DRB Photo Caption/Shop Contest #2: The Shaving Cream Pie Edition
by FreeZorilla on Feb 8, 2010 5:00 PM EST
in Caption Contests
19 comments
The first ever DRB Caption Contest ended and the result could not be any clearer. The DRB community has spoken and Marky Mark's Third Nipple was the leader with 33 Recs. Congratulations. Who will be the big winner this week? All you need to do to enter is photoshop the above image or come up with a creative caption. Please Rec all of your favorites. Can someone dethrone the current champion who turned this:
via lh4.ggpht.com
into:
19 comments | 0 recs |
On Greatness and Carl Crawford
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 8, 2010 6:00 AM EST
27 comments
This is not terribly Rays related, but I swear I get there in the end. My train of thought is a bit odd here, so just follow me if you will (I promise it's going somewhere). I love baseball history and since we're so baseball-deprived right now, I can't resist taking a bit of a spin through time.
Who remembers the 1990s? I got a bit nostalgic the other day while looking through my baseball card collection (...why do I admit these things? Yes, I'm a tool) and started thinking about all the great moments from that decade. Well, the second half of that decade; the strike was a stinker, although that happened just before I became a big baseball fan. Maybe it's that I was still a kid at that point, but the emotions and memories from that decade seem so strong and poignant, like I just lived them yesterday. I cherished the McGwire and Sosa homerun race, and that image of them embracing towards the end of the season is burned into my brain. I remember my dad waking me up to watch the Yankees win the World Series in 1996, and me not being able to fall asleep again afterwards from sheer excitement. I remember Griffey as an icon - the smiling poster-boy for baseball - and Alex Rodriguez as one of the greatest hitters ever. It seemed like everywhere I turned, I read or saw something else about how A-Rod had a good chance to break Aaron's record and to my tween-ish self, it seemed inevitable. Baseball was great and A-Rod was the best there was.
27 comments | 0 recs |
DRaysBay Turns Five
by R.J. Anderson on Feb 8, 2010 6:00 AM EST
182 comments
I feel like I've written far too many of these type of posts the last three months. It's awkward to write. Anyways, congrats to the alumni, current staff, and anyone who's ever read or commented here - even if only to complain about the Red Sox banner ads. Many thanks to the network's tech team as well.
Use this as your open thread for the day if you so wish.
182 comments | 0 recs |
The Best Shape of My Life (And Other Performance-Enhancing Tales from Spring): Jeff Niemann's Cutter and Splitter
by R.J. Anderson on Feb 6, 2010 7:05 PM EST
19 comments
During the season, Jeff Niemann began throwing a splitter (as documented elsewhere), but during his final appearance of the 2009 season, he also began throwing a cutter. The Brooks Baseball pitchfx page is here and no cutters are actually recorded. Look at the slider average and max velocities however. Some pitchers do throw sliders in upwards of 90 miles per hour - David Price and Felix Hernandez for two - but we have seasonal data on Niemann that suggests his slider sits in the low-80s.
Even more, look at the comparison of velocity and movement between NIemann's "slider" in that game and the one that Lance Cormier throws. Believe it or not, Niemann did not pick this pitch up from Cormier, or James Shields, or anyone else. He just gripped the ball with what amounts to his cutter grip and felt comfortable throwing it during pre-game warm-ups. Eventually he felt comfortable enough to use it during games, and gave the Yankees a cutter-heavy diet that saw a few whiffs - something uncommon when it comes to Niemann's collection of fastballs.
Unfortunately this is the only game where he unleashed it, and the sample size is so ridiculously small that to say whether it will be a worthwhile pitch or not. There's a very good chance Niemann is a better pitcher when it comes to processes this season, but worse when it comes to results. Only time will tell if the cutter and splitter contribute.
19 comments | 0 recs |
Attendance Analysis (Pt. 5): The Power of Success
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 6, 2010 6:00 AM EST
17 comments
Man, I'm such a slacker. It's been awhile since my last post on attendance (which I know you are all waiting for with baited breath), but thankfully PlayOnWords and thebaddancingraysfan have stepped up and raised some very good questions in their respective Fanposts (here and here). How much of an impact will Obama's high speed rail have on the Rays? How much of the Rays' attendance issues are to blame on the stadium's location and the lack of quick, accessible public transportation? I'm not from the area and can't speak from experience, so please check out the discussions in their posts if you're interested. In my opinion, though, I believe that the Trop's relative inaccessibility does make it tough for fans to attend weekday games and it probably limits the number of Tampa businesses that have season tickets, which the Rays seem to understand themselves already. To what extent? That's tough to say, but I'd argue that it's an important factor but not a crippling one. It's not the be-all-end-all solution that people in support of a new stadium seem to be claiming, but I do think it's having an impact nonetheless and shouldn't be overlooked. And if a new stadium doesn't seem to be in the cards anytime soon, why don't the Rays pursue improving the Tampa-St. Pete public transportation system? That's just a discussion idea, so have at it.
Anyway, down to what I promised I'd talk about next: winning. How much of an effect does winning have on attendance figures? I mentioned this in an earlier post, but team attendance figures (as measured by Att+) correlate strongly with team winning percentage. Here's the breakdown:
|
Win % and Att+ |
|
|
Year n |
0.523 |
|
Year n-1 |
0.449 |
|
Year n-2 |
0.344 |
|
Year n-3 |
0.253 |
|
Year n-4 |
0.175 |
|
Year n-5 |
0.116 |
Okay, that's a bit confusing, so let me explain.
17 comments | 1 recs |
David Price's Stalker
I don't think SRQMan ever went to Philly.
3 days ago
R.J. Anderson
2 comments
0 recs
Welcome RZ to the Staff
by R.J. Anderson on Feb 5, 2010 11:00 AM EST
43 comments
Quite a few of you wanted this in the Open Box thread so here we go.
For those unfamiliar with RZ, he's done his thing at the (thanks to MVN) defunct Rays Party site, Rays Prospects, his personal site, and even the FanPosts section. His skill set is unlike anything you've seen here. Check out this. And this. And of course this, for an idea of what might be coming.
Hopefully he's here for a while before a team snatches him up.
43 comments | 0 recs
The Hype (or lack their of) for Sean Rodriguez
by Tommy Rancel on Feb 5, 2010 6:00 AM EST
88 comments
It's amazing how perception can pump up or diminish a player's perceived value. If enough people board the hype train, a player's status in the eyes of the casual observer can greatly be enhanced. If a player's hype is mere whispers from an online community, then regardless of what stats or scouts say, that player is likely to be under-appreciated.
With that said, let's look at two minor league teammates from the 2009 season. Besides being teammates, these players will both be newly 25 years-old to begin the 2010 season. Both have the ability to play the 2B/SS/3B portion of the infield. They also have similar major league experience which is ~225 plate appearance with neither setting the world on fire.
In 2009, they both racked up over 425 plate appearances in the Pacific Coast League. Their results at the plate placed them among the league's best hitters. One of them is penciled in as an opening day starter with his major league team while the other is in a battle for a roster spot; a back up roster spot.
88 comments | 0 recs |
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