I don't think Alex Cobb is sipping Joe Maddon's Kool-Aid any longer.
And with these stats:
- 12 games below .500 for the first time since 2007.
- Worst record (23-35) in the American League.
- 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position on Monday.
- Six runs scored in their past five games.
... I don't think that I am either.
Cobb most definitely wasn't after last night's 3-1 loss to the Marlins...
"I'm over taking positives away from games," Cobb said. "That obviously isn't getting us anywhere. Maybe we need to dwell on the negatives a little bit more and stop looking at positives."
"I think the biggest thing right now is to quit accepting losing," Cobb said. "I can't stand losing and I hope nobody in this locker room will accept this. It's up to us to turn it around. Nobody is going to come here and make some magic formula for us to fix it. We've all got to look at ourselves and figure it out."
"It's beyond frustrating," Cobb said. "I really don't know what to say to it. There's no words. This has gone on too long. We've got to figure something out. This is not the way we play baseball around here. And we're going to have to figure it out quick."
He's off the DL, he's pitching dominantly and he wants to win some [insert expletive of your choice here] games. Can't say I blame the guy.
Maddon was positive pregame, speaking of how he "continued to have total faith and confidence in the group," believing that "if the players maintained the right attitude and approach, things would improve, with no significant changes planned, emphasizing small steps before big ones" and Ben Zobrist echoed those sentiments post, advising they "put a lot of small victories together and get a big one."
The rose-colored glasses have to come off at some point.
***
In positive news, if the old Hellboy returns to the mound, Jeremy Hellickson threw 50 pitches in a simulated game in Port Charlotte and "said he felt good." Helly is expected to make at least three rehab starts, with a return scheduled before the All-Star break.
Links:
- David Price had pretty great words in reaction to David Ortiz's postgame rant on Friday night. Big Papi "didn't have the right choice of words":
<iframe width="480" height="270" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight='0' scrolling="no" src="http://hub.video.msn.com/embed/5276d343-1d50-4c2d-affb-e98192ae9171/?vars=YnJhbmQ9Zm94c3BvcnRzJm1rdD1lbi11cyZjb25maWdOYW1lPXN5bmRpY2F0aW9ucGxheWVyJnN5bmRpY2F0aW9uPXRhZyZsaW5rb3ZlcnJpZGUyPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZtc24uZm94c3BvcnRzLmNvbSUyRm1sYiUyRnZpZGVvJTNGdmlkJTNENTI3NmQzNDMtMWQ1MC00YzJkLWFmZmItZTk4MTkyYWU5MTcxJTI2Y21waWQlM0R0c210dyUyNTNhZnNjb20lMjUzYWZveHNwb3J0cyUyNnZpZGVvSWQlM0QlN0IwJTdEJTI2ZnJvbSUzRCZjb25maWdDc2lkPU1TTlZpZGVvJmZyPXNoYXJlZW1iZWQtc3luZGljYXRpb24mbGlua2JhY2s9aHR0cCUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5iaW5nLmNvbSUyRnZpZGVvcw%3D%3D"> <A href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/video?vid=5276d343-1d50-4c2d-affb-e98192ae9171&cmpid=tsmtw%3afscom%3afoxsports&videoId=5276d343-1d50-4c2d-affb-e98192ae9171&from=shareembed-syndication&src=v5:embed:syndication:" target="_new" title="Price doesn't mind Big Papi's loss of respect">Video: Price doesn't mind Big Papi's loss of respect</A></iframe>
- Help Evan Longoria out, and send him to the All-Star Game, because the lone rep (Jake McGee?) could use some company.
- Tampa Bay Baseball Market provided May attendance stats, with my personal favorite part being the following:
As you can see, the DJ Kitty Hat giveaway was an effective promotion, exceeding the average May Saturday game versus the Indians by 21.15% more fans. The DJ Kitty Hat giveaway also beat the average promotion by 6.53%.
- After all the negativity above and the gloom of the Rays lately, delight in this lovely longform piece on Vin Scully.
"My idea is that I'm sitting next to the listener in the ballpark, and we're just watching the game," Scully says. "Sometimes, our conversation leaves the game. It might be a little bit about the weather we're enduring or enjoying. It might be personal relationships, which would involve a player. The game is just one long conversation and I'm anticipating that, and I will say things like ‘Did you know that?' or ‘You're probably wondering why.' I'm really just conversing rather than just doing play-by-play. I never thought of myself as having a style. I don't use key words. And the best thing I do? I shut up."
The man is just the best.
- In other famous baseball broadcaster news, Harry Caray's expense diary of 1972 has been released, and it documents quite the debauchery:
Jan. 16 something unusual happens. Caray is in Miami, yet there are no expenses, just one enigmatic word, "Super."
After that break, if indeed it was, comes 288 consecutive days in bars, not only in Chicago, but New York City, and of course on the road with the Sox, beginning with spring training in Sarasota.
The unbroken streak pauses Nov. 3, when all we get is "to K City @310." The only completely blank day is Monday, Nov. 6
Color me impressed.
- One hell of an eephus pitch.