Ray Pride Part VIII - Divisional Series Champs

The Rays have punched their card to the 2008 American League Championship series, taking care of the White Sox in 4 games. The Rays won this series in convincing fashion putting up 6 runs in each of their 3 victories. In total, the Rays scored an average of 5.25 runs per game while allowing 3.25.

The Rays bullpen was especially sharp, going 11 2/3 innings allowing only a single run. This run was especially dominant as the Rays bullpen allowed only 6 hits, and 2 walks while striking out 13.

It is also important to note that the Rays continued their slick fielding. Despite being an extremely youth club, they made zero errors while registering 3 double plays.

In addition to outstanding bullpen support, the Rays had individual heroes for each game. In the first game, Evan Longoria took care of business slugging two home runs driving in 3 of the Rays 6 runs.

The second game saw Akinori Iwamura take over as the teams star. His timely two run home run gave the Rays the lead in the 5th inning and the club never looked back.

Despite a loss in the third game of the series, Tampa Bay could feel confident sleeping in their hotel rooms. BJ Upton, who was 1 for 9 with 3 strikeouts and zero walks through the first two games began to come alive. Despite Upton striking out twice in 5 at bats, he launched the first post season home run of what should be a very impressive career. Upton's home run in the 7th inning of game 3 set the tone for the Rays enter game 4 of the series.

BJ took the torch, and sprinted with it. The Rays got off to an early lead due to Upton's home run in both the first and third innings. While Carlos Pena certainly did his part, it was Upton's lead which had the Rays take control of the deciding game in Chicago.

In addition to this, starter Andy Sonnanstine gave the Rays more then they could have asked for. His 5 2/3 innings of work kept the White Sox off balanced and unable to string together a serious rally.

Looking further, we can see that the Rays were far and away the more dominant team. Despite the White Sox reputation of being long ball hitters, the Rays smacked an additional 2 home runs in the series (and 7 additional extra base hits). The Rays were also a slightly more patient team, despite having a roster of predominantly first timers to the post season.

RAY PRIDE!

Ray Pride VII - On is ON

So the T BAY RAYS are now up two games to nothing. They took care of business when I least expected...In other words, I am officially a blogger! I am doing the equivalent of a drunk dial. I am taking a loss without the victory, SNOW FLAKE TURNS TO BLIZARD!

GO RAYS!

"What Would the Outsider Do" - Kansas City Royals

Despite having another active off season, the Royals again failed to take a step forward in the wins column. In fact, according to expected wins, the Royals took a step backwards in 2008. With a young core, and several moves on the free agent market that have worked out, the Royals still hold the keys of promise.

One of the things holding the Royals back is lack of starting pitching. The club is thin at the major league level and has very few legitimate candidates coming through the system. Maybe new Royals General Manager Dayton Moore goes out and buys another arm, or he acquires a 4th/5th starter hoping he pans out.

Nevertheless, it is an interesting situation in Kansas City. The club promoted Alex Gordon and Billy Butler fairly quick (although, to be fair, both Gordon and Butler earned their respective promotions), however this is a new front office, and if the treatment of 2007 first round pick Mike Moustakas is any indication, 2008 first rounders picks Eric Hosmer and Mike Montgomery will have to prove they are ready for the next level before being promoted. If the 2008 draft is any indication of how things will be run in KC going forward, we can simply take a look at how things were done in Atlanta. That is, highschool heavy drafts, active in trade talks, and a watcher in free agency.

There is one problem with the 'Atlanta'-way; the Royals want to be a winner, and sooner rather then later. High-schooler traditionally take longer to develope, and the Royals aren't one piece from contending. Thus, the plan in KC is presumably to buy low in trades.

What the Royals don't need:

Offensively, the Royals are fine. While they are lacking that one true big bat, the club has enough youth on its side to envision an improvement offensively. Given that Billy Butler and Alex Gordon are likely to take major steps forward as they enter their third Major League seasons, the Royals should surprise a few pitching staffs next summer.

With modest improvements from Butler and Gordon, one can expect the Royals to shift from the bottom third of the league offensively, into the middle third.

Corner infielders. I always dislike having these positions locked up early in a teams building process. Corner infielders always seem to come available and should be a teams final pieces. That being said, if you find yourself with corner stone corner infielders, you are in a fortunate position. The Royals should have that between Gordon, Butler, Kila Ka'aihue, and the aforementioned Eric Hosmer.

The Royals are also set up the middle in what can be one of the most difficult areas for a franchise to fill. The club has that filled between Alberto Callaspo and Mike Aviles-good for them!

Lastly, the Royals have the least important facet to cover for a losing team-the bullpen. The club has the makings of a franchise closer-although WWOD is going to suggest he be moved to the rotation. Between Ramon Ramirez, Leo Nunez, and Carlos Rosa, the Royals have enough in their pen to be comfortable in 2009 and going forward.

Not only that, but the franchise has a stable of 23-26 year old reliever whom if not ready now, would be ready for 2010.

What the Royals need:

There are a couple glaring holes within this organization, although not one appears impossible to fix. Those holes are within the organizations catchers, right fielders, and starting pitching. The following will be WWOD's idea to fill these holes.

Starting Pitcher - With the aforementioned trio of Cortes, Duffy, and Montgomery, the Royals have the beginning of what could be called organizational depth. The problem is, by the time these three are ready, the current Royals starters are all but gone.

Without going out and breaking the bank, the Royals could potentially add one of the best new pitchers in the league. Joakim Soria has been an absolute god-send since being acquired in the Rule V draft two years ago. While he has not started since his days in the Mexican League, Soria has four pitches, all of which are above average, bordering on 'plus'.

There inlies the problem. If the Royals stand pat, they have a franchise closer. If they move him to the rotation, not guarding him as he increases his workload, he is an injury waiting to happen. My suggestion is to use Soria in 2009 as a starter, but limit him to 3 or 4 innings per start beginning on Opening Day. While innings will be monitored, more important will be pitch counts, where Soria would start at around 35 and slowly work his way up to 70 or 75, even occassionally skipping him in the rotation.

In addition to this, Brian Bannister would be put on a short leash and forced to compete for his roster spot against some Spring Training invitees. I'm looking at Jon Lieber or an out of options youngster, maybe the Rox are done with Franklin Morales?

Catcher - Make a deal with a club that has a surplus of young catchers. I'm thinking that Texas would be the perfect fit here with the thinking that the Rangers are just desperate enough for cheap, young pitching to make a move.

When I first came up with this idea, I pictured moving one of Luke Hochevar, Kyle Davies, or Brian Bannister. This, however poses a problem. Bannister would be the ideal candidate to move, as he is the oldest of the trio, however he is also the worst. His 2008 season left much to be desired and presumably wouldn't be on anyones wish list.

Hochevar and Davies are both 25 years old and both profile as at least middle of the rotation starters; fine #3's, solid #4's. It would be difficult to give up either one for a catcher, however this is the situation the Royals have placed themselves in, and this move must be made. I would prefer giving up Davies, due to his fly ball tendencies, the Rangers would probably prefer Hochevar, due to his ground ball tendencies. Done deal, Hochevar to the Texas Rangers for Maximiliano Ramirez.

Right/Left Fielder - The Royals are said to be interested in Atlanta's Jeff Francoeur. Frenchy is fresh off of the worst season of his career, and is a player that would fit perfectly in with the Royals young roster. A change of scenary may do it for the impatient righty. This is a trade I would make, offering up 22 year old minor league right handed starter, Blake Wood.

This would certainly be a 'buy low' scenario that certainly is not gaurunteed to happen. If the Braves as for Cortes, Duffy, or Montgomery, the Royals should walk away and call up Cleveland where there are too many options without enough slots. Shapiro is sitting in his office with Dellucci, Francisco, Choo, and Gutierrez, not to mention minor leaguers Trevor Crowe and Matt LaPorta waiting in the wings.

I've got Franklin as the cheapest player on that depth chart, one whom the Indians may move for double-A middle infielder Marc Maddox or Irving Falu. In fact, Gutierrez may be a superior target to Francouer not only because of his price tag, but also because of his still high ceiling.


With those moves in mind, here's how a youthful Royals batting order shakes out:

CF - D. DeJesus
SS - M. Aviles
DH - B. Butler
3B - A. Gordon
LF - J. Guillen
1B - K. Ka'aihue
C - M. Ramirez
RF - F. Gutierrez
2B - A. Callaspo

This is a lineup that will certainly be streaky. DeJesus and Aviles will be sound table setters, while the Royals will have to endure the growing pains Butler and Gordon go through as the heart of the batting order.

The bottom of the batting order has potential, but could also benefit from a fair amount of days off. That's where a veteran bench will come in handy. A bench made up of J. Buck, R. Shealy, M. Teahen, E. German, and J. Gathright provides adequate substitutes all over the diamond, save for the middle infield. Shealy, in this scenario, would be utilized in a super-utility role, playing nearly six days a week between the corner outfield and infield spots, and at designated hitter.


When one looks at the rotation today, they cannot be overly impressed. When one looks at it with Soria in the #3 spot, it takes an entirely new shape. Here's how I envision the rotation for the 2009 season:

Z. Grienke
G. Meche
J. Soria
K. Davies
B. Bannister

Bannister will be put on the shortest of leashes. If he struggles in Spring, take a seat. Despite not having any other 'on roster' options, Bannister has been given enough of a chance to be a Major League regular, there isn't a need to keep running him out there simply because there aren't any other options. That is, the Royals should make options, which should force Bannister to step up.


The removal of Soria will not decimate the bullpen to the extent that one would think. While it will certainly tire out the bullpen, due to the 3 or 4 inning, per start maximum that I placed on Soria, there are arms ready to move into a more important role.

Here's how the bullpen shakes out for the 2009 season:

CL - R. Ramirez
SU - L. Nunez
RP - R. Mahay
RP - J. Gobble
RP - R. Tejada
LR - C. Rosa

For the time being, Carlos Rosa will be the link between Soria and the bullpen, being the pitching equivalent of a 'utility infielder'. Rosa is a young and live arm, whom most experts agree, has a very bright future. One of the issues hindering his development has been health, and I see him as a future reliever anyways. This Soria-handcuff will give Rosa experience out of the bullpen, while still treating him as a starter.

Robinson Tejada is another interesting arm. The former top prospect truly came into his own as a Royal reliever in 2008, and looks to build on the most impressive stretch of his Major League career.

Why the Rockies gave up on Ramirez I'm sure we'll never know. However, what we do know, is that Ramirez excelled as a Royal, and I am confident he would transition nicely into the closers role.


The 2009 Royals are a team of promise. They could be this year's Tampa Bay Rays, or they could be the 2005, 2006, 2007 versions of the Milwaukee Brewers. Either way, there is a glimmer of hope that appears to be shinning through in Kansas City.

Aside from the aforementioned moves, the Royals should look into locking up Gordon, Butler, Grienke, and Soria into their free agent years. For a small market club, having four sound building blocks that are 'cheap' is the way to go, look at the Cleveland Indians.

Ray Pride VI - October Edition

You "didn't listen!" - Randy Marsh (South Park, Season 9, Episode 8)

At the end of March, I called the Tampa Bay Rays my American League East division winners in my 'Division by Division Preview'. At this time, I was alone in this thinking. People could see my argument, but they wouldn't buy it.

It took until close to the midway point in the 2008 season before people finally starting to cling onto the idea that the Rays could in fact, compete for the playoffs. However, despite being one of the top three teams in baseball, and leading the American League East, there was a still a feeling that it wouldn't be this year.

Clearly, I disagreed. The Rays had become my adopted team. The Indians were failing and the Bisons were difficult to watch. I felt justified in rooting for the Rays, not only because of my preseason prediction, but also because of my despise towards the Red Sox.

At the All Star Break the Rays were sitting half a game out of first place. It was at this point, where the non-believers stepped forward and proudly said, 'I told you so'. Experts were talking about the feel goodedness of the Rays 2008 season and had claimed them as a team to watch in 2009.

But it was too late, someone had already stepped up to the plate and claimed the Rays as the team to watch. The Rays were my darling of 2008, the team had 'progressed' toward the mean and with a few minor additions were an entirely different team. I wasn't willing to give up on the 2008 Rays, and felt that you shouldn't either.

With July completed the Rays had squashed their half game deficit and built up a 3 game lead over the Red Sox in the division. It appeared as though the difficult first half of games was going to benefit the Rays entering August and September.

Despite a slew of major injuries, the Rays fought hard and held onto the division lead. The 2008 Rays had, as I predicted, won the American League East division title, finishing with baseball's third best record. The Rays finished the season with Major League Baseball best home record, which despite the clamor for more fans in the stands, clearly was not necessary.


The playoffs are upon us. The Rays are facing off against a veteran laden team in Chicago. A team that relies more then any other team on scoring runs via the long ball. I picked the Rays to win this series in five games, not because I think the White Sox match up favorably against the Rays, but because I anticipate a melt down by Rays ace, Scott Kazmir (there is, afterall, a reason he is pitching in Game 2 instead of Game 1).

Over at Baseball Digest Daily, the Rays are the only unanimous choice to win their series. In fact, most of the authors believe there series will take the minimum amount of games.

"I started a joke, that started the whole world laughing. If only I'd seen, that the joke was on me"
-James William Hindle, 2001

GO RAYS!

Divisional Series Predictions

Over at Baseball Digest Daily, each of the writers chimed in with their Divisional Series predictions, check out their comments here, and their predictions below:


As you can see, Timm Davis is the only other author who knows what he is talking about. Here's how I break down the Divisional Series'.

American League

Tampa Bay Rays versus the Chicago White Sox:

If Scott Kazmir had shown a little more composure this season, I would call this a sweep. However, I see him taking away the Rays home field advantage by letting his emotions get to him in game two. It was, in my opinion, a great idea for Madden to give Shields the ball for the first game. I just hope that MLB's agreement with Stub Hub doesn't ruin the Rays home field advantage.

The White Sox are a veteran team and have been here before. It is difficult to find a weak link in their lineup and this team will be running off adrenaline this series. That said, this club does not have extraordinarily reliable pitching and is somewhat weak defensively. Those are the keys to winning in October, not home runs.

Tampa Bay takes the series in five games.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim versus the Boston Red Sox:

This year, the Angels and Red Sox are in opposite positions. In 2007, the Sox had home field advantage, while the Angels were playing with a bunch of wounded soldiers. This year, the Angels, with the additions of Mark Teixeira and Torri Hunter, have a healthy lineup and are ready to make a run. Whereas the Sox have lost the home field advantage that Fenway adds, are fairly dinged up, not knowing who will be healthy and how effective they will be, and are missing one of the greatest playoff hitters of all time, Manny Ramirez.

I am taking the Angels to win two close ones in Anaheim and for Josh Beckett to not be his typical playoff savior. Angels in three.

National League

Chicago Cubs versus the Los Angeles Dodgers:

The Cubs have been the class of the National League and have one of baseball's top home records. This is as complete of a team as there is in baseball. The team and its fans expect them to win, this is finally their year...Or is it?

The Dodgers have turned things around with the arrival of Manny and are firing on all cylinders. While the club is largely inexperienced, Casey Blake's beard, coupled with Joe Torre's managerial skills are what sets this club a part.

The Dodgers need to steal one early in Chicago and hold home field advantage in Hollywood. I'm taking the Dodgers to win in three.

Philadelphia Phillies versus the Milwaukee Brewers:

With the Brewers riding high the Phillies certainly have to worry about letting one slip away. While the Phil's bullpen has been unbeatable this year, the odds are they let one slip away on the big stage that October presents.

Despite CC Sabathia's wishes, he will not be starting every game of this series. He will take the mound for game 2 and presumably for game 5. If the Brewers can hit enough to win one of the other three games, they are in. I'm pinning that victory in game 4, at home, with Yovanni Gallardo saving the day pitching in relief.

Brewers take the series in five.


There you have it, my Division Series picks.

Enjoy!