Tampa Bay Rays 2010 Season - Page 4

Jasonhouse · January 23rd, 2011, 06:28 AM

If Manny can even manage 20 dingers and 85RBI, that would be plenty of help for the Rays' weak lineup.

Maybe the Rays will wind up around .500 and not be a total embarrassment. Hopefully they start out fast, and get fans interested. But I'm not expecting much and probably won't follow the team too closely. Especially not now that the die has been cast for every top player on the team to get auctioned off every few years.

koopalicious · January 23rd, 2011, 08:53 PM

Their lineup is better than last year and the starting pitching is equal. The only question is the bullpen, but it was a question going into the spring last season as well. I think 90 wins and competing with the Yankees and Jays for second in the East should be the target.

Jasonhouse · January 23rd, 2011, 11:32 PM

Yeah, and the Rays also lost speed and defense. They're still going to have just 2, maybe 3 players likely to hit 20HRs or more. The Sox and Yanks have how many such players in their lineups? Worse yet, the Rays are going from one of the best setup/closer duos in the majors, to what seems likely to be one of the worst. They still aren't going to be able to score all that well, but now the odds are higher that opponents will score more on them. The Rays won numerous close games last season. Don't expect a repeat performance. I think that the Rays will be lucky to go .500 against the Sox and Yanks, and that doesn't bode well for them having much of a chance of making the playoffs. Winning anything close to 90 games is going to be impossible, unless 2 other teams in the AL East utterly implode, or the Rays somehow luck into playing their games at the right time all season. (playing other teams on a bad day, catching them off guard). But, given that the Rays won the AL East last year and had the best record in baseball most of the season, that ain't gonna happen. I say if they go .500, they should thank their lucky stars.

Expect additional trades to further gut the team later on in the season.

jonknee · January 24th, 2011, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

Yeah, and the Rays also lost speed and defense. They're still going to have just 2, maybe 3 players likely to hit 20HRs or more.

They only had two players hit 20 HRs last season (Pena with 28 and Longoria with 22). They aren't and haven't ever been built as a power team. They had the 27th best betting last year, but 3rd highest run total. With Pena, Bartlett and Navarro gone I don't think batting is going to get worse... Not having CC running the bases is going to hurt, but this could be the year Upton steps up.

It's going to be tough (it always is in the AL East), but I don't think 90 win season is overly ambitious.

Tampa on the move. · May 12th, 2011, 10:23 AM

Okay for a team that was suppose to finish 3rd or 4th in the tough AL East division here we sit after 35 games at 21-15 tied with the Skankees for first place.. Doing with great defense-great pitching (Price-Shields-Hellickson-Davis) and Zobrist -Upton-Joyce-Kotchman having career years so far. And Damon being a nice suprise.. and Longoria has just started to get going after being injured for most of the year.

Go Rays..
you make this Tampanian very proud..

jonknee · September 25th, 2011, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

Yeah, and the Rays also lost speed and defense. They're still going to have just 2, maybe 3 players likely to hit 20HRs or more. The Sox and Yanks have how many such players in their lineups? Worse yet, the Rays are going from one of the best setup/closer duos in the majors, to what seems likely to be one of the worst. They still aren't going to be able to score all that well, but now the odds are higher that opponents will score more on them. The Rays won numerous close games last season. Don't expect a repeat performance. I think that the Rays will be lucky to go .500 against the Sox and Yanks, and that doesn't bode well for them having much of a chance of making the playoffs. Winning anything close to 90 games is going to be impossible, unless 2 other teams in the AL East utterly implode, or the Rays somehow luck into playing their games at the right time all season. (playing other teams on a bad day, catching them off guard). But, given that the Rays won the AL East last year and had the best record in baseball most of the season, that ain't gonna happen. I say if they go .500, they should thank their lucky stars.

Expect additional trades to further gut the team later on in the season.

For once your skepticism did not come true. The AL East is again the best division in baseball and we're in the playoff race to the very end. Two players (Longoria/Upton) have more than 20 HRs and two more are close (Zobrist-19/Joyce-18). They have never given up less runs in a season than this year, chalk it up to great starting pitching and defense. Even more amazing is that this happened after going 1-8, with even a .500 start they would already be over 90 wins.

The Rays have had four winning seasons in a row--only NYY/BOS/PHI have longer current steaks.

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January 23rd, 2011, 06:28 AM	#61
Jasonhouse Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 12,317 Likes (Received): 8	If Manny can even manage 20 dingers and 85RBI, that would be plenty of help for the Rays' weak lineup. Maybe the Rays will wind up around .500 and not be a total embarrassment. Hopefully they start out fast, and get fans interested. But I'm not expecting much and probably won't follow the team too closely. Especially not now that the die has been cast for every top player on the team to get auctioned off every few years.

January 23rd, 2011, 08:53 PM	#62
koopalicious Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tampa Posts: 421 Likes (Received): 4	Their lineup is better than last year and the starting pitching is equal. The only question is the bullpen, but it was a question going into the spring last season as well. I think 90 wins and competing with the Yankees and Jays for second in the East should be the target.

January 23rd, 2011, 11:32 PM	#63
Jasonhouse Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 12,317 Likes (Received): 8	Yeah, and the Rays also lost speed and defense. They're still going to have just 2, maybe 3 players likely to hit 20HRs or more. The Sox and Yanks have how many such players in their lineups? Worse yet, the Rays are going from one of the best setup/closer duos in the majors, to what seems likely to be one of the worst. They still aren't going to be able to score all that well, but now the odds are higher that opponents will score more on them. The Rays won numerous close games last season. Don't expect a repeat performance. I think that the Rays will be lucky to go .500 against the Sox and Yanks, and that doesn't bode well for them having much of a chance of making the playoffs. Winning anything close to 90 games is going to be impossible, unless 2 other teams in the AL East utterly implode, or the Rays somehow luck into playing their games at the right time all season. (playing other teams on a bad day, catching them off guard). But, given that the Rays won the AL East last year and had the best record in baseball most of the season, that ain't gonna happen. I say if they go .500, they should thank their lucky stars. Expect additional trades to further gut the team later on in the season.

May 12th, 2011, 10:23 AM	#65
Tampa on the move. Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Tampa Posts: 422 Likes (Received): 2	Okay for a team that was suppose to finish 3rd or 4th in the tough AL East division here we sit after 35 games at 21-15 tied with the Skankees for first place.. Doing with great defense-great pitching (Price-Shields-Hellickson-Davis) and Zobrist -Upton-Joyce-Kotchman having career years so far. And Damon being a nice suprise.. and Longoria has just started to get going after being injured for most of the year. Go Rays.. you make this Tampanian very proud..