View from the catwak: It’s 2008 again

It’s the 20th anniversary/2008 throwback night tonight, with many of that old Rays team back in The Trop and on the field beforehand. This sounds like a blast, for anyone able to make it. Ryne Stanek will open the game.

Speaking of “a blast,” and speaking of the visiting White Sox, here’s some from B.J. Upton. Honestly, I’d lost my mental image and had forgotten how sweet his swing was.

Rays Links

• Peter Gammons wrote a long, and rambling, and good piece about the Pirates and Chris Archer at the trade deadline:

“It all comes down to restoring the conviction he had when he was a young pitcher with the Rays,” says Huntington. “He knows it. He wants it. He recognizes that this is a good place to be at this point in his career, and he is an important person for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the next few years.

• The Rays Radio recap had audio from Jalen Beeks (who speeks in short sentences!), Hunter Wood, and Kevin Cash. Talking about his work with the newly-arrived pitchers, Cash called Kyle Snyder a “magic man,” as well as talking about the quality work from his pitchers.

• MLB.com ranked the Rays farm system #4 in the majors, despite having graduated Willy Adames, Jake Bauers, and Christian Arroyo. They also noted that the PTBNL in the Chris Archer trade is rumored to be a top-100 prospect.
• Sung Min Kim reports that Jung-Ho Kang will undergo wrist surgery. There have been some theories that Kang was in the PTBNL list, and I’d expect this to put them to rest.
• Speaking of mysteries, there’s a mystery autograph baseball in the Rays Pledge ticket pack right now. That’s a segue. The point is that this is really a pretty good deal.
• Per Marc Topkin’s report, Jalen Beeks was given a beer shower for his first major league win, but that there was also some chocolate milk mixed in with the beer. Yum.
• Bill Chastain writes that Blake Snell will return and pitch on Saturday.

Other Links

• Meg Rowley wrote an eloquent anti-grump plea to let us like baseball.
• Eno Sarris wrote about Blake Trienen’s new cutter.
• David Laurila interviewed Gabe Kapler.