Rays Attendance 2009 (Here We Go Again)

So, with the Phillies in town and the first 2 games of a 3-game series being attended to the tune of 19,000-20,000, the debate about Rays attendance is back on. We've written about this before (click here for our analysis of attendance back in 2008) and will probably write about it again (that's so unfortunate). But, let's also not lose sight of some of the facts that were nicely outlined in an article in today's St. Pete Times):

"Through 34 home games (not including Wednesday's game against the Phillies), attendance at Tropicana Field had increased 23.3 percent from the first 34 games of last season. The spike translates to an extra 4,284 people per game. Only the Kansas City Royals, who completed a $250 million stadium renovation, have seen a higher per-game increase.

At the same time, the rest of baseball is struggling.

Attendance has dropped nearly 5 percent across the sport in 2009. Excluding new smaller stadiums for the New York Mets and New York Yankees, baseball attendance has decreased 3.7 percent.

So while the rest of baseball is trending fewer sales, the Rays are selling more.

To summarize, after posting the largest increase in attendance in all of MLB in 2008, the Rays are near the top in % increase once again in 2009. Yet, management is complaining about the market and the fans.

The biggest issue, in my opinion, is expectations. For one thing, the Rays have only been a good product for 1 season. I am a believer in the new regime and see all of the very positive things they are doing for this team (which is why I am investing in this team as well as a full season tickerholder). I was a little ticked at Matt Silverman's comments the other night and took personal offense to them as a fan and long time member of the Tampa Bay community. But, he did seek to clarify his dumb comments a day later when he said, "I may have said things about the market but not our fans — we love the fans that come to the games." Frankly, I'm still a little offended that he is not backing down from his comments about the Tampa Bay area. As a native, I love this area and I know we have a passionate sports fan base. The fact that he only loves the folks that pay him money does not really cool my jets all that much (but, I digress)....

CONTINUE TO PUT A GOOD AND COMPETITIVE PRODUCT ON THE FIELD AND PEOPLE WILL SPEND THE MONEY TO SEE IT!!!

But, it takes time to build a fan base and dissing on the community is not a helpful tactic. I see lots of kids wearing Rays gear while their parents wear Yankees or Red Sox gear. These kids will drag their parents to some games, but they don't control the purse strings just yet. Rays management needs to be focused on the product and stop venting to the media about attendance and the market. It's obviously not productive to do this (note the DECLINE in attendance from Tuesday to Wednesday).

If the Tampa Bay Bucs can go from the least valuable franchise in the NFL to one of the most valuable franchises in this lovely place I call home, the Rays can climb the franchise value ladder also. But, it takes a bit of time and investment! Continue to invest in this team as you have been and you will see the rewards (including a possible new venue down the line). If you threaten, belittle and otherwise hate on this market, you are going to lose the support of your most loyal fans such as myself (caveat: winning cures a lot of these hard feelings).

Aki back in 6-8 Weeks? BJ Wins AL Player of the Week!

The Rays just finished a decent road trip having split the 6-game trip 3-3. They easily could have taken 4 or even 5 games with a couple of good breaks, but I will take 3-3 given we played the hottest team in baseball (Rockies have won 16 of last 17 games) and a solid Mets team on the road.

In other interesting news, it looks like Akinori Iwamura could be back by mid-August! Doctors originally thought he had a full tear to his ACL, but it turns out that it was only a partial tear AND he only needed to have his knee scoped. This is HUGE news as the Rays believed he was done for the year, yet he may only be out 6 to 8 weeks. Aki is a great player and could be a huge lift to the Rays come September (and hopefully October) if he can get back.

Secondly, BJ Upton has quietly (until today) started hitting the ball! He's hitting a very strong .329 BA with an OBP of .386 in the Month of June. Also in June, BJ has scored 13 runs, hit 6 doubles and 3 home runs, and stolen 11 bases (and that's only through June 21st). It's really nice to see BJ coming around and he is now getting the recognotion for it by taking home the AL Player of the Week for last week. Nice work, BJ!

The Rays are only 2.0 games back of a playoff spot and the team is just now getting Burrell and Bartlett back to full strength! Go Rays!

What are they saying now? Tampa Bay Rays in the News

I often spend time on teh weekends surfing around other AL East newspapers to see what the competition is saying about the Tampa Bay Rays. So, I thought I might share some of what is out there on our team. The articles below are all within the last few weeks and give you an interesting look into how other sports writers view our team and its prospects for 2009. If you come upon any other interesting original articles from major newspapers about our boys, don't hesitate to email it to me. Enjoy!

Finally a winner, Rays work to fill more seats – Associated Press 3/12/2009
“Clearly, we are being throttled somewhat by the economy,” Stuart “Stu” Sternberg said. “We're still going to be next-to-last in season-ticket sales. I'm pleased with the growth, but we have a ways to go yet.”

Without providing specifics, Sternberg says ticket sales are up over last year. "We're right at expectations," is how he puts it.

Tampa Bay Rays encore: they believe in the best is yet to come – Sun Sentinel 3/11/2009
"They are no longer the "upstart Rays" or the "Amazing Rays."

Rays are Big Fish Now – Boston Globe 2/28/2009
"The Yankees have the money and the new stadium. The Red Sox have the MVP, the Nation, and newfound stability. But going into 2009, the Tampa Bay Rays are the defending league champs and the team to beat in the American League East."

Tampa Bay aims to improve amazing turnaround of 2008 – Seattle Times 2/22/2009
"Every downtrodden team in baseball harbors secret — or not-so-secret — hopes of being the Tampa Bay Rays of 2009."

It’s the No-Longer-Surprising Rays – New York Times 2/13/2009
"Mostly, though, Maddon believes that the Rays, who rocketed from a decade of oblivion into the World Series last October, can be even better."

Confident Joba: We’re Top Dogs in East – New York Post 2/12/2009
"We're always the team to beat, and we have that in our minds from the get-go, "Chamberlain said yesterday. "With the year the Rays had, people are going to look at it that they're the team to beat. But . . . we're always going to be the hunted just because of who we are and . . . we always go with the mindset that we are the best and that's the way you have to play."

2009 AL East Preview – RBI Magazine 2/21/2009
"The American League East landscape changed dramatically last season as the Tampa Bay Rays finally wrestled the AL East Crown out of the hands of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees."

9=8 (yes, 9 does still equal 8 for the Rays) - Joe Maddon announces 2009 slogan "9 > 8"

As all readers of this blog know, Joe Maddon launched 2008 with the seemingly strange motto of 9=8. That is to say (just as a reminder) 9 players, playing hard as a team for 9 innings equals 1 of the 8 spots in the postseason. That great slogan was the genesis of this Rays blog.

So, how would Joe Maddon inspire his team this year? Last week the skipper announced that the slogan for 2009 is "'09 > '08" (or, 2009 is greater than 2008). Maddon specifically said he preferred not to use the word "greater" but that there is no symbol for "better," so he went with greater and the associated symbol ">".

Joe Maddon did go on to say, "Of course I wanted to re-emphasize that 9 will always equal 8 in our math, but furthermore, this year, '09 is going the be greater than '08." Yeah, we here at 9=8.com do believe this is the core of the franchise's philosophy, so we're glad to hear Joe reiterate this point. Below are some additional comments on the new slogan from Maddon (per the St. Pete Times' Heater Blog).

"Of course I wanted to re-emphasize that 9 will always equal 8 in our math, but furthermore, this year, '09 is going the be greater than '08,'' he said. "And we want it to be hopefully better by at least three games, which we missed last year. Of course we did wonderfully last year and of course it was all good, but I keep talking about building this new road and you just can't rely on 9 = 8 all the time. You have to better than we were in some areas last year.

"I'm not talking about being great. Although that phrase is greater than, and you look at the greater than sign, I'd prefer it equalled "better than" as opposed to "greater than." ... I just want us to understand that in order to build this new road we have to be better than we were last year. I did say “greater than,” but then I reduced it to “better than, and eventually I would just like to get that (the > symbol) working for us, just the symbol, "better than." There’s no “better than” symbol. I was thinking of creating my own symbol with the “greater than” sign maybe with a circle around it, equaling better than. Just a new Rays culture kind of symbol , but I didn’t want to get too nuts, so I just chose to go this way.’’

Getting Ready for 2009 Tampa Bay Rays Baseball: Offseason Recap

After reading through an endless number of articles on Tampa Bay Rays rumors and moves, I thought it might be a helpful primer for Rays fans to have a summary of the most important offseason happenings. So, here goes.

The Rays were very busy this offseason. After an historic run to the World Series in 2008, the Rays set their sites on fielding an even better team in 2009. Going into the offseason, the Rays clearly outlined their primary goals in this article: right field and the bullpen. Additionally, the Rays noted that they had a glut of great pitching, some of which would like need to be moved to make room for other up and comers (especially those like Niemann and Hammels who are out of minor leagues options). With the recent announcement that Chad Bradford needed elbow surgery and will be out 3-4 months as a stark reminder of the realities of MLB, pitching depth is a great asset for the Rays.

So, jumping right in to the offseason summary. First, the Rays allowed several of their 2008 players (allowed because they chose not to resign them) to become free agents including Rocco Baldelli (signed by the Red Sox), Cliff Floyd (signed by the Padres), Eric Hinske (signed by the Pirates), Trevor Miller (signed by the Cardinals) and Johnny Gomes (signed a minor league contract with the Reds). All of these players contributed to the team’s success in 2008, so they will be missed. But, all things considered, the Rays did not lose a single full-time starter in the offseason to free agency! The good news is that all of the above mentioned players were role / platoon players; the bad news is that the Rays were successful last year in large part due to the contributions of its role players. But, I digress.

The biggest news for the Rays came in the signing of Pat Burrell to a 2-year $16 million contract. Burrell, one of the big guns available to the Rays (others included Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Milton Bradley, Ken Griffey, Bobby Abreu, and Jason Giambi, to name a few). Burrell will be the Rays full-time DH and might be able to fill-in in RF from time to time (such as when the Rays play inter-league play or when they return to the World Series…!). Burrell has been a consistent source of power for the Phillies having hit an average of about 30 home runs in each of the last 7 seasons. While I really liked Cliff Floyd, Burrell represents a significant upgrade to the Rays DH position and he is right handed (the Rays lineup is a bit left-lopsided).

There were persistent rumors that the Rays were actively shopping some of their plethora of starting pitching. This manifested itself in the dealing of Edwin Jackson to the Tigers in exchange for hot prospect, Matt Joyce. Joyce is an up and coming left-handed batting right fielder who is now under the Rays’ control for 6 years. Jackson, a 14-game winner in 2008, will be sorely missed. But, the reality of his situation is that he will make $2.2 million in 2009 (he signed a 1-year deal with the Tigers for this amount) and he was likely to be on the outside looking in for the Rays starting rotation (with David Price eventually taking over the #5 slot).

Another great, but less talked about move, was the acquisition of Joe Nelson via free agency. Nelson is a top-shelf relief pitcher who pitched 54 innings for the Marlins in 2008 posting a stellar 2.00 ERA. He is a 34-year old veteran that the Rays agreed to pay $1.3 million in a one-year deal. The interesting tidbit of news on Nelson is that he received interest from 19 MLB teams (19!!!) and he CHOSE to join the Rays. When is the last time you heard of a player choosing to join the Tampa Bay Rays when he had multiple options? It truly IS a NEW DAY IN TAMPA BAY!!

Adding to Burrell, Nelson and Joyce, the Rays also signed veteran right-fielder (and body builder extraordinaire...well, not really) Gabe Kapler to a one-year $1 million deal. Kapler hit .354 with 22 RBIs against left handed pitching in 2008. One of the biggest problems for the Rays last year was hitting left handed pitching (the World Series made this very clear). Shoring up their right handed line-up seems like a pretty good idea since the AL East now includes the likes of C.C. Sabathia, Andy Petite, Jon Lester, etc. With Burrell at DH and Kapler as a platoon option in RF against lefties, I think the Rays did just that. This also gives the Rays another option in center field if BJ Upton needs more time to get ready; Kapler started 25 games in CF last year for the Brewers.

The Rays had a few other items to address and did so over the course of early 2009. Firstly, they lost their lefty specialist (Trevor Miller). Miller was a great asset to the Rays, but it appears as though he may have some injury issues to work through in 2009 and he was expensive. So, the Rays signed side-armed lefty 40-year old veteran Brian Shouse to a two-year deal (have you noticed a trend in the bullpen – veterans?). Shouse was a strong 5-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 69 games for the Brewers in 2008. Lefties only hit .180 off him, with an on-base percentage of .192. He is the prototypical specialist pitcher. The Rays also signed RHP Lance Cormier to a $675,000 deal to shore things up further. Lance has something to prove as his raw stats are not among the best of the Rays pen, but he's clearly a talented pitcher with good stuff...and the price was right. Between Shouse, Nelson, Bradford (once he gets healthy), Cormier, Howell, Balfour and Wheeler (not to mention Hammels and Niemann), hitters are going to get all kinds of different looks from the Rays bullpen this year.

In another interesting part of the baseball prospect/farm system process, the Rays lost promising pitching prospect, Eddie Morlan, to the Rule 5 draft. Eddie was a solid prospect with some pretty good numbers in the Rays' farm system. The good news is that the Rays were able to pick up a pretty interesting prospect in Derek Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a right-handed relief pitcher, is 25 years old. He posted some very good numbers in 2008, when he was 5-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 49 appearances in double-A and triple-A. He struck out 10 batters per 9 IP and a 2.7 strikeouts-to-walk ratio. He also held opponents to a .191 batting average. The catch is that the Rays must give him back and pay $50,000 if he does not make the 25-man roster in 2009. But, we've seen some pretty good fortune from guys like this (e.g. Balfour), so it's a small price to pay for a very interesting prospect.

Tying up all the other loose ends, the Rays were also busy with a number of their players that were already under Rays control, but needed new contracts. The Rays avoided arbitration by signing Jason Bartlett to a 1-year deal worth about $2 million; signing Gabe Gross to a 1-year deal worth about $1.3 million; and signing Grant Balfour to a 1-year deal worth about $1.4 million (avoiding arbitration). The Rays have also been busily negotiating with Dioner Navarro and Willy Aybar, both of whom are arbitration eligible. The Rays would like to sign Navi to a long-term deal, but that did not happen. The St. Pete Times reported earlier today that the Rays were successful in their arbitration case against Navi. Navi will earn $2.1 million in 2009. Let's hope there are no hard feelings. It is possible that the Rays come to terms with Aybar prior to his arbitration case, but that looks less likely by the day. The Rays victory against Dioner might help things along here.

Well, that's a pretty complete overview of the offseason (except for a few minor league signings). If there is anything that I missed, don't hesitate to comment. Go Rays!

Tampa Bay Rays Identify 7 Potential Stadium Sites

The Tampa Tribune just broke a story that Rays fans will find particularly interesting; the Rays have identified 7 potential sites for the new stadium (all in Pinellas County). The listing of the sites is below as well as a link to the TBO.com article. The St. Pete Times also reported on these sites stating the the Carillon site was particularly interesting (read the article here).

The 10-member panel is charged with recommending a site for a stadium to county officials. All seven sites are in Pinellas County:

• Derby Lane

• Toytown Landfill

• Carillon Town Center

• Al Lang Field / Progress Energy Park

• St. Petersburg Clearwater Airport/Airco Golf Course

• Sod Farm (near ValPak Offices)

• Tropicana Field

Below is a Google Map that shows you where all of these locations are. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Rays are thinking a lot about bringing this team closer to the center of all that is Tampa Bay. That's a smart move, in my opinion.


View Larger Map

Rays Raise Ticket Prices for 2009 (A Little)

Not a terribly big surprise, the Rays have raised the single game ticket prices for 2009 on the heals of their historic playoff and World Series run. But, before you go screaming bloody murder, there are lots of details that should be considered. Joe Smith of the St. Pete Times does a nice job of running through the details of the price increase as well as a number of other pricing changes. Here is a summary from The Heater:

Rays president Matt Silverman said Monday that about 70-percent of the single-game tickets will increase by $1 (for example, upper deck goes from $9 to $10 for regular game, from $14-16 for prime pricing). But in an effort to bolster their season-ticket base - the "lifeblood" of any baseball team - Silverman said the club is also increasing the discount for season ticket holders (up to 35 percent). So, the Lower Level tickets that cost $44 (face value) would likely be somewhere around $29 each (roughly in line with last year's season ticketholder price).

Most everything else at Tropicana Field will remain the same; vehicles with four or more passengers can park for free, you can still bring in your food and drink, the upper-deck tarp will remain.

But here are some of the changes:
The club added a "marquee" pricing category for the 11 Saturday night games (which will either feature a post-game concert or premium giveaway). The pricing for those is between the regular and "prime" pricing (games with Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies). These games were extremely popular last year with each Saturday game selling 30,000 or more during the summer (hey, where else can you spend $15 or less on a ticket and get a free concert along with it?).

Vehicles with less than four passengers will be charged $15 to park in the main Trop lot, $10 for the remote lots. There will also be an increase in the surcharge for those tickets bought within five hours of game time (now $3-$5). So, plan ahead! Or, just shop on StubHub for your last minute tickets (it's riskier, but you might just find some great seats!).

Here is the 2009 pricing by ticket level:

REGULAR GAMES
TBT Party Deck - $10
Upper Deck - $10
Outfield - $17
Loge box - $22
Press Level - $27
Baseline Box - $22
Lower box - $44
Lower infield box - $55
Fieldside box - $85
Whitney Bank Club - $115
Home Plate Club - $210

MARQUEE GAMES (11 Saturday night games)
TBT Party Deck - $13
Upper Deck - $13
Outfield - $20
Loge box - $31
Press Level - $38
Baseline Box - $31
Lower box - $52
Lower infield box - $65
Fieldside box - $95
Whitney Bank Club - $130
Home Plate Club - $240

PRIME GAMES (vs Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies)
TBT Party Deck - $16
Upper Deck - $16
Outfield - $24
Loge box - $38
Press Level - $47
Baseline Box - $38
Lower box - $60
Lower infield box - $75
Fieldside box - $120
Whitney Bank Club - $150
Home Plate Club - $270

BUT - as we did last year, 9=8.com will be giving away some FREE TICKETS to lucky Rays fans, so join our email list and have a chance to win. GO RAYS!!!

Rays Magical Season Comes to an End - No 2nd Guessing Here

Well, the magical 2008 baseball season has come to an end for Rays fans. First and foremost, I want to congratulate the Rays for a great season that exceeded everyone's wildest expectations. The Rays are the 2008 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS, for crying out loud (and I am crying inside, cause I selfishly wanted more). 9=8.com is not going to second guess Maddon's decision to let JP Howell hit, nor are we going to ask why Aki wasn't able to make that catch, nor are we going to second guess the saving of David Price until it was too late, nor are we going to second guess BJ Upton for swinging at the first pitch. No, we are not going to do that because that would cast a cloud on this great season.

But, I do expect to think about this loss for more than 30 minutes, sorry, Joe Maddon. There are so many "coulda" "shoulda" "woulda's" from this series that it does make my stomach churn. Not until Game 5 did we see the real Tampa Bay Rays of 2008 and even then, a costly baserunning mistake and a could of "coulda made" defensive plays were the difference in the game. Games 1-4 were full of errors, misplays and slumping hitters (no timely hitting this time around and not a lot of defense, either). Perhaps the boys were a little tight or even running low on gas after a very emotional August and September filled with many big and very tense games. We can learn from this great experience and return in 2009 with a burning hunger to get back to the big dance and win the trophy!

I can't explain what happened as I still believe the Tampa Bay Rays of 2008 had every chance to win the World Series if they'd been able to play their game. It is disappointing, but also inspiring to see this young team accomplish so much, but still fall short of the ultimate goal of every MLB team. That is now history and we must more forward.

Looking forward to 2009, the Rays are going to be a team to contend with for sure. With a starting rotation of James Shields, Scott Kazmir, David Price, Matt Garza and either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson, it's hard not to get excited. Add to that mix a genuine closer through off-season dealing (or through grooming a guy like Edwin Jackson, who has closer-like stuff) and the bullpen is looking pretty stout as well. Can the Rays make a move in the offseason for a big right handed bat? Many think that it's imperative to do so and it's hard to disagree.

So, in closing (and until I have anything else interesting to say about the Rays of 2008), THANK YOU to the Tampa Bay Rays organization for a season baseball will be talking about for decades. This story is only bested by the 1969 Mets or maybe the 1991 Braves. It truly is one of the best stories in baseball in a very long time. A perennial cellar dweller wins its division (by far the hardest one in all of baseball) and goes to the World Series! Additionally, the Rays are doing things the right way. I am VERY excited about the 2009 season and can't wait for things to gear back up. Hey, pitchers and catchers report in a short 3 months, which really doesn't seem like that far away!

Fans, let's support this team. Buy up those season ticket packages (even if it's only a 20-gamer that you have to split with 2-3 friends) and get out to the Trop. Your team needs you!

GO RAYS!!!

Lovin' the DOME! Rain Expected Tonight and Saturday in Philly

First of all, I don't have much to say about last night's game. Their Ace pitched like an Ace and Kazmir made 1 big mistake. That was the ballgame. Their best (by far) pitcher beat our (currently) 3rd best pitcher. I do like the way the Rays match up over the next 3 games and give the starting pitching edge to our boys. I also recall being shut out in Game 1 of the ALCS only to see our boys put on an offensive display in games 2, 3, 4 and 5. So, for those of you that are all worried about the Rays, chill out. This team is the most resilient team in MLB, we have VERY STRONG starting pitching and our bats will come alive.

Secondly, for all the hating Fox did on the Trop last night, they are thanking their lucky stars for the Dome (image above is what the weather might look like come Saturday - it's not actual radar). With an 80% chance of rain tonight and a 90% chance of rain on Saturday night in Philly, how messed up would the TV schedule be with 2 rainouts? If you are a Rays fan planning to travel to Philly for the game, you should read this article as it gives you some good detail on what happens if Saturday is a rainout.

RAYS WIN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE! We're Going to the World Series!!!

Can you believe the Tampa Bay Rays are going to the World Series? It's truly a dream come true. I have a few things I'd like to write about, time permitting, so stay tuned. In the mean time, I promised pictures from Game 6 and 7, so here they are (starting with Game 7 since it was so exciting).

ALCS Game 7 - the loudest sporting event I've ever been to!

ALCS Game 6 - much less exciting, but still a lot of fun.

GO RAYS!!!!

Rays Remove the Tarps for Game 6 & 7 of the ALCS!

Well, sometimes all you need to do is make enough noise. Despite repeated comments from the Rays that they were not going to remove the tarps, the St. Pete Times is reporting that the Rays have decided to remove the tarps for Game 6 and 7 of the ALCS (if these games are necessary). This is great for the fans and also the players. I think these guys realized that filling the seats with Rays fans will be a big lift for this team IF these games are played.

I like to think that we helped get this done for the fans (with our online petition to remove the tarps, but I doubt our 111 signatures made the difference - but, hey, maybe it did).

Now, let's just hope they don't need to play these games (i.e. they clinch in Boston)!

Go Rays!

WOW - Rays win Game 2 9 runs to 8 (9=8?)... Game 1 & 2 Pictures Posted

I just got home from the game and, WOW, what a game. Check back tomorrow for some pics from both Game 1 and 2 of the ALCS. My son and I had the time of our lives last night. Once again, his rally cap came thru for the Rays (it was missing in Game 1 as he was not able to come to that one with me). He put his rally cap on literally one pitch before Longo went yard last night. He was very excited as you might imagine.

Lastly, can I please get an apology from all of you that thought BJ Upton should be run out of Tampa Bay? What a difference maker he has proven to be in the ALDS and ALCS (so far).

UPDATE: As promised, below are pictures from the ALCS Game 1 and 2 (October 10, 2008 and October 11, 2008). Feel free to share these with all your friends and family. Go Rays!

American League Chamionship Series Game 1 - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox (October 10, 2008)

American League Chamionship Series Game 2 - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox (October 11, 2008)

ALCS Umpiring Crew is Set: What do you know about these guys?

MLB just announced that Tim McClelland will be the crew chief for the ALCS and he will be joined by Derryl Cousins, Brian Gorman, Brian O'Nora, Alfonso Marquez and Sam Holbrook.

I would love to hear your thoughts on these guys as well as any stories as it relates to any Rays games they worked over the years.

Here are some useful links if you want to learn about these guys:

Tim McClelland
Known to be a shoebox umpire. Could this be an edge for Game #1 when TM is behind the plate? Shields = 40BB in 215 IP vs. Matsuzaka = 94BB in 167 IP.

Derryl Cousins
Kazmir blows up at Cousins, Maddon ejected (Story HERE)

Brian Gorman

Brian O'Nora

Alfonso Marquez

Sam Holbrook

RAYS WIN ALDS, Advance to ALCS!!! Petition to Remove the Tarps!

Wow, what an exciting series. BJ Upton came alive and Cliff Floyd hit a key RBI double to close out the 5-game series against the Chicago White Sox.

What can you say about this team? It always seems to be a different guy. Game 1 was the Shields/Longoria show. Game 2 it was Kazmir battling through a tough start and Aki launching a HR that proved to be the difference. Game 4 was Sonny pitching a gem and BJ Upton coming alive and Cliff Floyd making himself known.

I honestly feel like this team is starting to get things going at the right time. They are healthy (except for Percy, of course) and they believe. Is it just me or does this team believe that it belongs in the hunt? I'm looking forward to the ALCS and will post lots of pictures from those games as well. Stay tuned to 9=8.com as we might have more giveaways on here as well.

On another note, there has been a lot of talk on other blogs about how badly the ALCS ticket sales went (i.e. people that did not get tickets are unhappy). Someone suggested we start a petition to have the Rays remove the Tarps in the upper deck. So, I figured, why not? Here is the petition. If you want to see that Tarps removed for the ALCS, sign it and tell your Rays fan friends!

Credit Picture: [James Borchuck, Times]

Last Day for Emails - Get Tix to Game 5 of ALDS

Today is the last day for you to send me emails explaining why you should be given the opportunity to buy tickets to Game 5 of the ALDS at face value (plus Ticketmaster fees).

Read our previous post to get the details. Deadline is 5PM today.

Rays Win Game 2 of 2008 ALDS and take 2-0 Lead; 9=8.com Was There (again)! 50+ Photos

Game 2 of the ALDS was a tremendous game that included many gutty performances, clutch hitting and some great bullpen work by the Rays. Scott Kazmir, after throwing 37 pitches in the first inning (and loading the bases with 0 outs), was able to battle through his rough start to give 5 1/3 strong innings giving up only 2 runs. In doing so, he earned his first career post season win and the Rays left for Chicago with a 2-0 lead in the ALDS. 9=8.com was there and we took 50+ pics that I wanted to share with all of you Rays fans (entire slide show is embedded below)! Oh, and it was LOUD at the Trop today. Someone said it was the 3rd loudest crowd in MLB history (that's been measured) and I believe it. It's certainly the loudest one I've ever been to.

As has been typical for the Rays all season, it was a total team effort. At the plate, every Rays starter collected a hit (there were 12 hits in all for the Rays). This balanced offensive attack was complemented by strong defense (as usual). Fernando Perez made a crucial out in the 2nd inning; an out that I believe made a huge impact on Kazmir as he was looking to get things on track. That catch is not supposed to be made and only a handful of major leaguers could have made that play. Truly sensational for the rookie’s playoff debut! The trio of Crawford, Upton and Perez in the outfield has to be a big concern for MLB. Those guys are SO FAST, that it is much tougher to get hits against this alignment.

And, what can you say about our bullpen? Whether it’s JP Howell, who is probably the top middle reliever in ALL OF MLB, Grant Balfour (he shut down a 2-baserunner situation in the fifth, which was a key moment in the game) or even Chad Bradford, they were all outstanding. Chad Bradford closed things out for the Rays allowing Dan Wheeler to get some rest before Sunday’s game.

I had the pleasure of attending this game again with my father and son (3 generations). We will remember these first two games forever and are looking forward to more Rays baseball (hopefully in the ALCS, but Game 5 of the ALDS is worst case). We already have our tickets and hope to see you there. Enjoy the pictures I took below!!!

Rays Win Game 1 of 2008 ALDS; Set More Records! 9=8.com Was There!

WOW! That is about all you can say. Three generations of the 9=8 boys were there (My dad, me and my son) and it was an amazing experience. I took 40+ pictures and wanted to share them with some of you that either had to work or were not able to get tickets for a wide variety of reasons. I even caught Longo's first home run with a still shot (wanted to get his first post-season pitch on camera and it just so happened that he hit A BOMB!!!

So, please disregard my lack of talent as a photo journalist and enjoy the slide show below. It was an amazing experience, for sure and 9=8.com will be there again tonight (I'll try to post pics from each game if I can find the time).

For a little guidance, here is generally what I took 1) Game opening, national anthem, Rays taking the field, etc. 2) First pitch in Rays playoff History 3) First pitch for each of the Rays first 7 batters (including one of Longo's 1st Home Run! and 4) Various pictures during and after the game (including scoreboard shots).

Watch the whole slide show to experience the game as I did from behind home plate. It is truly an experience to remember! GO RAYS!!!

RAYS ARE IN!!! But, thre is still more work to do....

WOW - What a season (so far). This team is only the second team in MLB history to turn in the worst record in all of baseball one season only to follow it up with a playoff birth. I can't say enough about this team and the no quit spirit that it emits. What a tremendous season (so far) and I am so lucky to be a part of it.

Now, on to business. After a hung-over loss on Sunday, that Rays need to bear down and finish this thing off. With a Magic Number of only 6 with 8 games left, the Rays probably need to win 4-5 games to clinch their first ever AL East title (I'm assuming the Red Sox will lose 1-2 games to Cleveland or New York). Come on, Rays, let's not be satisfied with a simple Wild Card birth. I'll be in Baltimore on Tuesday to root you on, so don't let the emerging "Rays Nation" down. With David Price on the mound tonight (is anyone else as excited about Price's first Major League start as I am?) Rays fans can see not only the present but also the future of this great team.

Oh, and THANK YOU for a tremendous regular season at home. My son and I personally saw more walk-offs and amazing wins that we've ever experienced in the past. We are forever grateful for the experience and can't wait to see you in the Playoffs!

2008 Tampa Bay Rays Rookie Hazing Pictures & Video

For those of you that have been looking for this, here it is. Actual video of the Tampa Bay Rays players leaving New York in their rookie/first year player hazing outfits. This is classic stuff. Enjoy!

You can view video of the Rays in costume by CLICKING HERE.

Congrats to DaveJ - Winner of 2 Rays Tickets for Sunday's Season Finale!

Congrats to Dave - he is the lucky winner of our free Rays tickets for Sunday's game. Sign up for our email list to be qualified to win tickets to future games. Who knows, maybe I will give away some other cool stuff or even playoff tickets? No promises, but you'll never know unless you sign up.

Good luck and Go Rays!!!

Blue Jays Starting Top 3 Pitchers vs. Red Sox on Short Rest

Some good news for the Rays (if you are into scoreboard watching, that is). The Blue Jays announced that A.J. Burnett, Jesse Litsch and Roy Halladay all will pitch on three days' rest against Boston. In addition, the Red Sox are going to have to face the hot LHP David Purcey (at least, he's hot against the Rays having given up 1 run in 16 innings against us in his last 2 starts) in their first game tonight (Wakefield is pitching for the BoSox). This is great news for the Rays for several reasons.

1) The Jays have a top 2 (Rays are #1 in my opinion) starting rotation in the MLB and the Jays are red hot - good opportunity for the Rays to gain some ground if we can take the series from the Yankees (will not be easy, but the Rays can do it for sure).

2) The Jays believe they are in the Wild Card hunt (and they are if they can win or sweep the Red Sox series) and will be playing for their lives. The Red Sox know they needs to string some wins together before coming down to the Trop. That means both sides will be playing some very intense baseball for 3 days before having to fly down and play a 3-game set at the Trop. The Red Sox will not be able to preserve their bullpen as they cannot afford to conserve for the Rays series. Let's hope for some extra innings battles in this series!

3) The Rays/Red Sox series is going to be no picnic for Red Sox hitters either as they will face Scott Kazmir right out of the gate. They also have to deal with the mental block of having lost all games they've played at the Trop thus far. I am not sure how big an issue this will be, but it is something that will be in their minds, for sure.

The Rays do not have an easy task at hand either with their visit to Yankee Stadium, but I believe we have a very good chance to win this series. Here are the Rays matchups for the weekend:

Friday - Garza vs. Ponson
Saturday - Shields vs. Mussina
Sunday - Jackson vs. Pavano

No easy task for sure, but they are all RHPs and the Rays are fired up after the Red Sox series. Perhaps we will see BJ Upton and Evan Longoria in the lineup as well, which would be outstanding news! There is going to be some GREAT baseball for the next week!

Tampa Bay Rays Rookie Hazing (2007/2008): Past and Present

I saw that the Rays did some rookie hazing in Boston and thought it'd be fun to post some pics. Here is what I was able to find (check back for updates - I will post more as I find them):

Aki and his interpreter in 2007:

Aki and Justin Ruggianno in 2007 (and a couple of other guys I don't know):

Rays vs. Red Sox (9/15-9/17): GREAT SEATS STILL AVAILABLE!

RAYS TICKETS ON STUBHUB - CLICK HERE!

Check back when the Rays vs. Red Sox series nears for great seats.

Go Rays!

Rays Make "First Wave" of Roster Moves: Preparing for Post-season Push!

The Tampa Bay Rays made there first series of roster moves to bolster the team for both the pennant race as well as the possibility of the playoffs. The Rays added a potential base running weapon that could prove valuable in tight games down the road in outfielder Fernando Perez, who was called up from Triple-A Durham on Sunday night (this makes him eligible for postseason play). In a move to create further roster flexibility, the Rays sent Juan Salas to Double-A Montgomery and brought up RHP Jae Kuk Ryu from Durham and promptly placed him on the 15-day disabled list. This might seems like a silly thing to do, but it provides the Rays with significant flexibility for the post season as the team is allowed to replace an injured player with any other player on the 40-man roster. Thus, the Rays effectively have 2 open spots on their post-season roster (Ryu and Chad Ovella, who is also on the DL). Thus, the Rays can potentially add David Price and/or one of their other top pitching prospects if needed down the stretch (they will likely bring Salas back for September and could add him to the playoff roster as well). It appears as though the Rays want to get Price some additional work in the Triple-A playoffs (Price was just named the Durham Bulls Game 1 starter) before bringing him up (Durham begins a 5-game playoff series on Wednesday, September 3rd).

The Rays also called up catcher John Jaso, who will join the team as the third catcher. Andrew Friedman indicated that Jaso is unlikely to be utilized for anything more than a pinch runner or hitter. The combination of a third catcher with the addition of Perez will allow Joe Maddon to pinch run for Navarro or Riggans late in a game without having to “go naked” at the catching position. Given Perez’ speed, this could be a big lift in key games (recall the multiple times that Navi has been thrown out at home trying to score from second base on a hit). Perez batted .288 (.301 vs. lefties) with 11 triples and 43 stolen bases (caught stealing 12 times). The Rays also seem to like his defense although we've not been able to locate any reliable information on his defensive capabilities.

John Jaso looks to be a pretty disciplined hitter registering only 47 strikeouts in 2008 vs. 107 hits and 72 walks (OBP of .391 as well) and has shown modest power with a HR every 10 games or so (12 total in 2008). He could be a nice bat off of the bench for the Rays as well.

Rays Attendance Discussion Continues: 9=8's Response

Lack of attendance at recent Rays games has garnered much media attention including:

The Heater: Where are the fans?

Tampa Tribune: Rays Churn Through Empty Seat of Blue

St. Pete Times: Pennant Fevor? Not Around Here

I recently wrote an article trying to put some context on the Rays attendance issue that has been much discussed recently (especially in light of the 13,000 and 12,000 "strong" crowds for the currently ongoing home stand - I'm proud to say I was one of the 13,000 and will be going tonight as well with my son). The piece was called "Understanding Attendance: Tampa Bay Rays and the Trop 2008" and I tried to explain why our attendance figures are not all that great (or why they are actually pretty good, all things considered). In short, there are a number of reasons discussed and data shared to put things into context. One that I did not discuss was the impact of school starting (August 18th in Hillsborough Cuunty and August 19th in Pinellas County). Below is a comment I made on The Heater blog earlier today. I'll track attendance and post an update at the end of the season.

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Since everyone keeps saying "other cities have school, too" here are the actual facts (not sound bites with no backup)

Boston 1st day of school: Sept. 4, 2008
http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/node/797

New York 1st day of school: Sept. 2, 2008
http://schools.nyc.gov/default.htm?mo=9&yr=2008

Chicago 1st day of school: Sept. 2, 2008
http://www.cps.k12.il.us/calendar.html

Tampa/St. Pete 1st day of school: Aug. 18-19, 2008

The fact is most schools in the US start after Labor Day, but TB area schools started Aug 18-19th. It's too easy to say stuff without backing it with the facts (a common thing on this board). Our attendance is still really low, but this is a big factor as the data show. More data for you to solidify the point:

Last weekday home stand BEFORE school started (vs. Cleveland Aug 4-6th)

• Monday Att ~ 17,000
• Tuesday Att ~ 20,000
• Wednesday Att ~ 27,500
• TOTAL Att ~ 64,500

Still not great, but you can see that school has a 5,000-10,000 PER GAME difference in attendance.

Last Weekend homestand (vs. Detroit Aug 1-3rd):

• Friday Att ~ 26,400
• Saturday Att ~ 36,000
• Sunday Att ~ 33,400
• TOTAL Att ~ 95,800

The fans are here (check out our TV ratings and 75%-100% increase in merchandise sales), school being in session makes a difference as does location and lackluster 10 years of building no fan base. Watch attendance grow substantially beginning Friday vs. Baltimore and continue strong throughout the year as the race heats up and kids settle into their school routines (25,000+ avg. for the last 13 home games is my prediction). This Toronto series will prove to be a blip, in my opinion, and the Angels series was the first 3 days of school, so it's also a bit of a special case (again, just my opinion). We shall see. I will post this on my blog so it's easy to track and will report back at end of season.

Finally, all this talk about moving the team is way too premature. I venture to guess that if you had told "Stu and the Crew" they'd achieve the 2nd best attendance in Rays franchise history in less than 3 years from when they started, I think they might have been pretty happy with that prospect.

Last Chance: Sign Up For Our Email to Win Free Tickets

Congrats to "RaysFanGio" as he is the winner of 2 FREE Rays Tickets to the Sunday, August 31, 2008 Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles game.

He was selected at random from our list of verified email subscribers. It's not too late to sign up for another chance to win 2 tickets to see the Rays play in September. I will announce additional details of our next contest in a couple of weeks. Sign up now for a chance to win - click here.

Rays Fans, We Have A Problem: TB on the Wrong Side of Too Many Ridiculously Bad Calls

The Rays have been on the wrong side of two very mysterious calls over the last few days (not to mention a whole host of other "close calls" that went against them throughout this year). The first incident involved a phantom turn toward second by BJ Upton on Tuesday, August 19th against the first place LA Angels. BJ Upton busted it down the line and beat out a ground ball. The umpire called BJ out when he ruled that BJ made an attempt to head towards second. Joe Maddon lost it and was thrown out of the game for arguing the call. Incidentally, the Rays came back to win the game despite this unbelievably bad call.

Tonight, the Rays headed into extra innings against the Chicago White Sox. In the bottom of the 10th, A.J. Pierzynski reached base on a single and advanced to second by tagging up on a fly ball to deep center field. On the ensuing at bat, Jermaine Dye hit a hard ground ball to shortstop Jason Bartlett who promptly got Pierzynski into a run down between 2nd and 3rd. When Aybar (playing 3B) threw the ball to Bartlett, he clearly moved to the left to get out of Pierzynski’s way, but Pierzynski threw his arm out to the side making contact with Aybar (albeit very slight contact). The umpire (Eddings), stopped play and called obstruction awarding 3B to Pierzynski. This ended up being the winning run and the Rays lost the game in the bottom of the 10th.

VIEW THE VIDEO OF THE PLAY HERE

Here is what one of the other esteemed members of the umpiring crew had to say about the call after the game:

"What Doug ruled at second base was, even though A.J. did kind of stick his arm out to make contact, Aybar was still in his way, so A.J., if he would have turned, he wouldn't have been able to continue on to third," said third-base umpire Ted Barrett, who addressed the situation after the game. "So after making the throw, Aybar is no longer in the act of fielding and he can't obstruct the runner, which is what Doug ruled happened. In a rundown, even though A.J. was going back to second, the rule of obstruction during a rundown is he gets his next advanced base and that's why he was rewarded third base."

So, a baserunner can legally “kind of stick his arm out to make contact” with a fielder and wind up being awarded a base? Are you kidding me? To make things even worse, the umpire said "if he would have turned, he would not have been able to continue to third." So, according to Mr. Barrett, baserunners can legally stick their arm out to make contact with a fielder AND they don't even need to turn around and run towards 3rd to get an obstruction call!!! Icing on the cake is that Burnett did not fully cover Eddings' back on the call (note the bolded section above). He simply says that this is what Eddings ruled and did not affirm that the ruling was correct.

Regardless of the crew's explanation above, I thought I would do a little research and here is what I found in the MLB rulebook regarding the definition of offensive interference:

INTERFERENCE
(a) Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with,
obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.
If the umpire declares the batter, batter-runner, or a runner out for interference,
all other runners shall return to the last base that was in the judgment of the
umpire, legally touched at the time of the interference, unless otherwise
provided by these rules.

The umpire says Aybar was not in the act of fielding, but the rule book does not say that. The rule book says “any fielder attempting to make a play.” If it weren’t bad enough that Aybar clearly would not have made contact with Pierzynski had Pierzynski not stuck his arm out, the umpire misquoted the rule book (or so it appears from one spectators chair). You can check out the rules for yourself HERE. Comments encouraged.

Rays September 1st Call-ups: What Moves Should the Rays Make?

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Maddon said he has met with his coaches and executive vice president Andrew Friedman about the team's September call-ups, and "we pretty much have an idea of what we'd like to do."

I took this snippet from a St. Pete Times online article and thought it would make for some interesting discussion. So, in short, what would you like to see the Rays do going into September to shore up the team for the pennant race (remember, the roster expands on September 1st)?

Here are a couple of possibilities/likelihoods:

1) Add David Price - starter or bullpen? He has looked very sharp in the minors with his smokin’ 98+ MPH fastball, among other things. He would bring a powerful lefty to the starting rotation or the bullpen (what do you think the right answer is for DP?). Of our 5 starters, 4 of them are right handed. In the bullpen, we only have 2 LHPs. So, our pitching staff is very right heavy and DP could provide a boost in this area (and this will be boosted once rosters expand on September 1st). A second LHP in the 5-man rotation could create a very tough setup for the opposition going forward (especially in the playoffs where you don't really need 5 starters). The difficulty with this decision is that the starting 5 have been SO GOOD this year and are getting better (all 5 starters have 10+ wins except our ace - he will get his today ;) ). Edwin Jackson might have been the odd man out, but he’s really heating up (5-1 in his last 6 starts giving up a total of 11 earned runs over 34 2/3 innings. Sonny is also pitching extremely well in August at 3-0 in 4 starts with an ERA of 2.92 (his no decision was actually his best outing giving up 1 earned run in 7 innings). Slotting David Price in the bullpen might be the answer, although that could disrupt what’s he’s got going on. If Troy Percival can't get healthy in September, perhaps Joe will put Balfour in the closer role and Price can assume the "strikeout" situation role that Balfour now fills (Price averages just over 1 SO per inning pitched).

2) Which other pitchers will contribute? Joe Maddon has shown a propensity to call on a lot of bullpen help in match-up fashion. Once rosters expand, it would not surprise me to see the bullpen swell quite a bit so that Joe can exact his match-up magic. It's possible that we might see some of our better talent join the team including Wade Davis, Jeff Nieman or even Mitch Talbot (who made a very brief appearance on the roster in July 2008). Who do you think deserves a slot on the roster, if anyone, and how can they contribute?

3) How much PT will Jonny Gomes get after roster expansion and will he be back? He’s got real power, but he is an all or nothing bet. Regardless, he might provide an emotional lift for the team down the stretch and could give the team a powerful right handed bat if Rocco struggles with his health. However, after starting hot in his first few games at AAA Durham, he’s only hitting .227 with 2 HR and 20 strikeouts in 16 games (ouch). I really like Jonny (he’s a super guy, the fans love him and he brings A LOT of energy to the clubhouse), but I fear he is going to be the odd man out unless he gets things going. Still, I do expect to see him rejoin the team in September.

4) Who plays right field? The reality is that the Rays are going to have some decisions to make once Carl Crawford rejoins the team. Ben Zobrist can play right field (his .250 BA, .345 OBP while only striking out 2 times is not bad), but he's unlikely to see much time with only 1 slot to fill. Willy Aybar is a utility guy, but won't get any work in Septemeber if no further injuries occur (he's got no PT in OF and the infield is spoken for when Longo gets back - it's too bad since he’s had 2 or more hits in 7 of his last 11 games and is hitting over .300 with 3 HR, 5 doubles and 9 RBIs since replacing Evan Longoria). So, it looks like right field will be split by Rocco against lefties (he’s hitting a solid .300 in August and hit his first HR last night), Hinske against righties and Gross against some righties and in defensive situations (e.g. after 7 innings if the Rays have the lead). The reality is, barring further injury, the Rays are going to have to make some decisions when Carl gets healthy, but Joe has a lot to choose from. I suspect we'll see a lot of "match-up" baseball down the stretch with the right field position.

The good news is that these are “high class” problems. The Rays have proven to have exceptional depth at pitching (with a huge potential “wild card” in David Price) and in the field/batters box. All of this depth is underscored by a team that has tremendous chemistry and strong leadership. I like where we stand and trust that Joe, Andrew and company will make the right decisions as tough as they may be.

So, tell me what you think?

The Saga that Has Become BJ Upton: Let's Give the Guy a Chance

I expect to receive a lot of negative commentary on this posting, but I believe it's a perspective that needs to be shared given all of the radio host and blog comment rantings by many fans (and I am sure those that are not Rays fans) recently.

If you were fired for every less than 100% effort at your job (think about that 2 hour lunch you take every now and then), I think we'd all be jobless. We should certainly have a very high standard for our baseball players, but don't crucify them when they make a couple of mistakes. I don't excuse what BJ Upton has been doing on these occasions, but I do think that Joe Maddon is handling this appropriately at this point (the punishment for the "relapse" has being escalated to get through to BJ).

But, rather than make this a purely emotional argument, let's take a more analytical approach. If you look at all instances where Joe Maddon or others are unhappy with BJ Upton, they are situations that have highly likely outcomes (routine ground balls, routine gap doubles, etc.). BJ Upton seems to think it's OK to dog it to first on sharply hit, cleanly fielded ground balls or on balls to the gap that will be doubles whether he sprints to the ball or half speeds it. Joe Maddon is clearly addressing that mindset and has let BJ know that he is entirely wrong to think that way. From the way folks talk on the message boards or on the radio shows, you'd think BJ is walking to first on every play and never hustles in the outfield (that is simply not true and any fan who has watched any meaningful number of games know).

Let's recall BJ's first benching. BJ was benched for not running out a ground ball against Cleveland on August 5th. But, also recall that he very likely won that game for the Rays when he made a SPECTACULAR catch in the deep left center field gap (I think it might have even been a Web Gem). BJ runs hard on the vast majority of plays and makes some ridiculous catches, so it does not appear to be a total laziness or unhappiness thing to me. I also don't think it's BJ wanting out of Tampa Bay (as some have suggested) as building a reputation as a lazy dude is not going to help him sign a big deal with a different team. I honestly think he believes it's OK to give half effort on balls blasted into the gap (that will probably be doubles anyway) or if he hits a routine ground ball out (where he will be out 95% of the time regardless of his effort. Maddon and BJ's team mates need to get through to him and change that mindset. This mindset might be acceptable in some clubhouses, but Maddon and the Rays are playing a different kind of baseball and BJ needs to get on board.

I think it's time our local radio hosts and blog commentators should give the "get rid of BJ" talk a rest and let things play themselves out. I have confidence that Maddon and the team are going to work on BJ and he is going to be a key member of the team for this pennant race. A talent like BJ Upton does not come along very often (just look at the guys in our farm system now - some decent talents, but no one with BJ's potential). The intelligent decision is to give this some time, let Joe and the team work with the guy and see how BJ develops as a person and as a ballplayer. Some things are fixable (effort and mindset) while others are not (lack of talent or injury). Let's get behind BJ and encourage him to join the team.

How Do the Rays Keep Winning with So Many Injuries (sorry, Hank, I am not going to whine about it)?

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How can the Rays be in the midst of a 5-2 road trip (3 more games to go) despite losing their #3 (Carl Crawford) and #4 (Evan Longoria) hitters, who were both getting hot right before their injuries (Carl and Evan accounted for a whopping 25% of the team's RBIs for 2008!!!)?

The answer lies in players like Ben Zobrist, Willy Aybar and Rocco Baldelli. Since being recalled on August 5th, Ben Zobrist has a hit in 8 of 9 games played (he's hitting .272 during this stretch - not huge, but respectable) and has an on base percentage of .400 (that's strong for a #9 rookie hitter). Additionally, he's had some clutch hits such as his double in Oakland that proved to be the winning run. For a rookie who doesn't know whether to unpacl his suitcase or not, this is a major contribution to a team at a critical time.

Another great story is Willy Aybar, who has also hit .272 during the same stretch (filling in for Evan Longoria). Not only has he played a very solid 3B having committed 0 fielding errors and turned a healthy number of key double plays, he also had hist first 2 homerun game (August 10th at Seattle) and drove in 2 key runs on August 14th (Rays won the game by 1 run).

Finally, the return of Rocco Baldelli has been an emotional lift for this team. Rocco has been working with the Rays training team for months trying to deal with his medical condition and his return is a true testament to his tenacity and strong will. He has also made a huge impact in the field running down two awesome diving catches in right field (including the #1 ESPN Web Gem on August 14th). Rocco's ability to deal with this adversity demonstrates the heart and character of this team, which is the clear reason they continue to win. Oh, and let's not forget great pitching - giving up about 3.5 runs on this road trip.

Welcome to 9equals8.com (9=8.com): The Unofficial and Unsanctioned Blog of the Tampa Bay Rays

Welcome to 9equals8.com (9=8.com, but you can’t use “=” symbols in website addresses), the unofficial and unsanctioned blog of the Tampa Bay Rays’ hunt for October! As an avid Rays fan and regular home and road game attendee, I thought it might be fun to share my perspectives on the Tampa Bay Rays quest for the “Holy Grail” of Major League Baseball. Thus far, this season has been one of the most memorable ones in recent baseball history and includes a special story of intense competitive spirit and can-do attitude, teamwork, heart and character. My goal with this blog is to inspire dialogue and provide everyday fans with a different viewpoint and perspective on this remarkable team and season. The MLB.com news and analysis is great, but I’ve found it to lack a personal touch and connection with this team. Whether it's Carlos Pena's recent 12th inning blast at the A's, Gabe Gross' right field wall shot to right field against the Indians (and Carlos' ensuing walk-off shot to center field), Evan Longoria's epic at bat against Roy Halladay for his 1st career grand slam home run or any one of the other tremendous wins this ballclub has experienced this year, this blog intends to cover and talk about it all. I plan to take this discussion much deeper and to a personal level with the coaches and players. I hope you enjoy this blog, please comment regularly and freely and GO RAYS!!!

For those of you that are Rays newbies, you might be wondering what 9=8 is all about. In summary, this symbol represents Joe Maddon's (the Tampa Bay Rays' Manager) philosophy that 9 guys playing 9 innings everyday, the Rays will be one of 8 teams in the playoffs. Joe distributed 9-8 tee shirts to the team and it has become the rallying cry of this remarkable team in 2008.