Tampa Bay Rays news and links: Videos of packing

Chris Archer, who by recent self-reports is unlikely to be traded, is embracing what will be a different leadership role on a young Rays team this upcoming season. Rays Radio wrote about Archer’s offseason tweaks (martial arts), and mindset going into the year. There’s also good audio of the interview with Archer in there.

This is the point in the year where we look at videos of people packing and get excited.

Real people:

Majestic sea flap people:

• Rays Radio had all the details on the Rays truck day, which was yesterday.

Hall of Fame

• The Tampa Bay Times beat reporters released their Hall of Fame ballots. Danny broke down their choices.

Four players did make the hall of fame, and Baseball America dug up old articles about each, from back when they were prospects.

• Chipper Jones: Keeping up with the Jones’s (Notably Chipper)
• Vladimir Guerroro: It’s a Vlad, Vlad, Vlad, Vlad World
• Trevor Hoffman: Reds Sorry to Lose Hoffman in Expansion Draft
• Jim Thome: Tribe’s Thome Goes on Warpath

General Good Read

Rachael McDaniel wrote about the remarkable history of the Asahi Baseball Club, who came out of the Japanese immigrant community in Vancouver to dominate Pacific Northwest baseball in the first half of the 20th century. Fantastic article. By remaining an outlet for this type of work, The Hardball Times does us baseball fans an invaluable service.