Best Individual Moments Part II

by Erik Hahmann on Jan 9, 2009 3:36 PM EST Comment 15 comments

On Monday I went over the best individual moments for the positional players. Today we're moving on to the pitchers. I didn't include Al Reyes or Gary Glover because...they're Al Reyes and Gary Glover. Remember, we're thinking positive here.

Shields: Another one that can be debated. Was it his two hit shutout against Beckett and Boston, or was it the one hit, no walk, shutout against Anaheim? To me it's the Boston game, even though the Anaheim game was the best pitched game in Rays history.

Sonnanstine: To me it's his September 10th start at Boston. He went seven innings, allowed four hits, walked none, and struck out seven. He also out pitched Beckett. Not many expected him to go into Boston and shut down the Sox. He didn't get the win, but that was his biggest start of the season.

Jackson: Not surprisingly nothing really positive jumps out for Edwin. Looking at his season, it would have to be his April 10th start against Seattle where he went eight innings, allowing two hits and striking out six. Easily his best game of the season. I'm being encouraged to throw out the positives and go with a negative for Jackson. Two words: Joe Blanton. That's what we all remember.

Garza: Easy. ALCS Game Seven. 7IP, 2H, 1ER, 9K. World Series.

Kazmir: He had a string of very good starts early in the season, but I think the moment that pops out most is his win in the All Star Game.

Percival: Saving "The Dan Johnson Game", the Rays biggest win of the season.

Wheeler: Another easy one. ALCS Game Two. Pitches 3.1 innings of relief and allows one hit.

Miller: Getting the final two outs of the playoff clinching victory against the Twins on September 20th.

Howell: I think there's really too many to name. He had many big outs against the Red Sox, and against most teams really. Take your pick here.

Balfour: ALDS Game One. Striking out Orlando Cabrera and telling him to "Sit The Fuck Down."

Bradford: He really didn't do anything that memorable with the team, but he did win his first game, August 9 against Seattle.

Hammel: September 10th at Boston. This was the moment of his baseball life. Bottom of the 14th, Rays leading 4-1, for some reason Percival comes into the game and precedes to give up a lead off double followed by two walks. Jason "The Hammer" Hammel comes in and retires Youkilis, Bay and Cora 1-2-3 to end the game.

Price: Another easy one. Game 7 ALCS.

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Aah, memories

My JP memory is rather odd. It’s the first game of the season against the Red Sox that Nathan Haynes won in extras. Garza had struggled through 5 innings of work and was retired early in favor of Howell in the top of the 6th, but left with a 4-3 lead. Howell promptly gave up a run on two singles and a fielders choice to tie the game at 4, then the Sox got another single to put the lead run in scoring position.

We’re still in April, so I remember thinking, ‘well, here comes our bullpen arsons again to blow everything up’. Howell promptly settles down and forces two fly-outs, then pitches two more scoreless innings, retiring his batters in order and striking out 3, which shocked the hell out of me. Of course, 1/2 the bullpen appears in this game after Howell is done to keep the Sox off the board, and they all do their jobs until Haynes can deliver his heroics in the 10th.

That was the first time I looked at this team and said to myself that they were different; I had not seen this team’s bullpen ever buckle down like that and completely ignore the pressure of a high pressue situation and get the outs they needed to keep the game within reach. It was the first game of the season I went to, and it’s still my favorite.

by kericr on Jan 9, 2009 3:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Where's the snarky/sarcastic comment?

I feel empty

by Erik Hahmann on Jan 9, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Jay Pee is so calm, man

Brad Ziegler had a scoreless inning streak. Brad Ziegler had not met BJ Upton.

by P Brady on Jan 9, 2009 4:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well my first comment was going to have something to do with E-Jax blowing heaters past Kevin Youkilis, but I figured that was too easy and I already had a holocaust joke blown up today.

by kericr on Jan 9, 2009 6:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree on the Price moment

but up there for me was actually in Spring Training when he struck out the side in his debut against the Yankees. I was right behind home plate.

Man was that awesome.

Rays 2009 Slogan: "Come back with your shield or on it"

by PriceMultiCyYoungs on Jan 9, 2009 4:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Now we have to go to Port Charlotte :(

by Erik Hahmann on Jan 9, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

my grandma lives there in the winter so I'm actually glad.

I’ll be able to go down there for a long weekend and not have to pay for a hotel.

Rays 2009 Slogan: "Come back with your shield or on it"

by PriceMultiCyYoungs on Jan 9, 2009 4:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Same drive basically for me.

Just different direction.

Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans

by SRQman on Jan 9, 2009 4:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

port charlotte is an easier drive. less hustle and bustle. no chance at traffic.

by walkoffwalk on Jan 9, 2009 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

the josh hamilton IBB game

by walkoffwalk on Jan 9, 2009 4:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Remember that time Edwin did really good against....

yea me either.

by Tommy Rancel on Jan 9, 2009 5:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Now let's be fair.

There were no great starts as each other pitcher had, but including his first 2 outings that were promising, I count 7 more starts in which he went at least 7 innings and gave up no more than 1 earned run. At one point from August 10 he ran off 4 straight like that. On May 15 he pitched 7 shutout innings against the Yankees allowing just 5 hits, 1 walk and getting 5 Ks. He also pitched two terrific games against Toronto.

by bobr on Jan 9, 2009 6:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Al Reyes Best Moment of 2008

I am a little disapointed he was left of the list, so I’ll go ahead and let the Times tell it:

April 12, 2008: Tampa police said Reyes, who was celebrating his 38th birthday, was drunk and disruptive when he fell down about 2:30 a.m. and picked a fight, spat blood at patrons of the Hyde Park Cafe and had to be Tasered twice. He was charged with affray (defined as a noisy fight or quarrel) and released on his own recognizance.

by free hotdogs on Jan 9, 2009 11:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Don't forget he came back the next day and pitched well

against the Orioles. Game Log

1.0 IP, 2K, 0H, 0BB. 1 Groundout. 16 pitches, 12 for strikes.

I am very impressed you can pitch well the day after being fightin’ drunk and tasered twice. Maybe the training staff should have considered a strict regimen of alcohol and electric shocks…

And that was by far the funniest news article ever, I showed it to everyone I could think of. Don’t forget he was “swinging his arms about wildly” or whatever the exact wording was… =)

by ChiBurbRaysFan on Jan 12, 2009 11:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, in my ongoing effort to find something good in every Ray,

Reyes did have a 9 game string from May 14 to June 5 in which he threw 8.2 innings without allowing a run. In that string he allowed just 1 hit and had 9 Ks (although he also had 5 BBs). His ERA dropped from 9 to 3.29.

Generally he entered games with huge gaps in the score or games that the Rays ultimately lost. However, twice against the White Sox he pitched in 1 run Rays victories. Once he appeared in the 7th and struck out the side (1 BB, 0 runs) in a 2-1 win and 2 games later he pitched the 8th inning of a 4-3 Rays victory.

I always thought he was a good pickup by Friedman who accepted he would need a year of recovery before pitching but recognized he had value when healthy. The first part of 2007 he was outstanding, but his fragility resurfaced and once more abbreviated his career. Still, I appreciated watching him that year.

by bobr on Jan 10, 2009 8:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs