a decade plus run at the top of the standings. Over 2.1 million fans came out to cheer this new dynasty in the making. The majority of those 2.1 million fans did not come out in April and May however.

It was the summer months that filled Fulton County Stadium to near capacity because the Braves were in a pennant race for the first time in years.

Pennant fever

This is the ultimate drawing card for a baseball team. It unifies the fan base with it's community.

In a pennant chase, every game with every team now matters. Baseball becomes part of the daily grind. The morning box score becomes as important as the front page news.

Tampa Bay has yet to experience this. It matters, and it matters big time.

Not an excuse, just reality.

Where does it go?

Despite the slow start in attendance this year, the Ray's are averaging 18,227 after 33 home games. In 2007, the Rays' drew 17,130 per game, but this included the summer months.

If the Rays average 26,000 in attendance per home game the rest of the season they will end up drawing 1.85 million, their highest total since the very first season in 1998. That would be a 50% improvement, and in line with other historical comparisons.

Two million in attendance is a reach, but not out of the question.

As the Rays' continue their march towards excellence, attendance issues will go away. School will soon be out, freeing up many families to make the trip to Tropicana Field. Adding the probability of a potential of a pennant race will drive many of the borderline fans to attend games en mass.

So yes, the critics have labeled the obvious point of attendance being low, but what they have not done is put the problem in it's rightful historical perspective.

Interview with Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman

When the Tampa Bay Rays visited Disney's Wide World of Sports for their three game regular season series with the Toronto Blue Jays, I was able to meet the Rays' team President Matt Silverman, who was gracious in answering a brief Q and A interview for later. Thank you Mr. Silverman.

The following is a question and answer interview with the President of the Tampa Bay Rays, Matt Silverman.


The new ownership group came into the Tampa Bay area with a plan on how to turn this franchise around and becoming a viable major league team. Ownership first addressed Tropicana Field itself, changed the front office decision makers, the coaching staff, and attempted to become more fan friendly. As a whole, has the feedback from the public been as positive as you'd hoped for? And with attendance?

We are thrilled to be part of the Tampa Bay community. Our organizational philosophy is really bearing fruits on the field this season, but the process has been ongoing since our ownership change in October 2005. We took many fresh, new steps to provide a great environment for fans to enjoy a game and establish ourselves as a community partner. The interest level in the team is on the rise, and we can only hope that it manifests itself in attendance. Having packed crowds really makes a difference to our players. It creates a real home field advantage.


Which statement better describes the Rays' philosophy towards winning;

Would it be "win it all now, be the front runners, and worry about the future later, no matter the cost", or would it be "lets try and win 90 games every year, be competitive, and once in a while maybe get a shot at winning it all"?

Andrew Friedman has consistently said that we want to be an organization that can sustain winning, season after season. To do that, we have to keep one eye on the present and one eye on the future. We do not have the financial resources of higher revenue clubs, but, with a focus on player development and with continued investment in the talented player we’ve acquired or developed, we believe we can compete year in and year out.

What would you like to say to the naysayers that are constantly dwelling on past failures and prior ownership?

We are the Rays, not the Devil Rays. We are committed to being a quality corporate citizen, to putting a great product on the field, and to providing the best possible environment for fans to enjoy the game of baseball. The naysayers should give the organization another try—hopefully they’ll recognize the differences.

And to those that say "you can win some now, and maybe for a few years, but will never be able to maintain winning nor keep the great players because this is a small market team"?

It certainly won’t be easy, but we believe it can be done. The first step is creating an environment in which players want to play. The long term signings of James Shields, Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria, Dan Wheeler, Scott Kazmir and Carl Crawford are evidence of that. They have chosen to be Rays. If we can continue to draft and develop top players, we should be able to continue adding to our already talented and exciting team.

The new stadium proposal that is underway has been receiving great support from the national media. Clearly, this unique waterfront stadium as designed would become the beacon for the city of St Pete. Is there a timetable as to how long is the ownership group willing to lobby the local government, the media, and residents to get this project done?


We believe the design for a waterfront ballpark in downtown St. Pete will give us the most beautiful stadium in Major League Baseball. It would be a great source of pride for St. Pete and Tampa Bay, and it could be a part, along with the redevelopment of Tropicana Field and its parking lots, of a new wave of growth for St. Pete. We are focused on getting the ballpark on the ballot for November. If all goes well, we’ll be playing regular season baseball on the waterfront in 2012.


And if the proposal is not accepted by either deadlines and/or taxpayers , would there ever be consideration for a Tampa location?

We put forth this proposal because we believe the historic Al Lang Field site would be a great location for the long-term home of the Rays. If the new ballpark effort does not proceed, our long-term lease at Tropicana Field would remain in place.


The ownership group disappointed many fans when the Rays' payroll went down last year. Rampant thoughts of "new guys in town, but nothing has changed" were everyday criticisms. Knowing what was on the horizon, was that an intentional plan at the time, by choosing not to invest in any significant free agents and thus waiting for the youth to further their development?

Before the 2006 season, Stuart Sternberg said our payroll would rise 10%-15% annually. That’s a target, but so much of it depends upon the players in-house and the particulars of the free agent market. Over the past two seasons, we were able to determine our needs and how to address them. We also were able to provide many young players the chance to get valuable experience at the Major League. Two of the beneficiaries, Dioner Navarro and Edwin Jackson, have gotten off to great starts this season. The experiences they gained the past couple of seasons certainly have contributed to that.


When we first spoke at Disney's Wide World of Sports back in April, you stated that the Rays were very close to becoming competitive. Did you ever envision a stand alone hold on first place in the middle of May 2008, and has this fast start by the team surprised even you?

Coming into Spring Training, we were very excited about the ballclub. The organization was optimistic, but no one really knew what to expect. Our success to date has come despite some early season injuries. We’re even more excited to see what a healthy Ray ballclub can do the rest of the way.


With the considerable wealth of talent currently on hand in the Rays' minor league affiliates, one could draw comparisons of the current Rays' organization to that of say, the Atlanta Braves of the early 1990's, or the Baltimore Orioles of the 1960's. Was there a previous franchise model that was chosen to follow, prior to taking ownership control?

I wouldn’t say that we follow the model of any single organization. We certainly have learned lessons from observing other organizations, but each organization faces its particular circumstances and challenges.

If the Rays' are still in the pennant race by late July, is there a temptation and/or desire to trade minor league prospects for a veteran player(s) for a potential stretch run?

We don’t feel we have any major needs, but we always want to maintain flexibility so that we could add potential pieces should the need arise and the cost (in terms of talent exchanged) make sense.

Rocco Baldelli is still attempting to return to baseball. Being one of the primary faces of this franchise and so well respected in the community, it surely has been devastating to both Rocco and the Rays' that he unable to play at this time. If, by some misfortune, that his recovery is not successful enough for him to continue playing, would the Rays' be able to find a place for him in another role assuming he would want to?

Rocco’s focus and ours is on getting Rocco back on the field. He’s making progress and we’re going to do everything we can to aid him in his efforts.

The Disney series against the Blue Jays seemed to be another success with the exception that there were still some empty seats throughout the stadium. By and large though, players, fans, and the media all liked the experience. Are the odds of returning next year greater than 50/50, or less than 50/50?

We really enjoyed the Orlando series and reaching out to fans in that part of our region. It is too early in the scheduling process for next season to determine the odds of returning. Whether we return to Disney or not, we will continue to work diligently to extend the Rays into Orlando and Central Florida. They’re critical to our growth as a franchise.



What changes there would you like to see if the Rays' were to return?

We’re undefeated at Disney—why change a thing?



Comparisons could be drawn to the Rays' relationship to Orlando, and that of Baltimore and Washington during the late 1970's. After the Senators moved to Texas for the 1972 season, the Orioles began to televise and broadcast games on DC affiliates several years later. The foothold in the region did not take until the late 1970's though. Once it did however, the Orioles saw attendance jump significantly while attributing upwards of 25% of their total attendance to the DC area.

Is that the plan with Disney and the Rays? And do you envision other mini road trips to other regions in Florida, such as Jacksonville, Ft Meyers, etc?

We are determined to become a truly regional ballclub with support from throughout the State of Florida. We want the Rays to not only be Orlando’s team, but also Fort Myers’ team and Gainesville’s team. If we can capture the hearts of our region and extend our reach throughout the state, we’ll be able to prosper.


There is significant frustration in Orlando concerning the broadcast partners of the Rays', in that they are very much unavailable to most of the region. FSN-Florida has an ongoing dispute with Britehouse cable and it's 800,000 subscribers, and is unavailable on their cable system, and WHOO 1080 am, which has a too weak signal to be heard over the air in most of the region after dusk.

The FSN/Brighthouse dispute keeps more than half of the Rays' games from being seen by nearly a million subscribers regionally. The alternative then, would be to listen to the game on the radio, but, for most, is an impossibility as well.

Do the Rays' have any plans on addressing these issues in the future, so that "out of sight, out of mind" doesn't take hold in the area?

We are working hard each season to expand our partnerships with television and radio affiliates throughout the state. We are determined to do what we can to make sure that everyone who wants to watch or listen to a Rays game in the region has the ability to.



Finally, as President of the Rays', is this your dream job, or would you rather be a player?

Like most kids, I dreamed of playing in the Major Leagues, but that dream was vanquished well before I made it to high school. I’m much better suited for this position than any position on the field.

Is Edwin Jackson Just Trade Bait or Another Bob Gibson?

Young pitchers with potential come and go. Some are able to harness their skills and have successful baseball careers, while others never seem to gain enough consistency to stay very long in the big leagues. So where does Edwin Jackson fall?

Struggling to a 0-8 record after his first 13 starts last year, many heard whispers that Ed "no win" Jackson was on his way out of the rotation, and maybe even off the major league active roster. Lack of control in the early innings was his downfall on most nights. If the ball wasn't over the plate, batters weren't swinging, and if it was, Jackson's 96 mph fastball was getting hammered.

Such is the life of a starting pitcher that often gets behind in the count to major league batters.

The 2008 season has been a mirror opposite from last season. Jackson's 2007 season was heavily loaded with 3 inning / 6 run knockouts, while sprinkling in a solid month of performances later in the season where the signs of his vast potential finally made an appearance.

To outsiders, nine starts and a 2-3 won-loss record certainly does not speak volumes that Jackson has turned any corners on his future as a Rays starter. But it's his body of work in each start though that brings much interest, as Jackson has yet to display any middle ground between a Bob Gibson like performance or that of a Class AA journeyman.

The bad: three starts, 13 innings pitched with 17 earned runs allowed while the losing pitcher in all three starts.

The good: six starts, 41 innings pitched and only 3 earned runs allowed. But Jackson only picked up 2 wins as the bullpen let two of his starts get away. Offensive support was lacking in the others.

Gibson like efforts included were 2 starts against the Yankees, allowing only a single earned run, and dominating performances against Boston, Seattle, and Toronto. For all of his 2008 starts, the good vs. bad ratio is the polar opposite of last year.

Now, the dilemma for the Rays: gamble and keep him, or gamble and move him.

With so much youthful potential currently on minor league rosters, is this the time to possibly move Jackson? If he's another Bob Gibson, it's certainly a regrettable mistake.

Right now though, while his value is probably as high as it will get, he could be another Sidney Ponson as well. We all know the type, just another one of those guys that turns heads for a while, and then just disappears.

It may be a be a tough choice for the Rays to make, but they will have to decide.