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Wow, what a way to start the season… yeah, dominating the Orioles isn't exactly an earth-shattering result, but it seemed like a solid outing for everyone involved on the Rays side. At least the Rays ended a string of seven straight road losses in openers, which was the longest active streak in the majors. Akinori Iwamura was the only Ray not to have a hit which could be a problem since he's the leadoff guy… I've always envisioned B.J. Upton as being at the top of the lineup… Joe Maddon has other ideas. It's only the first game, so I don't think it's anything to be worried about. Dioner Navarro had a hell of a game with three hits, including a RBI and double… it's kind of funny, I purchased MLB '08: The Show this weekend and during the first two games of the Baltimore series, he was the player of the game with seven RBIs total. I was thinking to myself, should I be putting Navarro on my fantasy baseball team? Again, it's too early to tell, but it's a very promising start for this 24-year-old. I was pleased with (James) Shields seven-inning performance (despite a rocky first inning), giving up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and Eric Hinske getting the solo homer to deep right in the fourth inning. In my opinion, this was a huge acquisition, helping to stabilize the outfield… with Carl Crawford, Upton and Hinske in the back with Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes as daily possibilities, getting the ex-Red Sox slugger was a big boost while Rocco Baldelli recovers from his mitochondrial disorder. Newly acquired outfielder Nathan Haynes from the Angels is also a decent prospect. Two of my biggest worries were the outfield and pitching. As soon as Scott Kazmir gets into the rotation with Shields and Matt Garza, I think the Rays will be in good shape. Can't wait to see how well Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson and Jason Hammel pitch during the New York Yankees series. Time will tell. There's always the bullpen to worry about, but I'm hoping Dan Wheeler, Al Reyes and Troy Percival will keep it together. Well, I'm going to enjoy the 1-0 record for today and Tuesday… looking forward to the next game on Wednesday.
Well, I've been a fan of the Tampa Bay franchise since its inception in 1998 (I live in Pittsburgh, PA)... and since I've recently had an interest in blogging, I've decided to comment on all 162 games with my own perspective... while I can't promise multipaged descriptions of each game, I will attempt to provide as much insight as humanly possible... we might be talking about a couple of sentences per entry, but I will make every effort to offer my viewpoints about each individual game... and I might need a little help from the Associated Press on the days I don't have time... I work 14-hour days, so it might be a problem keeping this blog up to date when I'm sleepy... I purchased MLB Gameday Audio this morning... and this will be my first opportunity to listen to every game... let's hope my blogging extends into the postseason... wouldn't that be nice? I expect bigger things this season... and even though an injury in the outfield could derail the whole year, I'm hopeful we're about to witness the Rays' greatest season yet... and it will all unfold at Tampa Bay Rays Blog. Can't wait for April 31st versus the Baltimore Orioles. See you in a week. What an exciting time to be a Rays fan. Let the new era begin.
Wow, what a way to start the season… yeah, dominating the Orioles isn't exactly an earth-shattering result, but it seemed like a solid outing for everyone involved on the Rays side. At least the Rays ended a string of seven straight road losses in openers, which was the longest active streak in the majors. Akinori Iwamura was the only Ray not to have a hit which could be a problem since he's the leadoff guy… I've always envisioned B.J. Upton as being at the top of the lineup… Joe Maddon has other ideas. It's only the first game, so I don't think it's anything to be worried about. Dioner Navarro had a hell of a game with three hits, including a RBI and double… it's kind of funny, I purchased MLB '08: The Show this weekend and during the first two games of the Baltimore series, he was the player of the game with seven RBIs total. I was thinking to myself, should I be putting Navarro on my fantasy baseball team? Again, it's too early to tell, but it's a very promising start for this 24-year-old. I was pleased with (James) Shields seven-inning performance (despite a rocky first inning), giving up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and Eric Hinske getting the solo homer to deep right in the fourth inning. In my opinion, this was a huge acquisition, helping to stabilize the outfield… with Carl Crawford, Upton and Hinske in the back with Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes as daily possibilities, getting the ex-Red Sox slugger was a big boost while Rocco Baldelli recovers from his mitochondrial disorder. Newly acquired outfielder Nathan Haynes from the Angels is also a decent prospect. Two of my biggest worries were the outfield and pitching. As soon as Scott Kazmir gets into the rotation with Shields and Matt Garza, I think the Rays will be in good shape. Can't wait to see how well Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson and Jason Hammel pitch during the New York Yankees series. Time will tell. There's always the bullpen to worry about, but I'm hoping Dan Wheeler, Al Reyes and Troy Percival will keep it together. Well, I'm going to enjoy the 1-0 record for today and Tuesday… looking forward to the next game on Wednesday.
