AP: Rays’ Kazmir agrees to $28.5M, 3-year extension

Tampa Bay left-hander Scott Kazmir has agreed to a $28.5 million, three-year extension through 2011, a deal with a club option that could raise the contract’s value to $39.5 million over four seasons.
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The 24-year-old, 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA last season, was an All-Star in 2006. He is Tampa Bay’s career leader in wins, strikeouts, starts and innings pitched.

Kazmir is earning $3,785,000 this season, and would have been eligible for free agency after the 2010 season.

AP: Gross singles in 11th, Rays beat Yankees

It’s mid-May and Tampa Bay is in first place?!?!?

Gabe Gross singled with no outs in the 11th inning to drive in the first run Mariano Rivera has allowed all season, giving Tampa Bay a 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees and sending the Rays into first place in the AL East.

Cliff Floyd began the 11th with a single and pinch-runner Jonny Gomes stole second before Gross delivered the winner up the middle on a 1-1 pitch. Rivera (0-1) had not allowed a run in 14 previous appearances.
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Tampa Bay has won a club-record 11 straight at home and is a half-game ahead of Boston in the AL East after the Red Sox lost 5-4 at Baltimore. It’s the first time the Rays have sat alone atop the division standings beyond the first week of a season.

At 23-16, the Rays are seven games over .500 for the first time in the team’s 11 seasons.

St. Pete Times: Rays rout Yankees to move half-game out of first

After Monday’s 7-1 win, they are six games over .500 for the first time in franchise history at 22-16, have the majors’ best record (14-5) over the past three weeks, extended their winning streak to five and their major-league-best home streak to 10, are a half-game out of first place and are leading the AL wild-card race.

But there’s another measure of their success that will never get old: beating the Yankees.

“Always, beating the Evil Empire is awesome,” Jonny Gomes said… “Anyone in the AL East, we’ll take our wins. But beating those guys is always a little more fun.”
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About the only thing that wasn’t good: a crowd of 13,932. Since the Yankees were last at the Trop, April 14-15, the Rays have gone from 6-8 to 22-16 and moved from fifth place to second in the AL East, yet they drew fewer fans — the April games, on a Monday and Tuesday, drew 18,872 and 20,923.

“It’s a little disappointing right now,” Maddon said. “I think we’re playing a pretty good brand of baseball. But I also believe it’s still school, it’s a Monday night, I get all that. I’ve been through that before in other places. But I want the people to understand, our fan base, that it really does make a difference to us when they’re out there and you hear, ‘Let’s go, Rays,’ as opposed to ‘Let’s go, whomever.’ “

Outs Per Swing: Interview with Jeff Pearlman

EH: If not for his addiction issues where do you think Josh would be in baseball right now?  Meaning would he be a several time All Star at 26?  One of the best players in the game?  One of the most popular players?

JP: He’d be Ken Griffey, Jr., age 26. All the talent in the world, all the charisma, etc. He’d be huge. And think how it would have impacted the Tampa franchise to have a true 5-tool star to build around.

TR: Do you think it would be a bad thing, bringing back old scenery and maybe old friends, if Josh ever came back to play for the Rays?

JP: Hmmm … good question. I definitely think it’s good that the Rays left him unprotected in the Rule 5. Anyone who kills the franchise for that doesn’t get it. His history with the Rays was long, deep and troublesome. He needed a fresh start, and the team did, too.

MLB.com: ‘Idol’ finalist throws out first pitch

Guy’s got to stop smiling - he just looks creepy/smug when he does (although he’s not as creepy as the former ‘Star Search’ kid).

David Cook, one of three finalists on “American Idol,” threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Royals’ game against the Orioles on Friday night. Kauffman Stadium fans, treated to video clips of Cook’s TV performances on the giant CrownVision board, screamed as he took the field.
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“My performances are always dedicated to the Kansas City Royals,” Cook told the crowd.
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Cook, from the suburb of Blue Springs, Mo., had a busy day. He gave a concert in Kansas City, appeared at a Blue Springs elementary school and was given a parade in his hometown.

Although plans called for Cook to sing the national anthem before the game, he deferred to the kids’ group originally enlisted for that honor, the Southwood Elementary Choir.

AP: Shields pitches 1-hitter, Longoria homers in ninth for Rays

James Shields pitched a 1-hitter and Evan Longoria’s two-run, ninth-inning homer snapped a scoreless tie and gave the Tampa Bay Rays a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

Shields (4-2) rebounded from the second-shortest outing of his career to post his second shutout in his past three starts. The 26-year-old right-hander limited the Angels to Brandon Wood’s one-out single in the third and retired the last 17 batters he faced after hitting Erick Aybar with a pitch in the fourth.

Angels starter Jon Garland allowed no runs and four hits in eight innings.

baseballamerica.com: Q&A with R.J. Harrison

A very short question and answer article with Tampa Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison.

Globe: Blue Jays lose two shortstops

Ouch, bad luck game

The loss may prove even more costly for the Jays, 16-18, as the team lost both its shortstops through injury.

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Eckstein said he injured his right hip flexor diving after a ball struck by Dioner Navarro, which ignited a three-run third inning for the Rays.

“When I went to plant that’s when I did it, I did my hip flexor,” Eckstein said. “Right now it’s day-to-day.”

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In the sixth inning, McDonald went to his knees to spear a ground ball struck by Tampa’s Gabe Gross, but then crumpled to the turf in obvious pain, clutching at his right ankle, which he appeared to roll over on.

ESPN: Keri: Give some credit to early architects of D-backs, Rays

Raw panic gripping the baseball world!...Joe Garagiola Jr. and Chuck LaMar sightings!

When Byrnes took over as the Diamondbacks’ general manager in October 2005, he inherited a team in bad shape. Arizona was coming off two straight losing seasons, including a 2004 team that posted the worst record in franchise history—and one of the worst in recent MLB history—at 51-111.

Backed by an aggressive ownership group led by Jerry Colangelo, GM Joe Garagiola Jr. was the team’s first GM and had whiffed on many personnel moves leading up to that point, including several big-ticket contracts larded with deferred compensation that plunged the team into debt. The front office had also misfired on a number of trades, dealing away veteran stars too early (Curt Schilling), shipping out top young talent before it ripened (Brad Penny) and acquiring past-their-prime former stars who were nearing the end of the road (Shawn Green).

...The list of names below shows that of the D-backs’ top 29 players who’ve seen time at the major league level or are on the disabled list awaiting return, 14 were drafted, traded for or otherwise acquired by Byrnes (15 if you count the new GM’s signing of Justin Upton after a long wait at the end of the previous regime). The list includes three-fifths of the starting rotation, three of the eight starting position players and a flurry of great talent snagged in December 2005, right after Byrnes’ hire. Those are impressive totals, given the new guy’s only been at it for two and a half years.

Still, save some acclaim for Garagiola, whose scouting and player development staff drafted and developed the two best players (year-to-date) on the current D-backs squad (Cy Young winner Brandon Webb and likely All-Star Conor Jackson), future MVP candidate Upton and several other key contributors.

TBO: Who Will Rays Draft? Let The Guessing Begin

Hey, Rays...Schlichting or get off the pot!

Who will he be visiting? The Rays won’t get into specifics, but it’s a safe bet their choice will come from the following pool: Vanderbilt 3B Pedro Alvarez, Griffin (Ga.) High SS Tim Beckham, Florida State C Buster Posey, Missouri RHP Aaron Crow, University of San Diego LHP Brian Matusz and Riverside (Calif.) Patriot High C Kyle Skipworth.

Like his former Commodores teammate Price, Alvarez has been ranked atop Baseball America’s prospect list throughout the college and high school season. He maintained that standing despite breaking a bone in his hand in the season opener Feb. 22. Alvarez - who, it should be noted, is a Scott Boras client - returned to the lineup April 1 and was hitting .299 with three homers and a .413 on-base percentage in 21 games entering the weekend.

There have been rumblings the Rays won’t take Alvarez because of the investment they have made in Evan Longoria, but the team denies that will have an impact.

“Just because of Evan, we certainly wouldn’t run away,” Harrison said. “Certainly if we thought Pedro Alvarez was the best player in the draft for us, we would certainly find someplace for him to land.”

Tampa Tribune: Rays Take Wins In Stride

This is all new for the Rays, who are four games over .500 (16-12) for only the third time in team history and at the latest stage of any of their 11 seasons.

And it’s not as if they’re accustomed to the view from the top of the division, a spot they occupy by percentage points after the Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays on Thursday night.

Tampa Bay closer Troy Percival, one of a handful of Rays who knows what it takes to endure the six-month grind of a playoff chase, approves of his new teammates’ demeanor.

“The guys are handling this with a lot of composure, because we know it’s early,” said Percival, who pitched a perfect ninth Thursday to earn his 330th career save and move into a tie with John Wetteland for No. 10 all-time. “We know we’ll probably hit a slide here and there. As long as we just keep playing consistently and playing hard, I think the guys’ attitude is going to help us out.”

ESPN Page 2: Step aside Yankees Universe and Red Sox Nation

Page 2 invites you to take a closer look at the next great sports rivalry … Orioles-Rays:

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Just off Interstate 95, not all too from Florence, S.C., is a little place called Manning. In the giant battle zone that is the Orioles-Rays rivalry, this unassuming way station on the great coastal corridor just happens to be the very front line. Sitting equidistant to Baltimore and St. Petersburg, Fla., it represents the physical demarcation line of loyalties in this epic encounter of enmity. All those to the south of Manning are in the Rays’ camp. All those to the north side with the Orioles. Any deviance from this geo-fandom would be a betrayal of the natural order of things.

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(greatest games in Orioles-Rays)
6. April 11, 2002: O’s win 15-6
The Orioles scored 12 runs in the sixth inning. The rally included back-to-back homers by Geronimo Gil and Mike Bordick, followed by a rare cameo by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Funniest thing ESPN has done in years.

Ex-Ray Elijah Dukes cleans zoo cages, shortens probation

I used to go quite often to the Bronx Zoo when my former brother-in-law had the exciting elephant cannonscoop detail. Loads of fun!

To get his misdemeanor probation cut short by five months, former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes spent 25 hours during the past week cleaning out cages and mopping at Lowry Park Zoo.

Attorney Grady Irvin and a team official for the Nationals, who traded for Dukes in December, said the ballplayer also passed weekly drug tests for six months.

...Dukes, 23, removed large diamond stud earrings and tucked his silver chain under his T-shirt before standing before the judge. The former Hillsborough High standout kept his head down throughout the hearing, looking up and smiling only after the judge granted his request.

“You are in a wonderful position to be such a positive influence on so many young people that these are the kinds of things that prevent you from being that example,” Conrad said. “With great gifts I think you have great responsibilities as well. I’m hoping this experience, albeit for six months … will at least set a positive turn for your future.”

MiLB: Kazmir all smiles after bizarre rehab stint

Bend and stretch
Reach for the stars
Here comes Jupiter
There goes mars...a freakin’ Kazmir start!

JUPITER, Fla—Don’t expect Tampa Bay starting pitcher Scott Kazmir to be requesting morning games at Tropicana Field anytime soon. The left-hander gave up four earned runs and worked into the fifth inning on Wednesday in the Class A Advanced Vero Beach Devil Rays’ 4-3 loss to the Palm Beach Cardinals in a game that started in the morning and ended with Kazmir going back and forth from the mound to the bullpen due to a pitch-count misunderstanding.

“It was frustrating,” Kazmir said following his 64-pitch effort, his second start following a left elbow strain in late February. “I wanted to work on a lot of things and stretch myself out. I felt strong. [pitching coach Jim] Hickey and I were both on the same page, but it didn’t happen.”

...With reliever Ryan Morse warming up in the bullpen, Kazmir stood nearby and waited while the staff communicated with Tampa Bay coaches. Eventually, he was allowed to go back to the mound for the bottom of the fifth inning, though he said he tried to do too much in a few pitches.

“They said if I threw seven pitches, they were taking me out. I was just throwing fastballs down the middle, saying, ‘Please, just get yourself out.’ The only thing that was going through my head that last inning was, ‘How can I get out of this inning in three pitches?’ “It’s frustrating because I wanted to get back out there and throw all my pitches. I thought I set myself up to do that, but the way it ended was unnecessary.”

Dan Johnson DFAed again

To make room for newly acquired OF Gabe Gross, the Rays have designated for assignment Johnson, a 1B/DH who had just joined them Tuesday after being claimed on waivers from Oakland, according to Johnson’s agent....

Agent Bob Barad said the sequence of events was “unfortunate circumstances” for Johnson but he had no issues with the Rays’ handling of the situation. “I certainly don’t think in any way, shape or form they (claimed him) with the intent of this happening,’’ Barad said. “These things happen.’’

Outs Per Swing: Interview with Joe Posnanski

OPS: Tough question right off the bat: If you had to start a team with one of these players who would it be, Alex Gordon or Evan Longoria?

JoePo:Whew, impossible to say. I really like Longoria a lot … and I like Alex a lot. I can’t really say which one I would take, but I considered the question this way: If Tampa Bay called and offered Longoria straight up for Alex Gordon, would I make the trade? I’d have to say no. Gordon is pretty close, in my mind, to establishing himself as a good Major Leaguer, and he has a chance to be a lot better than that. Longoria hasn’t done anything yet. But Longoria has huge, huge upside; I’m probably wrong. When Longoria hits .379 with 38 homers next year, you can use that quote in the “stupid sportswriter Hall of Fame” book.

EH: The Royals once had a young star Centerfielder named Carlos Beltran. He was eventually traded due to salary concerns; do you see B.J Upton having the same fate with the Rays?

JoePo: Well, who knows, they might sign him to a nine-year deal in the next week. I like Upton an awful lot. I haven’t seen him enough, I would love to watch him every day. I watched Carlos every day for five years, and on certain days, when he was really good, it felt like watching a young DiMaggio (because of of his smoothness) or a young Willie Mays (because he could do everything). I remember when Beltran blew up in those playoffs against the Cardinals, and everyone was saying “Well, you didn’t know he was THAT good.” And I said: “Yeah, I did.”

SportsTicker: Brewers trade [Gabe] Gross to Rays

After scoring the winning run in Tuesday’s 9-8, 12-inning victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Gabe Gross was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Brewers acquired righthander Josh Butler, who will report to Class A Brevard County of the Florida State League.

In his second year with the Brewers, the 28-year-old Gross batted just .209 (9-for-43) in 16 games this season.

The Brewers needed to open a roster spot because outfielder Tony Gwynn has been recalled from his rehab assignment at Class AAA Nashville and will be activated from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday.

FOX: Rosenthal - Baby Boss could cost Yanks their GM

If Cashman wished to stay east, he could replace Phillies GM Pat Gillick, who is expected to retire. Or, Cashman could return to D.C., where he attended Georgetown Prep and Catholic University, if the Nationals chose to replace Jim Bowden. Why, Cashman could even stay in the AL East if the Blue Jays dismissed J.P. Ricciardi, who has two years left on his contract.
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So here’s the question: Is [Frank] Thomas finished?

“He looked like he was on rollerblades, sliding all over the box,” says a scout who saw him recently. “His balance was poor. His bat speed was poor. His approach was poor. He was only hitting changeups — that was the only ball he could get to.”

Still, scouts were saying much the same thing about Thomas, who turns 40 on May 27, in the early parts of each of the past two seasons. One GM says he finds it difficult to believe that Thomas no longer could contribute coming off a 26-homer, 95-RBI season.
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The Diamondbacks, already loaded with young talent, are discussing how to proceed with right-hander Max Scherzer, who opened the season by pitching 17 scoreless innings at Class AAA, striking out 29 and walking only three. Club officials initially believed that Scherzer could emerge as an impact reliever this season, but want him to remain a starter for as long as possible. Scherzer represents insurance for the rotation if Randy Johnson fails to stay healthy or Doug Davis returns slowly from surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid.

Rays claim Dan Johnson

The Tampa Bay Rays have claimed former A’s first baseman Dan Johnson, the player’s agent confirmed this morning.

Apparently the A’s couldn’t swing a deal for Johnson, but the team had hoped to hang onto him rather than lose him to waivers. Johnson was out of options, though.

With Cliff Floyd out for a month or so, Johnson is likely to be DHing a lot, and he could do well hitting in the Tampa Bay ballpark. He also has had a lot of success against some of the AL East clubs.

Rays, [Evan] Longoria have long-term deal

What happens to Willy Aybar now?

AP: Niemann wins major league debut, Upton homers in Rays’ 6-2 win over O’s

Jeff Niemann allowed one run over six innings in his major league debut and B.J. Upton hit a three-run homer during a six-run fifth, helping the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 on Sunday.

Niemann, taken fourth overall in the 2004 amateur draft, was recalled from Triple-A Durham to replace the injured Matt Garza in the rotation. The 6-foot-9 right-hander gave up six hits, one walk and had five strikeouts.

Rays Report: Longoria has been called up

A person familiar with the situation confirmed to the Tribune that Longoria has been called up. The Rays haven’t made it official and probably won’t announce anything until after the game, at the earliest. 

Manager Joe Maddon and executive vice president Andrew Friedman acknowledged before the game today that Longoria might be called up to replace Willy Aybar if the Rays place their third baseman on the disabled list with a hamstring problem. The Rays were awaiting the results of an MRI exam on Aybar’s leg before determining whether to make a move.

The only other in-house option to replace Aybar would be Joel Guzman, but he is starting for the Bulls tonight. If he was headed to Tampa Bay, the organization wouldn’t risk injury by playing him tonight.

Thanks to Bepo

Rays Anatomy: Does B.J Upton have 30/30 Vision

I recently talked to Jim Callis, Executive Editor of Baseball America, about B.J. Upton’s chances for 30/30 and the comparison to Alfonso Soriano I mentioned earlier. “I think B.J. almost certainly will go 30-30 at some point in his career. If I have to put a number on his chance for this year, I’d say 30 percent” Callis said. On the comparision to Soriano, Jim said “Not a bad comparison, I think B.J. is significantly better OF, though.”

I also talked to a writer from Baseball Prospectus about the same topics. He said the Soriano comparison was fair, but wasn’t so optimistic about the 30/30 chances. The writer gave Upton a 10 percent chance and mentioned that his PECOTA mean has him at 30 steals, but 18 homers. Even his 90% is a bit shy of the mark. He also mentioned that the percent could possibly be higher, because Upton is probably bigger than his listed weight of 185 lbs and thinks Justin Upton has a better chance at 30/30 anyway.

Eric Seidman who writes for Statistically Speaking and is currently writing the book Bridging the Statistical Gap, told me “I feel that there is a very high chance Upton will get to 30/30 and I would even go so far as to say upwards of 70%. Now of course this is given that a few factors play out the correct way, including his ability to maintain a high BABIP and stay on the field. I do not think steals will be his problem but rather the HR. I say 70%, but I am fully acknowledging that it is more likely that the 70% refers to him being extremely close, like with 27 HR and 35 SB or something along those lines as opposed to say 38 HR and 46 SB. He’s got a very good chance, but it will not surprise me at all if he ends up with a 28-28 or something just missing it.”

Rays pitcher Al Reyes slugged, Tased, arrested at Tampa bar

Affbayray!

Tampa Police arrested Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Al Reyes early this morning, saying the reliever was drunk and disruptive after falling down, picking a fight and spitting blood at the patrons of a popular Hyde Park night spot where Jessica Sierra was arrested last year for throwing a glass at a patron.

Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn said this morning: “We are looking into the situation as we are just learning of it.’’

Thursday was Reyes’ 38th birthday.

...The bouncers tried to control Reyes, but the 6 foot 1, 230-pound right-hander kept pushing them away. A Tampa Police officer working extra duty at the bar tried to calm the fracas, but Reyes “continued spitting blood and thrashing about,” Tampa Police Lt. William Ferguson wrote in the release.

Moments later, the officer Tased Reyes, knocking him to the bar floor. Ignoring police commands to stay down, authorities said Reyes got up and was Tased a second time.

AP: Rays’ Floyd to have knee surgery on Friday, placed on 15-day disabled list

Rays outfielder Cliff Floyd will have surgery on Friday to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee.

The injury was discovered by an MRI exam Wednesday. Floyd has been slowed by a sore knee, and hasn’t played since being scratched from the starting lineup Monday.

Floyd is hitting .333 with two homers and five RBIs in four games. There was no immediate word on how long he will be sidelined.

Tampa Tribune blog: Garza departs, trainer at his side

[Matt Garza] just walked off the mound with trainer Ron Porterfield at his side and a grim expression on his face after issuing his unintentional second walk in three batters. Garza was all over the place toward the latter part of the inning, which is about to see its ninth batter with Scott Dohmann coming in to pitch.
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Updating: The Rays said Garza left the game with a “radial nerve irritation.” The nerve runs from the upper to lower arm—think triceps.

Rays home opener officially sold out

You do know what this means, right?

Human Sacrifice, Cats and Dogs living together.... Mass Hysteria!

eHarmony to Partner with Tampa Bay Rays

I trust a partnership with GaySugarDaddyFinder.com will be forthcoming…

eHarmony and the Tampa Bay Rays today announced a groundbreaking partnership for the 2008 Major League Baseball season. eHarmony becomes the exclusive sponsor of the eHarmony Cam, formerly known as the Rays Kiss Cam. During each of the Rays 81 home games at Tropicana Field and Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, the club will host a “success couple” who met on eHarmony. The couples will be featured live on the scoreboard after the seventh inning of each home game. eHarmony is the Internet’s No. 1 trusted relationship services provider. Every day, eHarmony hears from satisfied members who have found happy long-term relationships on eHarmony.com.

“The greater Tampa Bay area is an important market for eHarmony, and the fact that we have more than 80 eHarmony couples living in this area who are Rays fans makes this a win-win partnership,” said Greg Waldorf, CEO of eHarmony. “This partnership allows us to say thank you to our satisfied members who found love and happiness on eHarmony while also promoting eHarmony to prospective new members. The Rays have always been a very lovable organization when it comes to putting their fans first, and we believe that our strong relationship with our success couples ‘marries’ nicely with the Rays’ approach to engaging and spotlighting their fan base

...“Having met my true soul mate on eHarmony seems unbelievable, but it happened and we wouldn’t be here without eHarmony,” said Judi. “In each other, we’ve found true compatibility, and that includes a mutual love for Rays baseball.”

Sternberg: Payroll Will Remain Flexible

Devil Rays fans should keep their hammers and piggy banks handy.

The Newberg Report: My Trip to Yankee Stadium

Jamey NewTAKI 183berg takes in his first gaFutura 2000me at Yankee StaKOOL 131dium...and lives to blSUPER KOOL 223og about it!

The New York City forecast called for an 80 percent chance of rain, but even Mario Mendoza hit four home runs in the big leagues, and so you can never bet against the 20 percent. My first and probably only visit to original Yankee Stadium was perfect: completely dry, a balmy 48 degrees, and the Yanks got absolutely pounded.

1 - Took the D train to the game. I bet 60 percent of the folks on the subway were asleep, and not just the ones on the back end of their Friday commute.

2 - The stadium blew me away—because of how raw and stripped down everything is. It’s cold, colorless, dank. Not very clean. The concession areas look like the State Fair if it stayed open until 3 a.m. There’s very little music played as part of the game presentation. The video elements look like something you’d see if you tuned into a 1978 Yankees-Royals game on ESPN Classic, the scoreboard font a weak, sickly yellow that might have been created on a TRS-80. Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco is exponentially more well appointed.

10 - This unexpected reaction I had is not an exaggeration: Attending a Yankees game almost felt like going to a minor league game in a small town that really cares about its team. The ballpark features are modest, if not dilapidated. But it has a ton of character, a culture, a vibe. Everyone there was there for the baseball game.