The Tampa Bay Rays Positional Players Are Good at Baseball

by R.J. Anderson on Jul 5, 2009 3:07 PM EDT Comment 27 comments

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Zobrist at 4.2 wins. Insane

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Jul 5, 2009 3:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I know, what are the odds.

by R.J. Anderson on Jul 5, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Look at his fielding value, that's absurd. When the hell did he get good at fielding anything?

I can't wait until we trade him for a reliever.

by kericr on Jul 5, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Playing right field and second base.

Although, I must add the standard disclaimer that half a season of UZR isn’t true talent level, blah blah blah.

by R.J. Anderson on Jul 5, 2009 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Combination of Mkanix for the bat and Tom Emanski for the glove

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Jul 5, 2009 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Please let it leak out he watches those videos.

Swav or Die
For the lulz

by SRQman on Jul 5, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm Ben Zobrist and this had worked for me!

/wears flat brimmed mesh cap

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Jul 5, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If that dude isn't plastering his face all over the TV and showing off that silly bat while screaming the name Ben Zobrist from the highest mountain-tops, he's missing out on an incredible marketing opportunity.

I can't wait until we trade him for a reliever.

by kericr on Jul 5, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Speaking as his patent attorney i've been screaming a lot lately and...

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Jul 5, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

His wife's gonna get big pub too when they play her awful song while he walks up to the plate.

I’d rather be rickroll’d.

I can't wait until we trade him for a reliever.

by kericr on Jul 5, 2009 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That song is so bad

Rick Roll is infinity times better

Swav or Die
For the lulz

by SRQman on Jul 5, 2009 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wish this said Rick Ross.

by R.J. Anderson on Jul 5, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bawss

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Jul 5, 2009 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So say the Mets

And Vince McMahon

I can't wait until we trade him for a reliever.

by kericr on Jul 5, 2009 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

While our starting pitchers suck at baseball

We know something you don't know
And if we don't share then we don't grow
Unabomber set the whole world on fire

by Orlando Rays on Jul 5, 2009 3:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah our SP is pretty bad

Without Shields it would be extremely bad. Shields saves our ass.

We have the best position players in baseball as well as one of the top bullpens……starting pitching is our downfall

by matthan on Jul 5, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's all Hickey's fault

Matt Garza on his famous Count von Count impression:
"One strike, two strike, three strikes, you're out Ah ha ha ha"

by Some other guy who does not care on Jul 5, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who cares whose fault it is?

Friedman built it, Maddon managed it, Hickey coached them, and Navi caught them. No matter how you slice it the starting pitching has been garbage besides for Shields.

We can continue thinking we had decent starters, but the truth of the matter is we don’t. I wouldn’t say we are the worst in the league due to Shields, but our 2-6 has to be one of the weakest in the league. They have a track record so maybe they’ll turn it around but they’ve really sucked this year

Garza tRA+ 91
Sonny tRA+77
Niemann tRA+ 95
Kazmir tRA+ 73
Price tRA+ 58

I don’t care who you blame but god damn that is really freaking bad.

BTW Shields has a tRA+ 106. The all-star in Detroit has a tRA+ 136 and the guy in Colorado has a tRA+ 117

Blame who you want, but at least be aware that our starting pitching sucks the nuts so far this year.

by matthan on Jul 5, 2009 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What is sad and scary is there really is no light at the end of the tunnel

Garza was better in Minnesota than he is now. Kazmir has essentially lost it. Shields was worse in 2008 than he was in 2007 and his 2009 is worse than his 2008. A definite decline in performance. Price is a total wreck, kind of like a Disney monorail crash. Niemann gets like 2 swinging strikes a start.

by matthan on Jul 5, 2009 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As is there no light at the end of the tunnel?

Garza has all the tools and has shown the ability to be completely lights out – who’s to say he doesn’t turn it around the rest of the season? Kaz has had two solid outings – if he continues to give us 5-6 innings, 3 runs, 5-6 Ks and 1BB, that’s a good third pitcher. Price starts throwing strikes with his fastball, mixing up his pitches better, and he’ll be outstanding. Niemann… well, Niemann is what he is, whatever that is.

There is so much light at the end of the tunnel, I find it fascinating that you would say that. Yeah, they’ve performed poorly, but they’ll be so much better.

by Suttree on Jul 5, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

how, not as.

by Suttree on Jul 5, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Garza is really overrated on this site. Yes he can be a solid #3. Shields is a solid #1.

Price and Kazmir could turn it around, but when? So far this year they’ve been horrible. I think it is far more likely they perform like this or slightly better than suddenly go from one of the worst MLB starters to above average.

I think you are really underestimating how bad our pitchers have been. 5 of our 6 starters have been below average with a few really really really bad.

by matthan on Jul 5, 2009 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"I think it is far more likely they perform like this or slightly better than suddenly go from one of the worst MLB starters to above average."

Change that to “best starters” and “to below average” and you have Sonnanstine and Kazmir in 2007 and 2008.

by R.J. Anderson on Jul 5, 2009 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How can you say with a straight face that Garza can only be a solid #3?

I’m not saying he’s performed better consistently like anything other than #3 – for his big streaks of hotness, he can be entirely mediocre.

Nasty curveball, great fastball, good slider, can throw 120 pitches no problem, has the ability to completely shut good hitting teams down… why is such a stretch to think he might cut down his walks and go on a hot streak?

Why is it so hard to think that Price might become an above average pitcher?

by Suttree on Jul 5, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs