Sonny's last 5 starts:
June 24th @ FLA: Sonny = ND; Howell = Win
June 18th vs CHC: Sonny = Win; Howell = Hold
June 13th vs FLA: Sonny = Win; Howell = Hold
June 7th @ TEX: Sonny = ND; Howell = Win
June 1st vs CHW: Sonny = ND; Howell = Win

Awesome. I'm really interested to see how much further they take this. You've got to give Maddon credit for pulling Sonny at the right time lately and having so much confidence in Howell.

I don't like this 75 words thing. It makes me angry. This isn't exactly something that works out well as a fanshot. Theres needs to be a softer limit, like 40 words or so.

Hopefully that was enough.

Really didn't think I needed to say that, but oh well.

While these past few months have been great, the newfound sense of winning they've brought have led me to an unfortunate conclusion: A team's winning percentage is directly proportionate to the amount of dumb in it's fanbase.

"What am I talking about?" you ask. Well, lets take a look...

Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine aren't pitching very well. Smart.
Edwin Jackson and/or Andy Sonnanstine need to be moved out of the rotation ASAP. Dumb.

    Winning means bandwagoners. Bandwagoners are, by nature, extremely shortsighted. Kazmir (2012), Shields (2014), Garza (2013), and Price (2014) will be under contract/team control for several years to come. And while its widely accepted that these 4 will be immovable fixtures in the rotation, unfortunately the notion that Sonny and EJax are duking it out for the 5th spot is as well. The influx of casual fans has led to an overall dip in the knowledge of our farm system. Hellickson is due to jump a level any day now; as are Davis and McGee (although thats debatable), and we have a former first round pick waiting in AAA along with a Mitch Talbot who is flashing some brilliance that definitely warrants attention... You people think Sonny v. Jackson is the fight to watch? Psh. Thats just the undercard.  Wait for the Hellickson v. Davis v. McGee v. Niemann v. Talbot free-for-all.

Carl Crawford swings at the first pitch entirely too often. Smart.
Saying anything negative about Carl Crawford warrants public crucifixion. Dumb.

    That the casual side of our fanbase can be this damned touchy is what surprises me the most. That what's said during gamethreads can be taken so personally and without context is what disappoints me the most. CC is what he is: a speedy, athletic outfielder who has absolutely zero patience, a knack for swinging at the first pitch, and the tendency to get better during the second half of the season. Pointing out these things is far from heresy. Using statistics to point out these things is far from blasphemy. Telling a lifelong, diehard Rays fan he sucks for calling for improvement on this player's flaws is however, dumb.

Ken Griffey Jr. is a first ballot hall-of-famer. Smart.
Ken Griffey Jr. is an upgrade over what we have in RF. Dumb.

    When I first read that Griffey would waive his trade clause to be a Ray I thought to myself, "Well thats pretty damned flattering." Little did I know that stupid had flexed its grotesquely muscular arm on my favorite fansites and reasoning such as "it would put asses in the seats" and "Griffey is a much better player that Gabe Gross" would fuel heated debate on whether we should add another defensively inept, left handed bat to a 25-man roster that is arguably the most crowded in the league. The numbers have already been laid out there and not only do they ALL point to Gross being the better player this year, they ALL support the opinion that our mangled-ass RF/DH situation would actually be worse off if we gave Griffey a full-time job... So, please, guys, I agree that seeing childhood legends in Rays gear would be cool... but isn't that what MLB: The Show is here for?

...There's plenty more dumb to cover (like Rocco being one of the best hitters in the organization) but I think I'll leave it at this for today. Thanks for reading.

Marc Lancaster wrote: The Rays made the only really logical move available to them to clear a rotation spot for Scott Kazmir, telling Jason Hammel today he is headed to the bullpen.

"I’m disappointed," said Hammel, "but it’s my job to help the team, and if this is the right move for the team I’ll gladly do it."

Maddon said this isn’t a situation where the other starters need to worry about looking over their shoulders and wondering if a couple of bad starts might get them bumped out of the rotation in favor of Hammel. This is the way the Rays are going, and Hammel probably won’t get a chance to move back into the rotation unless someone gets hurt or completely goes in the tank.

"I’m happy to still be a part of the team—that’s the way I look at it," said Hammel. "I wasn’t ever really afraid of the move, but I saw it coming."

In addition to moving Hammel, The Rays have placed Gary Glover on the 15 day DL retroactive to April 26 and recalled Justin Ruggiano from AAA Durham to shore up the outfield depth while BJ Upton is ailing. Ruggiano is expected to be optioned after Saturday's game to make room for Scott Kazmir.

Also, Al Reyes apparently needs another MRI on his right shoulder and the Rays aren't expecting him back anytime soon. So it appears that Kurt Brikins' reign in the bullpen will last a little longer.

A couple of guys from OperationSports.com have been working on a total minors roster for the PS3 version of The Show since the game came out and they released a Test/Beta version of the roster last week. I knew some of you played the game and figured you might be interested in checking it out. They went all out on the faces and did one hell of a job.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/knuleh

If you're PS3 illiterate and unsure how to transfer this file to your PS3, please refer to this thread.

The final product should be one awesome accomplishment. And if you like what they've done thus far, be sure to drop in on the OperationSports.com forum and let Jim and Knight know.

Carter Gaddis:

Rays RHP Matt Garza threw 30 pitches off the bullpen mound today and came away pain free. The radial nerve irritation that placed him on the 15-day disabled list was treated with an injection, he said, and that has made all the difference.

After his session today, during which he threw all of his pitches (including the two-seamer, which he said caused the problem), Garza pronounced himself ready to pitch once he is eligible to come off the DL on April 24.

“I feel that good,” he said. “That’s my plan, but we’ll see what’s in store. Today is Day One of throwing off a mound. I felt good and I’m ready to get right back on it. Let’s go.”

Marc Topkin:

...but they now have a specific date in mind for his return to the majors: May 3, at Boston.

Kazmir threw two innings — 25 pitches, mostly fastballs — in Dunedin against Toronto's extended spring squad (typically minor-leaguers not ready for a full-season team), hitting 93 mph and reporting no concerns with the left elbow he strained Feb. 26.

"It all went great," he said. "I was throwing my fastball in and out. It's tough to set up those guys; that's why I didn't throw too many offspeeds (three changeups, one slider). But for the most part, it felt good."

Good news all around.

I couldn't watch the game today but from what I've read, Riggans handled Jackson well and called another solid game. Apparently even John Flaherty came away impressed.

We all know how good Sonny, Hammel, and Jackson can be. We've all seen a Jackson quality start and said "He looks really, really good. Why can't he do this more often?" We've all see Sonny own the opposing lineup all game only to have his line marred by a couple of badly located pitches. These guys are young. They're not going to shake off Navi. So maybe this is what they need, a quality defensive catcher who excels at calling a game.

I know its early, but I really, really like what I've seen from Riggans thus far. And I'm very interested to see how the back end of our rotation does over the next couple of weeks.

Sorry dudes, I dunno why it bothers me, but it does.

Needs to be ADDED:
Cliff Floyd
Tyler Hauschild
Rashad Eldridge (OF)
Julio Puentes (RHP)
Jose Mejias (RHP)

RETURNING:
Jeremy Owens
Gary Glover
Grant Balfour

NOT RETURNING:
Brian "Rusty" Schackelford (Dodgers)
Michel Hernandez (Pirates)
Jae Seo (Korea)
Evan Meek (Pirates)
"Jack" Wilson needs to be fixed

Also, if you wanna add to the "IN LIMBO:"
Steve Andrade
Eddie de la Cruz
Richard de los Santos
Tony Peguero
Jonathan Beltre
Josh Johnson
Brent Butler
Aaron Sisk
Erold Andrus
Brooks Badeaux

Anyone I miss?