MLB reaches broadcast rights extentsion with ESPN

by Aaron Giddens

BSPN - The World Wide Leader in Biased Sports Coverage

Well I hope you were looking forward to no more baseball on ESPN because MLB has reached an agreement with ESPN extending their broadcast rights through 2021. In the deal, which takes effect in 2014, playoff baseball will return to ESPN as they will alternate broadcasting the league wild card round of the playoffs with presumably MLB Network which apparently is airing both this year. Also starting in 2014, ESPN will have the rights to all potential regular season tiebreaker games. The full story with all the details of the deal can be read here at MLB.com.

Uh, waiter, better make that a double.

Do we really have to put up with their blatant north-east U.S. favoritism for another 9 years, at least?! Geez.

FUNNY: Joe gets pied on MLB Network

by Aaron Giddens

So I was watching The Rundown on MLB Network earlier and while he was talking about Jim Hickey's good job as pitching coach, this happened:



Oh thank you, Joel, for giving us a clip to use for a lifetime over Joe.

The offense has arrived, just in time

by Aaron Giddens

Pena crushes a ball to right field
during the 8th inning of Saturday's game.
Courtesy: LA Times

Do you remember earlier this season when I complained about Derek Shelton's job as hitting coach and the anemic office? I said "[t]his team went from an offensive juggernaut in April to an offensive laughing stock here in early June." Well here we are in mid-August and it's back to an offensive juggernaut. Who would have thought that all this team needed was their third basemen back, even if it was just as a DH.

This team has really ramped up it's play here in the second half of the season. This team couldn't buy a win after May 1st and now suddenly their opponents can't buy a win. I love it.

This is what I was talking about Wednesday after the game. Derek Shelton's job is really a mystery to me. The offensive is so bipolar I don't know which side anymore is the "real" Rays. I would love to think it's this side. The side that scores runs like crazy and punish good pitchers like Jared Weaver and cash in when teams make mistakes. When a team does this they can do something special.

One step forward, two steps back

by Aaron Giddens

View Larger Map
Gateway area
Courtesy: Google Maps

Well the latest chapter in the Rays stadium saga has taken an amazingly bad turn. St. Pete agreed to discuss with CityScape, LLC about their proposal - providing the Rays stay in the dark.

The decision came down from city hall yesterday. St. Pete will hear CityScape's proposal but the company is not to talk to the Rays. Why you ask? Because the city fears that by allowing CityScape to do so "that [it] might allow the Rays to claim that the council had waived its exclusivity agreement, which currently restricts the team from dealing with any entity other than the city." said the Tampa Bay Times article on the subject which can be read here.

Rays perfect game'd, again

by Aaron Giddens

Hernandez is doused with sports drinks
after throwing perfect-o.
Courtesy:Getty Images via Bleacher Report

I recently made a vow to try and get back to my positive self about the Rays, but there is nothing positive for the Rays about what happened today. Ok, you might be able to get away that Felix is actually a good pitcher but that's about it.

In case you've been under a rock today, which you should count your blessings if you were, "King" Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game in today's 1-0 loss to the Mariners. Seattle is celebrating, the Rays are facepalming. This marks the third time in four years the Rays have been perfect-o'd. Only the Dodgers have as many perfect games against them, however it took 35 years to accumulate those.

No matter how you spin this, this is bad for the Rays. Sure it's only one loss, but it's a humiliating and demoralizing loss. The Rays were set down in order for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Rays to activate Longoria from DL Tuesday

by Aaron Giddens

Longoria had a .329 BA and 4 HRs before his injury on
May 1st. He's bee out since.
Courtesy: Keith Allison/Flickr

It's official! Rays have announced that they will activate Evan Longoria from the disabled list tomorrow for the game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Rays have optioned Will Rhymes to Durham in advance of the move. The move is reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter.

The Playoffs begin now for Rays

by Aaron Giddens

We need more chocolate ice cream celebrations
like Lobaton got in Baltimore last week.
Courtesy: Keith Allison/Flickr

Rays fans have become accustomed to come from behind improbable runs to and in the playoffs since 2008. And to do so this year, the Rays will have to do it again. Like last year the Rays have themselves in a bind. Sure, they're only 2 GB in the Wild Card standings (7.5 GB of the first place Yankees), but the Wild Card scene is really...compact right now. Five teams within 6 games of the Wild Card leading A's and Tigers.

What this means is that the Rays playoffs, similar to last year, begin early again. With so many teams vying for the Wild Card spots, teams are gonna need every win they can get to get one. And don't forget that even though I'm talking Wild Card, a division title is still not out of the question. All it really takes is for the Rays to go on a really hot streak, like a 20-2 streak and a cog to fall of the well oiled Yankees machine and the Rays (and possible the O's too) can get right back in the division title hunt.

GAME REVIEW: Night of the Upton brothers

by Aaron Giddens

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
BAL		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	8	0
TB		0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	x		2	6	0

Click here for expanded Box Score.

BJ and Justin Upton
Courtesy: AP via NBC Sports

Good evening, Rays fans. It's been since May since we had a game review here on BRaysball Talk. But tonight's the night we have another. Rays are coming off a hot 6-3 road trip with included a 6-game swing out west and come home on a 2-game winning streak. The pitching's been hot. So has the offense. They need to keep it up. Rays have been looking more like a play off team. Can they keep it up against the Orioles tonight? Rays will send Matt Moore to the mound to find out. Orioles counter with Tommy Hunter. It's a battle for second place in the AL East on this Friday night! Time for baseball!

Moore will face Nick Markakis to lead off the game. Markakis is first pitch swinging and has a bloop hit to left field. JJ Hardy is next, he flies out to Matt Joyce in right next to the foul line in fair territory. Adam Jones is next, he grounds one through the middle for a base hit and the O's have two on and 1 out. Matt Wieters will try to drive them in, however, he strikes out swinging on a 94 MPH fastball from Moore. Chris Davis will stand in now, and draws a full count walk to load the bases with 2 out. Mark Reynolds will try to drive a run in now for the O's. He takes strike three and the O's leave them loaded. Moore threw 25 pitches in the first. For the bottom half of the inning, Jennings leads it off for the Rays against Tommy Hunter. DJ strikes out looking on four pitches. BJ is next, he strikes out looking as well on four pitches. Joyce will step in with the bases empty and 2 out. Joyce hits it over the shift in to right, and the birthday boy has a single. Zobrist is next. Joyce takes off for second but it's moot as Zobrist flies out to Jones in center to end the inning. No score after one inning.

Keppinger injures foot, returns for next AB (UPDATED)

by Aaron Giddens

Jeff Keppinger, who has been the Rays most consistent hitter, has apparently left the game tonight after his spikes caught on the dirt while sliding in to second during the 5-6-3 double play to end the 2nd. He walked off gingerly carefully not putting any weight on it. Stay with us for updates.

[UPDATE, 8:27pm]: Keppinger stays in the game and bats in the fourth inning. He flies out to Jones in center. Still waiting on official word from the Rays on what happened in the training room. We'll let you know when we find out.

[UPDATE, 10:20pm]: Maddon says in his post game press conference that Kepp is fine, will be a little sore, but should be playing through it.