So, yea, yesterday was pretty damn cool day for the site as we got credit for Friedman/Angels meeting from both local and national writers as well as a few television stations and radio stations. If I did not say it enough times yesterday, I'l say it again now -- it was an incredible team effort and a lot of due diligence that made yesterday what it was.
Afterwards, Ken Rosenthal did some more leg work and quoted a source as saying, "He's (Friedman) not going." Good! If Friedman were to leave, we are confident in the internal candidates that would be available starting with Gerry Hunsicker. Additionally, the organization is not about any one person, no successful business is. Friedman's skills are top shelf, but he is working from dollar figures, data, and scouting reports provided to him by others in the organization. I would be more concerned about a talent drain on the organization than the loss of any one person.
In other Rays news:
- St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster did his best Eric Cartman yesterday and told the City Council workshop on new stadium construction, "Screw You guy, I'm going home!"
- Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig becomes the 69,420th person to say he is not optimistic about the Rays' bad attendance. Hey Bud, enough already. Go get instant replay, robot umpires, and the DH implemented league-wide before you retire.
- Speaking of Buds, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says he's all ears about the Rays moving to Orlando. He appeared on Dan Sileo's show this morning to talk about the statements he made to Channel 9 in Orlando but was evasive in answering questions as most politicians are in moments like that. He did state the city has already used its extra cent tourism tax on Amway Arena and advertising so they do not have the financial flexibility to contribute to a new facility. As someone that represented 1% of the crowd at most Orlando Rays games before they relocated to Montgomery, I can confidently say this city doesn't deserve a baseball team.
- @JordiScrubbings has some good ideas for the Rays to improve community outreach and marketing efforts.
- The Rays have released 14 players in the minors, including four players from this past draft.
- Not Rays-related: UCF sucks. They're going to play in the Toilet Bowl this bowl season. Ruined my best day since the end of the regular season.