Streak moves 11, but its OK.......

The Rays continued their losing ways last night in an embarrassing loss to the Boston Red Sox. The loss makes it 11 in a row, and it was by far the worst loss of this horrid streak. The Sox scored 6 runs in 2/3 innings of of starter JP Howell. The relief was not relief at all, but whats new with the Rays blowpen right? The Sox scored in four of the eight innings in which they had at bats. Every starter except for Julio Lugo had 2 or more hits in the game, but according to our manager and front office, its OK.

After Howell gave up 6 runs in only 2/3 of an inning, our fearless manager went out tapped him on the butt and said good job. Good Job? You are kidding me right? Maddon also said that we did some good things in the game; I guess it was good that we only gave up 15 runs and not 30. This manager has no clue what is going on and it is rubbing off on the players and how they play the game. It also does not help that Andrew Friedman came out and said Maddon is doing a good job and it's not his fault. Whose fault is it than Andrew? Attitude and desire reflects leadership, and you and Joe Maddon are the big leaders here. What type of message does it send to the team when you are destroyed and you bring up that one pitcher had a good inning? The team lost by a large margin and you want to bring up how Jay Witasik had a good inning?

This losing streak is getting to the fans as well as the players. Carl Crawford told the St. Pete times that this is beyond embarrassing and that he is to ashamed to leave his hotel room. When a quiet leader like Carl Crawford, who has always backed the Rays and took a pay cut to sign a long term deal here to help this franchise feels this way; it is not good. This is not the first time Crawford has said something either, he made a comment during the Toronto series about how bad the bullpen is. Crawford has stood by and drank the kool aid they are giving out to the players, but maybe he has had enough. Also, if a stand up guy like Crawford feels this way, what do you think Delmon Young and BJ Upton think and might say? These two guys have already shown that they believe their shit does not stink and they think they are the best. The Rays says they are committed to keeping these young players and spending the money on them, but what happens when these guys do not want to be apart of this team anymore because of how it is run?

I have been a Rays fan since the day they got a team and I will continue to stay a Rays fan while they are in Tampa Bay, but i think I am in a very small minority. I remember sitting in the stands the last time a streak like this happened and Randy Winn finally got us out of it. I am afraid when i go to the next home Rays game after the break it may be the same feeling because we couldn't win a game against the Royals. The Rays need someone to stand up and tell these guys to snap out of it and play, but our manager just wants to drink his wine and pat these guys on there bottom and tell them it's OK. It's not OK. You play a game to win, but this team is playing for teaching opportunities. The fans are upset, the players are upset, but it's OK because Jay Witasik pitched a good 7th inning.

Meet The Newest Bucs -- Quincy Black

The Bucs continued their defensive minded draft in the third round by taking OLB Quincy Black from the University of New Mexico. In a draft that was very shallow at the Linebacker position, Black shot up peoples boards. Black was around the 6th best OLB in the draft. The thing that made Black jump up so high in the draft was his speed and workout mentality. Black is very fast for a Linebacker and he is a work out warrior.

Black will make an immediate impact in the special teams area during kick offs and punt coverage. Black could also be the future replacement for Derrick Brooks. Black has looked real good in the OTA’s and Mini- Camp and has latched on to learn all he can from Brooks. He is young and has some big upside, which is why it is very important for him to watch and learn from Brooks while he is still here.

Black started his football career playing defensive end at a JUCO school. He was playing DE when he came to New Mexico, but was moved to LB after a short while. Black played the LB/S position that was made famous at New Mexico by Brian Urlacher. Black has drawn comparisons to Urlacher due to his athleticism and speed. Black was asked to cover, play run support, and blitz the Quarterback and he seemed to excel in this role. In his senior season Black recorded 114 Tackles (57 Solo), 4 pass break ups, and 3 INT’s. He also made 1st team All MWC.

Some felt the Bucs reached a bit for Black, but I think it was a good pick and a perfect fit for the Tampa 2 defense. Black is a great athlete who excels in coverage situations. He has the speed to make up ground and has the sideline to sideline speed that is needed in this defense. He has great coverage skills and has great hands to go along with those hands. These skills are important in the Tampa 2, which often has LB’s back in coverage in wide outs and tight ends. Black is also great when asked to blitz, which the Tampa 2 loves to do with its linebackers.

Some knocks on Black are that he needs to get stronger and he is not overly physical. Black has a hard time getting off blocks sometimes and he needs to get better at the run. I am not too concerned about the bigger part because the Tampa 2 is designed around fast, athletic, small linebackers. He could need to get a bit bigger for the run stopping, but that may detract from his great coverage skills. I think in time with coaching and learning the game he will figure out the angles and use them to his advantage in the run stopping game. None of the Buccaneers linebackers have been overly big and yet they are asked to do a lot of run stopping and have done so in the past. I don’t think Black will be any different than any of these other guys and his natural physical skills will only help him.

Black may have been a reach for some, but I think the Bucs made the right move getting this guy. Black fits perfectly into the Tampa 2 system and will be a great young Linebacker to groom to take Brooks place whenever he decides to hang up his cleats. Black is a phenomenal athlete and will have one of the best linebackers ever teaching him the position. Right now he will be a great contributor in the Special teams are, but look out for him in future.

Marred in a 10 game losing streak, Rays get bad news

The Rays got very lucky in the off season when they signed Al Reyes. Reyes who was coming off of two Tommy John surgeries was brought into camp to see if he could compete for a bullpen job. Reyes not only competed, but won the closer job outright. Reyes has been the only consistent player on the team and has been dominant in his save opportunities. Reyes has now gone onto the the 15 day DL with shoulder inflammation.

The Rays now have not only to try and win, but may need to score a lot of runs to do so as there star closer will not be around to help. The Rays have decided to turn to Gary Glover to close while Reyes is on the DL. Glover had a great streak going where he looked dominant and had garnered the 8th inning role, but since than has been very inconsistent. Glover either comes in and dominates, or gets absolutely destroyed. The inconsistency needs to stop so he can be effective, especially in the closers role. Looking at the pen, Glover is the best option to close as he has had the best numbers, and has been dominant at times.

With Reyes on the DL the Rays called up left hander Jon Switzer from AAA Durham to take his spot on the team. Switzer who had been rehabbing a shoulder injury of his own for most of the year has come back strong in Durham. Switzer has only given up one earned run in 22 innings in Durham. Switzer was called up last season and did not put up great numbers, but some of that was contributed to a shoulder problem that he was hiding from the staff. With Fossum as the only left hander in the pen this will be a welcome addition to the pen. If Switzer can come in and be average, he will be the best pitcher we have in the bullpen. Switzer will be someone to keep an eye on in the pen and hope he can pitch better than the bums in the blowpen, which won't be hard.

With Reyes going to the DL and having another injury problem maybe they should look at getting another reliever in here to close if Reyes does not come back effectively or stays on the DL longer than expected. One guy who wants out of his position is Salomon Torres in Pittsburgh. Torres was dominant last year in the set-up role, but faltered a bit in the closers role this year in Pittsburgh. Many scouts believe that Torres is a great arm and is still getting better. The Rays could maybe trade Wigginton or Dukes to the Pirates for him. The could also move one of their youngsters down on the farm to sweeten the deal if need be. Torres is pretty cheap for a good reliever and he could be a great set-up man or even a closer.

The Rays got bad news at a bad time. They need to do something to change whats going on and maybe the Switzer move will help. I would love to see Torres here in Tampa and I think it makes a lot of sense.

Rookie Wide Outs

Most Rookies don't come in and light it up there first year. Quarterbacks are usually not worth anything the first year, running backs are stuck behind someone or are starting for a horrible team, but wide receivers seem to be the one position that consistently helps their rookie season. This article will look into some of the top wide outs that were drafted this season and where they are being drafted right now. You will notice that outside of CJ2, most of these WR's ADPs are very close to each other. I have ranked them in order of how I would take them.

Calvin Johnson- CJ2 as he is called was the consensus best player in the draft. CJ2 has all the tools a player needs to be successful in the league at wide receiver. CJ2 is fast, has great hands, great vertical leap, physical, and runs great routes. CJ2 also is a great person who works very hard; something that was missing with previous Lions wide outs. The Lions have found a stud to go opposite of the Legend. Look for CJ2 to have an immediate impact as this may have been the best place for CJ2 to go in this draft. The Lions offense is the high flying Mike Martz offense and he has a great WR to learn from in Roy Williams. Kitna is a decent QB and with the addition of Tatum Bell the passing attack may be allowed to open up a bit. Mike Furrey emerged as a nice go to guy as well for the Lions, but he is a true slot receiver, which is where he will play now that CJ2 was drafted. CJ2 will get the looks and will make an impact this season, but you may have to reach to get him. From the mocks I have seen and been involved in CJ2 has an ADP of 57. If you are in a dynasty or keeper league, he is definitely worth the reach, in a redraft i think i would make the reach, but others may not.

Sidney Rice - Rice was overlooked by many because of a not so great Sophomore season after dominating as a Freshman in the SEC. The Gamecock offense was up and down all year though and had many different Quarterbacks throwing to Rice. Also, there was no true number 2 next to Rice or a ground game to take the pressure off of him. Rice was constantly double and triple teamed, yet he still had a decent season. Rice is a tall, fast, physical receiver that has great hands. The Quarterback situation in Minnesota worries me and that’s why I am hesitant in Rice. I am not sure how Tavaris Jackson will shake out and that will have a huge impact on Rice. The Vikes do have a great ground game with Taylor and AD. Also, the Vikes have another speedy wide out that will line up next to him in Troy Williamson. Williamson is also out of USC and has not turned out to what the Vikes have wanted. If the Vikes had a better QB I think Rice would go higher and have a better year. If Jackson pans out as a good QB, than Rice will be a nice sleeper. As of right now Rice's ADP is 121.

Robert Meachem - I felt that Meachem was coming out a year too early from Tennessee, but he got drafted in the first round so I am sure he is not complaining. I think Meachem would have been better served to come back to UT and get his route running a little better. Also, Meachem had a knee injury that he is coming back from now, but he looks to be on time and is looking good. Meachem is a speed reciever who played in a tough conference in college. Meachem lacks the physicality you like in a reciever and he is not about to go over the middle, but he is a good fit in New Orleans. Meachem has a great QB throwing to him and the Saints offense looks great with Colston, Bush, Deuce, and Henderson next to Meachem. Meachem will be almost a 4th WR here with how they use Bush which means he will be up against some less than stellar defender and should be able to make some deep plays. Also, I am not sold on Henderson as a great number 2, so Meachem could develop into a nice 2 to go along side of Colston. Right now his ADP I have seen is 131.

Anthony Gonzalez - I thought the Colts were gonna go defense with there first pick, but Gonzalez made too much sense for them to pass up. Gonzo is a perfect slot guy, especially in this offense. Gonzo will step right in for the departed Brandon Stokely and offer Peyton another great target. Gonzo was the best WR at OSU. Ginn was the most athletic, but Gonzo is far more polished of a route runner and has better hands. Gonzalez could not have ended up in a better situation either. With the emergence of Addai as a viable back that people will have to look out for the passing attack under Peyton will be wide open like it was with Edge in the back field. With defenses looking at Harrison and Wayne, Gonzo could be left open or be one on one with LB, which will be heavy advantage Gonzo. I think he will have big games and than very low games, much like Stokley did. He will be a nice WR for a long time in the league. Right now his ADP I have seen is 131.

Dwayne Bowe - The Chiefs have needed to address the WR position for a long time and finally did so this year. Bowe being there was a surprise to them and I and the Chiefs gladly took him. Bowe's stock took a huge rise after his impressive performance in the Senior Bowl. Bowe is a big, physical, speedy receiver, but has had trouble holding onto that big catch he needs to make. I like Bowe more than others, but he does need to learn how to hold onto the ball. Bowe will be able to learn from Eddie Kennison who is getting up in age, but is still a great veteran presence on him. The Quarterback position is still a question mark in KC with Huard as the present it seems and Croyle as the future. The Chiefs offense will still revolve around LJ and Tony Gonzalez so that means a little less opportunity for Bowe. Bowe's future is bright, but for this year he may have lesser numbers than some of these other wide out rookies. His ADP is 133.

Dwayne Jarrett - Jarrett looked to be the number 3 wide receiver in Carolina when he was drafted, but when the Panthers decided to release Keyshawn he moved into that number 2 slot. Jarrett is a very physical wide receiver with great hands that will go over the middle, but does not have the speed of these other wide outs. Its funny because Jarrett reminds me and most of Keyshawn Johnson, which is who he is being asked to replace. Jarrett does have an attitude problem that is a little bit of a problem for me. If any of you saw him in the Rose Bowl you saw 4 or 5 times he should have or received a taunting penalty. Jarrett reminds me a little of T.O. in that regard and that’s not a good thing. Jarrett will get to learn from Steve Smith, which will help him very much and has a good QB throwing to him in wither Delhomme or Carr. The Panthers need to rebound this year to keep John Fox his job so look for Jarrett to be thrown into the fire and get his feet wet early and often. His ADP so far is 132.

Ted Ginn Jr. - Head Coach Cam Cameron may have said it best when he addressed the Dolphin Fans; "Wait ‘til you see him return punts." That is exactly what Ginn is to me, a glorified punt returner. Ginn is horrible at running routes and does not have the best hands. Also, Ginn is not physical at all and has a hard time getting off of the jam by the defenders. Ginn uses his speed as his weapon and in college was able to run past everyone. Ginn will not be able to do this in the NFL and he is not strong enough to get off the jam and run by anyone. Ginn may turn into a decent wide out in the future if he is trained by Chambers to get off the jam and run better routes, but for the foreseeable future i would stay away. His ADP is 168.

Craig Davis - When the Chargers drafted him, everyone said, "WHO????" Everyone was right. There were much better wide outs on the board and Davis was not worth it. Davis was highly overrated in my opinion and he doesn't do anything great. He is an average wide out in my opinion and I would not look to him anytime soon. I don't have an ADP for him right now because he has not been drafted in any draft I have done.

Rays need only look to lineup for recent losing streak

The Rays are marred in a seven game losing streak and may be swept in consecutive four game series. Now most of the season the Rays troubles were easy to see and they were the starters and the bullpen, but now its easy to see it is the lineup. The Rays had been scoring runs all year with ease and now they can't get a hit.

The Rays had reason to be excited 7 days ago. They had just won a good series against the Dodgers and had the White Sox coming into town, who were on the verge of a fire sale because they were playing so bad. Although the Rays pitchers got over 10 strikeouts in every game the offense only managed to score 8 runs in the four games. The bats were cold against a team that had previously been dominated, especially the bullpen, which the Rays were not able to take advantage of.

The Rays are now on a 10 game road trip that has started off very poorly and may only get worse. The Indians are one of the best teams in baseball and we are seeing what they have done to our hitters. Also, we next move on to Boston, who is the best team in the league. If the Rays bats don't get hot they may be in for a very long road trip.

Just how bad have the bats been? Here are the stats for the 8 lineup regulars for the Rays during the 7 game skid.

Name Avg. Runs RBI HR SB

Iwamura .222 2 0 0 1

Harris .260 0 1 0 0

Crawford .120 2 1 0 0

Wigginton .192 0 3 0 0

Pena .142 2 2 1 0

Young .185 2 1 0 0

Gomes .181 2 2 1 0

Navarro .222 2 0 0 0

The Rays have one guy hitting over .250 and only 3 hitting over .200. Its not just one part of the lineup it is the whole lineup. Still, the Rays have had some chances to score more and the manger has screwed it up. Why are we having a hit and run with Johnny Gomes? Why are we not bunting Aki over when he does get on? When you are not hitting the ball you need to manufacture runs and they are just not doing that right now.

The Rays also are not benefiting from the babying that still goes on by this manager. The Rays don't take BP when they have early games because its too early. Ar you kidding me? These guys need extra BP not days off. He sits are best players because he wants to give them days off that they do not need. When your team is not hitting you need to leave your best players in to try and get out of the slump.

Upton is scheduled to come back when the Rays get to Boston, so hopefully he can spark something in the lineup. The Rays need something right now to kick start this offense, while they actually get good pitching. Rotating guys like Gomes, Norton, Mohr, and Cantu is not going to get it done. Gomes went on his tear, he is most likely done now. Mohr should only be around for emergencies and Cantu as well.

The Rays need to get the hitting going or they will keep this losing streak going even longer. As promising as this season had looked the Rays are actually a couple games behind where they were last year. If they do not jump out of this slump and finish ahead of last year, all the progress with the fans will be for not.

Rays Give Big Crowd Something to Cheer About

Saturday was turn back the clock day at the Trop, and it attracted an announced crowd of 24,000 people. There were of course many Rays fans, but there were many more people who came to the game to cheer the Dodgers; or to relive the Brooklyn Dodgers and meet the great Dodgers of the past on hand. Kazmir pitched well against the Dodgers giving up 3 runs in 6 innings. The Rays took the lead in the 8th inning on a Dioner Navarro home run and the bullpen managed to hold the lead.

This is the type of game that the Rays have not been winning and need to. Of course you want to win every game, and you do not want to say one game is more important than the other, but some are. When a big crowd shows up to the Trop for whatever reason, the Rays need to win that game. The Rays made a big push through the media to get people to come out to this game. They sweetened the deal by giving away Don Zimmer bobble heads and bringing in some of Zim's great teammates off of the 1955 World Champion Dodger team. I think all of this effort would have been for naught had the Rays lost.

Tampa fans are very fickle and like to watch winning teams. The Buccaneers and Lighting have shown that when you put a winning product on the field, fans in Tampa will show up and support the team, but if the team ia not winning fans won't be there. To make sure you have fans coming back and supporting the team you need to win the games where people came to game for some other reason than they enjoy Rays baseball. There is nothing worse than when the Rays draw a big crowd and stink up the joint. You leave the game and hear people talk about what a waste it was and how bad the team is. The Rays need to win over fans, and the best way to do that in Tampa is to win.

I was at the game and to me the Rays seemed to win over some people. The game was exciting and the Trop was rocking in the 9th inning with Reyes in for the save. My sister-in-law came to game with my wife and I and had a blast, and she usually hates baseball. The excitement of the game and the result has made her a fan; she actually asked if we could watch the game on TV today. The Rays won over one fan that I know of yesterday, and i am willing to bet they won over some more also. In order for this team to get over the hump and get fans on board, they need to win when they get people to the ballpark. The Rays took a step forward yesterday, and I am confident it is only the beginning.

Breaking News-- Elijah Dukes Off Rays Roster

Elijah Dukes is off the Rays roster. The Rays have not said if he was traded or released at this time. Andrew Friedman is supposed to make a statement sometime soon about what is going on, but Dukes is off the Rays roster. The Rays have called up veteran Dustin Mohr to takes Dukes spot on the roster.

This move seems like a long time coming for the Rays who have not played Dukes since the St. Pete times reported that he allegedly had sex with a 17 year old who was living with his grandmother. While Dukes was riding the bench on the road things only got more complicated here in Tampa. Local radio station 620 WDAE has been bombarded by calls from Nishea Gilbert (dukes' ex-wife) and from Dukes' family members. The St. Petersberg times also ran a story daily about some part of Elijah's life.

The Rays, who had been looking to move Elijah to another team, said the talk increased after Elijah called into 620 WDAE to defend himself. In that call Elijah was very defensive and yelled, which is understandable after being awoken from family members saying his family was under attack on the radio. The St. Pete times immediately wrote a story about the phone call. The next day Elijah allegedly told a SPT reporter to go F--- Off and the it seemed the Rays ran out of options. I hope the Rays traded Elijah and did not just outright release him, but it is unsure at this time. If he was released I hope Elijah is picked up and gets a fresh start somewhere else as a change of scenery maybe exactly what he needs.

We have just learned that Elijah Dukes has been optioned tothe minor leagues and has been placed on the temporarily disabled list. This will give the Rays time to try and trade him and have a replacement on the team in case one of the OF goes down and we do not have to go with Norton and Gomes in the OF again.